The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a collection of five islands just a stone’s throw from the waterfront – and I must add that these islands still conserve the healthy corals and tropical fish. These five islands are Gaya, Manukan, Mamutik, Sulug and Sapi. Pulau Gaya, by far the largest island of the five with an area of 15 sq km does not boast of its snorkelling wonders but is attractive from a different perspective – that of water villages and its undisturbed tropical forest. Normal boats that service Mamutik, Manukan and Sapi do not travel to this island, so the only way to get to this island is via a chartered boat, or possibly through making reservations with the resort there, Gayana Island Resort, with units from RM500 per night.
Snorkelling enthusiasts would target Mamutik and Sapi for the lovely coral gardens, but the setback is the more limited selection of water sports available due to its size. As my friend wasn’t too keen on swimming against those waves, I decided to introduce him to some water sports at the claw-shaped Manukan island. Its long white-sand beach meant a greater population of tourists and accumulation of trash brought in by the waves. And also less bargaining power for the water sports, but hey, the marginal utility gained from these activities made up for it. With much deliberation and haggling, my friend and I agreed to do the parasailing and flying fish for a total of RM240. Despite parasailing just 6 months ago, this experience yielded equal amounts of enjoyment, if not more since I opted to be soaked in water this time round. We dried ourselves on the flying fish, which was exhilarating with all that taking off and landing on the water surface.
We chose not to stay over at Manukan, but if you so decide to, Sutera Sanctuary Lodge manages the Manukan Island Resort at luxury rates (by Malaysian standards) of RM320 for a couple unit and RM380 for a family unit. On a separate note, it is rather worrying how Sutera Harbour Group seems to be monopolising the tourist attractions around Sabah – definitely unfavourable for tourists; backpackers and mature travellers alike.
Not to be forgotten is the transportation cost to the islands – I can’t be certain, but I recall a return trip to one island costing RM17 and to three islands (Mamutik, Manukan and Sapi), RM35. I was slightly taken aback when they charged RM7.20 as tax, per boat trip, but at the end of the day, it’s all worth it.
We spent half a day at Manukan and got back to our hotel at 4 pm, took a shower and shopped for the necessary snacks to be brought along on our climbing stint. Bearing in mind that we had an early start to the summit trail at Mesilau Resort, we decided to call it a day after packing our climbing bags.
No comments:
Post a Comment