Hello Asia! Goodbye Europe for my holidays.

Like many the yearly visit to mainland Europe for the seasonal beach holiday was normal, however this year with the British Pound so weak again the Euro we looked further away from home.

With the past years credit crunch everyone is looking to cut costs and get more for your money. Air Asia's timing of the the direct service from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur KLCC couldn't be better. After working out how much a family holiday would cost in Europe compared to the cost of a flight to Malaysia there was no competition.

The flight was excellent on a new plane with great staff and great service for a budget price.

We decided not to stay in KL but head straight for an island on the east coast Malaysia. We found a little known island called Pulau Sibu (Sibu island) from a blog and after checking the place out with reviews from tripadvisor and rough guide we booked a 10 day stay at Sibu Island Cabanas.

The scuba diving on offer at Sibu Island is excellent. The dives are from small speed boats to sites no body seems to dive at all; as the reefs are in perfect condition with little to no bleaching. Both myself and my son were able to pass our PADI open water certifications at the hotel / dive centre. While my wife enjoyed some quiet time with a good book on the beach.

It's easy to forget what you really want in a holiday! Forget about the minibar, TVs and mobile phones. All you really want is somewhere to relax as well as to have fun with family and friends.

So if you want to really get away from it all if you live in London or Singapore; KL or Perth remember what it is you really want from a beach holiday and look abit further away from the usual and you'll find exactly what your looking for.

Hello again!
Even though I love teaching a lot however I still needed a break to re-charge myself. Therefore, I took a week off .
And guess where I've been to - One of the best dive sites in the world - Sipadan!

It was actually my 2nd trip to Sipadan. The first time was about 5 years ago when AirAsia offered free tickets to Tawau. Unfortunately at that time I only snorkelled around the island. This time round, its different because I went as a diver and stayed at the Seaventures Dive Resort, an oil rig turned into a dive resort.

(read more...)

Lots of people think of Thailand when they think of islands, crystal waters and stunning beaches…I have to say Malaysia does it for me!

A favorite little get away was a trip to the Perhentian Islands. A friend of mine was visiting from the UK and we went there for a 10 day trip (this was before starting work!)
After a quick flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, you buy a ticket at the airport which includes a taxi to Kuala Besut and boat ticket from there to the islands. You can either go to the big island (Pulau Besar/Big Island) or the small island (Pulau Kecil/Small Island).

We opted for Pulau Kecil as it has cheaper accommodation and tends to have more young travelers in comparison to Pulau Besar which has more resort style accommodation.

After a rather bumpy boat ride (!) we arrived on the island and walked to Long Beach which is where most of the accommodation is situated.
Our hut was a stones throw away from the beach, where my friend and I happily lay soaking up the rays, swimming, reading, snoozing...until sun set. Then we would shower, change, lather on the moisturiser to try and maximize the duration of our tan then walk along the beach to one of the many restaurants which have BBQ’s at night. This was usually followed by a couple of the bars where there were always other interesting travellers to meet.

Most people go there for the scuba diving and snorkelling but after 3 previous attempts at snorkelling – each time as frightening as the next, I decided not to test my nerves and that my time would be best spent on the beach!

I highly recommend The Perhentian Islands to anyone who wants a taste of bliss… days of pure lazy luxury….ah, can’t you just smell the coconut sun screen lotion!?

Have you been…what did you think of the islands??