Though Malaysia’s east coast is beautiful, containing many lovely beaches and quiet kampung (villages) well worth visiting, what brings folks back to the region time and again are the tantalizingly beautiful islands offshore.
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Star Date: June 2018 |
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Hello Dear Family & Friends!
"Selamat tengah hari!" (Good day -Malaysia Bahasa)
” Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the
year.”
Malaysia, My Second Home. Holding this visa for 10 years we decided to explore our new 2nd home. Starting in bustling Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital rich in cultural diversity, we headed north. We chose a new region surrounding Kota Bahru. Few tourists land here and we spent several days just enjoying the laid back pace. Cultural travelers find that Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu have a distinctively Malay vibe that’s managed to remain fairly undiluted despite the nation’s headlong rush to prosperity. Nature lovers are drawn to explore the vast and as yet largely unspoiled expanses of jungle that make up much of Kelantan’s interior.
There are hundreds of beautiful islands within Malaysia, not all
offer a place to stay overnight. The islands of Malaysia are divided
in the islands at the western peninsula, the eastern peninsula and
the islands around Borneo. All are equally stunning, though diverse. Most popular islands are Langkawi, Penang to the west, Perhentian, Redang and Tioman off the
eastern coast. Around Borneo you have Lankayan, Selingan, Mataking
and Sipadan. Langkawi, Penang and Pangkor cannot be compared with islands at the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, but they all are equally beautiful on their own. Penang is renowned for its busy, engaging, multicultural atmosphere, Langkawi is known for its beautiful landscape and wildlife and Pangkor is still the quaint island as it was years ago. Northeast of Peninsular Malaysia, nearby the city of Kota Bharu, there are two small islands that form the Perhentian Islands. The names are Perhentian Besar, the larger of the two and popular among couples and families with children, and Perhentian Kecil, the smaller island and very popular among budget travelers. Both the islands have plenty of accommodation available, ranging from ($15 -$75). There are also luxurious resorts that offer cabanas complete with air-conditioning, but at many simple lodges you will have to do with cold water and a fan. There are no (internationally renowned) hotels. Perhentian is most popular because the great places for diving and snorkeling; in most cases you can enjoy the underwater world right in front of the resort. These islands of the Terengganu Marine Park are well-known for the stunning clear waters, fantastic coral reefs and amazing marine life. It is also very popular because the island is easy to reach; though during the monsoon season (October to March) practically the whole island is closed to tourists. Living on the edge at times we decided to risk the trip in the beginning of this sometimes devastating monsoon season. Tourists were gone, prices lowered and thanks to the grace of Mother Nature we appreciated a week of sunshine before the torrential flooding rains arrived. Hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and just doing nothing we enjoyed this little tropical paradise. Back towards Penang, 5 hours to the west, we stopped in Butterworth to enjoy Nine Emperors Festival, and vegetarian feasts with our dear friends Claire, Ron, Boon, Ms. Goo. During our stay we also attended Boon's school fair, real dive headlong into the culture and peoples of Malaysia; plus excellent tasty Chinese vegetarian food. Just a 10 minute ferry ride back over to the island of Penang we felt like we were going home. Good friends, mouthwatering food, colorful culture, stunning scenery, interesting diversity Malaysia, Our Second Home, has so much to offer.
And so it goes.........................................Next spinning the globe and landing in exotic Kashmir, high in the Himalayas. Until next month let's remember in our hearts that every day is the best day in the year. Thanks for keeping in Touch! Take care and Enjoy Each Day!
Love, Light & Laughter,
Travel notes:
1 United States Dollar equals 4.17 Malaysian Ringgit
Bus Transnacional - to Kota Bahru A-01-05 Pelangi Mall Phone# 6097472219 Kuala Besut - pier fishing village to catch speed boats over to Perhentian Islands
Perhentian Kecil:
Getting to the Perhentian Islands: To travel to the island you will have to take the bus, train or airplane to Kota Bharu or Kuala Terengganu (quickest way is via Kota Bharu). There are daily flights to both cities (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly). The bus is by far the cheapest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu. From there on, you can take a bus or taxi to Kuala Besut; where the ferry to Perhentian departs almost every hour. The taxi is the easiest but also the most expensive method of transport to Kuala Besut (RM70 from Kota Bharu, RM110 from Kuala Terengganu). There are also minivan services from numerous popular places to Kuala Besut; for example NKS in Taman Negara arranges transport from this national park to Kuala Besut. Similar operators offer transport from Cameron Highlands to Kuala Besut. The real adventurous travelers might like the 'Jungle Train' between Gemas and Kota Bharu. Stops nearby Taman Negara are Jerantut & Kuala Lipis so travelers can easily combine both a trip to this popular national park with a train ride to Kota Bharu in order to visit Perhentian Island. Some describe this trip as really basic, where even the 1st class sleepers are in poor state. Nonetheless, the experience is great and you will not see that many other tourists taking this route to Kota Bharu. In case of bad weather the boat will not leave. Unfortunately the locals may have a different definition of bad weather then we do. We travelled to the island once around 4pm; just ahead of a heavy storm. This was not a pleasant trip. It is better to take the boat at Kuala Besut in the morning or early afternoon. The weather conditions then are usually better, and it is also less busy, so you won't be traveling on a crowded boat. Also, there is some difference between operators; some fill a boat easily with 20 people and their luggage, other have a 10 person maximum. We traveled once with the big Tuna Bay ferry; it was the most pleasant ferry trip so far. Below a list with attractions on the island:
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