Tioman Island - Melaka

Mon 22nd Sept

We arrive in Mersing at 6.40am and head to the ticket office for the ferry to the island. The next boat is at 9am, we therefore have time to get a coffee and some breakfast (noodles). The boat doesn't arrive till 9.40am and we depart after 10am. Our stop will be Salang..the furthest point and final stop..taking around 3 hours! When we reach Salang we search around for the best value accommodation and settle on a room costing 80RM a night. I then crash for a few hours (it's never a deep sleep on the bus), Lars heads out to snorkel and we meet up later in the afternoon for some beers beachside, good view of the sunset. The beach is nice and sandy, with lots of coral and fish to see. In the evening we find that the area is very quiet, so have a chilled out evening. The beers are cheap here due to duty free shops.

Spot the lizard..

Tues 23rd Sept

Today we have a fun dive at 10am. We will be heading to Renggis Island, which I've heard and we are told is one of the best sites. We grab some breakfast then head to the dive centre where we set up or gear before walking to the port and waiting for our boat (the gear is brought down on a motorbike/trailer). The dive site is a 30min journey from Salang, when we arrive we have a briefing on the boat, then gear up and backwards roll into the water. On our descent there are many small jellyfish around us, I later find out that Lars is stung by one of these at the beginning of the dive, but the dive continues and he is fine after.. adding vinegar to the sting when we get back to the dive centre! The dive for me is good, the visibility to begin with is good but then is similar to that experienced on my dives at the Perhentian Island. In the afternoon we chill out, read, and drinks some beers in the beach side hammocks, not bad for a Tuesday afternoon! I finish reading 12 Years a Slave, and next download A Hundred Years of Solitude. The beach is very quiet again, with few travellers. In the evening we eat fresh fish and calamari, and head to bed early ready for a long days travel to KL tomorrow.

Weds 24th Sept

I'm up at 7.30am, showered, packed and heading for breakfast at 8 before getting the ferry back to mainland at 9am. We arrive at Mersing at 11.30am and first head to an atm and then to the bus station in the hope of getting a ticket for the 12.30/1pm bus to KL...what we soon find is that the earliest bus we can take from Mersing is at 6pm! We head to another booth that sells a 3.30pm ticket but from Kluang, a 2 hour local bus journey away. Along with a number of other travellers, we take up this option.. grab some lunch (a pack of oreos/crisps..) The local bus feels like it might break down at any point.. does it have only 3 gears? I'm not sure how we make it up some of the hilly roads and then it pours with rain during the second hour! Fun times. But close to 3pm we arrive at Kluang Bus Terminal and soon after are boarding our KL bus and off again. 

The traffic into KL is chock-a-block, eventually we are dropped at the bus terminal, then take the train into central and to our hostel for the night, Sunshine Bedz. When we arrive Marlie is at the hostel with two friends and soon we are heading to the nearby mall to eat some dinner.. sushi.. despite the cost being relatively cheap when converting the price back to pound I spend the most on one meal since the start of my travels! 

Thurs 25th Sept

Today I am up early again ready for the short journey to Melaka, I will be travelling here with Marlie and then onto Singapore together as well. After a slight rush and a run across the bus terminal (with a tannoy announcement for Marlie and Adam heard) we make our bus and are on route to Melaka. On arrival to Melaka Central we take the local bus and then walk to our hostel for the next two nights.. Ringo's Foyer. The owner Howard, makes us both welcome (even giving me a 5RM discount), we are told that he will be taking everyone to a recommended restaurant in the evening and he introduces us to the other guests throughout the day. After dropping off our stuff in our rooms, me and Marlie head out into town, first we get lunch at a cafe points out on the map provided and a dish he recommends Baba Laska and I order this. It's a tasty chicken/noodle soup dish with a slight spicy kick. After lunch it begins to rain so we look in the shops down Jonker Street, and we both end up buying t-shirts. In the evening we all borrow bikes from the hostel and follow Howard's lead as he takes us on a scenic tour through the streets of Melaka on route to an Indian street restaurant. 

