Snake Island

Bathing in Mud Volcano

EATING SAGO WORM

Getting a bit bored last couple of days lazing around. My last tour assignment ended on 29th September and the next tour will only be from 9th-13thOctober. Then I would have to go to Penang with a group of about 15 tourist guides for an educational visit for 4 days from 19th-22nd Oct.

The weather was terribly hot these few days. I would sweat even sitting down doing nothing. This weather is making me very lethargy and killing me..................

Managed to upload some photos on Pulau Tiga (Survivor Island), Wetlands of Sabah. Actually found out that I don't have that much of photos collection. Have to put some efforts.

Also, pondering how to design my blogs so that it is easy for readers to access to the posts on the tour destinations of Sabah. Sigh.........................again found out that I am really a loser as a blogger too. Any help out there??????????????????????????

WHAT A SHITTY BUSINESS !

Just finished a 5days package with with 14 tourists today. One of my guest, Benny Chiu (inset photo)had a rather embarrasing event yesterday which was also very............hilarious. This is his story:

" I was having constipation the last 3 days ever since I arrived in KK. It was really awful......but finally this evening I felt the urge to really SHIT...........Thank goodness I was in my room in the hotel. And.........shooooooo.......what a relief..... After finishing, I flushed the toilet and to my horror, the toilet was blocked with my ver..........y.....hard stool and the toilet began to get overflow with water. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit, really shit ! There was nothing in the bathroom too that I could use to clear the blockage. An idea came to me and I rushed into the bedroom and grap hold of something and rushed back to the toilet and began digging and poking furiously into the toilet.

My room mate startled by me, peeked into the toilet and exclaimed unbelievingly " WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT STALK OF ROSE ???????????"

" I'M TRYING TO CLEAR THE BLOCKAGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!" I answered frantically.

"WHAT????? WITH THAT ROSE????? USE YOURS BUT MAKE SURE YOU DON'T TOUCH MY ROSE!! HOW COULD YOU USE THE ROSE GIVEN BY GRACE TO DO THAT................."

" Sigh..................There's nothing else I could use................!!!!!! Hey, look........ it's clearing up......it's working.........."

" I don't believe this..............it's disgusting..............!!!!!!!" my room mate exclaimed. "

Later in the evening after dinner, Benny and his friends approached me and he said
" Grace, have you finished your dinner?"
I answered " Yes, why? What's up?"
Benny said " Well, I want to tell you a story.......blah....blah.......blah.......blah.....blah....blah.... and finally I want to apologize for treating that stalk of rose given by you like that".
And I just went "gasp................HA.......HA.......HA.......Ha...........Ha........" speechless.

(Verbal permission given by Benny to publish this story on this blog)

HOW TO GO TO PULAU TIGA (SURVIVOR iSLAND)

• Make a reservation through any tour agent for a night stay at the little private resort.
• The tour agent will arrange transport for you to go to the jetty at Kuala Penyu. Journey will take approximately 2 hours by road down south from Kota Kinabalu city.
• The 30 minutes boat ride departs twice a day at 11am and 3pm for Pulau Tiga and return journey at 10am and 2:00pm.
• Normal package includes transfers to and fro Kota Kinabalu city to the Kuala Penyu jetty, boat transfer to and fro Pulau Tiga, 3 meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch). Free drinking water at dispenser at restaurant, free flow of coffee, tea and milo. Mud volcano visit, snake island visit, snorkelling, etc.

SURVIVOR ISLAND (PULAU TIGA)

Survivor Island was made famous by the American Series "Survivor"as its first episode was filmed right here. This island has since then become well known. It is actually a Marine Park of Sabah and is rich in all its nature biodiversity, both on the island and in the sea.

