By Abdeladhim Bouafia
THE Seribuat archipelago on the southeast peninsula of Malaysia is about 11 kilometres off the coast of Johor and one of the most beautiful places in all of Asia. It combines the marine parks of Johor and Pahang and contains some 64 volcanic islands. These boast plenty of natural diversity, fantastic beaches, and great reefs and marine life for snorkeling and diving and of course sea kayaking. It also attracts a lot of anglers and windsurfers.
The Seribuat archipelago is considered a great place to kayak thanks to its many beautiful islands such as Sibu, Tioman, Tinggi, Kukus, Sibu bisar, Rawa, Sibu Hujung and many others.
Tioman Island, the largest island of the Seribuat archipelago. Pic: HooLengSiong, Flickr.
You may well ask what exactly makes the experience of kayaking throughout this archipelago so good? Well, let me tell you that a lot of Olympic kayak champions have actually made their preparations here. It’s also a popular place for Singaporeans to come too given that Mersing, the gateway to the islands, is so close.
The islands form a chain that is easy to hop between and with accommodation available at a number of places it makes for an easy and enjoyable holiday. If you elect to do this under your own steam make sure you take appropriate GPS navigation equipment to help you direct your course and, of course, bring plenty of snacks and water.
There is an abundance of sea life in these marine parks and you might get the opportunity to spot dolphins, groupers, turtles, stingrays and other fish beneath your boat as you go along.
Islet off Tioman. Pic: dalesmidt, Flickr.
Other things to do
There are other activities you can partake in besides kayaking here too. There is plenty of good snorkeling and diving as well with some 38 dive sites within just 30 minutes of each other. Diving is about RM 85 per dive with rented equipment or you can get tank refills.
There are also a number of good snorkeling spots, particularly off the tiny island of Rawa where you can simply walk in off the beach. Bring your own mask and snorkel or you can rent these on the islands for about RM 6 per hour. Angling is also popular with plenty of black marlin, sailfish, groupers and snappers. This abundance of sea life also makes for excellent seafood for the dining table. Fishing trips can be booked from many of the resorts and can cost around RM 300-500 per trip. Windsurfing, island cruises and island hopping are other possible excursions from the resorts.
Whether you elect to kayak between the islands or just stay on the resorts, just imagine a set of islands blessed with a clear sunny tropical climate with pure clear sea waters, warm sun brightening white sandy beaches and plenty of places to relax. Pull out your favourite book of an evening, find a spot in a hammock between palm trees and enjoy the serenity – before you get into your kayak again on the morrow.
Beautiful vistas every day on Tioman island. Pic: HooLeng, Siong, Flickr.
How to do it
If you have your own portable kayak you can of course travel here with it. Alternatively there are tours available that will take you. Try www.malaysiaseasports.com as one example. Otherwise a lot of the resorts will have available kayaks that you can rent by the hour or by the day. Some resorts will even have kayaks for use free of charge.
How to get there
The best way to approach the islands is to get to Mersing. Buses run here from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Penang and Singapore. From Mersing there are boats out to the islands. There are plenty of resorts on the islands, particularly on Pulau Babi Besar and Sibu.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to find out more about travelling to Malaysia, please visit the Tourism Malaysia website
________________________
About the author…
Abdeladhim Bouafia
Abdeladhim Bouafia is a professional content writer in several domains especially in travel, nature and cultural essays. He has a bachelors degree from the university in languages studies and publishes his work online here: travel4arabs.blogspot.com.
المشاركات
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق