Rawa Island

Rawa Island is a beautiful tropical island in Malaysia with really white beaches and deep blue water.

The island is just 16 km away from the coast of Mersing and is also a good starting point for boat trips to visit the surrounding islands because, well... except for the 2 hotels (one of which is for backpackers only) there isn't anything: no shops, no villages, no restaurants, no nothing.

Having said so, you can imagine what well to expect on Rawa island: peace and quietness, not too many tourist and the corals standing exposed in front of you when the tide is low.

Again Mersing is the place to embark on a speed boat that brings you to this tiny island. Depending on the weather, this can be 30 minutes of smooth sailing or 45 minutes to 1 hour of a hellish journey that leaves you soaked from head to toe. So if possible book your transfer in the morning when the sea tends to be more calm.

Once you set foot on the island, an unspoilt coral island with white sand beaches and swaying palms awaits you. Did I say white beach? Yes, this must be the most white beach in whole Malaysia. Since you will go there for peace and quietness, avoid the weekends and public holidays when the local Malaysians hop over for a stay. Daytrippers have to pay to enter the private island owned by some Malay prince, which adds to most tourists avoiding the island all together.

For food, you have the choice of the 2 restaurants of the 2 resorts. When the weather is really bad and there are no supplies from the mainland coming in, do enjoy the ultimate freshness of a local catch prepared for you.

Accommodation is done in basic yet comfortable chalets. Do not expect aircon in the backpackers resort - Le Club Rawa recently renamed Alang Rawa - though, in the other resort - Rawa Safaris Island Resort -, aircon is included and most welcome after soaking up the heath of the sun or just when you want to enjoy a cool night rest. Apart from airconditioning, Rawa Safaris chalets also come with hot water but without TV: however, the sunset you can admire from your beach villa is priceless. Expect to pay at least $130 US per person per night, full board.

Your typical Rawa day will comprise sunbathing, enjoying the tropical breeze, swimming, snorkeling, diving, relaxing in the hammocks and enjoying the sunset or simply feeding the coral fishes near the jetty or just straight on the beach. If you want some exercise, you can go canoeing or wind surfing: anything that is not motorized is available. Other than that you island hopping or fishing trips can be arranged.

Part of the protected marine park, the beautiful blue-green clear sea offers: coral gardens, colorful fish and large shells. Just remember: don't take anything with you and only leave your footprints behind. There is no dive master around, nor can you take diving lessons. However diving equipment can be rented from the shop of the Rawa Safaris Resort.

Apart from the water and beach activities, you can walk up the hill (15 minutes walk) to the lookout point and have a birds eye view of the island (beach in front, cliffs on the other side) and if you wake up early, to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.

You can also walk towards the end of the beach (left direction when facing the sea), climb over some rocks to enter a small cave with a spectacular arch.

Rawa is a gem of an island, a haven of peace that will heal you from your daily stress!

Category › Malaysia , malaysia holidays

Terengganu

Terengganu State, on the east coast of Malaysia, is known for its golden beaches, clear skies and an emerald green sea with many exciting diving and snorkeling spots. Off the beaten track you will find lots of laid back typical Malaysian villages, ideal for low budget backpacker trips.

For the better resorts you can chose between the Primula Beach Resort, the Sutra Beach Resort and the extremely beautiful Tanjung Jara.

The capital Kuala Terengganu offers the Primula Beach Resort: quit busy and not the cleanest of all beaches.

A bit further to the north lies the Sutra Beach Resort: a very peaceful holiday village with a bit more than 100 accommodations and a secluded beach.

Top of the bill is the Tanjung Jara Spa and Resort - from the luxurious YTL hotels - with a beautiful garden and a river. Close by is the beach of Rantau Abang: 1 of the 6 beaches where the rare leatherback turtles lay their eggs between May and September.

If you love to swim in sweet water, then pay a visit to the Sekayu Recreational Park, 56 km away from Kuala Terengganu. The pristine jungle offers many waterfalls and pools. if you want to witness what the Malaysian women wear when bathing in the water, you will be surprised not to see any bathing suits: people just go in with normal shorts and t-shirts, not to mention the Muslim women still wearing their tudung or veil. And expect lots of locals during the national holidays...

For a more relaxing sweet water experience, go fishing at the artificial Kenyir Lake made by the Kenyir Dam.

Terengganu is about a hours boat trip away from the popular diving, beach and resort destinations of Pulau Rendang, Pulau Lang Tengah and the Perhentian Islands.

