My Personal Detail

NURUL AIN BINTI ZAKARIA

910613035154

211354

UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA

BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION WITH HONOUR

DPP TNB

SEMESTER 3

21 YEARS OLD

Sibu Island

Pulau Sibu is part of the Seribuat Archipelago down south and is made up of several islands namely Pulau Sibu Besar, Pulau Sibu Tengah, Pulau Sibu Kukus and Pulau Sibu Hujung. Pulau Sibu Tengah is a tiny island home to Sibu Island Resort, a large resort catering to local and foreign tourists. About 5 minutes by speedboat from the larger of the two islands , Sibu Tengah has all that a tourist would appreciate - a full fledged resort with chalets and rooms packed with every bit of creature comforts city slickers are accustomed to. Snorkelling to Kukus island just 3minutes boat ride from this island provides an adventure to novices. Otherwise, for those completely resigned to a lazy holiday, then this resort is the best place to vegetate.

Pulau Sibu Besar, on the other hand is some 7kms long and about 1km wide. One of the largest islands on the Seribuat Archipelago, it's surprising that Sibu has retained much of its natural beauty and tranquility. In the past decade when all the islands up in Terengganu has sped off in the direction of mass tourism and commercialisation, Sibu ambles on at its own pace. The local village continues to eke out a living off the seas and a few of the younger generation opt to work at the nearby resorts for a steadier income and a change of lifestyle. The villagers have kelongs out in the bay where they now rear fish and prawns and a few kelongs are used as a fishing retreat where keen recreational fishermen spend their weekends fishing and bonding with fellow 'inmates' on the platform. There are simple accommodation on these kelongs for rent.

The main stretch of beach has 4 beach resorts of varying budgets and preferences. Sea Gypsy Village Resort run by Linda, a British, is a favourite with Singaporean expatriate families. So popular they were with young families at one point, that they started up a kid's centre where activities are set up for children for a good part of the day so that their parents are pretty much left alone to their own time. Very precious commodity - time can be for young families! Sea Gypsy also runs the only established Dive Centre on Sibu Besar.

To the back of the island through a 25 minute jungle trek, sits Rimba Resort. Journeymalaysia.com writers went off on a exploratory trip to Sibu Besar in June 2004 and were well impressed with two set ups on Sibu namely Rimba Resort and Sea Gypsy Village resort.

 

 

Payar Marine Park Island

If you are only visiting islands at the west side of the peninsula or are not able to go to visit the island at the east side due to the monsoon pereod (which lasts from October till March in that region), then you have the alternative to go to the islands of Langkawi and Penang where you will be able to snorkel around a couple of very small islands. The Pulau Payar Marine Park lies between both islands, a small but marvelous coral area. There are four islands within the marine park, Pulau Payar, Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu and Pulau Segantang. Tourists can stay for the day, however it is an uninhabited island and there is no accommodation available on the island. There is a daily tour to Pulau Payar, this tour includes pickup from the hotel in either Penang or Langkawi. A Pulau Payar snorkeling trip usually lasts a full day.

  Only place to enjoy diving and snorkeling at the western peninsula

It is one of the only locations at the west side of the Malaysian peninsula where you can snorkel and dive. Besides that, you can also feed the fish (e.g. small sharks). However, we do advise not to participate in that, because it is very bad for the fish and eventually it harms the coral as well. The underwater world around the island often attracts very big kinds of fish, because of the enormous amount of algae in the water. When you obtain your PADI diving license on the island of Langkawi you complete your dives within the marine park. The best snorkel location with the marine parks is near 'Coral Garden'. Update: Coral Garden is currently closed to the public to give the coral enough time to restore.

 

The island is a protected area as the coral has to be preserved. Fishing is absolutely prohibited within the marine park. If you are not going to the east side of the Malaysian peninsula (i.e. Perhentian, Redang or Tioman) or to the beautiful islands around Borneo during your trip through Malaysia, then this is one of the few places where you can encounter the beauty of a real coral island.

