Gili Air, Indonesia

 

I arrived at Gili Air with one plan - snorkeling with sea turtles! I checked into Damai Homestay and Rosa took good care of me. I was scheduled for a snorkeling trip the next morning. Rosa offered me breakfast and had her staff make me a delicious citrus sesame pancake with fresh fruit and coffee. Mmmm! It hit the spot!

I spent the next couple hours relaxing in my hammock and then rented a bike to explore the island. It was small and I could not get lost. I stopped for dinner on my way back to Damai and went to bed early.

Snorkeling was fantastic. No photos. My underwater camera leaked and got completely fried. Stupid camera! I was lucky because the boat was small and our guide was fantastic. We saw 8 turtles at our first stop. Such amazing animals to watch. I got stung by more baby jelly fish and really wished I had worn a shirt. But the coolest experience was the next stop when our guide saw a huge turtle. There were only 3 of us swimming with him. He told us to go and swim with it. We floated along for 15 minutes with him 6 feet below water. We all kept our distance to not stress him out. He came up for air twice before diving to the bottom of the floor. The 3 of us floated for a while excited about the experience before we realized how far away the current had taken us. We started to swim back when the guide sent the boat to pick us up. I was relieved since it was difficult swimming against the current. At our last stop of the tour I was floating along and saw something move across the sea floor. Crap! I looked at the others and motioned to a sea snake. I am more calm when others are around. I floated and calmly watched it. I hate snakes but was proud that I did not freak out. When we got back on the boat, our the guide asked how many turtles I saw. I responded 9 and one sea snake! He told me I am very lucky to see that many turtles and a sea snake was extra luck! Really?  It was a good day and I was beat when I returned to the homestay. I went for a short walk at sunset and noticed a storm was rolling in. I sat on the bean bags on the beach and relaxed. Why don't we have bean bags on the beach? It is comfortable!

I fell asleep to the sound of rain on my rooftop.

The next day, I went snorkeling again. I was exhausted but I wanted to see more turtles. I was smart and wore a long sleeve shirt which helped with the jelly fish. This guide was not as good. We swam a long distance before we found our first turtle. Everyone had gotten back on board and the turtle surfaced next to the boat. We wanted to get in but the guide said no. I ended up seeing another 6 turtles and had a great day. 

With limited internet access, I relaxed and enjoyed some down time. I read in a hammock, walked the island and talked with other travelers. Gili Air is a small, quiet and relaxing island. Coconut groves with cows grazing.

Very few parties.  At dinner, I met an interesting young man, Agung. A Swedish woman had taken him into her home and made certain he finished school. He was one of 2 curly haired guys on the island. He told me the Swedish woman became a second mother to him and invited him to travel to Sweden to visit her family. I laughed as this young man that had never traveled further than the island of Lombok, Indonesia described his adventure in the western world. He told me how is hair went straight in the cold weather (September), his impressions of western commercialism and his trip to an amusement park. As I listened to Agung tell his experience, it reminded me of everything we have and take for granted. It must have been amazing for his Swedish family to watch his reactions to the western world. 

On my last morning, I went to the beach for sunrise. I was sitting and enjoying the serenity of the area when young boys brought their horses down for an early morning bath. The horses work hard on the Gili Islands. There is no motorized transportation. Only walking, bicycle or horse cart. The boys walked the horses into the ocean to cool them down. It was beautiful.

 

 

I returned to Damai guesthouse and ate breakfast and talked with Rosa while I waited for my horse cart to the ferry. Rosa told me she was trying to sell her lease. She has 6 rooms she rents and one where she lives. She wants to lease it to someone else for 10,000 euros/year. Hmmmm. Sounds great but I know I would get island fever after a month. But it was tempting! 

A quick horse cart ride to the ferry and I was back on my way to Amed. I arrived and saw my friend Made waiting for me. 

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

It was time to go back to the islands. I left Georgetown and headed east across northern Malaysia to the island of Pulau Perhentian Kecil. No art, museums or fantastic street hawkers here. All of the sights are on the sandy beach or underwater.

The view of Coral Bay from Ombak Resort

I arrived at the island in the late afternoon, only to check into Ombak Resort and realize there was no water in my bathroom. Not a single drop!  I was nice about it the first evening. They gave me a bucket to use to rinse the toilet and wash up. I am understanding and realize there are small issues on an island from time to time. These things happen. I was promised I would have water before morning. Right behind Ombak Resort is Ewan's Bungalows and Restaurant. I went for dinner and met Ewan. He was horrified when I told him what I was paying for no water at Ombak Resort. Ewan loved that I could laugh through it and encouraged my happy spirit to stay positive. He became a good friend over my 4 day stay.

In the morning, I decided to walk through the jungle to the other side of the island to Long Beach. It was a short hike, maybe 10 minutes. I had my eyes out for snakes and was lucky....not a single one! Yay!

