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Part two of the full day snorkeling trip shall bring us to Kampong Salang, where the northernmost jetty and village in Tioman Island are both located. It is also the last stop for all ferries originating from Mersing or Tanjung Gemuk.
Spotted on the side of the village was the stunning view of what appeared to be a resort featuring traditional wooden architecture! My gosh, i would so love to stay there in my next visit!
Residing in the midst of nature, this would likely be marketed as a place of total relaxation when it opens for business. My check with a local resident revealed that it was still in the midst of construction and no one actually knows what it would be called.
Maybe due to its label as the last stop, the jetty also seemed exceptionally long compared to the rest in Tioman Island. However, idle ferries parked in the jetty often gave one the impression the surrounding water would likely be polluted.
Not that it mattered to us since this was merely a stopover for us to have lunch and i guess many of us were famished after the intensive snorkeling sessions we had in Tulai island.
Young kids thundering down the jetty! Such a scene used to be quite common in one of Singapore's outlying islands a decade ago; Pulau Ubin. Safety aside, it was the lack of educational amenities that forced most families with young children to relocate to the mainland.
The alfresco cafe where we chose to have lunch. 'Chose' might be a wrong word to use as we were given packet lunches and hence, would not be ordering anything else in the cafe except for drinks. Thankfully, the owner was agreeable to let us use the space! With an order of drinks of course!
Our packet lunches from the resort; choice of either mee goreng or fried rice. Nothing outstanding but it did its job to fill up the hungry tummy.
Directly opposite the cafe was Tulai island!
To the other side of the village were some chalets on rocky terrain. Since i am the first to clean up my lunch, i decided not to waste any time and proceed to do some exploration on my own.
The sleepy village turned out to be much more vibrant than i expected. There were quite a number of eating establishments and it appeared to be more crowded than Kampong Paya, where i stayed.
A number of diving centers served the needs of visitors and i was once again tempted to check out the prices! To earn a PADI certificate is definitely an item on my bucket list!
Beer for takeaway!? I have no idea how different this is compared to buying a few bottles of beer from the provision shops and packing them back to the resort.
Packages for those who have the luxury of time to explore more! I am already thinking of signing up for the round island tour the next time i visit.
Prices seemed cheaper in Kampong Salang; back in Kampong Paya, there was no promotional 'set' for mask and snorkel fin and rental for each item cost RM 8!
For those who would like to purchase 100% waterproof bags for their beach vacations can consider visiting http://www.hyper-gear.com/ for more details.
Bird's nest house where the highly valuable Chinese delicacy is harvested! My sympathy to those living next to the concrete structure as the swallows can be very noisy at night!
Shark and turtle watching!? Another person / number to note for my next visit.
More photographs of Kampong Salang before i conclude this post.
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Map of Kampong Salang
As above