Pangkor

A ship came sailing
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After an uneventful  couple of days stop off in Ipoh , I arrived at Lumut for the 40min ferry ride to  the island of Pankor .

On the way over I met a nice older Aussie couple who have been travelling for years and are full of good advice and tips.It's great when you meet folks like this. I find the info. more reliable than a guide book that may be a couple of years old - and things change. I can't help thinking that as soon as accommodation gets recommended by Lonely Planet , standards drop and prices rise.

One of the locals
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Pankor itself was a real surprise. I know the island boasts an airport and high class hotels , but you would never believe it in the resort of Teluk Nipah.

It's a gorgeous place. Warm bleached blonde beaches are delightfully free of tourists. The water is clear, shallow  and positively hot in patches.A smattering of wooden shacks line the beach selling good, cheap food or offering boat trips to the nearby islands.( Although you can save yourself 10r and wade across at low tide, its that shallow)

Morning beach
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No high rises here ; digs are chalets set back from the beach. it all adds to a very relaxed feel.Indeed theres little to do but relax. Maybe visit Coral Beach as I did the other day . Just me and the whelk pickers!

I went snorkeling with Harry and Elannore. They were disappointed with the coral , but i was chuffed to see huge Parrot fish , Angel fish , my first stingray and scores of others.

Vibrant electric blue fish dart in and out the coral and spiny urchins with their ' stay clear' spikes litter the floor. Lurking in the depths were huge fish nearly as big as me .it's a different world in there and a great way of spending a day.

The cheeky monkeys
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The jungle is pristine and a few steps off the beach . I've seen loads of animals , and thanks to Harry being an avid 'twitcher' , quite a lot of birds. Sea Eagles circle effortlessly high in the sky with their 7' wing span and Hornbills seem as common as sparrows here.

A large old fashioned sailing ship appeared in the harbour , real 17th Century style . I've no idea why or where it was going but it certainly recalled the days when these shores were parolled by pirates!

We met a couple from the U.K  Jason an English lad , and the Aussie girl - Kylie. Boy, they must have suffered. We had a meal and they tried to teach me the backpackers favourite card game , 'sh*thead'.

My own private beach
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Nightlife consists of going out for dinner and an early night as everything closes by 11pm. It's all very clean living.

Hard as it is to tear myself away , I need to get on up the coast to Penang Island.