The Perhentians, which means a place to stop in local lingo, was a great stopover. It is a place where the local fishermen use to stop before taking their catch back to the Mainland, and indeed they still do as there is a fishing village there. Also numerous "resorts" but much more to the backpacker level than for example Redang Island.=

We enjoyed the bay and company of Katani II on the first night and the next day did a local snorkel trip in a group of 12 to seven sites: A lighthouse point of the west side which had great coral and amazing density and array of fishes, (this is REALLY the home of Nemo!!! and his brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts etc): then to swim with baby sharks, then a marvellous free swim with turtles than just grazed and cruised whilst we eyeballed them from just a foot away and they were not in the least perturbed, lunch at the fishing village, onto more coral, and amazing parrot fish site, then to romantic beach. The tour was scheduled to go to 3.30pm but it was past 5.30 by the time we got back and the guide took us to "his friends" boat to buy moreton bay bugs and crab fresh. He then came on board to look at Charmar and we had a great chat - more on that later. Just got ready to show and a water taxi arrived with two swiss girls, a dutch boy and a KL boy how studies his Masters in Wollongong (photos later also) who we had invited back for drinks . At about 2100 we all headed to the beach for dinn at the restaurant on the sand beach where we had fresh fish and squid, barbecue etc - a great nighb, we declined the offer of the younger ones to go to the bar at 11.30 but could hear the music for hours afterwards!!

Today back on the track direct to Terengganu to stock up, finish a few formalities and prepare for the South China Sea crossing!