I visited Semporna to dive the world famous Sipadan Island for the first 4 weeks ago. I was foaming at the mouth to get a second opportunity to dive in this oceanic paradise. I remember on my first excursion, we briefly went inside a location called the Turtle Tomb. (Named because of the bones of [...]
Im sitting here in my hotel room in Semporna, Malaysia relaxing after a mesmerizing 2 days diving Sipadan Island and surrounding islands. I am supposed to be diving Sipadan again today, however a rebel group of Filipino nationals caused a national ruckus yesterday in the nearby village town of Lahad Datu, promoting the government to [...]
A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a trip out to Sandakan for a bit of adventure and exploration. I really didn’t have any booked plans. I read about some famous sites like the Orangutan Sanctuary and a river cruise online. A 5 hour bus trip later, I arrived in the small downtown [...]
I visited Pulau Tiga last month for a 2D/1N dive trip. The experience is one I will not soon forget. Pulua Tiga is the sight of Season 1 of Survivor. The island also goes by the name of Survivor Island, presumably to attract more tourists. The beauty of this place is tremendous. Macau Monkeys inhabit [...]
After finishing a 5 month stint in the main peninsula of Malaysia, I received a notification on CouchSurfing that one of the members needed help repairing rafts for the upcoming whitewater rafting season. I had about a week and a half to burn before a company trip to Penang and was holed up in a [...]
I’ve been in Perhentian now for close to 5 months. During my time I’ve lived like a local and a tourist. I’ve seen many people come and go in the village, with each individual leaving their stamp on this volunteer project. In addition, I’ve also stayed in a resort, experiencing the good life as a [...]
The Ecoteer Team visited the beautiful Taman Negara for a 3 day- 2 night Jungle Trek. We teamed with MyCat to help clear the jungle of animal traps and to record animal activity in the area. MyCat is a non-profit agency dedicated to stopping animal poaching. They record and destroy any animal traps as well [...]
Sometimes we have days that we look back on and say,”That was a defining moment in my life”. Those are the days we look back on over a cup of coffee with old buddies, and begin with,”Remember that time…”. One of those days for me took place on September 5 2012. The ambassadors The kids, [...]
I’ve now been in paradise, aka Perhentian, for a little over two months now. I no longer wear mosquito spray or sun screen in the village, and during many times of the day you can find me walking around bare foot. I know where everything is around the house (well almost) and give Turtle and [...]
I’ll admit it, the main reason I’m drawn to Perhentian is not the island itself, but the water around and below the land. I could spend everyday snorkeling or scuba diving and still not receive my fill of underwater adventures. The islands are packed with fish and coral I’ve never heard of or seen before. [...]