Hashtag trip: Tulip Divers are Back in Mabul

The journey

We missed our yearly trip to Mabul last year due to the attack on Lahad Datu and Semporna. and we all missed Mabul terribly. So when MAS sold tickets to Tawau for merely RM270 roundtrip we just could not stop ourselves. All the terrible episodes in Lahad Datu and Semporna a year ago were forgotten. Was it intentional? Beats me... We bought tickets in October and planned our dive trip end of February. Came February 27th, our 6 days 5 nights vacation began.

This year we chose to visit our friends in Seahorse Scuba. Lando has been trying to get us there since day 1. It's already in its forth year of operation and we finally confirmed our trip. Unfortunately Lando left the place as their permanent DM. He freelances as DM near Semporna. But since we wanted to dive with Lando so badly, he came anyway... sobI'm happy, even for a day.

On my way to paradise... all color coordinated

As usual Bad and Lenn were late and running... Jon was early and I always have anxiety. Especially this year because earlier during Chinese New Year I had my feng shui read by JJ (redfm) that my love will blossom this year like a rose in an island! Lol sangat kan? My colleagues knew about me going to Mabul and thought Mabul would be it. My love will blossom there! Definitely. Though I only knew them less than 2 years.. they got pretty excited of the thought that I WOULD find LOVE somehow. LOL! #bodohlakao

I asked Lando what he would like from KL. He said KLCC.. gagagaga.. so I bought him a box of chocolates. The Box has KLCC on the cover. That should cover it. ;)

We took the afternoon flight. Jon and I bought seats near each other so we could chat.. turns out Bad and Lenn were seated near us! What are the odds.. Haha.. They didn't even have to buy the lousy seats. #bodohlakao

The Arrival

Ippie Chicken Rice Special

We arrived at about 5 pm. Atuk Teksi was already waiting. He had my name up and we were happy and quite shocked when we saw a taxi will be taking us to Semporna. I think I rode his taxi once... when I was in Mabul to do my Rescue and EFR.. way back when. But he was so quiet I didn't recognize him. Only when we reached Semporna he started talking about Seahorse.. THEN I recognized him. The stories were familiar. LOL..

We slept at Sipadan Inn II. I still prefer Sipadan Inn. Sipadan Inn II is quite far. Far because I had to carry a huge bag that weighs 13 kg. :( Spending the night at Semporna was a good decision. We had dinner at Ippie Chicken Rice. I managed to meet up with F and Aqeeb who just finished their IDC and passed their IE with flying colors.. Congratulations Instructor F and Instructor Aqeeb. And we got to eat at Bismillah.. ermm in my defense.. we had a VERY early dinner! #alasanlettew

This is Roti Cobra at Bismillah.. The Kari Kambing at Bismillah is superb! 

The next morning, after a hefty breakfast at Bismillah, we checked out of Sipadan Inn II and joined the other Seahorse's guests at the jetty. Unfortunately Lando was not joining us. He promised he would the next day. He'd better... I got him the KLCC!

nasi kuning... 

Murtabak.. sarat dengan sayur

Lando was there all clean and sexy.. we were late. As I said before, the hotel was bloody far from the jetty!

#selfie I heart lando

And no one was helping us with the bags  :(

So we were the last one to arrive at the office. There was a group of girls and a couple of Swedish boys. They look like those backpackers. Cute and tall and very blonde. We didn't opt for any particular packages with Seahorse. Maklumlah.. everyone was rusty. We haven't dived for like months... I was not even sure if I could sink huhu..

Kak Nor was the one who have been managing our bookings. We didn't even put in a deposit, she is that nice. hehe.. She got us everything we asked for except for the cake for Jon. Sorry jon. next year la ye? :)

She told us that the DMTs are hunks. That actually put a big smile on our faces, even Bad's. Am sure he knows what will happen when there are cute DMTs.#lol

So off we go to Mabul.

Our room :) large enough. The other door oversees Billabong. Awesome. 

We were greeted by a bunch of cute guys. I think I only knew Ben at Seahorse.. and he wasn't there. I have talked to Salem once.. but never seen the guy. But once we have arrived and said hello.. they told me that my room was ready. You should look at the Swedish boys' faces.. Ye la.. dah la datang lambat.. kena tunggu minah2 birah ni.. tetiba dia dapat bilik dulu. muahahaha..

Bad and Lenn's room was not yet ready so we hung out at Jon and my room while waiting for the first dive.

The room is decent. It's not a 5 star resort. No 24-hour electricity. No Air Conditioners. Comfortable and clean. It's 120/night/pax which includes meals 3 times daily. Slightly more expensive. I guess because it's seaview. hehe..

We eventually met the cute DMTs. Memang nya cute banget.

The Dives

People kept asking why I visit Mabul yearly. Since I first stepped foot on Mabul waters in 2007, I have fallen in love with the small sandy island. The amazing underwater creatures that make home in the sandy sea-beds, small walls, artificial reefs, and jetties. Occasionally Mabul gets visits from the larger animals - though I have never encountered anything bigger that the giant grouper that resides in Mabul so far - such as whale sharks, and manta rays. Everytime I was there, I get to see different underwater creatures. There is just wealth of interesting organisms lurking here and there around the island. You just gotta find it.

