Perhentian Islands!
Trip Start
Jul 24, 2008
1
7
13
Trip End
Dec 2008
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Where I stayed
Pulau Perhentian Kecil,
Terengganu,
Malaysia
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
From Cheryl:
These islands truly were a bit of paradise! I have to admit, if it was not for Jamie, Kate, Amy, and Kimberley, I am not sure we would have ever even FOUND these islands! Located off the coast of Malaysia are two small islands that you can only get to after a visit to a small fishing village where you can secure passage to them. After they load you up with a life vest and your luggage off you go for about a 45 minute boat ride to the remote location.
We landed on the shore - literally - and they passed us our bags while we were still in knee deep water! Because many of the chalets have no internet presence making reservations was all but impossible. So, with bags on our backs and wet shoes we start to roam up and down the beach trying to find a place that is inexpensive and has vacancy
Perhentian Sunset
! No problem really - there were about 6 of us on our boat and none of us had reservations. Within an hour we were all booked up. We had intended to stay here for about a week, but as that time moved on we decided to hang a bit longer. For about $30 a night we were staying at Senja Bay ( www.senjaybay.com ) in a beach front room with air con! With such a great view and a great deal, it was a no-brainer to stay a few more days - 12 in all!
The diving here is out of this world! Most dives cost about $20-$25 and that includes rental gear. Needless to say, my dive log has several entries from Turtle Bay Divers ( www.turtlebaydivers.com ). They are a great group of people and I highly recommend them. They are a PADI organization with a high level of safety standards not often found in these areas.
It was tough to leave this little treasure of an island, but next stop is Bangkok, Thailand!
From Lisa:
Where else could you see seahorses, sunken wrecks, gorgeous sunsets, turtles, sharks, and incredible corals in all the colors of the rainbow every single day?? These islands are amazing and the laid-back lifestyle is going to be hard to beat anywhere else - though we're still looking, there is Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hawaii yet to go on this trip. Discovering the joys of eating spicy Malaysian curries and yummy Roti Canai was especially fun. It felt like only a short visit (even after 12 days) and this is one place I'd definitely like to see again! Meeting up with Jamie and Kate who we spent time with in Mexico was a treat - thanks guys for letting us join your last leg of the trip and for showing us a real paradise!
Comments
Hey travelers!
Pictures look great! Cheryl, did you hit that 100 dive yet......and what comes after that?? So maybe this overrode the Red Sea hut for a return? Looks great and love to visit!