I woke up very early at 7am to check out of Lavender Lodge. I know to some of you, 7am is not considered early, but to a night owl like me, it was just too damn early! I had to check out early because I was afraid I would not be back on time. Their check out time is 12pm.
Leaving my luggage with them at the counter, I left by foot to Jesselton Point. It was a brisk 15-20 minutes walk from Lavender Lodge to this ferry terminal to the islands surrounding KK.
After passing the Royal Customs Office on my left, I saw this big welcome entrance to Jesselton Point.
The ticket counters were inside the building on the immediate right after the entrance. Walking around, I saw these very unique telephone booths!
I don't believe I have seen these phone booths anywhere else in KK. Unless I am wrong. Any resident from KK reading this? Please confirm if this is true.
There were also many restaurants here. As I looked around, I could not help but noticed that the sky had turned dark. Oh no! Please don't tell me it's going to rain! It would surely be no fun going on an island trip in a storm! I was thinking of cancelling my island trip. Maybe I should just visit some other places instead.
But I could not think of anywhere else to go, so what the heck! No rain was going to stop me from enjoying my day at the beach! With my mind made up, I went into the ticketing building.
Now, there are five islands which made up this popular marine park known as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The five islands are Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug. The largest is Pulau Gaya, but the most popular is Pulau Manukan.
Since I would be leaving KK in the evening, and I had to reach the airport by 3pm, I decided that the time was too limited for me to go island hopping. So following the recommendation of those nice people at Lavender Lodge, I opted to go Manukan Island.
But I was in for a surprise when the friendly staff at the ticketing counter told me that the ticket is for a minimum 2 pax. In other words, if only one person were to go, he would have to pay the price of 2 people! I guess this must be one of those disadvantages of traveling alone!
So I forked out RM34 for the ticket (RM17 per person) and RM6 for the tariff fee. I don't exactly know what this tariff fee is for - anyone knows?
I was expecting it to rain as I walked out of the ticketing building, but surprise! The sky was blue and the sun was shining down hot. Where did those dark clouds go? They were there just a moment ago! It was then that I came to my second realization since my trip to KK.
My first realization is that the sun rises and sets earlier in KK than in KL.
My second realization is that the weather in KK can change in an instant. One moment it would be hot and sunny. The next moment, it would be raining like nobody's business.
I think reading the weather forecast is practically useless in KK. Maybe because of its close proximity to the South China Seas? I really don't know. Anyone who knows, please enlighten me.
At the jetty, a man checked my ticket and led me to a speedboat. There were already many people sitting inside the boat waiting for it to fill up.
The photo above was not taken during my boat ride to Manukan Island. Instead, it was taken on my way back from the island.
I did not have the opportunity to take any photos during my boat ride to the island as I was not sitting at the back. All the seats at the back were already taken, so I had to sit at the front (head) of the boat.
And, oh boy, if you have ever sat in the front of a speedboat, you would understand how it feels like!
The entire 20 minutes ride was a painful experience! At least that's how it was to my poor ass. I was practically thrown up and down like a toy!
And I was not alone. A Korean lady sitting next to me kept shouting "Ouch!" every 20 seconds. I am not joking! Some people sitting at the back were laughing aloud over her shouting. I myself could not help smiling even as I winced from the pain as the boat continued to bounce up and down mercilessly.
I could not believe I did this, but guess what? I counted how many times the Korean lady shouted "Ouch!" and it totaled 47 times!! LOL!
That was really a heck of a ride and I promised myself that on the return trip, I must make sure I sit right at the back! I really doubted my poor, sore ass could take a second beating! Haha!
To be continued...
FIRST COMMENTER
Good morning Foong!
I went to Manukan Island too...very nice place to relax!
beaten by MT again :(
i know what u mean. sitting in the front of the speedboat is the most bumpy ride and a painful experience indeed. but it's overwhelming and beautiful to see the wide ocean though.
dropping my EC here and happy Monday.
I went to Sapi Island the last time I was in KK. But I think your trip to the island is a bit too hurry. You should have spent more time, like the whole day and only come back in the evening. About the Korean lady, you should have offer her to sit on your thighs instead of counting the number of time she had shouted out, haha!
I can truly understand the feeling of sitting in front of a speedboat when the sea is choppy. Happened exactly to me in Krabi. I almost wanna give up and jump into the sea! The speedboat company should be liable if I sprained my back and not to mention my poor ass! Now you can truly understand the pains of an absorber! Lol..
I hate rough sea
Oh another thing I wanna add is..I wasn't used to seeing sunrise at 6am and by the time it's 7am, it's so bright already. Over here, sunrise is 7am.
Sitting at a speedboat head. I have my own experiences of those when I travel to snorkelling spots on my trip at Redang, Tioman and Pangkor lol. Other than the butt aches, I like the experience of the wind in my hair while up ahead. And it was the best experience because I see everything ahead :P. *awaiting more pictures of Manukan Island* if there is any ^__^
Noted what you have gone thru as a guide for my trip there next time.
Jam is such a gentleman to offer the Korean Lady his lab, I wonder what will happen to your buttock if you were to take his advice. LOL
Apparently the boat trip was a boring one, or you would not have counted how many times the Korean lady shouted 'ouch'.
It was sad that I couldn't visit the TAR Park because my friend's parents do no allow her to go to islands. :(
Heck, I wanted to go so much!! :( :(
But thankfully(?) we didn't go because it rained so heavily in the afternoon (no boat to go back?). Haha.
foong, so bad lah you, go and count how many times the lady said "Ouch". LOL
I'll keep in mid no to sit at the front if I get on a boat in future.
I think where to sit is almost the same in the small speed boat. The island is nice and I wanted to go back soon. I was there last year and sitting in front of the speed boat let you taste the salty water of the sea. Hehe.
That was a bumpy ride. lol
I'm waiting to read what is available on Manukan island. Sounds interesting. I'm puzzled about the compulsory tickets for 2 though.
Have a wonderful new week ahead, foong!
mei teng, congrats for being FC again! I think every time I publish my post in the morning, I can bet my top dollar that you will be FC. Haha!
Manukan Island is indeed a nice place to relax and laze away : )
life ramblings, better luck next time. Haha!
Yes, very painful to the ass, and we also must be careful not to injure our spine. But yes, despite the pain, the view of the open seas were wonderful : )
jam, unfortunately for me, I have only half a day to spend my time so could not go island hopping. But a few hours on Manukan Island was good enough for me.
This KK trip was originally a trip to climb Mount Kinabalu so I had to fit the new itinerary into my 4D/3N time frame.
You must be kidding me, Jam! Offering the Korean lady to sit on my thigh? My ass would have to take double the weight and force - I don't think I will be able to sit down after that! LOL!
eiling, give up and jump into the sea? Hahaha! Cannot help laughing imagining you do that!
You are right - actually there's a high chance of spraining your back and to a lower degree, injure your spine. Must be careful yes?
Oh yeah, now I truly understand the pain of an absorber. LOL!
borneo falcon, actually it's not the sea's fault. It was not rough. It's the speedboat that is speeding at maximum speed that is causing the very bumpy ride to passengers sitting at the front : )
mei teng, yes me too! I was not used to it at all! I wanted to wake up early at 7am thinking it would not be so hot yet to do an early morning walk, but it was like 10am! The sun was blazing! Haha!
ladyviral, actually other than the pain in the ass, everything else about a speedboat ride is fun. The open seas and the wind are great. Maybe next time I bring along a cushion or something for the boat ride to minimise the impact. Haha!
Yes, more photos coming up in part 2 : )
molly, that's not called gentleman, that's called foolish! Haha! If I offer the Korean lady to sit on my thigh, my buttock would be a goner! LOL!
khengsiong, on the contrary, it was fun and thrilling. Counting the number of times the Korean lady shouted "Ouch!" added to the fun : )
daydreamer, didn't go islands? That's a pity! But again, no point going if it rained heavily : )
lina, haha! Just for fun lah. See whether can get into Guinness Book Of Records for the most "Ouch!" coming from a passenger in a speedboat during the ride. LOL!
If it's not a speedboat, then OK to sit in front. Like sampan, no problem lah - won't be painful to your ass : )
superman, not really. I sat at the back on my return trip and I did not experience the bumpy ride I experienced earlier.
Oh yes, tasting the salty water of the sea is fun! : )
eastcoastlife, it was a bumpy ride indeed. I was also surprised by the compulsory min 2 pax for the ticket. Even the people at Lavender Lodge did not mention about it to me.
So I guess it's better to have a companion if you plan to go to the islands. Or just look around for other lone travelers before buying the ticket : )
da phone booth macam copycat from london! ehehehehe..
a great ride wasnt it? =) we took couple of clips on the boat but due to some reasons i cant put them up on my blog >.< because we spoke foul language lol and i dont know how to edit them...anyway anyway i am selecting the videos to put up now... *scratching my head*
Ouch! That was painful to read too. Moral of the story: On a river cruise, besides the camera, the seat cushion is the next essential item. haha..