One thing I have to commend about Seahorse Sipadan, you tell them what you'd like to see, the DMs will search high and low for them. Hehhe.. :)

Lando stayed one night with us so he could do 3 dives with us. Awww.... So sweet lah you. Muahss... #gediks. He showed us the Bargibanti. I think last I saw one was in Lembeh kot? Never seen any in Mabul. It's always been Denise. :) Comel.... I love them... :)

It's actually tinier than your nail tau. :) 

Manny got us the blue-ringed octopus.. After years of not seeing one... 6 years according to Bad , we managed to spend a few minutes admiring the little guy. Awesome! Manny was especially happy to see one. It's his first time! hehe...

The blue-ringed octopus.. isn't it beautiful?

 Ben found a small leafy seahorse. I've seen it before in Paradise years ago, but a juvenile. But the thing was too tiny and fragile and I couldn't get a decent photo of it. :( I wish I had the buoyancy and the lens :p #naktukarcameracakapjele

Alas these will do. :)

People, the real jewels of Mabul

We also love the DMs people. The sexy DMs friendly people of Mabul kept us coming also. We have made a lot of friends over the years of visiting Mabul. And they just keep making us feel welcomed over and over again. Come night we'd just lie on the dock, singing out of tune while they strum on their guitars.

The kids roam freely, just as we were once before. No fear of getting kidnapped, or raped. No iPads, no YouTube.. No TV. Just plain healthy outdoor fun, and they make the coolest subjects for the Photographers out there. :)

However now that Mabul is already so famous... the kids ask for money and even our snacks! And they are quite demanding.. They want the whole bag ok? Sabor je. So we had to be the Scrooge and hide some of our snacks in the room lol! Some of the good ones la...

The good thing about staying at Seahorse is the limitation of the movement of staff. So no matter how close you got to them, they are not allowed inside the guests rooms. So no worries about anyone stealing your stuff. One incident at the Seahorse while we were there, the guests next to our room lost something. However due to the policy imposed by their management, there was no doubt that loss was due to someone else they brought into the room. Anyway, it was quickly sorted out and things were ok again.

Seahorse staff are also very talented. The guys made their own drums using things from the dive center and performed in a band singing Zombie and some other songs. Zombie stood out cause they sung it like every single night. They're good.. thank God. We were also entertained by the cute DMTs. They're good singers... and something about men singing under the moonlight while playing guitar.. it's just so romantic.. hmm.... #meghenyam #ulatbuludahnaikdaunnn...

Us and Them. :) 

Breathtakingly beautiful

Everyone who has seen my photos of Mabul will tell me that they are beautiful. I in return would just tell them that in Mabul, regardless the type of camera or your photography skills, just point and shoot and the photos will be good. And I prove it again and again. Mabul is indeed beautiful, any time of the day. Even during thunderstorm it is beautiful. The sunset in Mabul is the best.. I never get to see the sunrise cause it's on the other side of Mabul.. #nampakcamakubangunlambatje #tapiseriusakumalasnakjalankesana #akubangunkol4pagihokkay!

It's beautiful even when the tide is low.. and you can walk all the way to Lobster Wall.. 

Food and all the good things...

When you're in Mabul you gotta eat what they eat. :) Honestly I don't know what the Mabulites eat but I could find fresh lobsters, crabs, sotong, fish... plenty of fish.. I guess that's what the Mabulites eat la kan? hehehe... 

Lobsters- before

Lobsters - after

Fresh lobsters... We got them for RM150, and they are still alive and kicking.. and trying to find their way back to the sea. We asked the kitchen to cook these and the result is not disappointing. Delicious. Unlike the other homestays we have visited, the Seahorse kitchen charges extra for extra cooking they have to do. Alaa baru RM15 to cook these delicious lobsters. Among the four of us, I think we only had to fork out an extra RM100 each for the extra food we consumed during our stay in Mabul and Semporna... Awesome. Can't argue with that. #GebuNoDiet. We also got us some crabs... Ahhh yummy sangat... and it's so cheap. I think we got 5 for RM15 kot? #dayumm...

Ketam.. 

And fish you say? Hahaha... Nah.. 

Everything - steamed.  

Other than eating, singing, diving, I also lie around the homestay in my underwear.. and swim whenever it gets too hot. :) #thatdoesntsoundrightatall 

Kekekeke... #tertiputipah

This was fun :) but no fun getting wet alone... :P 

I also thought it was fun to just join anyone's photo session... including strangers.. and ask for a copy of the photo. LOL

The two tall buildings men are the Swedish... the rest I have no idea..  :D That chinese guy there.. I think his girlfriend help took the photo.. kakakakka :p 

So was it fun?

Did we have fun? Judging from the tan we got... Yeah I sure think so.. Just to be safe I made sure we had our farewell lunch at... where else? Pasar Putu lah... I think they charge us RM43 everytime we're there... 8 pax... 6 pax.. 4 pax... same price. RM43. Betul ke depa kira ni? 

With my happy buddy... happy ke?

Yummehh... :) all this RM40. That RM3 is for the large bottle of coke. :) 

Last time we were here, we went for a massage. This time around, we had our hair washed and blown at a local hair salon. Ask them anything, they'd just tell you everything.. hehehe.. you can even get love advice. That's how long we were there.. huhu...

So back to the question.. did we have fun? It is a definite YES. We saw, we came and we conquered as always. We didn't really need anyone else to make a trip fun.. As long as we have good company.. it's gonna be great anyways. It didn't really matter where we go... but the fact that we know each other enough to tolerate each other's antiques makes the trip easy. So when are we heading to Mabul again guys?