Wednesday, March 11, 2009

From Singapore to Tioman Island - Malaysia (06.03.09)







In the morning I took a bus from Queen st. (Singapore) to Larkin bus terminal in Johor Bahru (Malaysia). For some reason, they wouldn't let me use Romanian passport and insisted on using the one I used for Singapore. Anyway, I got a visa for 3 months and they used the same page as for Singapore. In the Larkin bus terminal I had about 2 hours to wait, so I looked for breakfast. It was a bit difficult, as I didn't find anything I could recognize. I finally got a beef omelet. It came with a sauce on the side I couldn't eat, because of the curry.The trip to Mersing took 2 hours. The roads are good, and they also drive on the right side. From there I took an express boat to Tioman. As the boat was approaching the island I found out why this island was voted one of the most beautiful. It's like a mountain, covered by very thick green vegetation, with the peak of the mountain rising above the clouds. I got off the boat at the Air Batang beach. I looked for accommodation in two resorts but it was all booked. Turns out that it was a public holiday in Malaysia and the season just started on this island. On my way back I found something available but ridiculous expensive. In the end I found a cheap bungalow few steps away from the sea. On this beach there is only a very narrow strip of bungalows, at the base of the mountains, and it is very quiet. This is how is supposed to be an island. The beach is just 3 meters wide, and there are shells and rocks on it, but I don't care. This is definitely the most beautiful island I've been. I went for a swim and it was lovely, the water didn't seem that salty. It was warm and very clear. The vast sea gives me the sensation that this is the end of the earth. later I spent a couple of hours in a hammock, just looking at the sunset.

Expenses (Malaysia ringgit RM)
boat ticket 2x35=70
room 30
bus ticket 12
ice cream 3.5
water 3
burger 3
omelet 6
drink 2
chicken pie 2.8
water 2
tuna sandwich 3.5
banana shake 2.5

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