TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

There were gasps as a fast flying raptor that flashed shades of red, orange and brown streaked through the sky before making contact with the surface of the calm waters of the cove. Our small boat with its load of tourists, including myself, our guide and boatman were excited but calm. Seconds later, a second raptor joined the first and we were treated to a front-row seat of a real-life wild documentary  in action as the pair of raptors before us fished for prey in the waters. A pair of  Brahminy Kites, Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia (2002) The Scene We were in Langkawi, enjoying a day out in the sun cruising along the coast and the many coves of this Malaysian island situated in the Andaman Sea, off the mainland of West Malaysia, somewhere in the north-western region of the peninsula.  The Trip My trip was stretched over a short weekend, courtesy of a free stay at a newly opened five-star resort on Langkawi. Only the resort stay was free, thanks to my rare good luck

Views from the top has always provide a fascinating insight into the immediate surroundings of an area, be it stretches of sea that extends far into the horizon, man-made architecture of an urban cityscape or the expanses of greens of a tropical rainforest from a vantage point. In Singapore where the amount of lush forest is shrinking as a result of urban development, forested areas are becoming more rare and precious as the clock ticks. Apart from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and other small pockets of forested areas still remaining on the main island of Singapore, the only other place with a sizeable amount of suburban and forested areas and is opened to public access is the island of Pulau Ubin. Here in Pulau Ubin near the mangrove areas of Chek Jawa stands a lookout tower. The view from the top of this tower provides a sweeping view of the forested areas of this small island. This awesome view never fails to provide me with a deep appreciation of the abundance of nat