That's informative, Foong. Thanks.
Forgive my asking. How long was the ride?
wow wow wow, that telephone booth, so british!! am surprise to see that too.. are they the only two in KK or they have many many of the kind there??
merryn, exactly! : )
fufu, I will drop by your blog to see those videos!! Hope you managed to select the right ones. Haha!
SK, the phone booths are pretty unique right? I would love to know the answer to your question too. Wait! Let me ask a KK blogger : )
The pic you took on the way back, that was absolutely stunning and arguably, one of the best ever pics you had. Plus you used Slide too! So how is your experience using it? :)
i went too beofre ..so curious to read more abt yr impression on it in the next episode :)
Looks like the phone booth that Clark Kent changed into Superman suit! LOL
JL, really? Thanks! Now I know why all my photos turned out blur when I upload via Blogger.
With Slide, there's no change in the quality of my photos.
I found it quite easy to use Slide although I need to change the size of my photos a little bit to fit into the post.
All thanks to you for recommending Slide! : )
bengbeng, thanks for reading. Part 2 coming up soon! : )
pete, haha! Didn't thought of that! : )
I bet your ass was that red from that bouncy speed boat ride! ha ha ha!
Thanks much for the visit! Had answered your questions foongpc!
tita beng, not only red but sore! haha! Thanks for answering my many questions! : )
7 am is not too bad. it's neither early or late. :)
aiyo ... u counted that korean lady saying ouch?? u must be that bored!
renaye, 7am is not early? To me, it's very early! I don't wake up so early!
Actually, I'm not bored at all. I just wanted to see how many "ouches" she shouted because she shouted a lot!! And I missed the first few, so it could have been more than 47! LOL!
Oh yes, to me 7am is freaking early!
It must be really fun and an unforgettable experience counting ouch on a speedboat! Totally worth the double ticket price you have paid!
tried those speed boat trip to islands before. u have to time yr ass landing each time hehehehe
neo, I know 7am is very early for you, cos you are a night owl, just like me! haha!
Um...not sure if the double ticket price is worth all the "ouch" I heard, but it's worth going to the island : )
johnny ong, yes I am getting better at it! Next time, will have less sore ass hopefully! : )
First of all. 7 am is also very early for me. I am not a big night owl, I am more of a lazy pig.
Secondly, the tolerance of Koreans must be pretty bad, and are pretty humorous such that everyone was laughing.
Thirdly, what a trip!!!
a common singaporean, 7am also very early for you? Good! Now I know I am not in the minority. haha!
Yes, the korean lady provided much comical relief for all of us! And she just couldn't help saying "Ouch" because it was really a pain in the ass! : )
Too bad you couldn't make it for island hop but it's nice that you were able to go to an island still. The ride must be really bumpy but I love to stay infront enjoying the waves and water splash with the bumps! hehe
How come everyone from KL is visiting sabah huh? Mei Teng just went recently and you went also?
I myself do consider waking up at 7am too early. I sort of become active when dusk come. Also feel pump at 5PM onwards. Strange huh?
Anyway, thanks for stopping by my blog. Love to read more of your adventure.
I was there last year. You should spend at least a day to go to 3 island lah .. it's a must. 3 island cost me 35 also. depends on who you're dealing with lah.
go there early morning 730, go back 430 .. enuff.
To answer your question...you can only find the red telephone booths there.
Haven't been to the TAR islands in a while so I'm not too sure about the whole fee things...but they say that if you go with one of the agents there it is slightly more expensive. If you buy ur tickets from the Persatuan Bot-bot counter at JP it would hv been cheaper.
Laughing out loud at your boat experience. I know exactly what you meant, which is why I would never sit at the front! But you had no choice. Luckily the weather took a turn for the better or else you would be wincing in pain and WET!
i went to manukan twice. its very nice, i have good time there with my bf. oh ya, there's a lot of sandfly. i hate it!
I'm a noob Malaysian who don't know a place called Manukan Island exist. Punish me please... But I kinda attracted to the place by read your Manukan Island trip. Some day I gonna ask you everything about island if I'm going for vacation at Manukan Island. :p
i miss my holiday.... can't wait for june when i can have my 2 weeks holiday... so jealous that you went to such a nice place
Ouch! What a nightmare for your poor butts. :P
It rained when I was on my way back to the mainland after my island hopping. What a roller coaster ride! Thank God you didn't have to endure that.
nice place... must go there one of these days.
