Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
Trip Start
Aug 11, 2009
1
19
21
Trip End
Ongoing
Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu, Malaysia
Monday, October 19, 2009
After arriving on the island around 11:30 a.m. after a brutal five hour bus journey across the country, I found a chalet that would do and settled in. My chalet was a little wooden a-frame hut, complete with a tiny fan and a mosquito net. It was about 20 seconds from the beach and cost me a little less than $10 US a night. When I arrived, I was told that the island's electricity works off a generator and there was no electricity from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. So that meant as I slept comfortably each night with my fan, at 8:30 a.m. on the dot I would immediately break into a sweat and my sleep was over.
Beyond the electricity issues, the beaches were great. They were not crowded at all, the water was crystal clear, and there was not a cloud in the sky for the four days I was there. During the days, I laid around on the beach, went in the sea, and read a lot. At night I found myself eating at the same restaurant each night because it was a makeshift meeting point for backpackers and they had nightly movies on a big screen. So I would eat dinner, watch a movie, and then maybe have a few beers and call it a night. This is what I did for four days, and I loved it. The majority of people on the island did scuba diving courses, but I decided not to, mainly because of the money, but also because of my lack of interest. Everyone says diving is a great experience, but I just haven't been excited enough to try it out.
There's not much else to say about my time on the island. It was just a time to unwind, catch some sun, and completely take it easy. At times it felt strange doing completely nothing, but then I would just look out on the beach and remember why I was there; to do nothing.
After the days on the island, I made my way back to mainland and caught an overnight bus to Kuala Lumpur where I am at right now. I got in around 4:30 a.m. and found a new hostel in Chinatown called the Monkee Inn. It is clean, the staff are friendly, and it is in a perfect location. I am staying here for four nights while I await my flight for Australia. And that's all for now.
