Blogs from Terengganu, Malaysia, Asia - page 3

This was possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Tourism was taking over but was not too overwhelming on the smaller island where we stayed. It was 6 days of pure bliss! We arrived at the town of Kuala Besut after a few hours on a minibus and expected to be getting a slow boat across to the islands. That could not have been further from the truth! A tiny speedboat and a smiley, toothless old man met us at the jetty, with 2 massive 150cc engines strapped to the back. No sooner than we were all cramped into each other's personal spaces he gunned the engines and set off at a tremendous pace. Usually I don't mind boats, but I was writing my obituary on this particular ride. Waves were no ... read more

When doing our research on Malaysia one gem we had been looking forward to visiting the most was the Perhentian islands; Sat at my office desk with my attention drifting from work, my mind would take me to what I believed it would be like; perfect blue waters, soft sandy beaches, an amazing underwater world and great sea food. Add in a BBQ and a mango shake, then that would be my paradise. As our pending trip got closer more and more I would idle over days that we could spend relaxing on the beach, reading books, listening to music or exploring the island and cooling down with a shake, beer or just some refreshing cold drink. It wasn't hard to look forward to this place and forget about any work projects in hand. Oh how ... read more

Over the course of the week, many members of the party succumbed to various ailments. They were dropping like flies and I, the forward thinking person that I am, felt confident that I could escape the bugs in my self-imposed quarantine on the verandah. Dean and Obie, both not quite a 100%, soldiered on to eventually complete their PADI course (with a healthy Eleanor in tow). Seeing sharks, moray eels, thousands of fish in formation and lots of other marvellous sights will forever be captured on Obie's 'GoPro'. Stayed tuned for viewing times at your nearest loungeroom. The Stitt's man-cave may provide the best atmosphere, so the footage probably won't have to go on tour. The heat didn't let up for the entire week. I spent much of the time hiding in the shade and ducking ... read more

The first day passed quietly with a bit of swimming, snorkelling and snoozing. It was a glorious day, weather-wise, literally the calm before a storm. Around dinner time (yes, early for you Europeans, Asians and, well, any country not influenced by those hungry British settlers), the atmosphere was stifling with not a breath of wind. Then, as soon as we'd eaten and retreated to our room for the evening, the wind whipped up and the rain came pouring down. Wonderful. The next morning we went for a stroll down to the 'point'. Passing beaches polluted by rubbish, it wasn't a nice walk by any stretch of the imagination. However, the cove at the end was beautiful. No litter and pristine water. Eleanor wasn't impressed and stormed back by herself. Teenage mutant ninja tantrum! The O'Briens arrived ... read more

HE SAID... We woke early at 5.30am (in Kuala Tahan) to prepare for our longest travel day of this holiday – an eight hour bus trip to Kuala Terengganu. We headed to the hotel lobby at 7.30am for a hearty breakfast of coffee, juice, scrambled eggs, toast and banana pancakes, and then jumped into a minibus at 8am to begin our journey. After traversing a poorly maintained road for the first hour (often driving in loose gravel on the side of the road to avoid massive potholes in the bitumen), a decision was made to change minibuses, as two seats did not have a seatbelt. While seatbelts were the least of our worries, it was good to see a safety focus. And all the while, the endless horizon of palm plantations continued… We travelled back to ... read more