Category › cheap holidays in malaysia , Malaysia , malaysia holidays

Gem Island

Daydreaming in your private paradise at the only resort and spa on Gem Island or Pulau Gemia, a kayak trip away from Kapas island on the east coast of Malaysia.

Gem Island is still undiscovered and therefore a lot quieter than the other islands on the east coast like the Perhentian Island and Tioman. It lies just 15 minutes (5 km) offshore the jetty of Marang and you can reach it just by paddling in a canoe from Kapas Island.

The fun of this island lies in the fact that you can have the private beach all to yourself. This is because the island is overlooked when tourists pass them by traveling to the more touristy Islands of Redang, Perhentian and between these 2: Lang Tengah. Pulau Gemia is the ideal hideout for the local Malaysian during the weekend. Needless to say that when you visit the island during working weekdays, you could end up being the only visitor.

Things to do on the island are relaxing on the beach, reading a book in the swinging rattan chair of your balcony, walking around the 8 acres of rocky island, discovering white sandy private beach coves, having a swim, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, birdwatching on the jetty, jigging squid ('candat sotong'), helping out in the turtle conservation sanctuary or trying to spot a turtle.

You can also take a kayak to visit neighboring island Kapas. It's very safe to kayak in the 800m stretch between the 2 islands and especially in the morning you could to spot black-tip sharks around you. Kapas is a typical backpackers island, so a bit more busy than Pulau Gemia. Both islands are breeding grounds for turtles and part of the work of the staff of the Gem Island Resort (the only resort on the island) is seeking out turtle nests. The eggs will be transferred from the secluded beaches to the turtle sanctuary of the Gem Island Resort where they will be incubated and released in a special hatchling pool before returning them back to the sea.

The island is privately owned and like we mentioned only has 1 resort. Unfortunately for the scenery, the about 50 villa's are typical Malaysian concrete villa's built on stilts, kind of spoiling the exotic, pristine island beach scenery. The advantage of this is that you get luxury compared to the backpackers accommodations in nearby Kapas: nothing compares to the outdoor jacuzzi:

You can opt for the wooden detached Premier Hideaway Villas, completely secluded in the greenery:

At the north side of the beach you can relax and enjoy a rejuvenating spa:

To reach Gem Island, you normally take a domestic flight with MAS (Malaysian Airlines) or AirAsia to Kuala Terengganu. There a taxi can be arranged to take you on an about 1 hour drive to the jetty of Marang.

There you can choose to embark daily on 1 of the 4 boats that depart from 9am onwards, every 2 hours. Do note that on Friday, the afternoon boats are cancelled due to Friday Muslim prayers.

Category › gem island , Lang Tengah Island , Malaysia , malaysia holidays , perhentian , redang island

Perhentian Islands

On the north side of the peninsular Malaysia are the 2 beautiful Perhentian Islands: Perhentian Besar (big) and Perhentian Kecil (small).

How to get to the Perhentian Islands.

Normally you would first travel to Kota Bharu or Kuala Terengganu. From there take a bus or nook a taxi to Kuala Besut: a little fishing village where boats will take you to the islands that are about 20 km off the coast.

Kuala Besut is an hour's drive from Kota Bharu and a 2 hours drive from Kuala Terengganu. At its small harbor, you can buy tickets for the boat, but you can also purchase your tickets at the airports of Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu (although the prices at the airport are higher than in Kuala Besut). Just do note that when weather conditions are bad, the boats will not sail out, chances of bad weather in the tropics increase after midday, so to be on the safe side, try to book a morning trip.

Pulau Perhentian Island Map

Accommodation

Both islands offer quite a few accommodations from resorts with airconditioning to very basic lodges without air conditioning. There is no freshwater Perhentian, so do you shower in filtered salt water. There aren't any internationally known hotels, so if your in for pampering, you better go to nearby Redang Island.

There isn't much to say really about accommodation and food: Perhentian is first and foremost a place to enjoy diving and snorkeling. Perhentian Kecil is mostly frequented by backpackers and is crowded, with their best resort being Tuna Bay. The better resorts however are on Perhentian Besar, like the Perhentian Island Resort. However, do know that the food in the Perhentian Island Resort is way overpriced: it's your typical Malaysian cuisine that you can find anywhere on the island for much cheaper prices. Do bring a torchlight though, as walking from the Resort to the rest of the island crosses quite a scary, dark, staircase in decline.

The monsoon season is between October and March: most of the resorts will close because of the really bad weather.

