Mataking Trip – Underwater

Our sole objectives was to DIVE! Despite working on a very tight schedule, (we were there for 3D2N only) we vowed to just go and have FUN! Which we did!

We arrive at the airport 1 hour behind schedule (Due to tyre puncture of Air craft). WE reach resort at 2.30pm, after 1 hour bus ride and 40minutes boat rides. The Sun was burning hot! Not perfect for indoor person but when you are on a diving trip, It was a perfect weather…

We were greeted by the resort manager, given some orientation, and later on we go for our first dive, which was the orientation dive at the house reef. One plus point about Mataking is it gives you unlimited house reef dive. If you are an advanced diver, it’s even greater cause you can go for night dive… As all 4 of us are open water divers only so we pretty much miss out on that part. But still no regrets! We had so much FUN!

The first dive was not a smooth one. Probably we were all tired, (lack of sleep and travelling) strong current and few months no diving, I find it quite tiring after the first dive, and was little nervous…… We see lots of fish down there and no doubt it’s a beautiful island with great site for diving. After we surface, I had a chat with my buddy (my hubby lar) that I face strong current problem and ya da ya da. We have also agreeed that should there be strong current during upcoming dive, we will not fight it and will stick together buddy buddy…

On the 2nd day, we were scheduled to do 3boat dives. WE woke up at 7.30am for breakfast, at 8.15am we went to dive centre and all ready to dive! It was very ease to dive at mataking. All BCD and tanks and heavy stuffs are loaded on boat by dive centre staffs.. So we pretty much just bring our mask and board the boat! SO SO SO EASY! I feel like a queen! They even help u put on the gears and I no need to mah huan my buddy!

First dive site was Sweet Lips tables and the current was strong strong strong.. It was the first time I do a back row… I was a little nervous but we all did a great job.. 25minutes under, due to strong current, me and my buddy got swept away by the current and surfaced. The dive master got nervous and went up to find us… All the 8 of us got lost!!!! 😛 we pretty much gave both dive master a scared! WAhahahahahaha

Second dive site was shipwreck post. It was around 25M depth. There was 2 ship wreck underneath….. WE caught sea turtle again.. This time there was 1 sea turtle pose for us.. he was resting and didn’t even move when we get close to snap photo.. Okay, I didn’t snap the fantastic photo, the dive master helped me.. I did helped hubby snap some very nice photo close to the ship wreck!

Third dive site was turtle playground, This is the only site we didn’t spot any turtle but this is the site we enjoyed, and relaxed the most!!!!!!! We were all so ease… probably because we all warmed up and very very comfortable down there already.. Too bad it’s already the last dive of the trip… All three of them wish to spend another day or 2 there if can.. But I am the only person missing my boys dearly and just can’t wait to be home already.. Despite all these, it’s still a very very enjoyable trip for me!

The night was a fantastic one…. we walked all the way to mataking kecil, during low tide, we can walk to the nearby island…. but be sure to check on the high and low tide or u might end up in mataking kecil heheheheeh.

On this particular evening, we have some great surprises awaits us.. which we totally did not expect.. I will share about it on later post.. I want to share it together with the videos and pictures we have..

Will I visit mataking again? For diving trip, definitely yes! It’s an awesome experience! definitely worth the price we are paying for… I look forward the next dive trip and I just wish my boys could be with me when I do so I could dive more sites, spend more days, at the same times have family times!!!

Before I could make another diving trip, I have to plan for a family trip first… Just the 4 of us.. Jude is already 1 year old and manfred 2.5year old. I think it’s a very right time to plan something and get out there!

Here’s some pictures we took while we at the Mataking Island, Look at the blue blue sea…

Here’s picture during our dive,

Lastly picture we took while we are deep under!

We met baby turtles….123 of them…

During our mataking dive trip… The trip itself was satisfactory. Although we missed out the chance to go with a bigger crew, and there’re only 6 of us in the trip which only 4 are divers, we still done alot, and had a lot of fun.
For once after I become a mum, I was truely enjoying myself.. I only call back home once on the night i arrived and other time I just tell myself, since the reception is not favorable I just gonna forget for 3days and HAVE FUN!

