We decided early on that our year in Malaysia was a total waste if we didn't get to see blue/green sea water and go snorkeling. Last weekend, we did both. With the Monsoon over, we were finally able to make it to the east coast to see some of the beautiful beaches. We chose Tioman Island because it had some resorts on it and we didn't have to take a flight. It was a 4 hour drive to the coast where we caught a ferry. The ferry ride was 2 hours and dropped us off very near the resort. A 5 minute shuttle (a little scary since there were no sides on the shuttle) and we were there. The resort we chose was a chalet style. We spent almost zero time in the room so it really didn't matter too much.
Some of the Malaysians claim there are much better islands to the north. In my opinion, they are just spoiled. I thought Tioman was gorgeous, like something from a movie. Since it is not a holiday season, the resort was not very full and the beach was not crowded at all. As I hoped, the water was the most beautiful blue and green. Without the correct filters, I was unable to get any pictures to do justice to the water color. The sand felt great on our feet and the kids could have played in it non-stop the whole weekend.
On our first night, we were playing on the beach with the kids. Oddly enough, we looked down the surf and saw some folks we recognized! They were some of our neighbors here, a German man and his Malaysian wife. What a surprise to be in such a remote place and see someone you know. We had dinner with them that night and had a great time. The next morning I was talking to the restaurant manager and found that his best friend went to Texas Tech.
The next morning we went snorkeling. They give you a boat ride to a tiny little island about a half mile away. Near this island is a small wooden platform where they drop you off. After that, you are on your own. Occasionally the boat will come back and you have a choice to get on or stay. For the first trip, it was just me and William. Neither one of us knew what we were doing so it took about 20 minutes to get all the kinks worked out. After having about a pint of sea water each, we sort of got the hang of it. The water was amazing. At the island, the water was about 15 feet deep but it was 100% transparent. It was if we were looking through air. The bottom of the sea floor was covered in coral with colorful fish everywhere. We even saw a large eel that was about 6 feet long and 8 or 10 inches in diameter. It was a little intimidating. Our friends had told us the night before that we should bring crackers or bread. We brought some crackers and opened them underwater. We were instantly surrounded by hundreds of the most colorful fish I have ever seen. They would eat out of our hands and swim all around us. It was absolutely amazing.
That afternoon it was Kristen's turn. She took Rebekah with her. I told her all of our troubles so that it might go better for them. We waited on the beach for them and I thought they would never return. When they finally came back, Kristen said she could have stayed there all day. Rebekah took to it instantly and also had a great time. This weekend was surely the best weekend we have spent in Malaysia.
Some of the Malaysians claim there are much better islands to the north. In my opinion, they are just spoiled. I thought Tioman was gorgeous, like something from a movie. Since it is not a holiday season, the resort was not very full and the beach was not crowded at all. As I hoped, the water was the most beautiful blue and green. Without the correct filters, I was unable to get any pictures to do justice to the water color. The sand felt great on our feet and the kids could have played in it non-stop the whole weekend.
On our first night, we were playing on the beach with the kids. Oddly enough, we looked down the surf and saw some folks we recognized! They were some of our neighbors here, a German man and his Malaysian wife. What a surprise to be in such a remote place and see someone you know. We had dinner with them that night and had a great time. The next morning I was talking to the restaurant manager and found that his best friend went to Texas Tech.
The next morning we went snorkeling. They give you a boat ride to a tiny little island about a half mile away. Near this island is a small wooden platform where they drop you off. After that, you are on your own. Occasionally the boat will come back and you have a choice to get on or stay. For the first trip, it was just me and William. Neither one of us knew what we were doing so it took about 20 minutes to get all the kinks worked out. After having about a pint of sea water each, we sort of got the hang of it. The water was amazing. At the island, the water was about 15 feet deep but it was 100% transparent. It was if we were looking through air. The bottom of the sea floor was covered in coral with colorful fish everywhere. We even saw a large eel that was about 6 feet long and 8 or 10 inches in diameter. It was a little intimidating. Our friends had told us the night before that we should bring crackers or bread. We brought some crackers and opened them underwater. We were instantly surrounded by hundreds of the most colorful fish I have ever seen. They would eat out of our hands and swim all around us. It was absolutely amazing.
That afternoon it was Kristen's turn. She took Rebekah with her. I told her all of our troubles so that it might go better for them. We waited on the beach for them and I thought they would never return. When they finally came back, Kristen said she could have stayed there all day. Rebekah took to it instantly and also had a great time. This weekend was surely the best weekend we have spent in Malaysia.
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| The kids tried so hard to build a dam that wold hold back the tide... |
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| ...in the end, the tide won! |
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| This is the resort dining hall where we ate all our meals. We mostly ate pizza. |
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| This is the little island where we went snorkeling. A good swimmer could swim straight to it. |
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| Kristen and Rebekah on the boat coming back from snorkeling. |
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While we were having breakfast, some monkeys were playing around next to us. I wasn't quick enough to get the mothers carrying the little babies. |