Long Beach



Beautiful water at Long Beach

Long Beach was a beautiful white sand beach with crystal clear water. The water is clear, just like a pool. It was beautiful! I spent the day lounging on the beach with some travelers from Ireland. At the end of the day, I was ready for a nice warm shower. I got back to my room to find no water. Now, I was angry and went to complain. For the cost of the room and no water for a second day...it was ridiculous. I was told the government shut down the water to the island and told them I knew it was a lie. Nobody else on the island was having an issue, I had asked around. I asked for my money back and was told no because it was not the resorts fault. I explained my position but was told there were no options because the island was fully booked. I knew they had me because I had checked on available rooms.  I told them I would be writing a negative review of their resort on all travel sites. They told me they didn't care. I refused to let this ruin my trip to the islands! The only thing they did for me was let me use the shower in the dive shop. At least I would be clean! 

The next morning I was going snorkeling. Another thing I had pre-paid at Ombak Resort. I was excited because they advertised the guide brings an underwater camera and takes photos. I was not surprised after waiting for an hour to find out the guide was "sick". Eight of us had waited and were irritated that it took an hour for Ombak to tell us the trip was cancelled. It did not make sense, why couldn't another guide have taken us? (Another example of poor customer service at Ombak Resort.) Five of us decided to go anyway and the other 3 went back to their hotel. We were taken to the Shari-La Resort to hire a boat and guide. We got a great guide and a fun group. There was a father- daughter from Spain and a brother and sister from Korea with me.

Swimming and snorkeling at Fish Bay.

Our first stop on the trip was to Fish Bay. The fish were beautiful colors. we saw many clown fish, tiger fish and barracuda. 

After I looked at the pictures from Fish Bay, I noticed a surprise....see the reef shark in the photo. Our guide was shocked when Antonio (Spanish father) said he saw one. We had a photo to prove it! Our next stop was Shark Bay where we were looking for the docile, vegetarian black-tip reef sharks. We got really lucky and saw five!  It was fantastic! Our guide was patient and made certain we all had the opportunity to see them. Before lunch we stopped at Turtle Bay. The boat pulled up and look what we could see as we prepared to jump in the water. It was a sea turtle waiting for us! Yay!

Sea Turtle munching on the ocean floor

 



We went to Fisherman Village for a delicious lunch and a rest before heading on to the Lighthouse. The Perhentian Islands was the best snorkeling I had experienced to date. The visibility was fantastic and our guide got us to places before all of the other boats arrived. We had 2 underwater cameras and  took photos throughout the day. In the evening, we all got together at Ewan's Place for dinner and to share the photos with one another.

The Perhentian Islands are beautiful. I loved the snorkeling and would have liked to do a second day but I needed to get moving towards China. 

Snorkeling and Relaxing in Koh Tao, Thailand

I left Myanmar on June 18 and made a quick stopover in Bangkok. I enjoyed some good food, bought a few supplies and was ready to head south to the islands! I am planning on the next month hopping from one island to the next looking for some relaxation, snorkeling and a little break from sightseeing. I am tired and need a break from sightseeing. I need to just to live life. I may even try to find an apartment for a week just to decompress and get ready for China. Yes, this daily life traveling is hard work! Ha, ha! But I love it!

My first island of choice was Koh Tao. I have decided to skip Phuket and Phi Phi since it is rainy season. I booked the night bus leaving Bangkok and a ferry to Koh Tao. Why Koh Tao? Well, it is in the Gulf of Thailand and it is not rainy season. Most people head to Koh Tao to get certified to scuba diving. With asthma, I know better so I was planning a snorkeling trip and relaxing in a hammock while I figured out where to go next.

The bus trip was long and hot. You put a bus load full of westerners on an overnight bus and it is long, hot and sweaty. Add in that it was the week of the full moon party in Koh Phengan and it was an adventure on its own. People were drinking on the bus and it felt like the days of a frat party! Not in the good way, the bad way. It was a long trip to the ferry. After 7.5 hours we arrived at Chumphon to wait 2 hours for the first ferry to Koh Tao. As we boarded the boat and left the harbor I was happy to be at the sea. I have noticed I get calmer when I am surrounded by water. The ferry ride was pretty rough. Guys were throwing up over the side....probably from the beer on the bus all night. On of them was shocked as he talked to a scuba diver and realized he had to take tests. He actually thought he could just put on the gear and go in the water. He asked if he had to be sober. Seriously!?!?! The ferries first stop was the national park Koh Nuang Tuan. It was beautiful. Three small islands connected by sandbars. Only one hotel/bungalows were on the island. The water was crystal clear.  I knew when I saw it that I wanted to get back over to swim at this beach. It was beautiful! 