Diving and Snorkeling

Perhentian is a true diving and snorkeling paradise. Just like Pulau Redang, it is situated in the Terengganu Marine Park. Unlike Redang, Perhentian is more flat and therefore more suitable for snorkeling, as the waters around the island are quite shallow and various resorts in Perhentian have their own house reef. The fishes on these house reefs will come towards you, hoping to be fed. It is advised not to feed them as they aren't bread eaters.

Do know that the corals are deteriorating fast, so the best way to find secluded snorkeling spots is to rent a boat for a day or a canoe and peddle around the island by yourself.

A nice spot for snorkeling that is reachable by boat-taxi is the so called Shark Point. The secret is that there are no sharks, but the water is quite deep: it's not possible to step on corals and the amount of fishes is just amazing.

The beaches of Perhentian Kecil are very small and don't be surprised to find an empty plastic bottle here and there: a far cry from what you would expect from a Marine Park. However the island is by far more lively than its bigger brother.

On the right side of the Perhentian Island Resort, you have very good snorkeling, less crowd and you could spot grazing turtles.

For about RM1000 (330 USD) you can get your diving PADI on the Perhentian Islands, but you do need to stay at least 5 days. Highly recommended though!

Category › cheap holidays in malaysia , Malaysia , malaysia holidays

The Andaman Langkawi

Datai Bay, on the north-west coast of Langkawi, is an exclusive stretch of beach for guests of the high-end resorts: The Datai Langkawi Resort and The Andaman.

Datai Bay offers you a retreat for pampering in an oasis of tranquility. And at The Andaman Spa you can enjoy massages and therapies with an exotic view of the clear, cool waters around the Langkawi and the beautiful islands that rise in the distance.

For the more adventurous, you need to know that there is hardly anything else to do than to relax, stroll to the Datai Langkawi Resort or rest on the beach and take it all in. Other than that, be prepared to crack your brain over the following choices: beach or pool? snorkel or dive? smoothie or cocktail? ... :-) Nearby after a jungle walk you could visit a crocodile farm or put some holes in one of the 10 best Golf courses in Malaysia: the Datai Bay Golf Course. For more activities, you need to venture out at least 7 km to find the nearest attraction, being the Langkawi Cable Car.

But if you want to be high up in a more peaceful surrounding away from all the tourists, just book a spa in the Andaman Langkawi Spa. A buggy from the Andaman resort will drive you high up to the 5 private suites that offer you an amazing view over Datai Bay and the Andaman Sea. Try the seaweed baths, the volcanic mud or an eye mask with roses.

Datai Bay is about 30 km or half an hour drive north of the Langkawi International Airport. It is not advisable to hire a bike and drive to the Datai or Andaman resorts, as the roads become quite steep and are more suited for seasoned professional bicyclist than for people that want to relax and enjoy on the beach.

Category › langkawi , Malaysia , malaysia holidays , spa

Redang Island

If you love diving, snorkeling and doing nothing: Redang island is only flight away from paradise.

Pulau Redang is an archipelago in the South China Sea, on the east side of the Peninsula Malaysia . Redang is a protected marine area, or as they say here in Malaysia: a marine park. It's situated about 45 km from the coast of the state of Kuala Terengganu. Being an archipelago, it is surrounded by many small islands, surrounded by crystal clear water offering several great snorkel and diving opportunities. Redang is a bit touristy offering some quite luxurious resorts and spa's.

Redang Accommodation

Some very good resorts on Redang are the Sari Pacifica Resort and the Berjaya Redang Resort in Teluk Dalam. The latter is actually my favorite resort and spa:

When and how to get to Redang?

The best time to visit Redang is between April and October. The northwest monsoons blow from November to March, most resorts (except the Berjaya Redang Resort) will be closed during this period.

Due to the monsoon, the underwater world is far less clear to enjoy but if you want peace and quietness and a true relaxing holiday where you can come to your senses and rhythm of life dictated by the sun, winds and rains, the monsoon season is your best bet.

From Kuala Lumpur you used to be able to take the plane to either Kuala Terengganu, or Kota Bharu (for cheap tickets fly Air Asia or Firefly). Then take a drive to the fishing village of Merang where a boat brings you to any of the islands off coast.

However all this cumbersome traveling has recently been made extremely easy thanks to a direct flight straight to Redang island.

Snorkeling and diving in Redang

Redang is well known as an excellent diving area. Each resort obviously offers diving packages which you could hop and shop around for.

