Day 2-4: Rawa Island, Malaysia

We were ready for 4 hour road trip from Singapore to the coastal Maleysian town of Mersing. I booked 6.15am car to take us there to make it on time for the latest boat to our destination, Rawa Island. We went through immigration check leaving Singapore and our driver drove so 'passionately' that we made it to Mersing in 2hr 15min. Got lucky that we were able to catch the 9am boat to Rawa for an early check in.

The fact that it was Diwaili, Indian religious holiday, made the trip quite interesting. Previously I was trying to book an island called Batu Batu which was quite untouched but found out that the Sultan of Johor (a State in Maleysia) booked the entire island for a week. I was able to see the Batu Batu from Rawa and thought about taking a short ride up to there to give 'my regards' to the Sultan. Staying at Rawa was interesting as we were given a beach front property that is 100 feet from the China Sea. The weather was quite tropical where we experienced super hot weather coupled with stormy rains at late nights. 

Peacock time!

The service that we received at Rawa was exceptional to say the least. I particularly liked that the staff, who lived on the island year-around, were all around the world. Met folks from Malaysia, Myanmar, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. The lifestyle of an islander is very simple actually. These folks truly enjoyed their job and some of them were able to send money to their families. The food was inclusive and we had delicious buffet and a la carte food that appealed Asian, Indian and Western tastebuds. 

Rawa was the perfect spot for honeymooners where we had a great time to relax and not worry about anything for a few days. Water was super warm and it was great to observe coral reefs as we swam along the shores. We had our fun with playing badminton, fussball, and ping pong. Nights were a bit quiet and we hung out by the bar where I DJ'd for the island for a lil while :)

Look from our unit

Hike to on top of the island

6am - Outside of our beach front 

Outside of our BeachFront Villa

Leaving the island I had great memories in my mind as I looked back at the island sitting in the back of the speedboat. The most sticky of those memories would be us sitting on a beanbag that we laid down on the powder like sand a few feet from the turquoise water as I was listening to my music and reading an engaging book. Nothing beats simplicity!