First impressions are not always accurate

Pulau Pangkor was eagerly looked forward to as we had booked five whole consecutive nights in the one place, by the beach, to chill out. A five and a half hour bus ride to get there, most of our day was in the bus, gazing out at the passing scenery-the majority being Palm oil plantations but what was left of the native forests was stunning.
My dear friend had kindly slapped my snobby wrist the day before when I, complaining about the bus ride I was going to have to endure she said: "Isn't this why you've gone travelling? To travel? Isn't this part of the process?" Thank you, yes indeed it was and I spent the entire journey watching the world go by out of my public bus window. This is what I noted. Buses in Malaysia are excellent. They are all nearly new, are comfy, have air con and some even have massage seats. They are also incredibly cheap for the many kilometres they travel. We paid less than $10AUD for ours although departures are usually 10 minutes prior to schedule. The highways are also impressive with sculpted to perfection bromeliads and bougainvillea and numerous other shrubs planted alternatively and beautifully.

A quick ferry ride from Lumut to Pangkor and a pink taxi to our villa saw us settle in to our new home for the next five days despite the owners trying to upgrade us.
"Are you sure you don't want the chalet?" she asked after escorting us to our 'economy' room.
"Is there hot water?" I asked.
"Yes"
"And we also have air con and a TV?"
"Yes"
"And we get a double bed and towels?"
"Yes"
"We love it! We're happy, thank you!" We both replied, feeling quite chuffed in our simple little room as she shut the door miffed. Opening up the curtain, I said to Tony, "I wonder what the view's like?" and soon spotted 3 long tail macaques jumping off our roof and into the tree next to our

window. We both said in unison,
"LUXURY!"

Eager to explore and get some early dinner we went out wandering. Still in the height of the Chinese New Year holidays, Nipah Bay was heaving with local Malaysian tourists and we were engulfed in motorbikes riding around us, boat fumes and enthusiastic restauranteurs eager to sell us their fish-some still flapping desperately around on their table. Making our way down to the beach, we were saddened to see the state of it. Litter was everywhere and yet no one seemed to notice it. Piles and piles of plastic bottles, left over lunches, plastic bags and wrappers were not only in the sea but all over the sand. It was truly astounding that

people could swim in the water with so much pollution surrounding them. Eating our dinner in a restaurant overlooking the sea, I could see Tony's face getting sadder and sadder and we agreed to have a look at the adjoining beach the next morning. Not even the spectacular sunset seemed to shake him from the disappointment.

Walking 5 minutes up the road the next day, we were greeted with an unexpected sight. The pollution that existed on the other beach had been painstakingly cleaned up and whilst not perfect, this bay had white sand, emerald waters and hammocks swaying in the breeze. There were restaurants serving a wide variety of cuisines and

even cheeky beers. The collection of westerners was a clear giveaway that this was the place to be and we eagerly settled in. Being low tide, I walked to a deserted island across from us, dodging the sea slugs and coral to arrive at a beautiful little beach. The water was warm and inviting and it truly looked stunning. Our smiles said it all, as did the many hours that we spent on the beach, returning to our room only to shower and then return for dinner.
Pangkor grows on you. Hours seem to disappear as one moves gently in one's hammock, lulled into slumber by the repeated waves crashing just meters away. Eagles soar overhead, chameleons cock their heads warily and hornbills swoop through the trees. Even the macaques are chilled out, coming to the beach at sunset to watch in amazement the beautiful colours in the sky. Enjoying big sleep ins and lazy long breakfasts, our only decisions are which hammock to lie in, what sunset has been the prettiest and when it might be time to eat.
We have found an amazing roadside stall that sells roti and have taken to ordering numerous each day and eating a picnic on the sand. These days have given us so much joy and have been some of the best days of our lives. This place could easily be described as paradise, and we are loving having such a long time to relax here; catching up on writing, reading books and listening to favourite tunes.