Tioman

Sue and I are still purring after a great break away. It turned out that we made a smart move by taking our first four days at Tioman Island, two hours boat ride off the south-east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. We were pretty tired, so a spot of island time was just delicious.

Room with a view - we stepped out of this simple bungalow, a few steps onto the beach then waded knee-deep into the water; flippers and facemasks on and the tropical fish were literally there. We found Nemo but happily not Bruce.

Restaurant with a view - life is very much laid-back island style at Tioman. One evening we went into a simple beachside restaurant and waited and waited ..... Despite open doors and billboard outside, there was neither cook nor staff to be found. We gave it 15 minutes and wandered down the path! Another time Sue had almost finished eating the iceblock from the outside icecream freezer before the shopkeeper showed to collect the loi.

Not wanting to be breakfast - around the wharf a serious school of these little guys were being preyed upon by a few garfish. Where Sue and I snorkelled there was an abundance of tropical fish - a bit like swimming in an aquarium. There was a huge variety too, but nothing bigger than 1kg, except for the little blue-spotted stingray.