Kapas Island, the unknown jewel

Around 8.00 in the morning we said goodbye to our hosts and left Kecil Perhentian Island by boat taxi. We walked from the pier to the nearby bus station. We bought some snacks and about an hour later we were sitting on the bus to Kuala Terengganu. We arrived there around noon. Before we boarded the next bus to Marang, we had a delicious Nasi Ayam at the bus station. For CHF 1.25 we were served a homemade iced tea, rice, chicken, salad and soup! Everything fresh and delicious. Unfortunately, our order got lost. Only shortly before the departure of our connecting bus we received our meals. We couldn't bring ourselves to leave the food. As a result, we missed the bus, but our host was very satisfied with our empty plates. Unfortunately, our next connecting bus was stuck in Ramadan traffic (similar to Swiss Easter traffic) and the arrival was delayed by at least an hour. Since we definitely didn't want to miss the ferry, we decided to take a taxi. Together with three German girls we shared the fare, which surprisingly was hardly higher than the price of the bus ticket. We arrived at the port in time and boarded the boat taxi with five people. The crossing to Kapas Island only took fifteen minutes, but it was very choppy due to the moderate wind. The boat dropped us off right in front of our camping site and within minutes we had set up our small tent. Everything was very relaxed at the campsite. This was very pleasant, but it also meant that the owners didn't know who would stay and for how long, and whether there were still free tents available. We secretly chuckled about the chaotic process – typical Asia.

What we liked about the campsite was the atmosphere. The presence of Spaniards, who made up about half of the guests, created a very family-like atmosphere. Every newcomer was immediately integrated. In the evenings we played volleyball or card games together. Some also cooked together. We didn't bring any food for the few days. We ate at nearby restaurants.

During the day we went on snorkeling trips. One day we took the jungle path to the other side of the island. The way there and back was challenging. The path led steeply uphill and downhill through dried-up river beds and over fallen tree trunks. Truly adventurous. Kapas Island is truly a paradise for snorkeling enthusiasts. We spent about an hour exploring the underwater world on the other side. We discovered different fish and even a shark. The blacktip shark we saw was about 140 cm long – very impressive. And by the way, completely harmless. We liked the relatively healthy coral reef and the colorful fish. Only the washed-up garbage on the shore did not fit into the idyllic landscape. However, plastic waste is a sad reality.

The other excursion took us to the northwestern end of the island. Unfortunately, the reef there was not in such good condition as on the other side of the island. Nevertheless, we had a success. We found two diving masks including snorkels on the seafloor. This made it unnecessary to buy our own masks. Both masks were in good condition.

We spent the rest of the time at the beach. Kapas Island – by the way, we got the tip from other travelers – is truly a jewel. The beaches can almost compete with the high standards of the Philippines. In addition, the island is still relatively unknown and therefore not overrun by tourists.

After four more nights in the tent, we are looking forward to a soft bed. We will take the bus back to Kuala Lumpur by road.