Although we were longing to stay for another day in Kuala Lumpur to see more of the city and the sorroundings we had to go to the beaches again, everything was already set up, what a hard life :-). Forget everything I wrote earlier about beautiful beaches. The real paradise lies east of the Malaysian mainland on the Perhentian islands. No ferries or airplanes go there. The trip via Kota Bharu, then to a small jetty in Kuala Besut and an one hour adventurous and bouncy trip with a small fisherboat following is pretty long and strenuous. In addition there are not many resorts on the islands and the ones there are pretty simple. A good combination for not many people going there and for enjoying a lonely, beautiful and unspoilt place. Ellen and I saw the most beautiful beaches and clearest water we have ever seen. Let the pictures talk for theirselves! Once lying at that beach you forget everything and just enjoy the
atmosphere and the moment.
Seeing the countryside on the east coast during our trip to the coast confirmed my first opinions on Malaysia. Although poorer there also pretty clean, friendly and more modern and the best: no dogs, Heaven! And from day to day I find it more and more fascinating, how all the cultures and religions live together peacefully in this country with so much tolerance and understanding for each other. A great example for the world, that has to be talked of more often!
I also had the greatest experience under water on this trip snorkeling in our private house reef just in front of our beach. Stingrays, Nemos, plenty of small and big reef sharks and all kinds of exotic fish all around you enjoying the unspoilt great corals. At night we enjoyed our restaurant with astonishingly good food, especially fresh sea food and barbecue. Maybe it helps keeping the islands unspoilt that no alcoholic beverages are allowed on the islands, not even during meals. Eating during sunset right at the beach, the monster dracula bats flying out to hunt and hearing the imam praying across the sea from a mosque in the village on the smaller Perhentian island will for a very long time not be forgotten!
We have to thank the little travel agency Anjung Holidays at Kuala Besut for their great support, setting things up for us for some wonderful days in paradise!
Although we were longing to stay for another day in Kuala Lumpur to see more of the city and the sorroundings we had to go to the beaches again, everything was already set up, what a hard life :-). Forget everything I wrote earlier about beautiful beaches. The real paradise lies east of the Malaysian mainland on the Perhentian islands. No ferries or airplanes go there. The trip via Kota Bharu, then to a small jetty in Kuala Besut and an one hour adventurous and bouncy trip with a small fisherboat following is pretty long and strenuous. In addition there are not many resorts on the islands and the ones there are pretty simple. A good combination for not many people going there and for enjoying a lonely, beautiful and unspoilt place. Ellen and I saw the most beautiful beaches and clearest water we have ever seen. Let the pictures talk for theirselves! Once lying at that beach you forget everything and just enjoy the
atmosphere and the moment. 
Seeing the countryside on the east coast during our trip to the coast confirmed my first opinions on Malaysia. Although poorer there also pretty clean, friendly and more modern and the best: no dogs, Heaven! And from day to day I find it more and more fascinating, how all the cultures and religions live together peacefully in this country with so much tolerance and understanding for each other. A great example for the world, that has to be talked of more often! 
I also had the greatest experience under water on this trip snorkeling in our private house reef just in front of our beach. Stingrays, Nemos, plenty of small and big reef sharks and all kinds of exotic fish all around you enjoying the unspoilt great corals. At night we enjoyed our restaurant with astonishingly good food, especially fresh sea food and barbecue. Maybe it helps keeping the islands unspoilt that no alcoholic beverages are allowed on the islands, not even during meals. Eating during sunset right at the beach, the monster dracula bats flying out to hunt and hearing the imam praying across the sea from a mosque in the village on the smaller Perhentian island will for a very long time not be forgotten! We have to thank the little travel agency Anjung Holidays at Kuala Besut for their great support, setting things up for us for some wonderful days in paradise!