Pulau Sibu Getaway

The McL. wanted a beach break during their long visit and personally I could use a little mini-vacation from my life in Singapore. As Singapore's coastline is better suited for ships than swimmers, we headed off for clearer waters. A friend of mine had recommended Sea Gypsy resort on Pulau Sibu, an island off the east coast of Malaysia in the South China Sea.We took the subsidized resort bus shuttle, which turned out to be an SUV with us as the only passengers. Since we were in a private car, we didn't have to get out at the border crossing, which was a blessing as C. was asleep in the backseat. Within 40 minutes of the drive, we were in Malaysia and struck by the contrast with Singapore's modern architecture and well-kept infrastructure. We passed by many rundown buildings and oil palm plantations, including graveyards of stripped and burned trees. After about 2 1/2 hours, the driver handed us off at the Mersing Jetty. While we waited for our boat, C. chased the feral cats that hung around the food court, not quite understanding that these weren't the nice kitties that she was used to from back home. Luckily she listened to her mother's instructions of "no touchies" but she got close enough for one to hiss at her. The boat from Sea Gypsy soon arrived and we boarded, again the only passengers. I guess I haven't been on a speed boat in a good many years, because I wasn't prepared for the wet bumpy ride that ensued. Nor was C. and she freaked out for a couple minutes, but then either the shock or the motion made her pass out and she stayed comatose for the remainder of the 20-minute trip.  

Since the waves were rough that day, the boat was not able to dock at Sea Gypsy and we had to land on the other side of the island. We handed over our bags to a young guy with a wheelbarrow and followed our barefooted guide into the jungle. At this point, I was glad that I knew someone who had vouched for the resort, otherwise I might have been a little worried about our ultimate destination. Having not brought the ergo, C. got to ride on her papa's shoulders for the trek. After our trip, we were glad to chill out for a bit with our complimentary welcome drinks and settle into our chalets. I was lucky enough to get the best spot in the entire resort, V0, the first of the chalets forming a semicircle around a clearing and the only one right on the beach. The accommodations, as expected, were very basic, including a bed with mosquito netting, limited lighting, and a ceiling fan. The bathroom (with cold-water only) was surprisingly spacious, so much so that a large gecko decided to camp out in mine -- the first night I discovered him sitting on the steps up to the room. I got ready for bed keeping one eye on him, but never saw him move. That night I periodically heard his mating call. The second night I awoke to some rustling in a corner of the room; it sounded too big to be a gecko, but I was too afraid to leave my mosquito netting to find out if it was some other nocturnal creature. I wished the ocean, which was quite loud through my open window, would stop for a minute so I could hear whatever it was better. The next morning, my bathroom counter had several little piles of poop on it, my deodorant had been knocked over, and my toothbrush was on the floor. Something had quite a night!

C. travelling in style. 

View from the porch of my chalet. 

Though it had been raining quite a bit the days prior, the weather for our trip was perfectly sunny. November is low season and we went mid-week, so we expected the resort wouldn't be too crowded; in fact, only one other couple was there and we only saw them a few times. It was great to have the beach to ourselves and have an unobstructed view of the scenery. We spent most of our time lounging in beach chairs and wading in the water. C. was endlessly entertained by digging in the sand and giving her legs (and ours) a sand scrub. As warned, there were some sandflies, but the remedy (suntan oil with drops of tea tree oil) recommended by the resort's website worked pretty well at keeping them off of us. We rented boogie boards from the dive shop and though we never quite figured out how to properly maneuver them, we had fun trying.

Beach view of the island across the way. 

C. in sand paradise. 

Perfecting the sand scrub technique. 

The first morning we hired the boat to take us out snorkeling. Thankfully, C. seemed to have no traumatic recollection of the bumpy ride the previous day and happily went aboard the "baby boat." The waves were rough again that day and, from my understanding, as a result we didn't get to go out to the best spot. The place we anchored, however, was nice and calm and just a short swim out to a coral reef. Though some of the coral had died off, there were nice lively patches. I saw lots of parrot fish and what I'm guessing are sea urchin (long black spikes with an orange-colored center). The next morning I tried to swim out to the coral reef that's just off Sea Gypsy beach, but it seemed too far out to go it alone and I turned back. Amed, Bali was definitely the better snorkeling trip, but this was a better relax by the beach trip. Having a little one around also made the trip special -- C. created her own local culture.  

C. loves trying on shoes, even flippers. 

C. sleeping while we snorkeled.  

C. befriending the locals. 

C. getting her "om" on. 

C. doing her morning downward dog. 

C. trying out the local cuisine.

The resort was extremely kid-friendly as the Australian owner has two kids of her own. Not only did the McL. chalet come with a mosquito-netted crib, but the restaurant provided a baby menu to choose from, we were able to borrow toys from the kid's clubhouse, there was a small playground area, and the resort also offers a babyminding service (i.e., monitor and come get you from the bar if your child wakes up). Maybe it was the wooden chalets and the open green lawn, but it felt a lot like camp. Unlike my childhood camp, however, the food was actually good (most of my memories of camp involve being hungry). All meals were included and served family-style. Maybe it was because we were the only guests, but there was plenty to go around. The resort dog and a couple of deer hung around the open restaurant hoping there would be enough for them as well. Besides animal encounters, there was nothing to worry about during the trip. I'm glad we were able to enjoy a couple of days on this quiet slice of Southeast Asia before we headed back to Singapore for another week of sightseeing.   

Even though OD couldn't make it, I saved a seat for him.