Fri 26th Sept

After a long lie in, followed by breakfast in the hostel, me and Marlie rent out bikes from the hostel and cycle and set out on a tour of the town by day. We head to the tourist centre and see the historic buildings around Dutch Square. It 's a sunny day, blue skies and very hot. We walk around town and take a route to see historic churches, a replica temple and Malaysian Architecture Museum. Then we head to see the Portuguese Ship and views of the river. In the evening we head to the night market, eating good cheap food including Nice Nice Popiah (a nutty spring roll). My time in Malaysia has come to an end and tomorrow we will be taking an early bus to Singapore.. before I fly to Australia on Monday evening.

Perhentian Island Kecil

Blog Update : Perhentian Island

A busy few weeks and a lack of wifi has put my blog on hold. Here is an update about my week on the Perhentian Island Kecil.

After leaving Langkawi during the afternoon of Sat 13th Sept, I briefly return to Georgetown and House of Journey. It is good to see Rayson, Cheryl and Sam again but soon I am repacked, saying my goodbyes and heading to the ferry port, in order to get to Butterworth on the mainland. I board my bus at 9.45pm (I briefly see and chat to a traveller who also stayed at HOJ in Penang) with a 7 hour journey ahead of me.. Ipod on, I'm soon asleep.

The journey has many stops along the way. Around 3.30am my companion set next to me (a Malaysian teacher and master's student in Penang) departs and I know I still have another 2 hours to go.

On arrival to Kuala Besut, me and Malte (a German traveller who stayed at HOJ) book up the jetty to Long Beach on the small Perhentian Island Kecil.

Sun 14th Sept

When we get close to Long Beach we have to transfer onto a smaller boat and pay 2RM to get to the shore.. Sea pirates..

Perhentian Island Kecil

I head to Panorama where I have reserved a place to take the Open Water Diving Course (4D3N). I am given my bed number and head to the dorm.. A 30 bed dorm! (although it is never fully busy during my time there).

The walk from Panorama to beach.

When I head back to find out about the diving I'm told that due to illness Panorama is currently understaffed so I cant do the diving course with them. I am told about the sister company 'Lazy Buoys' just a couple of stores down the beach so head straight away there. On my arrival I am immediately made welcome by Bev, an English Dive Master. I am told that I can start the course today.. in fact that morning go for a dive straight away with Kram as my instructor. After little quality sleep during the night bus I am very tired and soon realise that I don't have my contacts on me. The morning dive is about to depart so I postpone my starting point till midday (I can have an hours nap and eat now!).

When I return to Lazy Buoys around midday I begin the PADI Theory Sessions (DVD and book).. There are 5 sections in total, I watch 1-3.. Which takes close to 3 hours! By section 3 I am falling asleep again! I meet up with Malte at Panorama and head to the beach for a walk and more sleep on the sand!

When I wake Bianca is also on the beach and we catch up and make plans for dinner. Dark clouds fill the skies so we head back to our accommodation just before it pours down. In the evening we eat pizza (mmmm tasty) it has seafood toppings. I head to bed early to get a good nights sleep in preparation for my first of two dives tomorrow starting at 8.15am.

Mon 15th Sept

I arrive at Lazy Buoys at 8.15am ready to prepare and have briefing about my first dive. For the first dive I do not need to do anything withthe equipment as my instructor Kram prepares this (on my next dives I will have to set up the gear). I will be having one to one sessions with Kram which is lucky. We carry the equipment to the boat and are dropped further down the beach into shallow watee. The rest of divers on the boat are heading to Sugar Wreck. We enter the water and then put the gear on. First we practice some drills before going under water and sitting on the seabed (only around 4metres underwater). Your ears need equalising straight away because of the increase in air pressure. We complete some skills (filling mask full of water then tipping head back and blowing out through your nose to clear the water, regulator recovery, using your buddies alternate air source) and then explore the corals/fish at a maximum depth of 12m. On my return to mainland I eat and then use the time before the next dive (at 2.30pm) to watch the fi

nal 2 sections of the theory... I watch section 4.. Nap on the floor .. Get woken up by Kram.. Have a coffee .. Then watch the final section!

The 2nd dive is a closed water dive (although we are still in the sea..) therefore we stay at a shallow depth and spend the whole hour completing many skills (for example swimming without mask, then clearing water, removing the gear underwater and putting it back on again etc) the time flies by.

