Layang-Layang
Layang Layang Atoll (Malay for “kite”) rises from the bottom almost 2 km 300 km northwest of Sabah ‘s capital Kota Kinabalu. On a small piece of land there is a chic dive resort, a Malaysian Navy base and a colony of migratory birds. The landscape of Layang-Layang Island is mainly composed of rich thickets of hard corals, some of which grow in shallow water (from 5 m), and the wall breaks down 2 km to the very bottom of the ocean. The dry season period, from February to September, is the best time to visit the reserve. See jibin123.com for Malaysia customs regulations and visa requirements.
How to get there
Light planes fly to the island from Kota Kinabalu (flight time is about an hour).
Layang Layang Hotels
The island is home to the Layang-Layang Resort, which has 86 rooms (including chalets) and offers a 5-day/4-night all-inclusive program with accommodation, meals, equipment rental and instructor services.
Diving in Layang Layang
The Gorgonian Forest begins at a depth of 5-10 m, then abruptly breaks down, where there is a real forest of fabulous gorgonians (15-40 m). Here you can see bushes of ribbon and black corals and reef animals.
The top of the reef wall “D” (“D” Wall) begins at a depth of 5 m, then abruptly the reef goes down at a reverse angle, cutting off the sunlight. Here you can see several bushes of black coral, colorful soft coral dendroneftia and sponges. The coral bushes are inhabited by reef fish, red coral trout and a few large emperor angelfish. Large moray eels settled in the cracks of the wall love to play hide-and-seek with divers; You can often see whitenose reef sharks.
Burrow “Dog Tooth Lair” (Dog Tooth Lair) got its name because of the tuna of the same species. The reef goes to a depth of 8 m, schools of barracudas, fusiliers and surgeonfish live in shallow water, you can meet hammerhead sharks.
Valley (Valley) – a site for easy diving, located at the western tip of the island. It is a gentle slope that starts at a depth of 10 m and descends to 20. There are good thickets of hard corals and many fish: reef sharks, leopard sharks, red coral trout, snappers, wrasse, tiny gobies and blennies, crabs and shrimp.
Malacca
Malacca is a large peninsula in Southeast Asia, which is divided between the countries of Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, which owns its southern part. It is on the Malay Peninsula that most of the country’s resorts are concentrated. These are the states of Terengganu and Kelantan, and the largest cities are Kuala Lumpur and Ipo. In addition, the town of the same name Malacca is also noteworthy.
How to get to Malacca
Travel time from Kuala Lumpur is approximately 2.5 hours.
Entertainment and attractions of Malacca
The sights of the city of Malacca include the ruins of the Portuguese fortress founded by Albuquerque, and the church of St. Paul (1521), in which the body of Francis Xavier rested until 1553. In addition, the Cultural Museum, A’Famosa Fort, Stadhuis Town Hall, Christ Church, Cheng Hung Teng Temple and the souvenir street of Jonkers Street are worth seeing.
A tour of the city should start with the historic Malacca River. Next to it, on Jalan-Tun-Tan-Cheng-Lok Street, there are the most exquisite examples of the architectural heritage of “baba-nyonya”. Jalan-Hang-Lekiu opens onto Jalan-Tokong Street, where the Buddhist “Temple of Green Clouds” Cheng-Hun-Teng stands. From here it is worth walking to Jalan Tukang Besi, to the Hindu temple of Sri Poyyatha Viyanagar. Then, return again to the river and cross it, get to Jalan-Kota Street, which goes around Dutch Square (“Dutch Square”) and St. Paul’s Hill. Here is the Church of Christ, next to which is the Main Post Office. The oldest buildings of Malacca are located near the hill of St. Paul: the Dutch town hall Stadhuis, the ancient Portuguese bastion of Port de Santiago, the Sultan’s Palace is a copy of the real palace buildings of the 15th century (it houses the Museum of Culture of Malacca). Directly opposite the palace is the Memorial of the Declaration of Independence.
Unique souvenirs made by local artisans can be found at Glatton’s Corner, and a great dinner can be found in the Portuguese Village of Malacca.
