Pulau Sibu (Malaysia) - My first beach vacation !!

Well, here comes my first beach vacation. I have never thought I would ever attempt a trip like this but here it comes !!

Just like every other 'first' in life, this one too had its own charm...

Pulau Sibu (Sibu Island) is a remote island off the south eastern coast of Malaysia. Just the type of location I was looking for - not too many people and yet accessible. For starters, there is no public transport access to this island. There are a few options though (from Singapore):

1.Cross the border at Johor Bahru (Click HERE for details). Take a cab - Should cost atleast RM150 and would easily take a couple of hours. The taxi driver may not know the place - you may have to tell them it is near Tenggaroh Plantation.
2.Cross the border at Johor Bahru - Take a bus till Kota Tinngi. Hire a cab from there - should be an hour from there. Should cost between RM80- RM100
3. The easiest option - Book a resort with transport from Singapore. I did this - I stayed at Sea Gypsy resort. You can book a return trip for as much as RM100!! Being a finance guy, these numbers did make sense to me !

If it had been a regular backpacking trip, the entire trip would have been different - right from transport to the trip itself. However, this one was supposed to be a welcome break and hence i didnt think much !! And, that actually paid off. I had quality time at the resort.

Once you reach Tanjung leman by road, you take a ferry to Sibu island. It is a 25 min speed boat ride - good fun!

With Yus (Yus Lee like Bruce Lee !!)

The rooms at the resort are bare basic - which root you back to nature. It all adds up to a wonderful stay.

The first day was spent aimlessly trying to find reason by getting drunk. Beer and a beautiful beach - Life cant get better !! The next day was action packed. I went snorkelling in the morning. We went to a nearby un-inhabited remote island to have a look at corals. This was my first snorkelling experience - it was beautiful. You realize the amount that exists beneath the surface...
I bought an underwater disposable camera at the resort. I haven't developed the photos yet so I really don't know what is in the reel.. They will be online if they are worth sharing - i will find that out only when i develop the roll!!

Later in the day, I rented a Kayak and went exploring the seas.. It was good fun despite me not covering a significant distance. Again, this was my first time on kayak and probably that gave me the kick.. My left shoulder ligament tear kept reminding me that i should not stretch it too far - i had to listen and return back to the shore after a while!!

I met a Danish couple who were visiting Singapore - Had some really good conversations with them. They had travelled with me from Singapore in the same van. Really nice people with a cute kid called Carl.. We discussed Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia and everything in between. It is these conversations that give an extra edge to my trips. Somehow I have been lucky to find great people on almost all my hikes and trips...

Cute Carl - he was very popular !!

Before i could realize, the trip came to an end. I got up early to witness sunrise. It was beautiful - just as is the case on any of the summits. Well, this is a new realization to me - Sunrises on beaches can be beautiful and beaches can be a good getaway too !!!

And of course, there had to be a closing video blog - which seems to have become a trademark of my hikes...

 UP NEXT: Mt Kinabalu (Malaysia, 13500 ft) in August 2012