Flawed-Democratic Federation of Malaysia
Negeri Terengganu Darul Iman
Pulau Perhentian Kecil
Coral Bay
Fatimah Chalets
Basic but clean beach chalet, managed by our German/Malay friends Milena & Fais, for MYR 45.- or US$ 12.- per night.
Click below for an interactive road map of Fatimah Chalets on Pulau Perhentian Kecil and for directions:Lulling our senses into seventh heaven while hanging out under the warm tropical sun at the powdery-white sand beach at Coral Bay, waiting for the coconuts to drop (caution: more people die from falling coconuts than shark attacks in the world), swimming in the crystal-clear aquamarine water and hiking through the lush tropical rain forest (up to the 105-m high top of the northern hill) thus spotting a pair of white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) spiralling in the sky and a 2-m long water monitor (Varanus salvator) disappearing into the jungle with a chicken between its jaws.
Taking a half-day snorkel trip to Pulau Perhentian Besar with a speedboat for MYR 30.- or US$ 8.25 per person and spotting (i) blacktip reef sharks and barracudas at Shark Point, (ii) green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Turtle Point and (iii) a diversity of sad but still colourful reef fish at Coral Garden whose name (with 80 % of the corals being dead) could easily be changed to Coral Cemetery; game seems to be over, folks.
DM Konni: Teaming up with PADI dive master John from Steffen Sea Sports +60126978349 steffenseasports@yahoo.com and diving the Sugar Shipwreck located at a depth of 16 m.
Taking the speedboat from the Coral Bay jetty back to Kuala Besut for MYR 30.- or US$ 8.25 per person, one way, taking the SKMK bus no. 639 to Kota Bharu for MYR 6.- or US$ 1.65 per person, visiting the colourful new central market aka pasar besar siti khadijahin at Kota Bharu, taking pictures of the market women-turned-supermodels (who were all dressed in the customary Malay dress, the baju kurung, a rather shapeless long-sleeved knee-length blouse with a closed neck, a long maxi-skirt and the required scarf) and flying with Firefly (“Your Community Airline”) in a turboprop ATR 72-500 from Kota Bharu’s Sultan Ismail Petra Airport back to Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang for all inclusive MYR 35.- or US$ 10.- per person, one way.
Taking the speedboat from the Coral Bay jetty back to Kuala Besut for MYR 30.- or US$ 8.25 per person, one way, taking the SKMK bus no. 639 to Kota Bharu for MYR 6.- or US$ 1.65 per person, visiting the colourful new central market aka pasar besar siti khadijahin at Kota Bharu, taking pictures of the market women-turned-supermodels (who were all dressed in the customary Malay dress, the baju kurung, a rather shapeless long-sleeved knee-length blouse with a closed neck, a long maxi-skirt and the required scarf) and flying with Firefly (“Your Community Airline”) in a turboprop ATR 72-500 from Kota Bharu’s Sultan Ismail Petra Airport back to Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang for all inclusive MYR 35.- or US$ 10.- per person, one way.
Click below for more blog posts about West Malaysia's east-coast islands
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
Recommended gear - click below for your Amazon order from the United States:
