Sipadan: A Divers Paradise

We arrived in Semporna, the launching off point for dive trips to Sipadan and were pleasantly surprised to find that our accommodation, the Dragon Inn, was better than expected. We had air conditioning, clean sheets, much needed hot water, breakfast included, and we were a quick 5 minute walk from the dive shop (always a good thing if you are one who relishes every extra minute of sleep). This was a definite treat after roughing it in the jungle; it's amazing how you take such simple things for granted until you're in a situation where you don't have the basic comforts of home.

The town of Semporna itself turned out to be a dump, but the diving more than made up for it. We spent four days diving, three of those days at Sipadan Island and one at Mantabuan. The diving world class, especially at Sipadan. Sipadan, a pinnacle island, is located off the continental shelf and seemingly appears out of nowhere. The portion of the island that sits above water is actually very small, but once underwater, provides the stunning sheer cliffs that plunge to 600 meters on one side of the island and 1200 meters on the other.

We don't know exactly why this is the case, but we were told that the fact that the island is located off the continental shelf creates an ideal environment for sea life to flourish (that and it's part of a protected marine park so there isn't any dynamite fishing). We saw hundreds of turtles, a handful of reef sharks (white-tip and black-tip), one leopard shark, lion fish, scorpion fish, Anemone fish, lobsters, trigger fish, unicorn fish and much more. In addition to the sea life, the conditions were a diver's dream: the visibility was over 20 meters, the variety of coral was impressive, and the water was a comfortable 84 degrees (29 degrees Celsius, for Anna and all of you other crazy Celsius-using Europeans). Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed and would recommend Sipadan to any diver.

We experienced only one minor hiccup while diving at Sipadan. During our first day of diving, Julia was provided with a malfunctioning BCD (the air valve o-ring was bad), but we didn't figure this out until we were about 20 meters deep. Julia went to adjust her buoyancy by slightly inflating her BCD, and all of a sudden air started to free flow into her BCD. Julia skyrocketed towards the surface like a balloon, and after failing to get Billy's attention by yelling (which is impossible underwater) she managed to grab him on her way up. Since her BCD was free flowing, purging the airbag did nothing, so Billy had to disconnect the BCD air hose, but not before we went up nearly 10 meters together. This scary incident put us both on edge for the remainder of a beautiful dive.

The nightlife in Semporna was non-existent after midnight, except for a little thing called a Chinese karaoke bar, which Billy got to enjoy during two evenings (Julia had food poisoning and missed out on all the fun).

-Julia and Billy


The Dragon Inn, which was built on stilts over the water


Overlooking the dive site at Mantabuan


Anemone fish (Nemo fish)


Julia, free diving


Lion fish, beautiful, but poisonous


Billy, swimming with a turtle


A local fisherman shows off his catch


The Celebes Sea


Steve (underwater photographer-extraordinaire), Mike (the divemaster) and Julia on the boat a Mantabuan


The dock at Sipadan, we spent our surface intervals on this beach (resting between dives)


Billy, resting and sunning himself on the beach (get that hairy monster out of here!)


Julia, doing the same, but looking much better


The Malaysian military personnel who patrol Sipadan really wanted a photo with Billy and these Swedish children


Ominous clouds move towards Sipadan

Into the Jungle...

After spending a few days in Kota Kinabalu, we decided that our fist excursion would be to a jungle lodge. We spent 2 days and a night at a jungle lodge in the forest near Kota Kinabatagan.

The adventure started in Kota Kinabalu, where we hopped on a bus and suffered through a hellish 5 hour ride to Kota Kinabatagan. This was one ride for the books. First off, we barely caught the bus after initially being ushered onto the wrong bus. Julia had the stroke of genius to ask where the bus was going... After a little chaos, we stopped the other bus that was pulling out and got the last seats available, in the back, next to the toilet. We soon found that the a/c vent above our seats was broken and Billy managed to put some engineering skills to use and block the vent with his sock. Since we were in the back, we couldn't see or hear the movie, which was on too low to hear anyway. To make matters worse, the toilet started overflowing...and yes, we were right next to it, which made for an unpleasant smell and several damp items.

From Kota Kinabatabgan, the jungle lodge people picked us up and took us on a dusty bumpy ride to the lodge.

At the lodge, we put Billy's new guitar to work singing Ghost Riders in the Sky returning us to childhood memories of car trips with the family. Billy entertained our fellow travelers and guides with some Johnny Cash and Beatles songs late into the night. We took evening and morning boat trips up the river in search of wildlife, and participated in a night hike. On the boat trips we saw tons of birds, monkeys (including the long-nosed proboscus monkey), lizards and even a crocodile. The night hike was an interesting opportunity to check out all of the micro life in the jungle. We saw lots of brightly colored frogs and insects with the help of our Australian friend, Steve, who became our own personal tour guide. To Julia's great relief, we didn't have any personal encounters with leeches.

-Julia and Billy


Billy suffers through the bus ride


Arriving the lodge


The lodge's dock onto the Kinabatagan river


Our Welsh friend, Tasha, after the dusty drive


The Kinabatagan river


One of the Wildlife boat trips


Monkeys playing in the trees


Sunset


Looking for animals on the river


Steve pointing out a frog during our night hike


Sunrise on the river


Can you see the monitor lizard sunning himself on this slanted tree?


Billy, Tasha, Steve, Julia and Hannah at the lodge

Welcome to Borneo

During our travels, we've been hearing rave reviews about Borneo. It's touted as the place to go in SE Asia for amazing diving, mountain hiking and jungle trekking. So, we bought two plane tickets and headed to Kota Kinabalu (KK), the capital of Borneo's semi autonomous state of Sabah.

As with most places, we arrived in Borneo with a time frame, but no set plan. Normally this isn't a problem and allows us to scope things out before we commit to any accommodations or activities. Borneo, as we quickly found out, is different story. Many of the region's star attractions are difficult to access without an organized tour, and being that this is the peak of high season (dry season combined with vacation time for Europeans), many activities were fully booked.

We spent several days in KK trying to arrange some activities, and finally managed to book a visit to a jungle lodge and several days of diving in Sipadan. Unfortunately, climbing Mt. Kinabalu will just have to be our excuse to come back to Borneo someday.

While in KK, we met some other cool travelers with whom we could sit around and whine about how we didn't know we needed to book everything in advance. Our new friends included two Slovenian dentists, who identified us as siblings because we have the same smile, and Cat, who had all of "Lost" season 2 on DVD (which we watched between bouts of calling tour operators).

Though we were disappointed not to climb Mt. Kinabalu, this may have been divine intervention. When we arrived in Borneo, Billy's foot started to hurt, so we made our first official trip doctor's visit. The doctor said "see those red lines moving up your foot, that's the infection spreading". We got Billy patched up and headed off to the jungle.

-Julia and Billy


Billy enjoys a soccer game on TV at a cafe in KK


Women waiting to buy fried bananas


Billy takes a nap with his new guitar


Kota Kinabalu at night


Julia tries a new fashion statement...hmm maybe not the best look, good thing she didn't buy that hat


Our hostel in KK

Penang

After the Perhentian islands, we traveled to Penang (in the NW corner of peninsular Malaysia). Penang is an interesting island. Most backpackers we've met have recommended avoiding it. The island has a rich history and reminders of the colonial rule, which most backpackers are trying to get away from while in Asia. It doesn't have the typical white, sandy beaches which most travelers seek. The main city of Georgetown is a bustling place, and is a perfect example of Malaysia's economic growth. In the two years since Billy's first visit, development on the island has exploded, and the sky is now littered with high rises. The island also reminded us a bit of Singapore in that it has a strong ex-patriot presence (our friend, John was a good example of this). The treasures to be found on this island require a little digging, but are worth the effort.

What Billy wanted to see on Penang island was very much off the beaten path, and worlds away from Georgetown. The sleepy little beach town of Teluk Bahang is located at the last stop on the Island's bus route. It is a perfect place to kick up your heels and relax for a few days. There is a national park and the area has some good hiking. Here, there is no sign of any foreign investment or economic boom.

We arrived late at night and it was a challenge for Billy to recall the location of the well hidden Miss Loh's Guesthouse. When we came to the familiar unmarked gates at Miss Loh's, the lights were dimmed and no one seemed to be there. Then out of the darkness came the smiling face of Billy's old friend Sam. Billy didn't know if he'd remember him, but Sam immediately said, "Two durian seasons ago, we went for a run, of course I remember you" (Sam picks durian for Miss Loh in return for a free accommodation at her guesthouse).

We spent the evening talking with Sam, catching up on the two years' gone by and introducing Julia to durian fruit.

The following day, we kicked back and made plans for our travels to Borneo and Bali. Unfortunately, our plans didn't allow us to stay at Miss Loh's for more than 2 days, but we enjoyed our visit, and it is a place to which Billy plans to return.

-Billy and Julia


The Bridge from Butterworth to Georgetown, Penang


Billy and Sam


Julia tried the durian fruit, but has concluded that it is an acquired taste


The puppies at Miss Lohs', however, LOVED durian fruit (the dog on the left is even named "Durian")

Ode to John

For he's a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny...

We met John on the speed boat leaving the Perhentian Islands. Billy noticed that he was sporting a Penang Marathon t-shirt and struck up a conversation. It just so happened that he was going home to Penang, and as we were contemplating our next destination and mode of transportation, he offered us a ride to Penang. We gladly excepted his generous offer and we were off on a smooth ride. We had the comfort of air con, pleasant conversation and the all necessary leg room (a rare commodity for these two long-legged travelers). This ride saved us an entire wasted day in Kota Baru and the hassle of getting a bus from there to Penang. Let's just say that we owe him the honor of a blog entry and more.

John is a retired accountant from the UK and South Africa who has recently relocated to Malaysia. We enjoyed hearing about his travel experiences and his perspective, as an ex-pat, on life in Malaysia.

When we arrived in Penang, he took us to his local hangout on the beach and we watched the sunset while enjoying a couple beers and "Mary's special" Chicken curry. Our final destination, Teluk Bahang, was just a five minute ride away.

-Julia and Billy


John


Sunset at John's hangout


Dinner with John


Paradise

Perhentian islands

The Perhentians...or paradise, as we like to call it.

After lake Chini, we headed north, toward the island paradise know as the Perhentian islands. Since we arrived in Malaysia, we've been hearing a buzz about these islands. The reports seemed to be accurate: the Perhentian islands are pretty much as close to a backpacker paradise as one can get: clear water, warm weather, palm trees, delicious food, great people, and good diving.

The only problem is that word has gotten out about the Perhentians, so housing is a precious commodity (which means that hotel owners can charge outrageous prices for crappy little huts), and the island has basically been taken over by backpackers. It's not exactly the destination for exposure to authentic Malay culture, but it's a wonderful place to relax on the beach for a few days.

We hooked up with a dive shop called Spice divers and did a few dives with them while we were on the island. We did two reef dives and one murky wreck dive...which even though the visibility wasn't the best, was still pretty cool. The divemasters were even nice enough to let Billy stock up his ipod with tunes from the dive shop collection (which Julia was thrilled about because it meant that she could once again use her ipod and got some new JT music to boot). We also snorkeled in the bay, played volleyball and frisbee on the beach, and of course..relaxed.

As with most travel, it's not about the place, it's about the people. We were fortunate enough to meet some really cool travelers while on the island. Jo, Sherif and Thomas from England (and we keep bumping into Sherif even now that we are off the island). Tatiana and Andrea from Holland. Andrew and Mike from SF, who were very patient with us.

-Billy and Julia


Perhentian Kecil


All too frequently, we manage to wear matching outfits...we swear it's by accident


Home, sweet, home. This hostel, Panorama, had a good vibe and included a free meal...the only downside was a slight rodent presence


Billy unleashes his inner Tiger (don't worry mom, Billy had plenty of help with those 4 beers)


Who knew that there were so many cool pink diving accessories?!?! (Julia unleashes her inner Barbie)


The dive shop


After the wreck dive, where we successfully manged to evade the scorpionfish and lionfish


Same, same...but different?


Tatiana explains the wonders of "monkey juice" to Thomas


Andrew, Julia, Mike and Billy


Bidding farewell to paradise