And Had Fun I did! And there’s surprises awaits too… This particular day, we met new born turtles. Mataking island has hatchery whereby the dive centre look for turtles eggs and transfer them to their hatchery.. They check on those eggs on daily basis and taking care of it.. They make sure it doesn’t get eaten by snakes or get scrambled… on 21May at 6Pm, there’s one batch of turtle egg expected to hatch. Although there’were notice but we missed out!

But luck was on our side, we pass by the hotel staff Jennifer when she tries to reach us, which she then inform us to go to the hatchery to see those new born sea turtles… AND It’s the first time I ever see one.. and 123 of them… It was so so so exciting to be able to see and hold them.

When they’re in the pail, waiting to be released into the big blue sea, they all seems to know which direction they should head to… the moment it was released on the beach, all march in a queue to swim into the big blue seas… I was happy to know 123 sea turtles was born from the total of 134 eggs, I was happy to know they have to be released into the seas so they learn to hunt for food, survive on their own, and “live their lifes”… little that I know that the moment they go into the deep blue sea, some of them couldn’t make it and become dinner for their predator….We heard fish chomping down baby sea turtles…….. so sad.. yet that’s the nature cycle and that’s nothing much could be done…

Now I understand why people loves sea turtles and try hard to protect them from being extinct…. we could also play our part..Love our ocean, dun liter in the ocean,as there been reported that seas turtles mistaken plastic as food and choke to death after eating it…

Here’s a pic of turtles marching into the sea… they’re so tiny they look like ants..

the last turtles decided to take it slow..

Mataking – Part 1

I depart to Mataking on a thursday morning. I went to bed at 2am and having to wake up again at 4.30 am to catch the early flight. Jude almost know I will be away for a while and wake up to ask for breastmilk right before I left in limo.

We were on time to airport and boarded the plane on time too. Just before we were feeling “high” about our dive trip, we were told to go back to the terminal cause tyre puncture…?! What?! Yes, the almighty Airasia fleet need to have the tyre changed.. I just have to bear with the 1 hour delay and luckily we have iPhone to keep ourselves busy..

We reach tawau and was meet by local tour guide. 1hour bus ride to semporna jetty, then aspeed boat transfer of 1hour, we reach the tranquil, exclusive and breath taking Mataking Island….. We were greeted with a local “choir” with their “Mataking” Song…. IT was so so welcoming and I can’t help and want to snap a picture together with them……

We were given a brief introduction about the island and some rules and regulation. Yes, R&R applied.. as you know, we are not allowed to Roam at beach at night as they patrol at night with police troop and dogs.. So if you want to get bitten up by dogs cause mistaken you as some pirates or refugee, go ahead and “moon tan” at night.. 😛

After we check in the room, we went for our orientation dive at the house reef with Neo (Dive centre Manager). After the first dive, we were all exhausted as all of us was badly sleep deprived due to early flight and late night sleep! I catch some power nap before dinner and my sis and her bf went and snap the sunset photos.. After dinner, It was bored!!! Really boring cause no activities at beach and unless you want to hang out at the bar, which We dun do.. We end up playing cards in the room.

We started a very exciting games. We play ‘Donkey CArd game” whereby if you get “donkey” card at the end of the game, then you lose, and the winner get to paint on your face with lipstick. (All my ideas and end up I was the one with most paint on face) All of us had so much fun playing and laughing and acting crazy…. Due to absolute and extreme “post game picture”, We were to swear we shall keep those photos to own viewing pleasure only…. We had a good good night sleep as we have to prepare for full day diving on the following day…

It was a great day…. And I started to miss my M&J….. but I just know I have to reap on the chances and enjoy when I can….. So I could go back to them as a even better mum……..

Journal of the Tioman trip..

I had a very busy mid march. We visited Langkawi on 10to12March. It’s a big family trip. My parents, both my sisters with their spouse and partner, and my own family of 4. I also brought Manfred to watch Disney on Ice that weekend.

