After the pleasures of Juara beach, we were almost at Salang. (see previous post!)

We came round the headland and made our way into Salang Bay and, wow, what a difference from Juara!

Set into the side of a great climb of raw forest, this sleepy, scuba village enchanted us immediately. Wooden chalets snake either side of a single path that was just wide enough for the motorbike and sidecar that took our bags to Ella’s Place. There are no cars in Salang.

We unpacked our bags and made our way to the DiveAsia dive school. The lovely, twenty-year-old Niki, a young woman from the Netherlands who has been a committed scuba diver for half her life, was our instructor, but not before we had watched the required six hours of instructional PADI video required to pass the first day. Fortunately, Chloe and I worked together to get it done quickly and managed to get our first ‘confined’ swim in before the sun disappeared. I say ‘confined’…these first dives are usually in a swimming pool, but there being a decided lack of swimming pools on Tioman, and a beautiful big ocean on our doorstep, all of our dives were directly in the sea! It was bizarre to be sitting on the sand, under the waves, breathing.

The following day we did more confined dives; we completed exercises in breathing underwater, practised the emergency procedures again and again. Just after lunch we were able to go out into the reef just inside the bay. It was amazing to be so close to land, and yet see so many beautiful tropical fish and coral. On the second, deeper dive my sinuses started to hurt in a rather ominous way; I started to worry about the following day’s even deeper, full Open-Water dives off islands further out to sea in the marine park.

On Monday, the day of the Big Dives, we awoke excited and eager to get going, but my sinuses were throbbing and I feared I would not be able to go descend to the required 18 metres with the group. Sure enough, as I was all wet-suited and flipper-booted, I descended with Niki for the second of three final tests before I was allowed to dive proper, and at just three meters down, my head felt like it would explode. This meant I it wasn’t safe for me to complete the required practice dives and I had to return to the boat. I was very disappointed and Chloe went off with Niki alone. However, as I sat despondent on the boat, I’m glad to say that Chloe had a wonderful time.

She had a few extra skills to practice of her own, all easily done. Apart from, when at 16 meters under the sea, she had to remove her mask and put it back on. This was something we had practised close to the surface half a dozen times, but the depths and the disorientation meant she inhaled through her nose (silly Chloe!) Water flooded into her throat and her body panicked. Coughing and spluttering at the depth of a double decker bus is a terrifying experience. However, indomitable Chloe recovered herself quickly (I’m not sure I could have!) and went off exploring.

Down in the reef she saw lots of little Nemos swimming in and out of their anemonemonies, explored the beautiful reef and was lucky enough to see a turtle, before returning to the boat to tell me all of her underwater escapades.

We went for lunch and a break to avoid decompression sickness at Tekek. I must admit, I was still under my self-pitying, despondent cloud whilst we ate and couldn’t have been very pleasant company. We got back in the boat and headed out to the island that one can see from Salang Bay. As everyone got kitted up (there were a dozen other divers on the boat, including instructors) I made my peace with going snorkelling. I said goodbye to Chloe and watched her sink into the depths, then struck out for the island.

I had a lovely time swimming on the North side of the little island and struck out for the headland. Unfortunately, there was a very strong current and I was struggling to make any headway. I lay on my back, getting my breath back, and decided to go back after one last look. I submerged my head underwater and what should I see, swimming five meters, directly below me? A beautiful turtle! We swam together for a good few minutes. I was so enchanted by this graceful animal, and so focused on keeping up with it, that I didn’t notice that it had helped me break the back of the current and the going got much easier. It came up to my level, only two or three meters away from me. It surfaced briefly, took a big gulp of air, and dived out of sight. I followed her with my eyes and into view came a reef shark! It swam along with its posse of attendant fish and disappeared the way I had come. As you can probably tell by the way I am describing it, this was a magical experience and I felt blessed to have interacted with these beautiful creatures up close. I swam around, singing to myself nonsense songs about fish, until I grew tired and lay waiting for the boat to pick me up.

Unfortunately, Chloe had taken the GoPro with her to the bottom of the sea, so there aren’t any images or videos of my experience. Chloe’s dive was not as eventful as her previous dive, but she did get attacked by a very dangerous, extremely territorial Trigger Fish, and narrowly avoided a very painful jab to the foot. (Chloe interrupts to say that her dive (although it didn’t include a turtle this time, or a reef shark, was absolutely amazing….and she can’t wait to go driving again).

Back in Salang, Chloe got her certification and after lunch we decided to explore and try to get to the abandoned hotel that is placed up on the curve of the bay. However, we took the wrong path and ended up climbing up the steep, wild path up towards the next beach, following a large power line.

After about 20 minutes of hard slog, we thought we could see the top of the steep jungle path!

Unfortunately, this was not the case and we continued on for another 20 minutes before the heat, the humidity and our own exhaustion got to us and we turned back. We did, however, see a bird of paradise and a mummy and baby monkey!

That night, on our way to dinner as we walked along the wave kissed beach, I wondered at how lucky we are to be witnessing all this beauty. As the warning lights of boats in the bay twinkled in the darkness- Christmas tree lights of blues and reds and greens- umber flashes of lightening brooded in the hot dry thunderstorm that lashed out in the dark expanse of the water beyond. We stood entranced by the violent, strange lightening- the colour of which we had never before seen and which brought to mind the magical storms of mythology.

That we could bare witness to the grace of the sea in all it’s dark, graceful, mysterious beauty, and that we have only spent two weeks of many exploring South-East Asia together, reminded us how extraordinarily lucky we are to be living as we are. Even in the mundane moments of this trip; sitting in the bus station at three in the morning, when either of us are feeling unwell, or itchy with bites, or awake in the night listening to the frogs, desperate for sleep, we promise that we shall endeavour never to take this glorious adventure for granted.

When Tuesday morning rolled around we went for one last dip in the bay. As Chinese families started their oh-so-safe, life-jacketed fun, we visited the tropical fish on the reef. After a quick rinse in the shower, we packed our bags and made our way to the jetty for the start of yet another odyssey- this time from Tioman to the mainland, to Kuala Lumpur on an overnight bus, to the airport in a taxi with a wonderful Dutchman from Utrecht, for an early morning flight to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
As always, we will keep you posted.
Love, the Backpack Duo x