After 4 hours of driving, we reached a Jerteh, a small village straddles the main road linking Kuala Terengganu Kota Bharu, near the Thai border. The bus deposited us on the edge of the road with our bags. After having eaten a plate of noodles, we took a taxi to the village of Kuala Besut or of the boat to the islands Perhentiennes. In the office where we bought our tickets was a map of two islands which are called respectively Pulau Kecil''''(Little Island) and Pulau Besar''(the big island). Kecil on a beach was named rather inspiring Coral Bay''of''. It was decided: that's where we would begin our stay in the islands! Indeed, we had about a week to spend in the vicinity, and pensions to stay 3 days on an island and on the other four days. At 16:00, we were getting into one of these speed boats''''who liaise with the islands. Despite the good separation between the islands of the coast, the voyage lasted only 30 minutes thanks to an engine rather''chivalry''(not less than 400 horsepower outboard''''). But the sea being formed and being closely spaced waves, which made the conditions for a rather ... scoop!
But after 25 minutes jumping up and sens, le bateau longea la cote ouest de l'ile qui était abritée des vents et des courants. La mer s'applatit et l'arrivée sur ''Coral Bay'' fut un spectacle inoubliable: de petits restaurants et guesthouses étaient installés sur une plage de sable blanc. Sur l'eau bleue transparente flottaient quelques bateaux. En arriere, un belle foret verte recouvrait le relief. Les prochains jours s'annonçaient plutot agréables.
Le bateau nous fit descendre sur le quai nouvellement aménagé. Avec nos sacs sur le dos, nous avons rejoint la plage en ne quittant pas du regard cette toile vivante qui s'offrait a nous. Apres avoir pris une chambre a la ''Fatimah guesthouse'', nous nous sommes affalés quelques moments before going to watch the beautiful sunset that we wanted to welcome you. In the evening a strange concert attracted our attention: about 18:30, a host of generating set off. Indeed, electricity is not available on the island, the only way to get them is to produce it. At nightfall, each school then starts his generator to light the scene. It was then time for each visitor to plug its''electronic''Bebelle such as phone, camera, Ipod and other computers. Then we eat has been one of the beach restaurants. Feet in the sand, we have feasted on grilled fish on the BBQ. While the tide was low, it was time to go to sleep.
The next morning, we did not really feel like we are upset ... just discovered a little of our new ENVIRONMENT. After having lunch, we took the little footpath which crosses the island of Kecil, crossing some lizards in transit. Indeed, this island has a length of about 2 km and a width (at its center) of almost 200 meters. The entire island is blank (except the beaches are few facilities or permanent) and covered with thick vegetation, only one path worthy of the name through d'un rivage a l'autre, de ''Coral Bay'' a ''Long Beach''. Il est tout de meme possible de rejoindre d'autres plages mais il faut alors prendre des chemins moins fréquentés et un peu plus escarpés au travers de la foret. Le moyen le plus efficace pour rejoindre les différentes plages de l'ile demeurre cependant le bateau-taxi,ces petites barques a moteur qui vous amenent ou vous le désirez pour un prix tout a fait raisonnable.
''Long Beach'' est, comme son nom l'indique, une longue plage qui fait face a une mer bleue turquoise. Au bout de la plage se trouve également un quai fraichement construit. En dessous de ce dernier, des centaines de poissons multicolores de toutes sortes. Ils entouraient quelques swimmers who ventured through, which would give them the feeling of bathing in a basin of a municipal aquarium! This beach is more popular (and less peaceful) than ours, we recrossed''towards Coral Bay.'' We spent a quiet day, made rest, rest and ... rest. By mid-after noon, when the oppressive heat was somewhat abated, we were rent masks, fins and snorkels to go for a swim to see if, on this wonderful island,''the song refers to plumage''... After the beach was an area bounded by buoys where boats and (Many a rotate) could not penetrate, thus ensuring peace, tranquility and safety divers on Sunday we are. Immediately with water, the show was great. First, the water being at 30 degrees was a bit like stepping into a bath (but without the foam!). Once the head below the water level, it was the fireworks. Abundance of coral and thousands of fish of all kinds (and all colors) that forage around. Parrotfish crunching noisily coral. Clownfish ardently defending their anemone. A line has points discreetly hiding under a reef. A little later there was a floating pontoon vers lequel nous nous sommes dirigés. La profondeur passa rapidement de 2 metres a 5 metres, les coraux laissant place au sable. Alors que nous nagions, Sylvie me fit de grands signes: une tortue passait en dessous de nous. Ne faisant ni une, ni deux, nous avons pris une grande respiration et sommes allés voir de plus pres. Effectivement, une belle tortue verte passait par la. Elle devait peser environ 40 kilos. Il était surprenant de voir a quel point il était facile de la suivre, alors qu'elle ne semblait pas particulierement dérangée par notre présence. Alors qu'elle volait littérallement sous l'eau, il nous fallut remonter a la surface pour reprendre notre respiration. Quels instants magiques. Nous avons alors réalisé at what point it was extraordinary that two days earlier, we watched one of its congeners in laying eggs and had relaunched a range of baby turtles. Today we swam with one of these graceful creatures who generously agreed well we accompanied him a few moments. Wow. A real sequence emotion! But it was not over. With Sylvie, we came back to swim a little closer to the beach. Suddenly, while we were working in funds of 1.50m, a big fish in the form passed easily identifiable in front of us: a black tip shark (or shark reef'''') of about 1.50m. Certainly they are harmless (as long as they feel not in danger), but the impression is of the same. Say that the movie''Jaws''did nothing to give a good positive image of sharks. But we were calm and watched with great interest how this predator prowling between massive corals in search of potential prey.
