7 Island Discovery, Semporna, Sabah.
Afzan and travel; there's no other word perfectly linked to me. Ask anyone around and that will always be their way of introducing or describing me as a person. A perfect wanderlust. Thus, butterfly, a symbol given by loved one (calling himself turtle) to represent this free spirited traveler in me.
As such, my first post should be dedicated to my very own country- Malaysia. They said, "the grass is always greener on the other side". I think most Malaysian have this mentality where they have the urge and dreams to travel to other countries. Why do you think we- Asian, struggled hard during our school years just to fight for scholarships and the opportunity to study abroad? Come on. Sponsored studies in foreign country? Probably less than 10% of our population would actually decline the offer and notion of it.
However, I truly feel like they haven't found the secret gems in Malaysia. Those in which can beat the postcard view we always see. I've been traveling around locally and one gem I personally loved most is definitely Semporna, Sabah.
Back then (August 2016) by chance, I recently became an active member of an outdoor group called Alkisah Adventure who organized a trip, namely #A7ID (Alkisah 7 Island Discovery). They were one of the few outdoor crews around who actually pioneered this trip in Semporna which has now become an annual open event- not just for Alkisah Adventure, but most outdoor hub.
7 Island Discovery
Just in 4 days, 3 nights, we managed to cover the 7 magical islands around Semporna. Finally I can proudly say- I've been there. Despite all the warnings and caution that was given. Especially with the constant unfortunate news on mass media. In all honesty, I can only say one sentence to those who kept on asking me "How was it?". And that would be, "You have to experience it for yourself because the feeling's unlike any other". As usual, we bought are tickets from the website with guaranteed low price, ie Traveloka (https://www.traveloka.com/en-my/) From the clear water and sandy beaches, to the abundance of wildlife and fancy seafood gourmet. It was a feast for our senses. We started the packed adventure with a 30 min hike to reach the peak of Bohey Dulang, and welcomed by such astounding view of the island. We also managed to get up close and personal with the Bajau Laut kids in Tatagan while donating foods and some money at the same time.
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| The name Bohey Dulang is derived from bohi (bohey) meaning water and dulang meaning pools or depression in Bajau language |
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| The Bajau Laut kids |
Nevertheless, I would go into deeper description of the Mataking Island. At a glance, even our eyes are fooled into thinking that we're in Maldives. Not an exaggeration because the crystal clear blue water and white sandy beach of Mataking Island is on par with one of the best beaches in the world. The private island is connected to another sub island known as small mataking island via a narrow sand bank. And this sand bank will only emerge during the low tide. Such a picturesque moment for anyone to just walk in between the two island. Not to forget, it is also one of my personal favorite spot for snorkeling among all the surrounding islands. Getting to see turtle swimming right in front of your eyes every few minutes, and meeting one lost turtle personally on the sand bank was quite an eventful experience. It was there and then, I decided to schedule and repeat the island discovery again next year. Whenever people mention of Sabah's islands they will always think of Sipadan or Mabul first. However for me, I think the underdog Mataking wins my ranking forever.
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| The lost turtle |
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| Not to forget, the ever amazing freshly cooked seafood for dinner after the long tiring day. |
And of course, what's adventure without some spice in it? Stuck on the boat for almost an hour because we ran out of fuel and had to wait for rescue to come. Stopped by the sea-block (yes, very much the same as the road-block) everyday of the trip. So safety is definitely a tick there. In a nutshell, we survived with minimal scars and a whole lot of tanning. And it was worth it. If you guys have any questions or inquiries, don't be shy to leave a comment or email me directly. Check out the video below made by my favorite turtle. Gives a thumbs up and subscribe if you like them !
Credit : azri_muizz
Who knew you can experience all this without a passport huh? There's a lot more of Malaysia yet to be discovered and you can count on me to blog all about it.
So, where to next?
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