As Mik said we really didn't want to leave our little piece of paradise but we also knew we wanted the chance to experience the Perhentian Islands off the northeast coast of Malaysia so it being a hard life off we went. Until this trip neither of us had heard of these islands, but they came highly recommended by everyone we met who was traveling in the opposite direction through S.E. Asia. So we decided to make a side trip to another island - tough call !
We decided to use a tour operator to organize our trip down to the Malaysian border, partly because we are lazy and partly because we thought it would be quicker. This started with our taxi driver waking us ½ an hour before pick-up time at 5.30 am! He took us to the port where we boarded the car ferry for a 2 hour kip, in surprisingly comfy seats, whilst we traveled to the mainland. We then waited around for our coach which would take us to the main town about an hour away. Upon arrival at the drop-off point, which was essentially the car park of a Thai temple, we were whisked away in the back of a pick-up truck, clinging on for dear life. We were taken to an office come restaurant where we were encouraged to order food from them. Having seen the state of the toilets, and the fact that the so called kitchen was right next door, Mik and I both declined the offer. Eventually we were ushered into a second pick-up truck and taken……round the corner!
After another ½ hour sitting around, our tiny mini bus turned up and Mik, myself and 9 others piled in. Not however before the agent had warned us that the area we were travelling to was dangerous and didn't we want to go somewhere else ? We assured them we didn't and off we went. We had been sold transportation which would get us to the border town of Sungaikolok for around 18.30, so we thought we would still be able to cross into Malaysia and then reach the Islands the following morning. However, as the hours passed and we hadn't even reached the largest city in southern Thailand we began to wonder. At 16.30 we arrived in Hat Yai where those traveling onto Kuala Lumpur or Singapore we whisked away in a different bus. After a few minutes wait at the travel agent I asked how long the journey would take to get us to the border. Where upon I was informed that no more buses were running today. We had missed the last bus by an hour and would have to wait til tomorrow. All this was said without even a hint of regret. Needless to say I immediately launched into one about how the ticket we had paid for promised to get us to the border the same day and that they therefore must pay for a taxi to get us there tonight. They couldn't have cared less. Maybe it wasn't their fault but I had the distinct feeling this wasn't the first time they had had an irate foreigner standing before them. Lying b*stards.
Luckily Mik stepped in and we established that we'd been well and truly shafted and that we had no choice but to overnight in Hat Yai - the delightful place that it was. On the bright side we found a half decent hotel with a telly so it wasn't all bad, although I'd have to say it was the first and only place where I had felt a bit on edge walking around at night whilst we've been away.
Anyways we survived and the following morning we set off on the 4 hours drive to the border at Sungaikolok.
Probably not the first time we have been taken for idiots, but the first time they were so blatant about not caring.
So taxi, boat, bus, minibus x 2, foot, taxi, boat and 2 days later we were there - the stunningly beautiful Perhentian Islands of Malaysia.