Recently, I have brought several group of Taiwanese to stay overnight on the island. It is indeed surprising that the Tawainese are getting more adventurous and nature conscious too but it definitely a good sign. However, there were still some who join the tour without any knowledge of what is awaiting them on the island. So, I always take the precaution to warn them the following:

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT :

• No luxurious comfort of a nice resort. No mirror, no wardrobe, no fridge, no coffee/tea making in room, no hot shower (standard rooms), no hair dryer in the rooms/chalets. However, Superior rooms do have air con, coffee/tea making in room and hot shower.
• No porter service, so do not bring unnecessary amenities or belonging.
• Of course, no 5 star service as well.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• 30 minutes boat transfer and sometimes bumpy ride from the mainland to Pulau Tiga.
• Free flow of tea/coffe/milo making at the restaurant/lounge until 11pm.
• Jungle trek for 30 minutes attired in swim wear to the Mud Volcano area and dip inside for for a natural mud spa. Therafter, trek back again in MUD before jumping into the sea for a wash and swim. Do not bring too much things.
• Enroute to and fro the mud volcano meet the familiar resident of the island, the huge monitor lizards crossing your path
• Or notice the mud/earth mound along the way? They are actually the nests of the Megapodes(a type of bird) who actually meow like a cat! Inside the nests are actually the eggs waiting to be hatched.
• Or beware of the inquisitive long tail macaques along the trail.
• At night, watch the busy rats running around.
• Catch the sight of Gecko (huge lizards) on the wall or ceiling while they make sounds like puppies yupping.
• Do not worry too much about the funny noises on the roof of your chalets at night. They are actually fruits, seeds, twigs and sometimes even branches falling from the trees.
• Do not worry too much of the poisonous sea snakes (cousin of cobras) on the Snake Island while you look for the sight of them curling under rocks and crevices. Learn why it is quite impossible for them to bite you.
• Take fantastic photos at the Sand Spit and learn why it has become what it is today.
• Enjoy your snorkelling at the Asmara Beach area, admiring the colourful corals.
• After a simple buffet lunch, enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting for your boat transfer back to the mainland.
• At last, you have SURVIVED PULAU TIGA !

So, after all these, still planning to visit this SURVIVOR ISLAND ? In my next posting, will share with you how to there!

WHAT A DISASTER !

2 Days ago I try to make some changes to my post on Pulau Tiga and..............WHAT HAPPENED?
Sigh......................... I deleted the POST !!!!!!!

Now I have to rewrite the post again.

Experienced Guide's Confusion

Have been doing some day tours and transfers for the same tour operator the last one week. The problem is that it's a mixture of 2 big conference groups (one certain group has 900 pax) plus a cruise ship. The weather for the last one week had also been very, very hot and humid. I have been to the Monsopiad (HEAD HUNTER !!!) Cultural village, of course, we get to see the 300 years old skulls at the skull house. I also took the guests to the Wildlife park where they saw the highly endangered sumatran rhinoceros, orang utans and of course the proboscis monkeys and many others wildlife. However, we need to walk under the hot sun for 1 1/2 hours. Guess what, I was at the Wildlife Park for 2 consecutive days!

Yesterday, I guess the tour operator sympathized me and assigned me to do a city tour for the crusie ship. However, at the State museum, I still need to escort the guests to the Heritage village to visit the replicas of our traditional houses and was it HOT............? Mind you, no air conditioning of course. So......, after a short 30 minutes stop at the Handicraft market (very hot inside too and both me and John, another guide, down a big coconut each), it was a totally refreshing stop for us at the Atmosphere revolving restaurant for tea break with the tourists.

I woke up this morning at 9am thinking I could sleep in today when it suddenly dawned on me that I have yet an airport transfer to do at 9:30am! This is the very first time that I actually became confused with my itinerary! However, I was ready in 15 minutes and once again, felt relieved that Magellan Sutera Resort is only 6 minutes drive from my apartment when no traffic jams, of course!

Finally, I'm back home now and writing this blog at 1:30pm, Malaysian time. Well, I am taking a good rest untill tommorow.

I'll be with a group of 22 Taiwanese from 04th-08th April and we are going to Survivor Island on the 5th for overnight tour. Will tell you more then.

Wondering what are those tourist attractions I have mentioned? Monsopiad Cultural Village, Wildlife Park, State Museum, Handicraft Centre and Survivor Island?

Follow closely my postings in this blog and you will defintely find out more!