NEWS - Emirates Diving Association

DIVING DESTINATIONS
And this sadly comes to the end of our diving trip. If we could have
prolonged it, we would have as there is so much more diving to do. To
get back to KL we had a stopover in the Terengganu capital. From Sultan
Mahmud Airport there is an hours flight back to KLIA with Malaysian
Airlines and then you make your transit back to Dubai unless you decide
to do a mandatory stopover in KL for a few extra days.
DIVING VERDICT:
All the other dive sites around Bidong are worth seeing from the
briefings we were run through and you need a good week to dive all
three islands. Make sure Redang is the last island you stay at and dive
from for the perfect finale!
TRIP SUMMARY:
The landscapes are gorgeous, the skies are out of this world and the
diving is a world of unlimited exploration and beauty. You will not be
disappointed and on returning back to your real world, you will dream
and plan of the next visit in search of the magic once again.
TRULY LOST IN PARADISE
FEATURE RALPH NOBLET – HOTELIER PHOTOGRAPHY ALLY LANDES
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY ANTONIE ROBERTSON
SUGGESTIONS:
• Bring Mosquito Repellent with you. It can be purchased on the island
resort shops if they have it in stock.
• Make sure to take sinus decongestant tablets as these are impossible
to find if you catch a cold.
• Best time to go: The monsoon season peaks between November
and March every year. You can expect more rain and rough seas and
most resorts are typically closed from the end of October through
to the end of February. Peak season is between July and August and
prices rise accordingly. During off-peak times, rates are negotiable.
You may need to book well in advance during peak times and for
public holidays and weekends. Note that most budget resorts do
not accept bookings and handle guests on a walk-in basis only.
• The Malaysian currency unit is Ringgit (RM) and sen, where 100 sen
equals one Ringgit. Remember to convert your foreign currency or
get cash at an ATM at the airport before heading to the islands as
they will not accept any other currency.
• Tipping is not mandatory but is widely practised. RM2-RM5. Most
hotels and restaurants include a 10% service charge in all their bills.
• Bring plenty of drinking water on your dive trips as most dive centres
will not supply any.
REFERENCES:
* From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Time seems to have paused. I do not know anymore what date it is,
how long we’ve been gone and by now the exact time and day has
become irrelevant. There is only the here and the now.
The breeze in my face is fresh, the South China Sea is dark blue and
infinite, the scattered Islands are all unique in their shapes and sizes,
each covered in lush jungle vegetations of a thousand greens, the sun
is shining, the sky is deep blue and the clouds are huge, majestic and of
the most striking white I’ve ever seen.
We are on a speedboat taking us to the main land. A group of nine
people not having known each other a few days back when we first met
between planes, now all feel as if we have been friends for ages.
Our team was put together to visit one of Malaysia’s provinces called
Terengganu. Some are here to provide the pictures, the films, some to
look at things with a journalistic or marine experts point of view. We all
come from Dubai and yet we are all of different nationalities.
I am a French citizen, hotelier and most certainly not a writer. Yet,
my role is to write about the various hotels we stayed in or had the
opportunity to visit during our tour within the region as well as my
overall impression of the destination.
All the others have already worked on their articles, taken great pictures
for the magazine issues, and here I am on that boat, not a clue as to
what or how to write because at this point the world in its raw beauty
surrounds me 360 degrees. It is literally taking a hold of me and nothing
else matters…
I am not sure if that was on day 4, 5 or 6 of our trip. But now I am
back in Dubai, in front of my computer, under pressure to produce my
article to meet the deadline, and I still haven’t written anything until
now because fifteen days later, anytime I think back, the first thing that
automatically re-surfaces is the environmental beauty in which I was
privileged to immerse myself in.
Terengganu is located on the North Eastern coast of Malaysia and
boasts an impressive 244km long stretch of sandy coastline beaches.
It offers many traditional experiences to enjoy combined to its unique
heritage with warm and friendly people everywhere.
Based on my short visit and various interactions with the local tourism
ministry and hotel managers, I sense that there is a global regional
and federal commitment to develop this region as a first class tourist
destination.
Objectively speaking, there is a lot to do to bring this region to that
level when you consider certain inconsistencies from resort to resort in
terms of accommodation, service and overall standards. But they know
where they are, they do not pretend to be what they are not (yet), they
are proud, humble, committed and they have a plan.
Furthermore, they have what’s most important, great people with unspoilt
genuine hospitality combined to a world-class location in terms
of island diving.
We had the chance of staying in 3 different hotels and locations during
our tour. We also visited 4 other properties and my observation is that
whether on the main land or on the Islands there is choice. Indeed,
whether your motivation is purely diving or backpacking, or a low
budget or deluxe stay, or various combinations, you have an immense
70 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, SEPTEMBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 71