When we get back we chill out at Lazy Buoys and Suhimi provides rum and coke! In the evening there is a celebration/snorkel test for Tobias who has just completed his Dive Master training. The snorkel test involves Tobias having to drink many shots and finally through his snorkel having a mixture of vodka/milo/chilli sauce/eggs/rum ..eurghh.

Tues 16th Sept

My first dive is at 11am so I have time this morning to eat breakfast beforehand. Before the dive Kram reviews my answers for Section 4 & 5 of the theory book and I then prepare my diving equipment. We head to D'Lagoon for my OW2, first we descend to 12m and complete the exercises I learnt the previous however this time Kram does not demonstrate. After the final exercise (receiving air from buddy and ascending together) I find it difficult to equalise on our reentry underwater. I experience some pain in my ears so ascend slightly, equalise and try again to descend but again I cannot properly equalise, we end up stopping the dive. I postpone my 2nd scheduled dive of the day and take the PADI exam in the afternoon. In the evening me and Malte eat at Panorama and meet Dom, Lars, Jer, Magnus, Chris and Marlie.

Weds 17th Sept

This morning when I wake I am freezing and have a sore throat. The dorm has air con and fans, and has given me a chill! I get up in preparation for the early morning dive but on arrival to Lazy Buoys still feel unwell and decide not to dive. I spend the rest of the afternoon reading my 2nd book 12 Years a Slave. Again there is a big group together in the evening for dinner and socialising.

Thurs 18th Sept

I finally complete my OW2 with Suhaimi. I am cautious when descending due to my ears. We once again complete the skills and continue with the fun dive. In the evening we head to Beach Bar, the group drink 'Money Juice' (cheap rum).

Libby, Dom, (?), and I. 

Mark, (Lars in the background), Me, Magnus, Jer & Lander

Fri 19th Sept

Today... everything going as planned.. I will complete my Open Water Diving Course. I have two more dives to complete, Open Water 3 & 4. In the morning I complete OW3 with Kram, the dive goes well and we see a turtle! At midday me, Mark and Dom (see pics below) complete OW4, the final dive before we are qualified. The skill involved here is compass navigation (Dom nearly ends up at a different dive site..!) and bouyancy control. During the dive we see many fish. When we return to the dive centre we decide to do a fun dive at 3pm, and later head to to the Police Wreck, a really fun and interesting dive. We head to Coral Bay to see the sunset, and catch up with Magnus, Marlie and Chris. We also see Mark, Dom, Jer, Lander there as well. In the evening we have a big night celebrating our completion of the diving course!

Sat 20th

My time on the Perhentian Island is drawing to a close. I have signed up for one more fun dive on Saturday afternoon to The Temple of the Sea, the premium dive site at Perhentians. I head there with Lars, Charlotte and Henry. Lars has a go pro to captures some great pics. The dive is good, we see a blue spotted stingray, eel, triggerfish. The final boat off the island is at 4pm.. at 2.30pm I decide I will stay for one more night instead of rushing to pack and leave.. and I still need to sort out the next part of my journey (a night bus to Mersing - Tioman Island). After the dive, me and Lars head to Coral Beach to do some snorkeling (borrowing fins/mask/snorkel from Lazy Buoys). We again meet up with Magnus and Marlie at Coral Bay. I book a night bus ticket to Mersing for the next day and plan to head back to Coral Bay for dinner in the evening. On our return to Long Beach we come across Jer and tell him our plans, in the evening there is again a big group eating together. At dinner Lars decides that he will also join me on my next part of my journey to Tioman, I am glad to have a companion. After speaking with Marlie at dinner I find out that her travels also coincide with mine, therefore I arrange to meet with her in KL on weds evening and then head to Melacca and Singapore with her. In the evening we have more drinks at Beach Bar, and a dance but not to the extreme of the previous night! 

Sun 21st Sept

I have a day to pack, relax and say my goodbyes to the guys at Lazy Buoys and Marlie/Magnus at Coral Bay before me and Lars get the 4pm boat off the island and set off on our journey to the Tioman Island to mark the start of my final week in Malaysia..