364-day Revisiting Pulau Payar

10th Nov 2006. After 4 years staying in Penang and heard so much about it from friends and colleagues, finally I boarded on Langkawi Coral Ferry towards Pulau Payar. Pulau Payar is 2.5hours away from Penang and 1hour from Langkawi. One day excursion from Penang is RM180 for Malaysian which includes ferry transfer and decent buffet lunch.

Pulau Payar Marine Park is on the east coast of Pulau Payar with floating platform. After some safety briefing, we were provided, safety jacket, goggles and flippers. However, if you are short-sighted like me, do bring your own goggles with power. At the rear of the platform is an observation chamber where you will be dazzled with those colourful fishes. Oh yes, not forgetting the scary, slow-swimming, sharp-teeth baracoda.

Hint: Wear your swimwear before the trip because there will be long queues for changing room.
Tip: Sun-block is essential. Sun glass is luxury. ;)

Lunch is served around 12:00pm. So, to avoid the crowd be sure that you are on the platform 10-minute before the lunch time. Once the food runs out there is no refill....

Left: Langkari Coral Platform.
Right: Observation Chamber.

Left: Snorkeling in Marine Park
Right: HL and me.

School of Big-eye fish

Scary Baracoda among other fishes

Fishes flock together where food is fed.

Baby Sharks near Pulau Payar.

After lunch ended around 1:30pm, we were transfered to Pulau Payar to have leisure walk near the island. Baby sharks feeding is the highlight here. Marine Park staffs would attrack baby sharks to come ashore with dead fish as bait. If you are daring enough, you can stand near the staffs and touch the sharks when they come near to shore. ;) Taking photos of the greenish Pulau Payar with the turquoise ocean are something you don't want to miss.... simply awesome!!!

Scenes from Pulau Payar Marine Park.

Scenes from Pulau Payar Marine Park.

Kenneth and Me.

Left: Baby Shark Feeding

Right: Group Photo

At around 2:30pm, we were transferred back to the platform where some of us not having enough of snorkelling will continue diving into the sea for another 1hour. For others, playing UNO seemed to be the right activity to relax ourselves and hide under the shield from the scorching hot sun.

At about 3:30pm, the ferry back to Penang arrived from Langkawi. But, for 7 of us that were heading Langkawi, we boarded on another ferry that arrived from Penang. Hehe... for more of my langkawi island trip, please read http://elvinongbl.blogspot.com/2007/01/escape-to-langkawi-from-hectic-work.html