Jenni has given the facts around our break at Sibu island. It was a really enchanting trip. From the moment we stepped aboard the boat I could tell that we were going to have fun. The driver opened up the twin 85hp engines on the deep vee long boat and we got on the plane in no time. The island looked like it was miles away but we reached it in 15 minutes. The swell was high so we landed on the leeward side and traipsed through the jungle to reach the resort. Clearly several groups of people have tried to make this place a holiday paradise but just outside the resort are the untended ruins of previous attempts and copious amounts of debris washed up in the tide. Humans throw away too many plastic bottles these days and this is where they and countless flip flops end up.
The time on the island was fabulous and just what the doctor ordered. It was awesome not having to worry about food, drink and cleaning etc.
We returned to the mainland today and when we met our driver we got into a car from a manufacturer I have never heard of – Nava – which had been suped up with chrome wide wheels and lowered. The driver was about 60 years old and really mellow. It had two air fresheners one incense and the other vanilla or sandalwood or something. To be honest the heady mix of a comfortable car, his mellow driving, the air con and the air fresheners took the sting out of the just in time overtaking maneouvres he pulled on the one hour trip to Mersing. On the way it was predominantly palm forest interspersed with villages offering car repairs and curry at the roadside. However in the most empty sections of road I saw many stray dogs and the odd monkey. None of them squashed this time in comparison to the trip from Singapore. It seems to rain every afternoon for an hour or so and we were glad this was mostly when we were travelling.
So now we are fed and watered and safely ensconced in the Embassy hotel. A rather grand sounding name for a beat up building with clean rooms and A/C and hot showers!
Travelling with the kids and not having booked anywhere has paid off this time and we are feeling more brave and less foolhardy now the trip is properly underway.
Kids in bed
A beautiful tropical flower
Susie and Luke on the beach
The mini Merlion in Singapore (while the other is being repaired)