I learned how to dive in the Berjaya Redang Resort and received my PADI there.

Also snorkeling is out and about around Redang. Maybe you wont see any turtles, but it is not all to difficult handfeeding the fishes.

You can easily rent the equipment from your resort (some even give it complimentary, just try your friendliest smile and discover how far it will bring you on the Malaysian islands...).

Some resorts have their own housereef, other resorts will take you out in a boat, do ask in advance when booking, as nothing beats coming out in snorkel gear out of your villa and walking towards a coral abundant sea.

Hiking in Redang's rain forest

Redang is also an ideal place to go hiking as the rain forest is just nearby. Simply ask a map with the walking paths in your hotel, take lots of water, a hat or cap, lots of sunlotion if you aren't covered inside the rain forest, and mosquito spray and you are ready to go.

If you only feel like strolling around on the beaches, make sure you are fully protected against the hot sun, otherwise you will understand hands on why in each resort shop the green Banana Boat bottles with Aloe Vera creams are sold: they are ideal to soothe your skin after a sunburn. But better wear appropriated beachwear and use sun protective lotion with the highest SPF (try to find spf 80).

Redang or Perhentian?

Compared to nearby diving paradise Perhentian offers more luxury resorts and spas, where Perhentian is more for backpackers and cheap travel. Personally I prefer Perhentian for snorkeling and Redang for getting pampered in the high end resorts.

Category › berjaya redang beach resort , Malaysia , redang island

Pulau Lang Tengah

No worries on Pulau Lang Tengah... white beaches, crystal clear seas and tall palm trees: the most quiet and least touristy of all the islands near Malaysia's east coast. An ideal place to snorkel or dive as the house-reef around the island is part of a nature reserve.

Do make sure to visit between March to mid-October, out of the monsoon season and for divers: in March and April visibility can reach up to 40 meters. Bring your credit card or some cash to pay for diving or snorkel trips, as well for guided nature walks. If you want to safe some money on boat trips, you can just start your dives from the beach.

I am staying at the Sari Pacifica Resort and Spa, all inclusive, which is a small boutique resort and spa with wifi. Nothing much to do in between snorkeling waiting for a relaxing massage on the beach it seems. There is also a jungle trek which I will sign up for maybe tomorrow, maybe as the one I am interested in will show the beautiful sunrise, yet it starts of course way early in the morning... Further on it's a good idea to book an all inclusive package, as there aren't any other real restaurants to be found on this uninhibited island.

You can reach Pulau Lang Tengah after a 60 minute boat-ride from Merang. Or you can take a boat from the nearby islands Redang and Perhentian that are much more commercialised for tourism, meaning that lots of corals has been stepped upon. For more peace and quietness nearby, also Pulau Kapas and Pulau Gemia are recommended.

Category › Lang Tengah Island , Malaysia

Kate Perry Bikini

Kate Perry strips to a bikini for an interview in the pool at the at Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. No big deal as Kate Perry was even performing in a bikini

A far cry from her performance in Malaysia, were female attire has gone from western in the 60's to extremely modest now:

Kate Perry wearing spandex performing in Malaysia: a country that tries to step into the so called "developed status" in 2020, although female fashion shows an opposite trend.

Just keep modest and at most only think about strutting your stuff on a Malaysian beach. Better take a flight to neighboring Singapore or Thailand if you want to feel at ease with what you wear.

Category › kate perry , kate perry bikini , Malaysia , singapore , Thailand

Ishan Spa Langkawi

Pamper yourself with a 2 to 4 hour spa treatment at the Ishan Spa Langkawi.

The Ishan Spa is privately tucked away and only reachable after a long walk up the stairs. Being high up you can feel the cool breeze of the sea whilst you relax in a 3 hour spa treatment like The Orchid Spa Package, comprising of:

• full body scrub with Neem leaves


• fresh turnip with banana leaf wrap


• revitalizing facial and


• a lovely full body relaxation massage

When you have 1 extra hour to indulge, try the Plumeria Spa package including:

• a traditional Malaysian coconut oil scalp massage


• a hair treatment with coconut milk


• a full body scrub with black rice


• the fresh herbs wrap with banana leaf


• a floral bath before or after your massage


• a full body aromatherapy massage


• the most welcome rejuvenating facial and mask and


• some foot pampering

I went for this full throttle Plumeria Spa package: when you want to pamper yourself so far away in Langkawi, better pamper yourself in the best way ever.