Things to keep in mind when visiting Pulau Payar

The small island group, Pulau Payar has been under a lot of pressure as a result of tourism in the last couple of years. The islands are set up in a very touristy way and there is a chance that you might view the same fish with 20 others. Additionally, there is the issue of 'coral bleaching' due to the high temperature increase of the seawater. As a result, the coral is not in its best shape anymore. Below, please find a few rules to take into account to ensure that Payar does not collapse under the pressures of tourism:

• Do not feed the fish and do not touch any fish.
• Keep your waste and do not throw anything into the water.
• Only use the toilettes.
• Do not stand on the coral. Wear a life jacket and swim without flippers to prevent yourself from standing on the coral.

Tioman Island

On the southeastern side of the Peninsular Malaysia there is a group of 64 islands, of which Tioman Island is the biggest one (+/- 350 km2). Other known islands in this region are: Seri Bulat, Sembilang, Tulai, Sibu, Chebeh, Labas and Renggis. Tioman lies about 56 kilometers of the coast in the federal state of Pahang . Together with perhentian Island and Redang Island, Tioman is the most popular island on the eastern side of the peninsula. The island is especially known for its wonderful diving and snorkeling possibilities. There are many resorts on the island, catering for every type of traveler. Tioman is a duty-free island, which means some items are much cheaper compared to prices at the mainland. This especially goes for alcohol; which is clearly cheaper compared to other tropical island (only a few ringgits for a beer or cocktail). Around the villages of Tekek and Salang you will be able to find some nightlife; as there are numerous nice bars. Overall the island has a very tranquil atmosphere. The inland of Tioman is covered in thick jungle; the edges of the island are populated. Because Tioman is part of a Marine Park, all visitors have to pay a marine park entrance fee of RM5 upon arrival.

"A legend synonymous with the island is the tale of a beautiful dragon princess. On her way from China to visit her prince in Singapore, this fabled maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear water of the South China Sea. Enchanted by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. The princess took the form of an island and pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travelers."

Diving

Tioman is well known as a diving and snorkeling paradise, just like Redang and Perhentian in the north of Peninsular Malaysia. Usually you pay around RM90 for each dive (this includes use of equipment and such). You can get your Open Water license (PADI) here for around RM1000, but know that for this you need to stay at least 5 days on the island. There are numerous dive schools; we heard great things (and in some cases have great experiences) about DiveAsia (5 Star IDC), B&J Dive Center, Tioman Dive Centre and Fisherman Divers. Check out the nice video below to get an impression of the dive sites around Tioman Island.

Snorkeling

Non-divers can enjoy a bit of snorkeling at one of the many snorkeling sites around the island. Most resorts have a house reef; where you can snorkel right in front of your cabana. Make sure you check this if you are making reservations beforehand. Many resorts also offer snorkeling tours to secluded areas around Tioman or to uninhabited islands in the vicinity of Tioman (for example Tulai Island and Renggis Island). Snorkeling equipment can be rented at most of the dive shops and also at many resorts. It is not that common anymore to get fins as too many tourists decided to stand on the precious corals. Also, some require you to wear a life vest which forces you to stay above water at all times (again to conserve the coral reefs). Some great places to snorkel around Tioman are: Paya, Tekek and Ayer Batang.

Attractions and activities on Tioman Island

Though main activities around Tioman Island are diving and snorkeling; there are many other nice things to do during your stay at the island. Below a list with attractions on the island:

• Tioman is popular among those that like fishing. Deep-sea fishing trips can be arranged at many places on the island. Do know that as fishing is prohibited within the marine park; you may only fish at least 25 km from the coast.
• There are almost no roads on Tioman; but there are quite a few jungle tracks. These are perfect for light jungle treks. Two popular treks are from Tekek to Juara (2hrs) and from Tekek all the way to Monkey Bay.
• Great beaches are: Genting Beach, Tekek Beach and Salang Beach. At these beaches there are aquatic sports operators (kayaking, surfing, wakeboarding and jet skiing).
• Tioman has many nice waterfalls that you can visit. Some are easily accessible, others require a light trek or a short boat ride. One of the most popular waterfalls on Tioman Island is the Mukut Waterfall; especially during weekends locals hang out here to relax with their friends or families. Don't forget to bring a towel and swim shorts/bathing suit. Another beautiful waterfall is the Asah Waterfall; the biggest waterfall in Tioman Island and located about 6 kilometers from Mukut Village. You can get there by either doing a 45 minute trek or by arranging a boat trip.
• Golf enthusiasts will be happy to know that Berjaya Tioman Resort has an 18 hole golf course.