This is an attempt to photo-log my trip to the aforementioned islands, which i have already fallen in love with. This post should be ridiculously long with the all the picdtures in them. You can read a text version
HERE.
Tioman is a place I feel, I should go a couple of times more at least, with some extra days or weeks in my pocket. This post is dedicated to
Harish,
Sreehari,
Shahabaz and
Paul Jose. If this post ever sees light, which I sincerely hope it will.
As always the trip begins with someone who has been there. This time around it was Harish who had been there. I have heard about this island for quite a while from this guy and that it has been the most amazing place he has ever been. I kind of hoped everything was true. After two days I can just tell it was very very true. Here I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Harish for introducing the place to us and to Paul for receiving what Harish said in full with extreme enthusiasm and inspiring the people around for a trip.
Then there should be someone who is interested in organizing it and with some enthusiasm for a weekend hangout. There was a couple of colleagues that way too. So it happened. Here the thanks goes to Sreehari and Shahabaz. The trip was planned out in meticulous detail, ever closer than i have ever seen a trip planned, even more than the planning of one of the trips i enjoyed most, the trip to the Himalayas by one of the people whom i believe can plan the best. But still it doesn't beat the latter in execution for many reasons which shall be purposefully omitted, because it isn't that significant and is rather personal preferences and this doesn't make it a bad trip. It just didn't make it all the way up the top. Just a little bit below. But works for me. :) No worries there.
So it was saturday morning, the van(since we were 9 in all) was intended to leave at 3:00 am so that we complete the 2 hour journey and immigration from Singapore to Malaysia and be off for the first ferry that leaves to the island. All thanks of scheduling and planning to Shahabaz, execution worked out pretty well.We started off by 3:15 I think. Then a quick breeze through Singapore-Malaysia immigration and we were travelling quickly towards our destination enjoying within the van.
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| Venki... rocking as always... Sreehari.. blinded by flash as always (Photo: Ankit) |
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| One of Paul's priceless expression's |
Everything was going good like that, then I found myself in a familiar situation, owing to the odd timing we chose for the journey. The driver was starting to tire out and sleep off. That was a curse of the timing, when it got scary enough, we asked the driver to stop if you are sleepy. He also understood and the next place we stopped and driver went on for a power nap and everybody went out stretched out and went out for a photography session that resulted in these ;)
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| Photographer Gary is so proud of his achievement and Ankit is looking amused. |
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| Stopped transport is always a photography opportunity.. |
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| The big organiser.... Note the hand position |
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| Now you know why i asked you to note the hand position |
After that people were pretty tired and from the early morning awakening, the next one hour i didn't hear anything. Probably everyody was in the sweet slumber already. I took the liberty of trying to keep the driver awake by starting a conversation with the driver. Talking with him and sharing a chat i managed to keep him awake for most of the journey and by the time sleep came again for him we were safely off in the ferry terminal up in Mersing.
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| Mersing at last and the wait for the ferry!!! |
Then we got the previously arranged tickets and waited in the queue for a while and we boarded the ferry for the 1.5 hour+ long ferry journey. The sun was about to rise from the east and we were heading north-east from mersing. Then it was all time for photography for a few crazy people and slumber time for most.
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| The rising sun! (Photo: Sreehari) |
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| Water droplets!! another Photography favorite (Photo: Sreehari) |
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| Sweet slumber... long journey on the seas... |
After around 1.5 hours we sighted land and the beautiful waters of tioman and it took 10-15 minutes more for us to to reach ABC jetty(moniker belonging to Ayer Batang Chalets, and the first two being the name of the place). Jumping out of the ferry was quick and we had a beautiful welcoming party whose sight we enjoyed. Everyone was admiring the stunningly beautiful waters soon and everyone was up photographing the beauty and a poor kitten around there that happened to get there. It was quite a stunning view and beautifully coloured nature not too much disturbed by it's arch enemy, The mankind.
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| Sight of the islands... (Photo: Sreehari) |
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| Welcoming Party at the jetty!(looked more exciting in real) |
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| Our ride with the welcoming party... :) |
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| The party, The welcoming party and the ride. |
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| Initial sights of tioman by the party |
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| A budding coconut... in an island with a lot of coconut palms |
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| Morning show!!:P |
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| The view from the island |
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| The walkway from our ride to the island! |
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| Look who is posing with the kitten.... :P |
Now once the enthusiasm for the photographers have settled it was time we go searching for the main event of the day, Scuba Diving with all the doubts regarding knowing swimming for scuba diving and all the fears everybody set foot on the path to the Scuba place.
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| To the place... |
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Proof of arrival
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Now once the enthusiasm for the
photographers have settled it was time we go searching for the main
event of the day, Scuba Diving with all the doubts regarding knowing
swimming for scuba diving and all the fears everybody set foot on the
path to the Scu
ba place.The walk walk not far, but definitely lengthen by the hungry souls and photography enthusiasts.
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| different view of the island (Photo: Sreehari) |
The sights of the islands just reminded me of sweet old home
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| Prerna, Ankit and Niyati on the Most popular Transport of that part of the island (Photo: Sreehari) |
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| Gary with his soulmate :P (Photo: Sreehari) |
The walk was not far, but definitely lengthen by the hungry souls and
photography. Then since we were 9 in total, we had to split into 3
groups of 3 since maximum for a group was 4 and it was kind of better
to have 3 3 3 than 4 3 2 or 4 4 1. ;) That also meant long time in wait
because three groups had to go in.
