The vivid blue sea meeting the azure sky and a sandy beach are what you can expect when you visit Pandan Pandan Island. This small island with lush vegetation is the perfect getaway for those who wish to lie on the beach and sun-worship or go snorkeling.
This destination is actually right in front of the Usukan Cove lodge sited on the mainland, Kota Belud. The boat ride to this beautiful islet is about 20 minutes and quite enjoyable at that especially for those who love the wind on their face and hair. It is a wonderful way of feeling the natural ambiance of the sea and sun.
The water is crystal clear, so much so that one can see the corals on the sea bed. Those who actually go down into the sea to look at the corals will see colourful fishes and healthy coral growth. They can be amazing to behold.
Guests who come on a tour to visit this place usually have one hour to explore the island, enjoy the sun and the snorkeling. They will then be brought to another diving site around the island.
After enjoying the sojourn in the sea, guests will be transferred to the mainland’s beach-side for kayaking. Then its lunch, where guests can hope to sample a barbecue buffet such as fried rice vermicelli, rice, vegetables, fish, squid, prawn and chicken wing will be served.
When lunch is done, guests can rest for a while. They can languish on the hammocks, under the palm trees or just sit around and enjoy the ambiance. Or they can catch a tan.
Besides enjoying the natural environment, guests are also shown the importance of conservation where they are shown how to replant corals.
They are shown how to plant the coral which are then dropped into the sea at the pontoon area.
Guests will also be shown sustainable fishing where the tour guide will carry out a demonstration how to cast a net into the water. This is a traditional fishing method.
The tour company that services this area is Inno Travel & Tour Services Sdn Bhd. It’s general manager Mohd Sharuddin Mohd Wali shared that the daily tour to the island starts at 7am and ends at 3.30pm.
“We will pick our guests up from their respective hotels in Kota Kinabalu and then proceed to our destination. The coach should reach the bay by about 9am. They will be accorded light refreshment and then a safety briefing will be carried out,” he said.
According to him, the safety briefing is a must and should be carried out without fail every time guests arrived.
“The safety of our guests is paramount. We will not compromise on that. After the briefing they will sign the liability form and they may change into their swimming suit.”
He also said that he wants to ensure that the environment there is not impacted by tourism, by limiting the number of visitors to 50 to 60 people, with a maximum of 100 people per visit.
For those who wish to go to Usukan Cove Lodge, it is located beside Kampung Kuala Abai at the coast of Kota Belud. It is 76.8km from Kota Kinabalu which takes about one and a half hour drive.
More information can be acquired from Inno Travel at +6088212828 or email: inno@sabahholidays.com.-ce/BNN