I kinda miss being at the front of the speedboat. That's the fun part of the ride! :)
ayie, I don't mind the water splash, but not the bumps! : )
hehe foong, that's the fun part! and how is it now?
ai shiang, where got everyone? As far as I know, only me and Mei Teng only. Who else?
You are also night owl like me? Active only when night falls? haha! Well, some people are larks and some are night owls : )
cibol, if I can, I would, but I had only so much time : )
rozella, thanks for your reply! So the red phone booths can only be found at Jesselton Point! That makes them even more special!
Thanks for the info about the fees! : )
goolooloo, twice? You must like it there very much. Any chance of going there for the 3rd time? : )
kit kat, oh, I didn't know about this island too until I did some research before visiting KK! Well, there's always a first time for everything, so if you ever go there, you can ask me any questions and I will try to answer them if I know the answers! : )
michi, you have 2 weeks holiday in June? Wow! So nice! Where do you plan to go?
che-cheh, well, I don't mind experiencing sitting in the speedboat while it rains, but as long as I don't sit in the front lah. Haha!
calvin foo, oh yes, you must! : )
ayie, fun for you, but not really fun for me, though it's quite a good experience! I even think it's dangerous for the spine, so have to be careful when sitting in front of the speedboat. The ass not so important, it's the spine that is of concern.
Anyway, my ass is fine now. Well, it's already a month since my KK trip. Wow, time just flies, doesn't it?
Was it? Time flies by fast indeed. You're right about the spine thingie. Anyways, nytie!
ayie, good nite! Or is it good morning over there? : )
yes! u're also a night owl..LOL!!
monica, going to sleep oredi! My mission to be FC on your blog accomplished, so time to ZZZ!! Haha!
ok, good night Foong! :-D
compulsory min 2 pax for the ticket? very strange!
That's a very special phone booth wor! Hmm...looks like they steal it from London!
Wow! The korean lady kept on shouting? Haha :D Is she trying to tell you something?
But at least you didn't fall off the boat right? LOl :D
what a cool trip, i kinda like the fancy phone booth. :D
Hey those phone booths looks like the ones in London.
I had a pretty bad experience with a boat...I think it would be awhile before I do another boat trip.
monica, yes I also wonder why they need to have this min 2 pax condition.
tekkaus, haha! No I don't think so!! But I think maybe the korean lady wished she had fallen off the boat! Haha!
levian, yes the phone booth is very unique and really stands out!
jade, yes they do, don't they? What happened to you on your last boat trip? Maybe you can blog about it! : )
Hahaha, I can imagine the expression from the Korean lady. You must have enjoyed it very much whenever she 'ouch', thinking "serve u right, u squealing annoying b***h!" hahahahaha
ok, I am being evil here. So ignore me. LOLz
Haha..Korean lady trying to tell you something..Tekkaus's always stoking the 'fire'...on you la Foong ;)
omg it sounds like your speedboat experience is def not one you'd want to be repeating anytime soon
ahhaha I will be looking for cushioned seats in the next speedboat I sit in
hmmm i never had a chance to visit malaysia
i hope someday
just dropping by here
have a great day and happy blogging
a common singaporean, Ok, I shall ignore your comments. Haha!
mei teng, yes he's always doing that! Naughty tekkaus! : )
grace, I don't think there'll be cushioned seats on the speedboat. Haha! Maybe bring your own cushion! : )
bluedreamer27, come and visit Malaysia! Happy blogging to you too! : )
lol I'll definitely visit your blog again when I'm going there. :p
surprising u have to pay for 2. i think there were many counters - and u could have checked with the others. i paid only for 1.
but i think when one is on hols, most things are forgiven heh? btw u sure have a long hols in kk ya? :)
kit kat, you do that : )
quachee, I checked with two counters - both said the same thing. Maybe they have changed the rules? It's also written on the ticket itself - min 2 pax.
Well, I didn't bother too much about it, cos I didn't think it was too pricey anyway : )
Hey, the telephone booths look exactly like the ones that we have here in London! Was that a direct import from back then? Hmm...
CK, I really have no idea, haha! Anyone knows? Pls tell us! : )
I think the 2pax min is usually to cover the travel expense like gas and stuff. It would be impractical on the other hand for them just to transport 1 person.
ayie, perhaps you are right : )
once again... nice place..
haha.. great pics! =D
you dont move when you sit on the speedboat? move abit la.. then ass wont be pain.. haha.. =D
kenwooi, I moved and even at one point tried to stand up. Even worse, more painful when I came back down! LOL!
This site is excellent and so is how the subject matter was explained. I also like some of the comments too.Waiting for next post.