Malaysia

Hop! Back to Borneo. Here is my little video shot in July 2013, at the entrance of the famous Sipadan underwater cave called "Turtle Tomb".

Sipadan. An island of dreams, explored by Cousteau. But under military surveillance, for the safety of divers and the preservation of the reef.

Sipadan. Three mythical syllables for divers in Asia! Sharks, turtles, barracudas and trevallies ...

Hop, we go to Malaysia to dive to Sipadan ... As a mouthing, I made it simple: a video, a shark, a minute.

Derawan is a tiny Indonesian girl on the east coast of Borneo. I had already been there in 2009. But for this 2013 trip, I have revised my itinerary.

I'm coming back from Borneo! Highlight of the trip: the dives in Sipadan, Malaysia ... Yes, for me, Borneo has more the color of the sea than the jungle.

Since the time I speak (Air Asia here, Air Asia by that), this time, that's it! I finally tested the brand new Air Asia X line from Paris to Kuala Lumpur. The link was launched by the Malaysian lowcost company in February 2011.

Usually, I'm not too buggy on the plane. But here I had the opportunity to have a big fright on a flight Phuket - Kuala Lumpur ...

Am I still a backpacker? Serious question. I just put away my good old backpack and invest in a wheeled luggage.

It's probably the company I've taken most often, with all my travels in Southeast Asia! In this month of October 2009, AirAsia, the Malaysian lowcost airline, has just submitted a request for authorization to operate in France.

In July, during my stay in Sipadan (Borneo, Malaysia), I had prepared two short underwater videos. Here they are !

Flashback. July 13, 2009. My stay in Mabul is coming to an end. Ultimate and fabulous dives, again, in Sipadan. On the way back, between the two islands, a school of dolphins accompanies for a moment the race of our speedboat ... Ultimate happiness.

A day to lose in Kuala Lumpur, before flying home? All the better. Because KL, there are lots of things too cool to do ... 

Do you dream of tropical beaches? Do not go to Tawau! People are nice, but this Malaysian city in northeastern Borneo is a mochissime. Its only attraction is to be the entry point to Indonesia ...

I'm one of those divers who can spend long minutes enthralled by a nudibranch. These delicate little sea slugs abound in Mabul and Sipadan.

I released my last bubbles in Sipadan on Monday. Ultimate and intense underwater emotions amidst sharks, turtles and barracudas...

When I'm not posing with the sharks of Sipadan, I stay in Mabul, the neighboring island. I live in a longhouse on stilts in the heart of the village.

I had a dazzling memory of my dives in Sipadan three years ago. Today's ones amaze me just as much. Turtles, sharks and barracudas are still there. It's spectacular!

No more Perhentian. On to Sipadan! I'm taking two flights on Air Asia this Monday to reach Borneo. At last!

Last evening on Perhentian Besar. I'm not the only geek with a computer... All around me, lots of people are typing on Facebook or downloading photos onto their laptops.

The Perhentians are an excellent choice for a gentle "return to the fins". Shallow dives, generally without too much current. And lots of nice little creatures to flash around.

And here I am, on my island in Malaysia! Perhentian Besar, "the big one". Opposite Perhentian Kecil, "the little one", where I had already spent ten days three years ago.

Here is Learning Indonesian: podcasts to learn the basics of bahasa indonesia, the Indonesian language, close to bahasa melayu, spoken in Malaysia.

I finally decided the stages for my Malaysian-Indonesian trip of July: Perhentian, Mabul (Sipadan), Derawan. Nothing but islands! These holidays will be insular and aquatic.

I'm leaving for Malaysia in July, and I still do not know what my route will be. Only certainty: I go back to Borneo, dive to Sipadan.

I will leave again. At the end of June, I fly again towards the Orient. It was enough for me to receive the e-ticket on my mail to feel wings.

One hour in the dark to save the planet... That's Earth Hour, organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in several thousand cities and over 60 countries on Saturday evening.

Everyone is scared of sharks. It's silly. There is more danger for divers: the giant triggerfish, also called titan triggerfish.

The big day is here. Today, finally, I plunge to Sipadan. The site does not usurp its reputation. It's spectacular. Sharks and turtles galore. Fish everywhere. All along a vertiginous "wall" where the corals abound, which sinks into the blue.

The islands around Sipadan are unknown and yet they are worth seeing. I dive there almost every day until the end of the week, waiting for my turn to go to Sipadan.

I am finally arrived at Semporna, the gateway to Sipadan in Borneo, with my companions Helena and Paul, a couple from Guernsey.

Diving to Sipadan and the bottoms of nearby islands (Mabul, Kapalai, Sibuan), you have to travel to Semporna, the southeastern port of Malaysian territory in Borneo.

In Borneo, Malaysia, the Sepilok Orangutan Centre is trying to reintroduce these endangered great apes into the jungle. A short visit...

The plane lands in Sandakan. Here I am in Borneo! The airport is tiny. I quickly get my bag, buy a coupon at the taxi counter at the exit and go directly to Sepilok, a few kilometers away, where is the Orangutan rehabilitation center.

Johor Bahru is a borderless city without any charm. Its asset: to be the gateway to Malaysia, just in front of Singapore.

The coral-eating acanthaster starfish is called "crown of thorns" in English ... or COT. This Sunday, it's COT's party!

Last day of diving in Tioman, peninsular Malaysia side. A day dedicated to the dreaded acanthaster, coral starfish ...

The way to Tekek, on the island of Tioman, is punctuated by small houses, which range from the rickety hut to the dapper chalet. Cafés-restaurants-grocery stores sell bags of instant noodles, fishing line and laundry packs, serve plates of fried rice and coffee ...

The Tioman jungle in southeastern Peninsular Malaysia is a protected nature park. Dense, almost impenetrable, it covers most of the island.

Maz and Alex are a couple of English eco-lovers and diving enthusiasts, whom I had the pleasure to meet again in Tioman. They are on a humanitarian trip (18 months, 65,000 km and 26 countries) for the Care organization.

Nudibranchs are the sea cousins of land slugs. Their gills are exposed, naked, hence their name ...

At the approach of Tioman Island, I feel that the place will please me. It's big, huge! In the maritime haze of the early morning, a steep profile, covered with a dense and humid vegetation, arises, still clinging with shreds of clouds.

Night bus ride to Mersing without history, even if my neighbor has a tendency to overflow from his seat and spread over mine ...

I was wrong when I arrived in Perhentian Kecil (Malaysia) to underestimate the attraction and seductive power of this tiny island ...

I had a very nice dive expedition to Redang, about an hour and a half from the Perhentian boat. There, the visibility is exceptional and the three dives that we chained in real decors of postcards are a treat.

I take you under the surface, discover the underwater world of the Perhentian Islands, Peninsular Malaysia ...

Here I am at Perhentian Kecil, in the south of Peninsular Malaysia. I explore the island, rather touristy, but very friendly ...

I leave Kota Bahru, his stuffed women and his concrete for the Perhentian Islands. Perhentian Besar the Great, and Perhentian Kecil the Small, renowned for their crystal clear waters and coral reefs ...