'Maya' island

Dumped by the jungle drop-off car at Laha Datu bus station, we decide not to wait a few hours for the big, nice air-con bus and jump into one of the local mini-buses. Big mistake - major mistake!!

A revolting back-breaking journey took us from Laha Datu, through - you guessed it - mile upon mile of palm plantations to the port of Semporna. J and H disembarked, cranking their backs back into place, feeling nauseous with firm resolutions NEVER to travel in one of those again - O didn't notice! Oh to be a kid! Wriggling in discomfort, sat over the axle of a minibus whilst school aged kids sat unmoving in front of us, unflinching did not help.How did they train themselves not to move and wriggle??

There are some things that go with 'travelling' that should definitely be done at one point in your life and one point only - crap local transport being one of them. Both of us resolved that as we had not done this in our late teens/early twenties it was too late to do it now.

The fishing town of Semporna was a relatively unremarkable place, but for the fact that the hotel was right on the fishing jetty. Watching shoals of fish being 'disembarked' early in the morning was a stark reminder of the loss of fish stock in the world as the mountains of fish caught by five boats was shocking. Semporna has a vast stilt-village, built we are told as non-land based homes are not taxed - very inventive. Such villages were also built in the middle of the water miles out to sea to serve the needs of the seaweed farms - a very remote and fragile existence.

We head of the next morning by speedboat ( O chuffed to bits!) to three nights of 'luxury' on a dinky island.

For Gerry's reading this blog, the irony of booking onto an island called 'Pom Pom will not be lost! Pom Pom being Maya's phrase of choice in Tuscany last year.

Pom Pom island is the perfect R and R after all the bone rattling journeys and it did not disappoint. Aqua blue waters so clear you can see the minutest of detail met us.Our Water bungalow was divine - set over perfect waters with our own pontoon to snorkel in warm waters with coral right under us - perfect! Sitting in the villa, you could hear the fish jumping in the waters and walks back to the island never disappointed with hundreds of different coloured starfish, turtles, nemos galore!

Night one saw J and H tucking O into bed and heading with bottle of wine to said private pontoon for some star gazing (bah humbug - too many jetty lights!) and a night swim.All going well -fun had by all until J stung by jellyfish. Needless to say no more night swims were taken!

This will be a small blog as not much happens on a paradise island. Both H and J did some diving, lucking out as the island was practically empty so there was only one other diver. J, having not dived for 7 years was rather pleased about this. H saw 6 turtles in one dive, one at incredibly close range as whilst looking at some coral said turtle emerged from a cave right in front of her, requiring her to get out its way - fast!

Pom Pom is part of a chain of islands known as the Sipidan islands, Sipidan itself being the most famous. With fierce competition to get one of the 120 daily permits to dive Sipidan and aware it was quite an advanced divers spot, H and J stayed put at Pom Pom and its more amateur diver friendly spots. Muck diving is the local speciality and with that, the opposite approach to sightings than anywhere else we have dived where the biggest and most colourful are sought. Here micro-sightings are revered so a guide, pointing out the tiniest of creatures added a new dimension to our diving experiences.

An idyllic coffee spot between dives was had on a shallow sand bar in the middle of the sea - Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out!

Sadly for O this gorgeous place hasn't been his favourite - an unsightly prickly heat rash hit him and with it a rather short fuse! Thank god for Ben 10 on the ipod! He is looking forward to going back to the jungle- 'this place is boring' has been voiced quite often. Sadly the boy who hurled himself into life-rings in Thailand to come snorkeling with us was not up for it here.

Poor J began to understand the size difference between Malaysians and Europeans. Having left his swimmies in Singapore, island staff rang their mainland office to buy shorts. First go produced a chic little number that O would have struggled to get in; second attempt equally hopeless with the realization that XXL in Malay sizing is something akin to a UK ladies size 10. Into the breach strode Calvin Klein and a rather red-faced J!

'activities' on pom pom were cycling and kayaking so both were attempted- hmmmmm - H reminded why she hates kayaking, J not too enthralled, however oft sightings of turtles did make it worthwhile (The speed with which they can move on H's mind later when she had to move out of ones way whilst diving!). Kayaking 'done', next cycling. The bikes looked like mountain bikes, but had no gears and were set for Asians, so with knees tucked under chin, off Gerrys set, only to be bogged in sand after a short while - ok, so no more activities thank god!

Pom Pom has its own turtle hatchery and attempts to be as conservation orientated and eco-friendly as a resort catering for westerners wishing to have paradise, with A/C can be.A nest was stolen by a few months before sadly. One evening saw Gerrys off on a star-lit walk to spot turtles - thinking it would be best to go with someone, assuming it was best not to take oneself off for a spot off solo watching, we were frog-marched by a local chap who obviously had an important footie match or something to get back for -no sightings were had (maybe because we were so heavy footed!), but we did have a good workout!