Monday, July 5, 2010
Phototrip to Mabul Island, Sabah-Part 2
Here is the sequel from the 1st part. After about an hour travel using the speed boat, we arrived at Spheredivers (our resort). So, our journey at Mabul Island begin. I've stayed there for 3 days 2 nights. The resort is nice and peacefully (most important is affordable). After taking our breakfast (ate bread and jam with a cup of nescafe - i really need this to kick off my day), we packed our camera and gears to go or sight-seeing around the island. It is undoubtedly the water around the island and not the island itself that is the main attraction of Mabul. For non-divers (like us), Mabul will be a haven of relaxation and below are some tips for keeping busy when you need a distraction from just drinking in the scenery and serenity.
The footpath around the island takes me right through a local village. Around 2 000 people call this village, made up entirely of wooden huts built on stilts, home. The villagers are Bajau, a term used to group a number of small tribes and ethnicities found in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Bajau are a people that have lived in the region for hundreds of years. They are often called Sea Gypsies, because of their nomadic lifestyle that is intertwined with the sea from birth till death. While many are Malaysian citizens, many are immigrants from the neighbouring Philippines, often without legal documents. Island village life is as laid back as it gets, but not untouched by the presence of tourists. Handmade necklaces, earrings and seashells are on display in huts that have been converted into small stores.
Children play in the sand around the huts and eagerly pose and smile for every passing camera. Of the villagers, over 800 are children. Their parents work in the neighbouring resorts, or make a living from their boats and the sea as their people have done for centuries. A school on Mabul provides basic primary level education, but those without the required documentation, proving their citizenship or legal residence in Malaysia, are unable to attend. Many of these children follow in their parents’ footsteps and make a simple living as fishermen.
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Spheredivers is not a resort. It is a Homstay
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