meladela

3 Things You Didn’t Know About Elephants

Elephants are 1 of the 3 only animal species that mourn the death of their own. According to Jason Goldman, journalist at the BBC, elephants, chimpanzees and dolphins have portrayed similar behaviours to human’s when they come across a death of their own. When the young of a chimpanzee has died, the mum walks around carrying it for days after the death. When a dolphin dies the pod swim around the corpse and keep it protected from predators for days following.

Everyone know’s my love for Elephants, I wanted to write about the similarities they have to us humans, despite the very obvious differences.

Let’s start with their brains. The elephant’s brain is the largest among all mammals Continue reading “3 Things You Didn’t Know About Elephants”

3 Day Itinerary in Bangkok

We planned a family trip to Bangkok to celebrate my sister’s 25th Birthday – although, we ended up celebrating her birthday without her.

Lesson 1: Do not look for your passport a few hours before the flight, have it ready at the point of booking your flight

My sister and brother had misplaced their passports, and only realised 3 hours before our flight from Singapore to Bangkok. I remained positive that they would find their passports and be able to catch the evening flight out, but this never happened. So it was just me, my mum and her partner.

I was convinced that I had been to Bangkok before, but my memory fails me at times and I cannot be 100% certain, I’ll have to ask my dad if he took us there as kids. But either way, I did not get any deja vu moments driving into the city from the airport. So I decided to take in the city with naive, curious eyes. Lesson 2: You always discover something new when you visit a place you’ve been to before Continue reading “3 Day Itinerary in Bangkok”

The Grand Palace – A Cultural Must in Bangkok

Many know Bangkok as the foodie and shopper’s paradise of Southeast Asia, with mouth watering Thai street food every meter and the haven for your hearts desire to bargain (not to mention the fake designer goods you can afford).

I almost came with no expectations of doing anything else other than eat and shop – but it turns out, this bustling and chaotic city has a delicate side too.

While there a few temples to visit and impressive buddha statues to admire, there is nothing like the intricate detail and design seen at The Grand Palace.

Since 1782, these palace grounds have been the home for Thailand’s Kings. Whilst the current King resides in Dusit Palace, the Grand Palace is still used for royal and state ceremonies.

The grounds of the palace are made up of several important buildings and ornaments, with some of the more astonishing below.

Demon Guardians

Six pairs of Guardians surround the palace, all facing the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha, guarding the buddha of any evil.

The Emerald Buddha Continue reading “The Grand Palace – A Cultural Must in Bangkok”

Mel Tries: Intermittent Fasting, The Easy Way to Lose Weight?

I am a big believer in trying different things and making changes to your lifestyle to understand your body better, because we are all different. With my vegan detox that I tried last year, it became evident that dairy wasn’t my friend so whilst I’m not vegan, I have cut down on my dairy intake and it has done my body and skin so much good.

When I first heard about intermittent fasting, it was from a gym-freak friend of mine so I immediately dismissed it thinking I would never be able to do it. But then I knew someone more normal who started it and lost weight, that was enough to motivate me.

So what is intermittent fasting – to break it down and simplify it, you eat within a 8 to 9 hour window and fast for the rest of the day. So in theory, if you start eating at noon you have to stop by 8pm. Most women find a 9 hour window more feasible and still effective. The argument is that whatever food you eat is used as energy by your body for the next 12 hours, and only after those 12 hours does your body actually start burning fat. If you want to read about on intermittent fasting in more details, I found this resource extremely easy to understand. Continue reading “Mel Tries: Intermittent Fasting, The Easy Way to Lose Weight?”

Sri Lankan Safari: Udawalawe National Park

Disclaimer* Be prepared for some adorable pictures, that will have you wanting to squeeze baby elephants

In case you havn’t heard, I had the best trip ever in Sri lanka two months ago, and I am completely smitten with Elephants. After the humbling and magical experience visiting an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia last year, I wanted to use every opportunity abroad to get closer to these gentle giants. So there was no doubt that we were going to see them in Sri Lanka.

I have written a previous post on ethical elephant tourism which I want everyone to familiarise themselves and one of my aims is to make aware the places that truly do great conservation work for elephants versus the ones that call themselves orphanages or conservation park but have no interest in the elephant’s well being.

There are a few wild life parks in Sri lanka, Yala and Udawalawe to name the most popular ones. Yala is more popular for leopards while Udawalawe is an elephant-lover’s paradise. The good thing with most wildlife parks is the freedom given to the animals to roam and do what they please, without too much interruption from us humans. All you do is admire from a slight distance, without petting or getting out of safari jeeps.

The park reaches almost 31,000 hectars, enough space to drive for 2-3hours.

