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Published: October 25th 2008
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Ushered in the New Year with some of our best friends (Hi Iz, Hi Mayam!) at yet another overhyped overblown overpriced affair. Lobster Champagne SpectacularFireworks RooftopViews Streamers Hats Noisemakers
AJollyGoodTime KissingStrangers
TheConga!! Really - and I stress that again -
REALLY gotta get out of KL next New Year's Eve!! So our (AlmostSpouse's and my) antidote to - whatever ALL THAT was - was another
LastMinuteDotCom getaway...
Destination - Tioman Island... Yes where that snippet of
South Pacific was filmed... On this volcanic rock and sandy beach jewel in the -
South China Sea? 😊 Anyway, more specifically our 3 night break was booked at
Japamala. Touted as one of the top 10 boutique resorts
in the world! Wow! Really? Sooo reasonably priced too. And availability at
such short notice! How cool was that? 😊
We were flying out of the Old Subang Airport on Berjaya Airways. Some old Fokker
😊 Try repeating that quickly
😊 😊 I've done tiny -
almost toy - planes before. On safari in Madikwe - so low you could read the road signs; Kathmandu - I swear we were going to crash into the Himalayas; Port Blair, Andaman Islands - they
tail-weighted the aircraft, offloaded passengers, for successful take-off; Anguilla -
felt like we might've needed to stick our arms out and flap! YUP! This would be just fine. Off to a little island off the Pahang coast during peak monsoon season but how bad could it be? Unlike most other places on the East Coast during the Monsoons, Japamala was open 😊
And right I was. The flight was uneventful, totally forgettable. Slept like a baby. Well, in between cringing flashes *
sucking air between clenched teeth here!* of 36 hours earlier - podium dancing, lap dancing, pole dancing, disco dancing, cabaret dancing, line dancing,
the chicken dance - yeah!! None of the organised merriment was very pretty; all totally UNfunny when not inebriated.
Had holidayed on Tioman - fungi ago - with my schoolfriend Amna. I remember how beautiful it was - the warm clear waters of the Marine National Park full of sealife in vivid living colour!, virgin rainforest, soft white beaches. Lots of Italians. Or were they German?? We stayed at just about the only hotel around in Tekek. I think it's now The Berjaya Resort but had a different name then.
AlmostSpouse
and I were met at the airport by Japamala Boat Chauffeur - charming, chatty island man from where else? - KL 😊 Japamala is a 30 minute boat-ride away. No tarmac leads here. Secluded. Exclusive. Good sign! The skies were grey and gusty. The waters choppy. Not so good sign! The locals were sniggering. Asking if JBC had lifejackets for us Orang KL. NOT good sign!! We passed Tekek Village and Paya Beach, the twin peaks in the distance. Even shrouded in misty low-lying cloud - Tioman is gorgeous. It's a mean, moody, mysterious, monsoony gorgeous 😊 We arrived at Japamala on wobbly legs - shaken and stirred; dizzy and drenched...
The resort had promised jungle luxury. What greeted us was more... uhmm... rustic charm. Not an Aman. Nor a Banyan Tree. Definitely not a Four Seasons. I LIKE rustic charm. The vibe is simple, hushed - save the sounds of nature 😊, very private. Basic traditional kampung structures on stilts; walkways, stairs, bridges. Raw wood. Rough edges. Generous beachstrip. Freshwater stream. Lush rainforest. Definitely ecologically sensitive. All biodiversity undisturbed 😊 Yes - we liked it. But top 10... ??? In the WORLD???
We were told that we'd
been given the last available room - a
Treetop Chalet. Right at the end of many many MANY walkways and stairs. It totally feels like you're living in a tree house. Enshrouded in dense trees. The Dolby Stereo jungle sounds of frogs, crickets, monkeys, birds closing in. All these treetop dwellers offering lots of charming National Geographic moments 😊 Our room was big and comfortably furnished if a little dark... or maybe this is just January...
We passed the
Seacliff Chalets on our skywards trek to our tree house. Next time we'll ask for these. Perched right over the South China Sea - the views are mesmerisingly lovely. There's almost no palpable barrier between you and those waves. There are also several Sarang Villas (love nests) - supposedly the best accommodation at the resort - with plunge pools and tanning beds. Firstly these looked unoccupied (we were told all rooms were taken?) and secondly - they felt damp and almost
gloomy... or maybe this is just January...
Ok -
here are the options if you go in January: Bring a TON of reading material. Bring board games, playing cards, ipods. Go with someone you like(!) whom you enjoy
long conversations or any
indoor sport with 😊 There is no phone coverage and a single computer in the library. Bring your moleskins and finally write in them. Sketch, draw, compose music. And most importantly - forget the bikinis!!! BRING PASHMINAS!!! I DID try lounging in their sweet beach pavilions - had my mineral water with lemon slice, January's Vanity Fair. Gazing lazily out onto... powerful grey waves, dark soggy sand, swirling winds (yes swirling winds are very visible)... not another sane soul in sight! No Mad Dogs nor Englishmen - definitely No Midday Sun! I covered up with my beach kaftan. Not good enough. Two beach towels... Teeth still chattering. Three pashminas!... Lips turning blue!! The rains lashed down - stinging and cold - I abandoned all fantasies of a beach break. Headed off to the library. Ordered a hot choc. Watched the magnificent monsoons... AHhhhhhh... it's a different kind of rest and recreation 😊
AlmostSpouse did attempt to get his money's worth from this island break - took a kayak out one less-grey morning. I watched in bemusement. He paddled valiantly. Battling the elements. The waves rose the kayak sank. Torn flesh bleeding on broken coral -
he dragged his kayak and sorry behind back to shore 😊 Boats and guides were definitely not leaving Japamala - diving, snorkelling, trekking were not options - this is January.
There are worse places to be marooned for 3 nights. Here there is the
Samadhi Spa. Good strong massages using all-natural local ingredients in their oils and scrubs. Fabulously romantic views from the soothing warm waters of the hydro rock pools. Then there's the
Tamarind Terrace (yes - all part of the Tamarind Hill family in KL) - very good Malay/Thai cooking. The seafood is superbly fresh and such accommodating service. Lots of conferring with the chef for the best recommendations produced some superb lobster and fish dishes. BTW - JBC is also JMD - Japamala Maitre D' - at least in January 😊
This was actually the perfect place to just unwind - flee from it all. Relaxing yet exhilarating somehow. Shuttered windows flying open in the middle of a howling night was almost par for the course. Padding barefoot down a thousand steps with your umbrella in the pouring rain just part of life here. We chilled we read we wrote we ate superbly and we
played lots of indoor games 😉 Doesn't come much better - in January - when you're LastMinuteDotCom people.
HangLiPoh
xoxox
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