Moondance Majic View Bungalows

I was lucky I had read the reveiws to request a pick-up at the pier. The hotel was on the east side and a 10 minute ride but 45 minute walk to the main town. You definitely need 4x4 to get there as the raod was not paved and a rocky. But when I arrived at the hotel I was happy. I had a great bungalow overlooking the ocean with a fantastic bamboo hammock on the porch.  

It was a small hotel and more suitable for newlyweds so I was prepared for some quiet time. When I checked in to the hotel, I was greeted by Tony. He does everything and makes sure the guests get what they want/need. He showed me the path to get down to the water and where to find the snorkel gear. I told him thanks and asked for breakfast first. After 3 weeks of eggs and toast I was happy to see museli, yougurt and fruit on the menu! Afterwards I decided to hike down to the beach and enjoy some swimming. The hike was fun and felt a little adventurous. I enjoyed the water and had it to myself. This was perfect.

When I went back up to the restaurant, I sat and had a beer with Tony and met a couple of guys that were traveling. We shared stories and felt like old friends in no time. The joys of a small resort means making friends quickly.

I scheduled a snorkeling trip for me second day. It was a full day of fun. Our guide was jovial and made sure everyone had fun. He was one of the few guides that got in the water and would take and show you the area. 

I learned quickly to follow him. As we were swimming, he went down and got a clam. It was huge. was watching and he grabbed my camera and handed the clam to me. I think it weighed 15 lbs. I started sinking.

Then, I felt bad that he had picked it up off the ocean floor. Later, girls were screaming because they saw barracuda. He looked at me and told me to follow him. I was stupid and did not realize we were going looking for the barracuda. Ha ha! He liked the few of us that were open to anything. I loved snorkeling and was looking forward to more of this over the next few weeks. At the end of the trip, we stopped at Koh Nuang Tuan beach for 2 hours. It was so relaxing and beautiful. 

At then end of the day I had swallowed enough sea water and was ready to go back to the bungalow. Tony was waiting and I told him it was a great day. He had cold beer waiting and I sat and talked with the other guests. It was a nice little group of fun and relaxed people just chilling and enjoying the views. I went to bed tired and happy. 

I decided to extend my stay on Koh Tao and went down to the beach for another day of relaxing by the ocean. I was swimming with a couple of German guys. We see what we thought was a dolphin and all start swimming towards it. Then, we realized it was a shark. The German guys almost drowned me trying t get to the steps first! I gave them a hard time about how chicken they were. It was a baby reef shark and does not like to eat humans. It was a good laugh over beers.

I talked to the knowledgeable Tony about my next plan. I was trying to decide between Koh Phangan and Koh Samui when he had a better suggestion. He suggested Koh Lipe as a beautiful quiet resort. I asked him if he could book transportation for me. Yes! I decided to take his suggestion and was headed on my 2 day trip to Koh Lipe.

I left Koh Tao the next night on the night ferry. Tony had told me it was like the trains for sleeping. Stupid me thought that meant I was getting a bunk bed. I was happy to have a bed for the 8 hour trip to Saranhatti. It just was not what I had expected. I walked the plank to board.... it was a plank and I had two backpacks on! Thank goodness Noah, my personal trainer, had made me work on my balance for the previous 2 years! I was happy not to be in the water! The beds on the ferry were pads that were laid out on the floor with a pillow. They were small, Asian sized. All of the westerners were complaining our feet hung out over the board on the aisle. The aisle was down the center with 31 beds on each side. 

I laid down and looked around. I realized this was going to be a fun social experience. Stupid old me! Maybe back in the 1990's but today, everyone was on their iphone, ipad or had their headphones on with music. Nobody was talking to each other. I am still shocked as I see this. We have more and more technology and people turn to it rather than talking to the person next to them. I am an oldie and love the socialization of these types of travel. Two girls sit down next to me and I said hi. They start talking and I bring up that nobody talks. One of the girl said that her parents had backpacked after college and are amazed that she does not meet more people. She said it was because everyone has all their entertainment with them. They don't need to talk. Ha ha! So true! But I find it sad. they don't know what they are missing. She talked tome about   her travels to India and encouraged me to give it two weeks. I will love it or hate it. Hmmm...still thinking about it. I have to make a plan. I am starting month 5 and will have to decide what is next.

We arrived at 5 AM and I had time for a quick bathroom break before my minivan was ready to leave for Pakbara, Thailand. Thank goodness I had time because that was it until I arrived in Pakbara at 4:30 PM. My minivan driver took me to Hat Yai where I had to switch vans. The problem was he could not find the location where I was suppose to go. We went to 3 bus stops and I followed him around as he tried to find my minivan to Pakbara. I arrived an hour late and expected to have to spend the night in Hat Yai. Lucky for me the minivan was waiting for me to arrive. Whew! I felt bad that 12 other people were delayed. I apologized and waited to take the bad seat nobody else wanted. it was the least I could do. The van driver was nice enough to take me to a hotel where I could spend the night and catch the ferry to Koh Lipe in the morning.