TIP: Do not fall into the trap of getting tickets online and through tours, they bunk the price up extensively! Continue reading “Sri Lankan Safari: Udawalawe National Park”

What Love Island Teaches You About Real Life

So, if you are part of the roughly 3.5 million people watching Love island the past week, I am sure you have a lot of thoughts and rage running through your blood. Watching what some of us go through in a few months, in just a week can bring about a whirlwind of emotions.

I hate to admit that I plan my summer days so that on most weeknights I am comfortably sat in my pyjamas in front of the TV ready for a 9pm kick-off, it is tragically exciting. But while some may see it as a waste of an hour of your life each day, I like to multi-task while I am watching it, doing my nails or my hair while I’m sat glued on the sofa makes me feel less guilty for my indulgence. I also like to think that I learn some valuable life lessons from Love Island, so much so I am writing a blog post on it……. What have you come to Mel.

1.You will lose a man the same way you got him Continue reading “What Love Island Teaches You About Real Life”

Sri lanka Series – The Heart of Colombo

I first touched foot on Sri Lankan soil about 5 years ago when I visited Colombo with my dad for 3 days. It was everything that I expected it to be, chaotic streets with drowning noise, crowded stores and visible contrast between the rich and poor, I was not a fan.

So much so that I disregarded Sri Lanka as a travel destination, despite the link to my heritage. But sometimes, you need to visit a place twice to recognise it’s beauty – it isn’t always love at first sight.

So when I decided to go back to Sri Lanka, I decided to go back with open eyes and no expectations, I wanted to explore more than the capital. And we did.

It was mesmerising, in case that message didn’t come across in my other post on Ella . I still have so much to write about the amazing safari park at Udawalawe and the south west coast; but today, I go back to the place where it all started,the place that had me dismissing this beautiful country, the capital – Colombo. Continue reading “Sri lanka Series – The Heart of Colombo”

How to Avoid Supporting Elephant Cruelty

June is approaching, as if! Apparently there are only 20 Friday’s left until Christmas?!

I am honestly dreading the day that I wake up and realise I am 30… So while I am getting older and wiser, I shall share my experiences in hopes that it will help you make the right decisions.

Many of us are fascinated by Elephants, I think they are the most mesmerizing mammals to walk this earth. So it is no surprise that elephant rides are such a big hit for zoo’s and any other tourist “sanctuary/orphanage” etc. Even I fell for the trap 7 years ago when I didn’t know better and went for an elephant ride in Phuket, Thailand.

Continue reading “How to Avoid Supporting Elephant Cruelty”

Natural Skincare Must Haves

I have never had horrible skin, the occasional spot here and there when I am stressed or about to come on, however, I do suffer from dry skin and blemishes. There are so many skin care products out there, and if you really want something good for you then you have to be prepared to spend the big bucks right? Wrong.

Well maybe half wrong. I am strong believer that mother nature has the answer to many things. When I’m ill I stay away from medicine and have honey, lemon and ginger tea. I also notice that what I put into my body is what comes out of my skin so if I have had a naughty weekend filled with sugary foods and dairy, then I will no doubt wake up with mount Kinabalu on my forehead.

There are a few natural products and ingredients that I have used as my main skin care products that have really had a great impact on my skin’s dryness and appearance and you can easily afford them and introduce them into your every day skin care routine. Continue reading “Natural Skincare Must Haves”

Sri Lanka Series – Views from Ella

Ever since I returned from one of the most amazing trips I have had, life has been manic with busy days at work and never ending social events in my diary. On top of that, I’ve really taken my fitness training on another level and got myself a personal trainer, I’ll talk about that journey separately. I have so much to write about Sri Lanka, I have been meaning to do it for awhile. But then the sun has been teasing us here in England, and you know when the sun is out, London is out, especially me.

If you read my last post, I broke down what my trip to Sri lanka really meant to me. Yes it was beautiful, yes it was a girls trip full of adventure and so many laughs, but it made me fall in love with the country and be proud to say I am half Sri Lankan. I had been to Colombo before with my father, a good few years ago. It was a 3 day trip to visit some family which I had never met. But I didn’t see much of the country or even capital, it was a chaotic rush from house to house, and even a last minute wedding. I left Sri Lanka overwhelmed and tired, and I decided, this place isn’t for me. It was only a year ago that I heard my aunties who had visited talk about and seen so many jaw-dropping pictures on instagram that I thought, let me give this place another go. Especially since my grandmother had told us more about our late grandfather, it really was just my mother prying more information out of her.

There were so many times where I just stopped and took the air deep into my lungs, trying to savour every moment and every little thing Sri Lanka had. Ella was probably the most scenic, with the perfectly set tea plantation making up every corner of every hill. Continue reading “Sri Lanka Series – Views from Ella”