Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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It was a cold bus ride and I was shivering under my hoodie for the whole 8 hours plus, which was rather ironic given the place where I was heading to was all sun and sand. We reached Kuala Besut jetty around 5 plus in the morning and the earliest ferry ride to the island was around 7 a.m., leaving me ample of time to waste. Breakfast it was then.

Tourists were waiting for the first boat to the island

The jetty

The boat ride to the Pulau Perhentian was about 40 minutes, give or take, and when I stepped off onto the island, it was still empty of people, with one or two Westerners running by the beach. I settled with my accommodation and then, off I went for exploration.

The hostel I stayed in

Early morning by the beach

There is two main islands to Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Besar is more for those who extra few bucks to spend while Kecil attracts backpackers and budget travellers. Suffice to sat, I stayed in Kecil.

I spent 3 days in the island and I realised an island retreat is not for me. To idly sit by sunbathing and reading books while on holiday, it might sounds like a treat to some but definitely not me. I like to read but not the whole day when on holiday. I prefer exploration, culture and heritage and Pulau Perhentian cannot offer me that.

Sunbathing..

..and sea gazing are some of the activities available

However, what it did offer me was the amazing snorkeling experience in my second day. To be up close and personal with colourful corals, baby sharks, giant turtles and fishes of various species and colours, sharing the same playground with them, it was simply magical. I believe diving would have the same experience too but since I'm no licensed diver, I did not go for it.

Relaxing by the beach at night

Indeed, this short trip was saved by a day trip to the open water.

Info Box

Pulau Perhentian Kecil,
Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu.
To get to Pulau Perhentian, you have to board a ferry ride from Kuala Besut jetty which costs RM 70 for a return trip. You have to call the operator of the ferry a day earlier to let them know where to pick you up when you want to head back to the mainland. A RM 5 of conservation fee is charged at the jetty.
You can read more about Pulau Perhentian here in Virtual Malaysia.

Cherating - Half Day Tour (Media Trip 2013)

A restful night was the prescription for the fatigue after the eventful first day and the next day began with new spark of energy. While we can't begin the day with sunrise (it was rather cloudy), at least we had ourselves some wonderful breakfast prepared for us by the Legend Resort Cherating to fuel the day. When everyone was done, off we began with the half-day tour.

Even without a sunrise view, morning by the beach is still beautiful

I'm Back!

Wow, I have deserted my blog for more than 3 months already! I better start updating it or otherwise, people will begin to think that this blog is dead for good.

These past few months had been an exciting one for me, especially from end of July 2013 to early September 2013 as I have been on the move most of the time. My first destination was Pulau Perhentian. It was a spontaneous, last minute trip, as my last day in the company came a week earlier than expected. I took a bus from Putra bus terminal to Kuala Besut and from the small town, took a speedboat ride to the island. I spent about 3 days there doing nothing but lazed around the white sandy beach, went out into the sea to snorkel, and read a book or two. It was a truly simple life.

The beautiful beach of Perhentian Kecil

After that, my next stop was Vientiane, Laos. I went with a fellow blogger, Diana, and we spent a good one week exploring the capital city and its charming countrysides up north like Vang Vieng, Phosavonh and Luang Prabang. With Laos done, I have finished with the Southeast Asian countries, excluding Timor Leste.

Patoxai or the Victory Monument in Vientiane

Plain of Jars, a mysterious occurance in Phosavonh

I then crossed border to Thai side from Vientiane to Udon Thani, a city in northern Thailand only to take a train ride to Bangkok to meet up with my family. Somehow, it has become an annual thing with my family to go for an overseas trip even though after the disastrous Singapore trip. Luckily, this time in Bangkok, it fared much better.

When the week was over, my family flew back to Malaysia while I took a bus ride to Phuket. I spent roughly 3 days in the island, exploring its quaint old town as well as hopping around its surrounding islands. Even though it was supposed to be low season, the crowd there is still large and most of them are Chinese tourists. I followed Phuket with a quick stop in Hat Yai to catch a train back to Malaysia.

Rows of umbrellas in Patong Beach

Next, I continued with a 2 week stay in Sabah. I concentrated mostly in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. While Sandakan is more of a small town, it is much easier to navigate around its attractions as there are public buses and transportation to bring you around while in Kota Kinabalu, the famous sites are almost 2 hours away from city centre.

These two shots of old buildings, can you tell which is Luang Prabang and Phuket Old Town?

Well, at least for these past one month plus, I have a wonderful time, seeing new things and meeting new friends. I can't wait for another long-term vacation like this again. More about it soon.

*TO BE CONTINUED*