Fresh Seafood @ Pulau Aman, Penang

Who don't like SEAFOOD?

I truly adore seafood of all kinds. Hmm, I know not everyone feels the same. Having a seafood feast is always a hearty moment for me!

Tambun itself is a seafood paradise. Yet the tiny island, Pulau Aman, has even fresher goodies to offer! Located just off-coast Bukit Tambun, Pulau Aman is a rustic Malay fishing village. Despite the hustle and bustle in the state's capital, it remains an ideal getaway for residents to pay a day trip. Travellers of modern world also tend to stay overnight to have a quiet respite in this serene and peaceful island.

GETTING THERE

The journey to Pulau Aman takes approximately 45 minutes from Penang Island. From the Bukit Tambun jetty, it is accessible by a five-minutes boat transfer.

Get your two-ways boat transfer from ticketing corner 

The wooden jetty

On the boat

WHAT TO EAT

I was thrilled when I saw a stall selling snacks along the road in the village. Malay style snacks are always right to my taste buds! Highly recommended to grab a quick bite on their lekor. They offer ordinary lekor (fried fish crackers) and a special version topped with mayonese and cheese. The lekor was so gooood~

We were unlucky. It rained heavily last night and thus fishermen did not go to the sea. Therefore, we don't see freshly caught sea creatures. There were only clams, flower crabs, some fishes, and mantis shrimps to be chosen. 

Things did not turned to be that bad. We still managed to have some vigorous mantis prawns from the seller. Later, we would need to carry our bucket of sea produces to the floating restaurant next to the stall. The restaurant would help you to clean and steam your seafood, without charging you a single cent. 

But BEWARE! Their service was extremely poor. Expect a long wait before your food arrives.

The steamed seafood was sweet and addictive. Forget about tiny, little mantis shrimps we usually see, the large mantis shrimps here are fleshy, naturally sweet and firm! Once again, it is an undeniable truth that there is no better way to enjoy fresh seafood than having them steamed.  

You may want to get some accompaniments to your dishes. Try out their signature Mee Udang. It is plain yellow noodles in a thick tomato gravy, topped with three large shrimps. Not too bad, but perhaps it is just too much if we want to say it is legendary.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Having a pleasant walk by the beach, siput-finding, fishing are some other activities you can do for your spare time. A kind reminder, bring along your mosquito repellents!

Pulau Aman

29.05.2016

Photo credit Mei Jie & Jin Yee

Mabul Island @ Semporna, Sabah

Here's the update of my dream-like vacation to Tawau, Sabah! It was November 2013, time flies! Three girls, 3 days 2 nights, free and easy. Let's begin!

Ah~ the comfy hotel we stayed! Yes, this is in the Semporna town. This small town mainly consists of hotels, bars, and oh yeah, seafood restaurants!

You'd never want to miss seafood in Sabah. It is definitely a food heaven for seafood lovers. Spot the crowd in the restaurant! Too bad there were only three of us. We couldn't order more food. The cooking was above average but what worth to comment is, they were really FRESH!

Steamed fish with mango salad

Have no idea of what it is called but this is my favourite vegetable stir-fry in Sabah

Crispy deep-fried sotong (squid)

Steamed scallop with garlic

Good morning Semporna!!!

Here we were, the perfect gateway for beautiful islands. It rained and therefore we had to wait for another hour for the boat. Never mind, we'd never get bored to hop around the town! Could you see that? Semporna is actually a fishing village!

The floating restaurant! Too bad we didn't manage to have a try

Souvenir stalls 

Another best-selling souvenir - Pearls

Hooray! After a thrilling experience on the boat, which took about 45 min, finally we stepped on our destination-Mabul Island.

No doubt, the one behind us is the boat we took to get here.

And hooray again! You'd be definitely amazed by any single view in your surrounding! 

Look like a village? The chalets on the island

Each step taken are on paths like this

Lunch before the explore

Omg~ Loving this colour!

Oh ya, do not forget to view the starry sky here at night! LIKE THIS~

Photo session~ Method 1

Method 2?

Oops!

Ahh~ Breezing~

Wey?

Couldn't hide our excitement, AT ALL!

Define 'crystal clear' please?

Like..A boss =P

Found a path behind our dorm. Time for adventure!

Aha~ A real village! People are living here.

Convenience shop. On the beach!

Another world after walking past the village

The full view of the village

Wow wow wow! Couldn't believe the breath-taking scene in front of us!

Yeah, chilling under the bright sun

A local boy we met! So cute!

Time to get back... for a dive! We signed up for a discovery package, which is opened for non-divers. After a briefing session, we started to get panicked. Mastering the basic skills was not easy though. We can't swim either! BUT, this was the best part of the journey! The world underwater is truly stunning!

I was so AMAZED by everything under the sea! On the first move before the dive, we were lucky enough to see a sea turtle swimming around us. I was really scared at first but its appearance firmed my curiosity and gifted me the courage. 

Everything went smooth and naturally. Officially missing the sea turtles and colourful fishes now. :(

On the boat, suit's up!

It was like a dream. Thank you our pretty instructor!

Setting back to the shipside, wait for the sunset

Hmm.. Couldn't get a full egg-yolk

Wait for the dinner! Were very hungry after the dive

Buffet-style dinner

The night

The best activity at the night - watch the sea turtles!

Unforgettable night working hard for presentation while everyone was sleeping!

Spot my bed -- the bench

Watching the sky getting brighter. A new day yet to come

Some of the people even slept here

Leaving the beautiful island, we headed to Tawau town..just for another seafood lunch!

There are a lot of restaurant to be chosen from. No worry, they are cheap and fresh! We had ours at Kam Leng Seafood.

Clam with Gong Bao sauce

The sauce was thick and spicy

Their signature dish - 7 stars Sashimi fillet!

It is a leopard coral grouper by the way. Would be a good try even you're not a sashimi-lover. They added shredded ginger and the flavor was much enhanced.

Another must-have. The steamed scallop.

Another vegetable that I couldn't recall the name. Yummy~

Crab crab crap~ Soft-shell crab

Will continue to update more on the places explored in Sabah. Semporna is definitely a place full with warm and fun. Please, no more criminal cases and please, sustain the peace and the pureness of the people there. Miss you, everything in Semporna~

Updated Nov 9, 2013