After much sense and as the day; finished, we returned to our bungalow for a shower before going to eat. For the next day we had planned a boat trip to go diving around the island. From the next table provenanit accent well known: they spoke French with the accent warm south-west. We then approached the two girls in question as to whether they had made out, and if so, with whom and how is it that they had enjoyed the experience. They called Maud and Celine had gone for 18 months and were traveling for more than two weeks on the island. We then spent a good part of the evening discussing with them in Perhetiennes particuiler and world in general.
Monday, 20, was overcast. Perfect for spending time on the computer! We had lunch in a facility that had an internet connection (yes, it's now available everywhere, even in the middle of the islands!). I opportunity to put some pictures online. It was also the opportunity to write some posts to resume the backlog over the last few weeks ... In the late afternoon after I returned dive along the beach to enjoy once more the magic of the places we had to offer. The night we found Celine and Maud with whom we shared our meals.
Tuesday morning we were going to do our first boat trip. At 10h00, we embark with 6 others for a day of snorkeling''.'' The first stop was called''point''shark. Rather reassuring! Finally, although this is a good place to observe the reef'' sharks'', few were at the rendezvous that day. Certainly because of the particularly high attendance of the site by hundreds of Korean tourists and singapouréens ... But funds were superb, crystal clear water and fish everywhere. After a second spot, we made a stop to swim with the turtles. On the sandy shoals lying between the two islands (Besar and Kecil), the boat slows down to see the shadow of the carapace of a turtle grazing on the merits. Immediately identified, the driver makes you jump into the water (with your diving equipment). It is then up to you to swim fast enough to see something. If the turtle is nice, elle va continuer a brouter paisiblement au fond (la zone est en fait un herbier) pendant que vous la regardez et que vous la prenez en photo. Sinon, elle se met a nager et croyez moi, si elle en a assez de voir votre face, ce n'est pas long qu'elle accélere et qu'elle disparaît! Apres avoir longuement nagé avec des tortues, nous avons acosté sur kecil pour aller manger. Puis nous sommes repartis vers un phare planté a quelques centaines de metre du rivage. A son pied se trouve un superbe récif coralien autour duquel gravitent plusieurs milliers de poissons multicolores. Enfin, notre dernier arret eu lieu sur une plage au nom évocateur de ''romantic beach''. Loin de tout, sable fin et blanc, eau transparente a plus de 30 degrés et poissons de partout. Magnifique. Le soir, nous avons retrouvé Céline et Maud pour partager notre repas. Mais épuisés d'avoir autant palmé, nous avons rapidement pris la direction de notre lit.
Mercredi, nous avions prévu de repartir en bateau, mais de sortir (autant que possible) des sentiers battus. Le propriétaire de notre guesthouse nous proposa de nous emmener sur de toutes petites iles inhabitées pas tres loin de la. Céline et Maud se sont jointes a nous. Toute la journée, nous nous sommes donc promenés de plage en ile, d'ile en crique, de crique en plage. Chaque fois, les fonds étaient différents. Tout simplement superbes. Et quasiment personne d'autre que nous. La mer était notre. Assurément un grand moment de ce voyage... Le soir, les cuisses et les avant-bras bien rougis (voire écarlatis!), nous avons mangé un autre succulent BBQ avant d'aller nous crémer puis de nous immobiliser comme nous le pouvions sur notre lit.
Jeudi 23, la journée s'annonçait tranquille. C'était notre derniere journée complete dans les iles (et une des dernieres de notre voyage!). Nous avons donc passé la journée a lire et a écrire. Sylvie ses livres et moi le blog. Le soir, un dernier repas avec Céline et Maud.
Vendredi 24, c'était le départ pour la terre ferme. Puisque seulement 3 bateaux relient quotidiennement ''Coral Bay'' is popular, we decided to take it at noon. Thus, we could enjoy a few hours more idyllic surroundings. Indeed, he trotted necessarily somewhere in our head a little feeling back, end of journey. Around 11:30, Celine and Maud came to tell us goodbye and we joined the end of the pier. At noon precise, our pilot lowered the throttle and the boat rushed to Kuala Besuth.
continued ...
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