Beach Bum, Malaysian style

Alas, internet again. I just spent the last few days without access to internet and there are so many emails to catch up on. Thankfully, there really isn't much to see here in Kota Bahru where I stationed for a few hours. I fly back to KL tonight for one night before flying onto the richest country in SE Asia - the little country of Brunei, located on the Borneo side of Malaysia.

I was in the Perhentian Islands - absolutely gorgeous islands just off the east coast of Malaysia. I was there for four nights and it was pretty darn amazing. I lucked out and followed an Irish couple to this guesthouse called D'Lagoon. D'Lagoon had its own beach to itself and was quite quiet and remote. What I didn't know is that they also had two small beaches facing west that are hardly visited.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at Adam and Eve beach and had it to myself for a few hours. Imagine with me for a minute - white sandy beaches, clear, clear water where you can see little fish swimming around your feet, the beach littered with coral (which was sort of annoying b/c it hurt to walk around barefoot) coconut trees in the background, ... and a massive lizard that hides in the garbage area. Yes, imagine having it all to yourself.

The last three days consisted of alternating between eating (choices were very limited sadly... back to usual backpacker fare... banana pancakes and the like... that's okay, I had roti canai this morning once I arrived in Kota Bahru), snorkelling, lying in a hammock, or lying on the beach.

Snorkelling was amazing. Basically, you walk off the beach into amazing coral reefs. The coral reefs were more impressive in the Whitsundays in Australia, but the fish here were pretty amazing. I got up early in the morning to go look for sharks. I only saw baby sharks though. :( I also saw sting rays, clownfish (Nemo!), and a longtom (a fish with a really long nose/snout.. whatever you wanna call it). I also went swimming with turtles, which was amazing. Those suckers move pretty darn fast. I read a few books and managed to not to get too sunburned. I am a slightly darker shade again. :D

Ahhh.... paradise.... It rained as I left the island today...