Perhentian Island

Seeing that we won't be having further Friday outings like we used to, the girls from my previous team came up with this idea to go to Langkawi initially. I honestly do not know what went wrong in between, we changed course to Perhentian island instead. And lucky we did.

Perhentian island, probably unknown to many 10 to 20 years back. Of course, it was Redang that has always been the more famous one, with its sandy beaches, vast corals and exotic marine life. As the years passed and the growing number of tourists load on Redang, the island had some what deteriorated. No more sandy beaches. No more vast corals. No more exotic marine life. "They" said it would be more enjoyable to head to Perhentian island instead. Not that polluted. And highly recommended by the tour agent. So off we go!

Out of the many packages, we opted for a 3D2N at Cozy Chalet on Perhentian Besar. The entire trip had cost less than RM 700, including RM180 for air flight tickets. The package was extensive, covering transportation to and fro the airport to the jetty (approx 1 hour), speedboat ride to and fro the island (approx 30 minutes), a tour guide to ferry you to the various snorkeling points, briefing for snorkeling, and every meals for 3 days.

Me and my girls were like little kids. Screaming and jumping at the sight of nemos and turtles. Whining and complaining at the not-so-posh accomodation. Got all excited at the sight of sharks. And not to mention, puking into the ocean. We didn't mean to pollute, but our tummies got uncomfortable and the waves made us dizzy, so we threw up while snorkeling...much to the delight of the fishes. Yuckie!!! I know.

The entire trip was all about snorkelings. No divings. No beach activities. No para-sailings what-so-ever. Even then, it was real tiring. We were already worn out by 9 pm. However, the underwater view at Perhentian had been magnificent. I know it couldn't be compared to other exotic islands, but from its on stand, boleh-lah. Ada corals, multi coloured ones. Ada fishes, multiple shapes and sizes. Ada turtles. Ada sharks. Ada clams. Ada "hoi sam". Apa-apa pun ada. Satisfactory.

We brought back more than the souveniers, the sceneries and the memeories of the time spent together. We brought back numerous wounds to the feet along with sun burns and stingy eyes from the salty sea water. And the addiction for more snorkelings. Yes, it is addictive. 3 days was just not enough to mingle more with nemos.

I simply love lying on the beach, under the palm trees, feeling the soft sea breeze on the skin and mesmerize myself on the countless stars spread across the night sky. Serene.