Scuba discovery was structured like, You have initially watch a video to
give you a theory experience, Then you have a big tank in which the
trainer will teach you basic Scuba diving tips, and then the diving in
open water nearby the coastline. So only one group can be in training in
the tank, so that meant waiting... and it meant photography and roaming
time for others. So the initial group to go in was me, paul and
shahabaz andn scuba diving was all about excitement and fears, and the
most excited and the most confident team had to go in first ;). Never
the less the Dive was a nice experience from start to finish. Swimming
through the open ocean was really awesome and the reefs were good.
Seeing clown fish for real (had been a fan since i saw a photo of it
first, and also NEMO was unforgettable memory in that matter). and lots
of fishes who were looking surprised of the divers coming their way..
Probably it feels so because they don't blink any eyelids ;).
Experience cannot be explained in words
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| It's scuba time. In training Pool, (Photo:Sreehari) |
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| In the training Pool (Photo:Sreehari) |
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| All set to go open water (Photo: SReehari) |
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| Underwater Pic. (Photo: Lisa @ B&J Diving Centre) |
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| Returning after the dive (Photo: Sreehari) |
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| The Second Team going in |
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| The third team (Photo: Shahabaz) |
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| Ferrocious Look... |
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| Onshore Photography ;) Venki! (Photo: SReehari) |
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| Island Transport! |
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| Dived with and proof provided by Andre @ B&J Diving Centre (Photo: Sreehari) |
So since we were the first
group to go in we were out of the water first and we had time roaming
around to takes photos across the area. One by one the other groups went
in and they came back. Then it was time we check in for our
accomodation for the day.
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| The beautiful shell arrangement found ashore |
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| Posing for pictures |
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| Landscape |
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| One of the mesmerising views |
The place name was Tekek and was a lot farther down the coastline and we
had to cross a hill(not too big) before we can get a Cab. We started
walking and across a hill to reach the next area. From there we had a
pickup truck(The Cab of the island) and after while, when all the people
slowly and lazily came together we left for our hotel. Soon after an
exciting journey behind the cab, with a lot of sways and swings we
reached the hotel.
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| The transport to accomodation |
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| On the way |
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On the way
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| At the accomodation |
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Accomodation was all set and everybody was all fresh
and now i was nearing evening. Not wanting to spend an evening in a
vacation spot sitting in the hotel room we decided to venture out. So it was afternoon, we got out of the hotel and took the shuttle to the
entrance of the resort. This still was pretty far from the actual
"Tekek" ( Marked by a Ferry and Airport). So we had a volleyball and
which was a fun thing on the beach. Time was spent having food, watching
the sunset, playing beach volleyball and beach soccer and as always
photography.
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| Day 1: Evening Walk |
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| Beach Volleyball.... ;) |
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| Dosthana pose? |
After a fun and tiring evening on the beach, we started
walking back talking about what to do next day because we hadn't really
planned anything for the trip except for the Scuba that came with the
package to the resort entrance were we will get a shuttle back to the
hotel collecting the food for the dinner on the way from Tekek to the
entrance. That was the end of day 1.
Day 2 was sweet old normal
sunday in the beginning with waking up at 8:30 am at least for me. Then
by now we had decided we'll go snorkelling at 6 places and return in
time to freshen up and catch the return ferry at 4 in the sole interest
of Mr.Basheer. So quick freshening up and then we took the shuttle to
Tekek and had some breakfast and got on the boat to get ready for
snorkelling. Then the speedboat journey was epic and was fun and then
snorkelling at the first place was a nice experience. The second place
was fun. The third place we had already familiarised with snorkelling
and was getting to start repeptitive. Missed not having an all weather
camera/an underwater kit for my camera very badly.
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| The ride |
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| The way.... |
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| One of the photography opportunities ;) |
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| All ready for snorkelling |
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| Floating in the waters.. snorkelling | | | | | | |
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| The Final Spot... mesmerising stuff was below what you see ;) |
Then it was already lunchtime. Then we went for lunch at one of the
beaches. It was souvenir shopping time for most and photography time and
just our plans for a quick lunch overshot by just half an hour. AFter
that we decided we just go one last place and finish off with
snorkelling to save our ferry schedule. The last place was really
amazing over and above the three places, in my opinion. After that we
pretty much drove to the nearby beach which happened to be inside the
resort and alighted there and walked back to the hotel
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| Breaking for lunch at a beach |
The jumps of excitement: Ankit, Shahabaz, Sreehari
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| The return.. another welcoming party |
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| somewhere on the way |
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| Another view |
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| Views on the way |
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.And after a quick
change of clothes and check out, It was the expected time to leave for
ferry already. Then we went out back to tekek, we realised we were
actually half an hour early for it. Giving time for another photoshoot
for me. Others were pretty much in the return mood and already out of
excitement.
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| The part of bidding adieu: everybody is tired |
At last after a lot of wait we boarded the ferry. Then I realised there
was an option to stand out of the ferry airconditioning which was too
cold for me, enjoying the view and the breeze of a fast moving boat.
Guess what... More photoshoot opportunities for me. After a 1.5 hr photo
session in different directions of a moving boat, we reached Mersing
back again. Then we found the cab and got in. Everybody had their light
snacks and food and it was time to go again.
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| Another Tourist.... |
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| Another boat on the way |
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| The boat's flag |
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| Back at the Jetty and end of a trip |
Another journey through malaysian highways and customs and immigrations,
we were back in our above by around 10 pm. Thus ended an exciting and
overwhelming trip to Pulau Tioman, Malaysia. :)
The post had begun as a narrative and become a Photolog (Phlog??) than a narrative, probably because I decided this was more beautiful than I could explain in words. Need pictures. Could have done with a lot less probably but I thought I'll upload a lot of pics. Hope you enjoyed it and has some comments to jot down.
Thus ends a very very long post..
Cheers
Daniel
