Malaysian Bytes: Exploring the Perhentian Islands I.
The Journey.
Hell bent on having an adventure, I found myself at the Putra Bus Station on a rainy evening with a one-way ticket to Terengganu, home to the beautiful Perhentian Islands. Why take the bus when I could have flown and been there in an hour? ... I was being spontaneous.
Woke up in Kuala Besut eight hours later having survived the stormy ride from Kuala Lumpur. 5 a.m, not so bright eyed and very bushy tailed.
First, coffee.
There are many coffee shops open in the early hours along the jetty area and I picked an old Chinese restaurant for kaya (Malaysian jam made with eggs, milk and sugar) toast and hot coffee.
Ambled over to buy speedboat tickets to Perhentian Kecil (the smaller of the two Perhentians; the other is Perhentian Besar) and came across Pak Mie, this darling boatman helped me get my tickets, exchanged phone numbers for the return journey and absolutely took care of my friend and I until we got onto the boat. Why? Because we were young ladies and he thought we were nuts to be traveling alone. So concerned for us, this old man. I thought it was utterly sweet. We were fine though!
Taking Chances.
One of my favourite photos.
The Sun began to rise as we made our way across the South China Sea casting dusky hues of pinks on the sky. The clouds hung low and swirls of mist shrouded the coast. There is something so special about witnessing the dawn of a new day, the air is filled with promise.
Feeling brave and curious to know how this would pan out, I made no prior reservations. If we had to spend the night on the beach, under the stars making friends with Sebastian and his cousins, so be it. Fortunately, I managed to score 3 nights at Shari La Resort and spent the remaining days at Senja Bay. These are both on opposite ends of Coral Bay which might pose a problem if you have lots of luggage (wheels don't roll over sand unfortunately.)
Long Beach vs Coral Bay.
I prefer the Bay over Long Beach for peace and quiet. Not to mention Joe at Mama Kitchen is a riot and knows I like my Nasi Goreng Ayam (chicken fried rice) with cut chilies floating in soy sauce on the side. If you’re down to party make your way over to Long Beach via a short (10 minute) trek through jungle or go around by boat.
Accomodation.
I got lucky, and highly recommend you make plans for accommodation before hand. March onward is peak season, many local school holidays fall during this time and crowds throng the islands. As you can see, camping on the beach is probably not a good idea. Shari La Resort is an okay hotel, Senja Bay is basic-budget and if you're looking for something a little more lux, Bubu Long Beach Resort and Villa's are great!
*Images are my own :)