The double decker overnight bus left Pangkor and spent 10 hours swinging unlit country roads at exxcessive speeds pulled into Kuala Besut at 4am, after fajr, the next few hours were spent lying in a fishermans hammock on the docks deciding whether it was Kecil or Besar (The smaller or bigger island) we were catching a boat out to at 9am. Upon a quick Google Search, Kecil seemed to be the cheaper option which no doubt was the deciding factor.
Now on to the journey...
The main reason for going to the Perhentean Islands off the East Coast of Malaysia was to scuba dive. Monsoon season was coming to an end and the South China Sea was not looking boat- let alone scuba friendly. (Between the screaming of all the other passengers, the fact my life jacket didn't strap up properly and the potential damage to my disc between L5 and S1 vertebrae I wouldn't call it the most relaxing island transfer - although it did make an interesting paragraph.
As it happened, the swing season weather created perfect conditions for some surf practice so the next few days were spent either hiking (and being chased by particularly aggressive monkeys), being genuinely unsure whether the Komodo Dragon Sized Lizards on the beach were friendly or not and swallowing an unhealthy amount of the South China Sea whilst lying face down exasperated on the surfboard from trying to paddle out.
No warm water for 5 days and the 12 hours of hours of electricity a day (8pm - 8am) is a small price to pay to be able to sleep above the waves for £10 a night.
Below you can see the view from the hostel, the local kids were up to their usual antics running up and down the beach whilst their parents were busy renovating their shops and shacks for high season. Something you notice here on the Island is just how free the kids are to roam and are left to their own devices, but also the sense of community among the locals.
A dad getting doing some repairs on his shack whilst his kids play in the waves