What I love about this Malaysian Spa is the use of fresh ingredients, herbs and spices in the homemade coconut and black rice body scrubs. Also the aromatherapy oils used are specially formulated by Ishan Spa Langkawi. It gives this spa a much more personal touch than just being offered to choose between the usual lavender or other aromatherapy oils used in most Resort Spas.

The other plus of the Ishan Spa Langkawi Spa is that right after your massage you can walk into your own private flower bath enjoying the serenity of the forest.

The Ishan Spa Langkawi offers complimentary pick up and return to your hotel, so you can stay in any Langkawi hotel and still enjoy a top spa treatment in the Ishan Spa Langkawi.

Category › cheap holidays langkawi , ishan spa langkawi , Malaysia

Coral Redang Island Resort

Enjoy lazy beach life at the Coral Redang Island Resort. Just remember that it's rainy season now, so you can get wet. Add to that global warming is adding more ice from the north and south pole into the atmosphere, and you know rain is becoming a major problem. Hence the huge amount of floods this year in Terengganu.

Other than that, getting to Redang is not easy. Which is good news for saying: you won't find that many tourists in Redang. The Shahbandar Jetty will take more than an our to reach the main port of Redang, where you need to switch to a smaller water taxi which will take you to Coral Redang Island Resort in about 20 minutes.

Note that there is no TV and no coffee maker in the beach chalets, so anything you need you have to find in the restaurant or call for the more than efficient room service.

Since the Coral Redang Island Resort is situated within Malaysia's premier marine park sanctuary, do sign up for some snorkeling or diving tours or just relax under the palms trees at the beach.

Category › Coral Redang Island Resort , Malaysia

Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel

Except for their private beach, there is nothing else positive that I can say about the Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel.

Just came back from Penang to have a viewing of a new launched property with sea view. Since the building is only in its initial stage, I thought: let me book close by the viewing in the Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel: at least experience what the see view is like... Well, I love the sea view and bought the property :-)

As much as I like the apartment I just bought, as much do I dislike the Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel. I had to wake up very early to catch a flight to Penang and finally arriving there at midday, I was both very hungry and very tired. the last thing you need then is standing in front of the reception where the girl trying to assist her is so slow that her colleague meanwhile already checked in 4 more people. How bad can you get?

Very bad: food was not included and the food in the restaurant (fried noodles) was about 5 times more expensive than what I pay for in a better coffee shop, yet the taste was 5 times worse than what I eat in a coffee shop. Ok, maybe I was just in a grumpy mood aggravated by the slow check in at the reception. Other than that, the TV doesn't give you CNN and I don't know why the Internet gives this hotel a 3 start rating, as I can hardly find 2.

Again one (and for me only) positive point of the Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel: the hotel has a private beach and you can book a room with a sea view.

Category › golden sands penang hotel , Malaysia , Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel

How to cool down on your tropical beach vacation

I do find it amusing when European tourists flock to Bali, Thailand or Malaysia, dive in their swimsuits, stretch themselves on the beach and look like a lobster within the hour :-)

I know Europe can be cold... But these tourists have been lying in the sun for hours (something we just don't do ourselves here, you don't want to catch a skin cancer do you?).

The biggest joke occurs when they chill out for a drink and ask:

"what, no airconditioning here?"

Anyway, if you want a cheap good cold drink in Malaysia, go for a 'Teh Ais', or tea ice if you don't speak the local language :-) It's made with hot tea, some condensed milk, lots of sugar and lots of ice.

The Tea Ice in the above picture costs about US 30 cents, that means you can drink a liter of refreshing ice cold tea for about a dollar.

Just go where the locals sit, otherwise you will pay a bomb and you do need the money to buy Aloe Vera cream to ease your sun burns :-)

It can be bought everywhere, that is in the local shop of your hotel (of yes we know you will need it), at pharmacies and tourist shops all around. It's green, you can't miss it.

Category › bali , emma watson in swimsuit , ice , Malaysia , sun bathing , Thailand , tropics

Why are Malaysian girls in jail?

You most likely have heard that there are about 120 Malaysian girls in jail worldwide for smuggling drugs.

The same Malaysia newspaper suggests amongst others to educate the people that there are no such things as "you can have a free flight in return of smuggling these so called very important documents" with you.

Now everybody should know that something fishy is going on when people start offering you free flights and then... you stumble on this advertisement of Malaysia Airlines

If FREE isn't fishy enough, then look at the words: ONE WAY TICKET!

yes, they are right: no return ticket needed if you end up in jail...

Category › girl in jail , Malaysia