As the boat sped away from the mainland I was reminded of the same trip we made three years ago in much stormier weather. Luckily this time the sun was shining with only a pleasant breeze. We dropped some passengers off on Perhentian Kecil (the small island) and got a view of the Impiani resort as we headed towards Besar. It was in a state of disrepair which explained why we couldn't get accommodation there this time.

The boat was too big to take us to shore so we jumped ship and made it to shallow waters before unloading all the bags, learning the hard way that baggage wheels don't work well on sand! We were met at reception and taken to our adjoining beach-side chalets. We turned the aircon on and stuck some water in the fridge before heading out to enjoy the island.

It was nice to relax in a topical paradise, sun, sea and sand galore. After having our fill of lazing on the beach and swimming in the water we headed down to Watercolours Dive Centre to check our bookings for diving over the next few days. We got all the paperwork out of the way and arranged to arrive the next morning for our refresher dive.

For convenience we ate dinner at our hotel a mere 10m from our chalet and were entertained by the bats whipping around the lights catching insects with incredible agility. We went through some of the diving books to make sure everyone was ready for tomorrow and lazed out on our terrace with a bottle of Boracay rum Kerry had bought in the Philippines.

I would like to say our night's sleep was an improvement on the night before but again we were woken in the middle of the night, and by something much less pleasant than a hotel employee. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning when something woke me. I sat bolt upright and was convinced there was someone in the room. Actually there was something in the room! I grabbed my torch and spotted a rat sitting on our dressing table, unperturbed by my attention. I did however get a response once I had thrown a pillow at it, sending it scurrying into a hidey hole in the wooden walls.

The next morning Dad and I got up early to go for a run (my fitness test is due when I return) and we discussed the night's excitement. I found that our unwelcome guest had been making the rounds and had also been frequenting the rent's room. They reported waking to find it just before 0200 and think they probably chased it into our room and then vice versa. Overturning the chairs Dad found a nest built into the hollow base, filled with food wrappers and even a sock and reported as such to the hotel management. With some persuasion the chair was replaced, the holes blocked up and an apology made.

Drama over we headed to Watercolours for our day's diving :)

Since I was still diving current I got to play and take some photos whilst the family practised their skills-taking their masks off, recovering their regulator (don't forget to blow bubbles) etc. Once done we could all come together for a 'fun' swim. We saw blue spotted rays, fake nemos and bat fish to name a few.

Watercolours was all that we remembered: good pre-dive briefs, helpful staff, complementary hot drinks and snacks and debriefs after each dive. It was a great place to get everyone diving again in confidence. However, the Watercolours Restaurant, right next door, had improved! The food was really good and the staff were accommodating if we had a tight turnaround at lunch before another dive.

That afternoon, Dad and I did a second dive with a German couple and were treated to a lion fish, crown of thorns starfish and as we did our safety stop, we found ourselves in the middle of a shoal of bumphead parrot fish, which are massive! Since I didn't get stung, bitten or poisoned by anything I think I can say it was a successful days diving.

Mum and Kerry had enjoyed a relaxed afternoon in the café enjoying the fruit juices and the wifi and they popped over for our debrief when we returned. Reunited we headed home, all excited about tomorrow diving.