Little Slice of Heaven: Tioman Island

Ahh!! I’m so excited about writing this blog post!  I recently holidayed with my family to one of (in my own opinion) the most beautiful places on the planet.

Last week I travelled to Tioman Island, Malaysia. I also spent a few days after Tioman exploring other parts of Malaysia. Although, I was honestly so blown away by Tioman, I wanted to dedicate this post to it as it was so unreal.

The idyllic Tioman Island is located on the east coast of Malaysia. In order to get to Tioman, the most convenient way for my family was to drive from Singapore to Mersing, Malaysia. It was between 3-4 hours drive. This also included crossing the border, which can be a lengthy wait. Once we arrived in Mersing we drove to the ferry port and caught the ferry, getting off at the first stop; Genting.  It was so hot that day that hopping onto the freezing cold ferry and out of the un-air-conditioned port was a welcomed relief. The ferry was exactly the same as one you would take from Singapore to Bintan. The ferry trip from Mersing to Genting, Tioman took approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

Once we arrived at Genting, we pulled our luggage off the ferry and waited to be taken to our resort. Arriving in Genting I was already blown away. All my preconceived views that Tioman would be similar to Bintan went out the window. I had never in my life seen water so clear and blue with such breathtaking mountains and rock faces, highlighting the highest peaks of the island. Yet I had no idea that things were going to further exceed my expectations once we arrived at the resort.

We then hopped aboard a speedboat which took us to our resort; Minang Cove. The sun was perfectly accompanied by a cooling breeze as we made our way around the island. During the boat ride to the resort I spotted so many pristine, untouched beaches outlining the island and rock faces. It literally looked like the island had been Photo shopped or was something straight off a postcard. Honestly. It was unbelievable.

Our resort was small and quaint. I personally loved the long jetty which stretched out into the ocean. The entire resort was very fresh and clean looking, although it did not have any televisions or internet. Even though at first it sounded daunting to me, I found that I was taking part in so many activities and swimming each day that to have access to the outside world would have simply spoiled my time there.  

As soon as we arrived we hired snorkels and headed straight onto the jetty; plunging into the cool, clear water. Countless reefs surrounded the island with so many exotic species of fish and marine life. It was so exciting for me to be able to snorkel through living reefs which were so colourful. My family and I spent hours each day snorkelling at the resort. We were then determined to find an even better spot for snorkelling.

 

The food at the resort was top notch. I tend to find buffet meals to be overrated, greasy or bland although each night we were treated to a different meal theme such as Indian, Thai and seafood. It was absolutely delicious.

Our second day on the island saw us walking to the waterfall. I knew it would be a long walk, but I didn’t quite comprehend how difficult it would be alongside the blistering heat. We left the resort at 10 am and returned at 1:45pm. The scenery when walking to the waterfall was beautiful. We walked past many secluded beaches, lush greenery and monkeys. We also passed a village. It was so interesting to see the way the local villagers live in such colourful small homes. Arriving to the water fall was a HUGE relief. The water was so cold which meant that we were able to quickly cool down before we made our way back. The walking trail surprisingly busy as we got close to the waterfall; I was surprised. Despite the weather factor and the distance to get to the waterfall, I think if you really want to see the scenery and the lifestyle on Tioman, the walk is the best way to do it.

The next day we went snorkelling around a small island called Renggis. It’s a tiny island, so you could happily swim around it many, many times, but we primarily went there so we could see more marine life and vibrant coral. We boarded the speedboat at the resort and it took about half an hour before we made it to the Island. Beneath the water it really was another world. We saw everything from small sharks, eels, angel fish and flying fish. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I know I keep saying this, but I have never been somewhere where the landscape and scenery was so dreamlike.

The rest of the time I spent on the island consisted of a pedicure, eating, reading books overlooking the pristine water (perfection), swimming and snorkelling the days away. Each night we made our way, alongside the other guests to the end of the jetty to watch the sunset. The colours painted the evening sky, in a way that really showed everyone at the resort how glorious and picturesque Tioman Island is.

Following dinner each night all guests were invited to watch the fish feeding at the end of the jetty. It was super cool to see reef sharks and fish competing for food in the dark water as we all watched on excitedly spotting certain species. There was also a trivia and a bonfire night.  The most exciting of all was on our last night at the resort and there were fireworks. I have never been so close to fireworks before and underestimated how loud they were!

Leaving the island was so sad. We had made friends with all the guests as it was not a massive resort, as well as the extremely friendly staff. In case anyone is planning on staying at Minang Cove resort I can only say excellent things about it. The staff are so kind and genuine; they really want you to have the best possible time there. The food and accommodation are also wonderful. I was sad to leave the beaches, although in saying this I know I will be returning very soon! 

Book Review #1: Orange Is The New Black

I was kind of hesitant posting a book review on my blog, as I didn't think many would actually be interested in what I have to say. In fact, I've been staring at this post on my computer for the last couple of weeks contemplating what I should do with it.  Although in saying this, I recently thought; before I buy a new book I love, love, love spending time reading reviews and seeing how differently people react towards a novel! So with this, I hope you enjoy my book review on Piper Kerman's, 'Orange is the new black' !

Im sure the majority of people have heard of the Netflix program ‘Orange is the New Black’ right?! I heard about the program last year and was extremely intrigued when I read the story line. So much credit can be given to the title of the book and program; in all its brilliance and irony. Honestly, that alone made me immediately want to add the book to my ‘must read’ list.  Finally, I have been able to get my hands on the book!

So let me explain the context of this novel to you all. ‘Orange is the New Black’ is set from the point of view of Piper Kerman, a middle class white women who gets involved with drug runners. Although it is 10 years later (!!)  that her past manages to catch up with her and she is sentenced to jail for 15 months at a women’s prison In Connecticut. She struggles with living away from her family and fiancé although builds strong, positive relationships with her fellow inmates. Most of which are uneducated women of colour. Just this glimpse into the story line is absolutely gripping, and I haven’t yet informed you that it’s also autobiographical.

Now that I have recently finished the book, I can say for certain I have very mixed reviews. Crime is my favourite genre to read, as it’s so thrilling and if its written well, it can be absolutely mind blowing due to the unprecedented turn of events which are usually conveyed.

Overall, the novel is very well written and structured, which made it an easy read. Although I really hate to say, but I did find that it became quite repetitive. There was constant referencing to how many people believed Piper stood out compared to her fellow inmates and many who couldn’t believe she was in jail due to her appearance. At first it was surprising and interesting to read how people reacted towards her, but after sometime it just became a predictable beginning to a new chapter. There were also so, so many characters featured in the novel that I found it hard to keep up with each of their stories and personalities!

Despite these factors, Pipers story was uplifting,  triumphant  and extremely eye opening, which made it a thoroughly enjoyable read!! I have to say that the book was pretty hilarious and It gave me an exciting and at times disturbing glimpse into what life is like for a women behind bars. I really do recommend this book if you are interested in seeing how people develop and overcome difficult times in one’s life. I felt truly inspired by the way Piper was determined to get through this dark time in her life, yet kept her most important morals of loving her family, embracing the positives and looking out for her friends so close.