14 March 2009 - Snorkelling and swimming in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

After the hardcore mountain climbing we did 2 days ago, we decided to put our feet up and go for a day trip to the islands near KK. As I have already been to Manukan Island last time, Mamutik and Sapi here we come!

There were a few people on both islands being the weekend and all. I decided to wear a shirt into the water. It later proved that I was the sensible one as Naomi got really bad sunburn on her bum.

The water was a little warm for me. But the snorkelling was superb. The coral that was still marginally alive after all the dynamite fishing was awesome. I was swimming with millions of fish of all shapes and colours. There were also sea cucumbers, and sea snakes. Some of these were being very intimate towards me. Some might consider it a little inappropriate to nibble others' fingers, but definitely not these fish.

It was very peaceful and tranquil lying on the beach. The waves here don't really break. The sea here reminds me of the canal at the back of my parents' house. It's just so calm and it's the same everyday. It was very relaxing to go for a snorkel, come back and lie on the beach, then go out for a swim and come back and lie on the beach to relax again. I feel like I am finally having a proper holiday at some nice place rather than being on the go all the time or busy recovering from my virus.

On the way back, our boat driver was a little nutty to say the least. First he almost let one of the touts drive the boat, then he tried to make the ride as bumpy as possible on the waves to create some excitement for himself, and then he tried to race other boats back to KK which had more powerful engines than the one that we had. It was a pretty scary ride back to KK for some people. I later found out that he is a Filipino living in one of the stilt fishing villages on one of the islands.

We went to this yummy duck place for dinner. The whole dinner including 2 plates of duck meat, a plate of mixed vegetables, 2 soups, drinks and rice only cost us RM18 which is roughly $8. Sooo cheap! It was the best meal for a long time! - P