Then 18March night 9pm hubby, I, sister Jean and her bf, billy, 4 of us depart to Tioman for our 3D3N diving trip.. We were scheduled to complete our Open water diver exam. I drove 4.5hours from Klang to Mersing town. We reached there at 1.30am and overnight at Sweet Hotel. The next morning, we boarded 10am Speed Ferry to Berjaya Tioman Resort. It was a horrible boat ride for hubby. It took 2 hours plus, with thurder storm rain.. Despite speed ferry was quite big, it was still very very bumpy boat ride.. Hubby almost puked… Jean who has no problem riding boat also feel little nausea at the end of it..

Reached jetty and it’s raining cats and dogs! We have to “RUN” in the rain with our luggages to the bus transfer to hotel. It was lots of luggage cause we have to carry along our diving gears… In the bus, we felt like a refugee.. WET, WET, tired, and tired… And the rain doesn’t stoppeD! It stopped only for merely 30minutes and when we geared up to go for our 1st dive, wind came again! with rain and the sea was very very choppy..

There were total 10 of us being the first time diver. All there for our open water diver course. Getting out to the sea itself was a huge challenge. We can’t even get ourself into the sea cause the wave keep pushing us back to the shore. We were all eating sand cause fell down. And with more than 20kg of load with me, really impossible to stand up back! So it was huge Chaotic and ppl from the dive centre then dash to our rescue and start helping us out to the sea.. The moment i was on the boat, I started feel worried, regret, and wished I wasn’t there… Honestly.. I felt so irresponsible to put myself into that kind of danger..

And 1st dive again was a horrendous one. Think you already know how to dive deep down, since I was doing fine at pool session.. HOW WRONG!? I was on the surface all the while!!!!!! Can’t go down to even 6M deep!!!!
With help of rope, manage to dive down, in less than 15minutes time, I was floated back to surface… *Sigh*sigh*sigh* There were at least 3-5 occasion whereby MJ and Irene have to keep pulling me down, instructing me to exhale exhale exhale…….Of course, I was not alone. 70% of the diver were going up and down up and down. At the end of the day, the instructor said we were all being JOker…

1st day we only manage to do 1dive(suppose 2 dives). That night, rain poured non stop. I woke up at 3am knowing it was raining, woke up at 6am and it hasn’t stopped. I was very happy and thought since it rains the whole night, we should expect sunny sunshine! HOW WRONG AGAIN!? The rain does not stopped! Until 12pm. But by 11something it was drizzling only. And we were told to geared up at dive centre at 12pm. So off we go again! 2nd day was much better than 1st day, at least with some guidance and some “experience” from the previous day, I manage to enter the sea at 1st attempt. Diving down was okay with some help. But I still have some problem staying deep down. Luckily I add another weight with me. But definitely better than 1st day. We completed our exam during 2nd dive. Except the final CESA and putting on BCD on surface.

2nd dive was a amazing one! Cause I saw sea turtle the moment I went down! 🙂 That really added some fun to the trip.. takes away horror feeling for a while. Then we head back to shore after 45minutes dive. WE had lunch, some rest. By 3.30pm, we loaded each person 2 gas tank and off we go to the sea again! We will be doing 2 dives at once. So the 3rd dive was a pleasant one. Cause all were more comfortable and confident and can enjoy little bit more. I saw a lot of sea cucumber, sea urchin, fishes which none I could remember their name. And during the 4th dive, hubby and I followed the wrong crew and ended up with the advanced divers.. ahahahah but it was worth while. Coz we remain under for longer, and we played with NEMO!!

We were all exhausted after 3dives in 2nd day. But was happy. I only did my CESA on final dive. SO Yippie yeah yeah! I am certified! I emailed my profile pic d! And it will be 1 month time till I received my licence! But i am certified! YAYA AY

Diving brings a whole different perspective. I see things that I never seen.. It had also changed my view towards diving. I used to think it’s scary n unsafe. But now I think it’s a great sports! And I am definitely glad I did tried it! Life is really about experiencing different things! Now I so so so look forward our mataking trip in MAY…. That is the very first reason we went for the course in the first place.

Where I took my diving lesson? Am I happy with it? I took it with Long Adventure in Bukit Tinggi Klang. Our instructor is Joey Ng, Irene Young. Am I happy with it? Yes I am. And if my friend looking for a dive centre, I would definitely recommend Long adventure to them.

Certified

Yay! Yippie! I am certified! Open water diver!