Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi

Tripoto
9th Jan 2014
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 1/42 by Michelle Ooi
On the way!
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 2/42 by Michelle Ooi
Surfing in Keramas
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 3/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 4/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 5/42 by Michelle Ooi
from my accomodation in Canggu
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 6/42 by Michelle Ooi
taking a wave
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 7/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 8/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 9/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 10/42 by Michelle Ooi
Nusa lembongan, on the dive boat
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 11/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 12/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 13/42 by Michelle Ooi
Nusa dua
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 14/42 by Michelle Ooi
largest hotel in bali
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 15/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 16/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 17/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 18/42 by Michelle Ooi
My accomodation in Ubud. Traditional Balinese
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 19/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 20/42 by Michelle Ooi
Volunteering with Bali Animal Welfare Associa
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 21/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 22/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 23/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 24/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 25/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 26/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 27/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 28/42 by Michelle Ooi
Education program in schools
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 29/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 30/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 31/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 32/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 33/42 by Michelle Ooi
Rice paddies around Ubud
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 34/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 35/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 36/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 37/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 38/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 39/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 40/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 41/42 by Michelle Ooi
Photo of Southeast Asia: One country with a purpose, one wi 42/42 by Michelle Ooi

I didn't plan very much for this trip.... I had come back to Singapore from Australia after studying to work in a government job, but when they told me my start date wasn't till at least 3 weeks later I decided to go exploring instead of sitting and waiting. Booked the cheapest flight to Bali I could find and left 3 days later!! My only goal was to do the activities I love, which are surfing and freediving! And since I was there I thought it would be good to do something for the community, so I got in touch with Bali Animal Welfare Association (I'm a veterinarian by training) and signed up for a one week volunteering stint. I sure got what I was looking for in Bali - chaos, adventure, and ocean!! I was talking to another freediver on Nusa Lembongan and he mentioned a Master freediver training program by Apnea Total on Koh Tao, and since work postponed my start date even further, I though, why not? I was looking to further my freediving training anyway. And I wasn't disappointed, I definitely learnt a lot about freediving and went deeper for longer. The only sad thing was I couldn't finish the program as I had to return to Singapore to work... 

The waves!! AMAZING. I'm not the best surfer in the world, but the waves are definitely world class! The people are so friendly too.