300 pk headhunter

Happy me leaving the island yesterday.

then we heard that only last week one of Mari Mari backpackers boats was drifting for 12 hours on the China sea. I am so happy we Dutch choose not to take Mari Maris boat back but this closed catamaran from the day resort in the bay on the right. This boat had almost no bumping at all.

 

Here the Mari Mari float. Normally the partly closed one on the right will drive the guests the 40 km from kota belut to mantanani island, but when I went to the island his engines did not  work and we travelled over high sea in an open diving boat. The boat regularly was almost standing on his back, only a miracle away from tipping. But that was not all, think about how it feels when you bump from 50cm above your seat down on the hard plastic. Imagine jumping up and down many many times a minute.

Before we left we all first had to sign that we travelled on our own responsibility. Then we did not know yet that several of these boats had gone down. But no wonder something goes wrong the way they drive the boat into the highest wave and giving grass as much as possible with its 2x 150 horse power motors. One way takes about 1 hour. I asked them if they could drive a little bid slower because my back was hurting after jumping up and down this hard for 2.000 times. But no they were only thinking about giving the daytrippers on the boat as much time on the island as possible. A back operation was not to their worries a bid. Later I heard even people with healthy backs getting back pain on the boat.

Anyway I was not looking forward to it having to go this way back.

After we arrived totally soaked not a dry dread on our bodies we got a not so welcoming welcome. First thing said ,you are only allowed to swim in the marked baby swimming pool not outside because that will be too dangerous. On my question if there was coral and fish there the answer was No.

Why do people go to a tropical island? Yes, I enjoy the peace and quietness and the snorkeling, with reading a book in between. They told us, you have to go by boat to go snorkeling. Free? No of course. Because I always snorkel 5 to 6 hours from the beach I became pretty disappointed. Could I get my money back when leaving earlier? No.

Ok, then I had to make the best out of it. One night stay already being 200 rm I did not have budget for boat snorkeling. Later I heard this even was 2x 45 minutes snorkeling only. So the next day we went exploring the island in search for tropical fish and coral. We walked from Mari to the left to the end of the island. We soon found out here there was too much current, so we went around the corner, yep fish even a lot.... and then while we were very close to the beach our head was almost cut off by one of the resort's speed boats. We walked further around, here my companion became so scared by a speed boat coming to us that she run out shaking leaving the island earlier the next day.

MARI MARI BACKPACKERS RESORT

The breakrfast is always inclusive , or better obliged, and you are charged 20 RM for it.  Sometimes there is no bread, white, at all. nassi goreng looks like rice with almost nothing in it, but you can take egg and sausage to it. Tea and coffee are free, good. Although you can read about a la carte from 08.00 to 21.00, this is after the breakfast.

The Mari Mari dorm.

One woman had booked a dorm bedv but she was offered a cabin insteaed because it was too dangerous to sleep there alone.

also walking alone was discouraged, not safe that either.

SNORKELING

Tip. Walk to the right, to the bay. Go into the water in the last third part of the bay. You will find coral, some even alive, the more out you swim. Also about 20 types of fish. It takes about 30 minutes walgking to it, and back. The day trip catamaran will drive along the forest coast.

We did not know about boats not reaching the island. I wonder how many snorkelers have died by their head cut off or exploded by a speed boat running over it. Needles to say, almost all the coral has died and most fish have left.