The
Sea Gypsy Tip List for a happy holiday!
- Have about RM 20 in change with you for paying the jetty fee of RM
5 per
person and perhaps a drink if waiting at Tanjong Leman.
- Pack everything into black garbage sacks and then put the black sacks
into your bag. Even when the sea if flat the bottom of the boat can be wet. We
provide plastic bags to pack wet swimsuits, etc. into just before leaving.
- Have a bag with a change of clothes and a small towel in your bag so
that if you get wet on the boat ride home you won’t be sitting in wet clothes
for the car journey.
- Practically the only footwear you need is a pair of flip-flops. If
you’re energetic and like to walk or run a pair of trainers would be handy.
- Swimsuits, sarongs, sun hats, T-shirts, shorts, cotton tops and skirts
or dresses is the only clothing required. Leave the glad rags and the jewelry at
home. The mosquitoes come out at sun up and sun down (only bothersome for about
an hour) so you may like to bring long pants and a long sleeved cotton shirt if
you don’t like to use mosquito repellant. We recommend Off (which we also sell
in our shop), the herbal ones sound great but don't appear to do the job. Citronella
oil not only smells delicious but is great for dabbing on wrists and ankles for
those among you that will always attract an insect no matter what time of day.
- Start taking large quantities of Vitamin B and eating as much garlic as
possible one week before your trip as this will change the aroma of your sweat
and make you unattractive to mosquitoes (apparently).
- Oil is the answer to the Sand Fly. Repellants, no matter what they may claim, really seem to have no effect. Oil stops them completely. It is irrelevant what oil, cooking, baby, etc., but we recommend sun oil to avoid being cooked. Do not substitute it for your regular sun lotion simply put it on over the top. The best tip in the world for Sand Flies is to by a bottle of spray on tanning oil, pour a little out, add a small bottle of Tee Tree Oil and a few drops of liquid disinfectant (e.g. Detol). spray this on and no sand fly will touch you! The recipe comes from Australia, where they really know about sand fly problems, and is known as bush oil over there. (Amazing what I've been finding out since Richard started boarding school in Perth!)
Note: This is a great tip if you
are traveling anywhere in the world that has Sandflies. My first encounter was
in West Africa about a hundred years ago (or so it seems). Don't forget the
mainland jetties are quite often the place where you get attacked and not the
actual beach that you are going to. If in doubt put the oil on your feet and
ankles before you get there.
P.S.
Some recent guests from New Zealand said they expected to be greeted with swarms
of Sand Flies, as
encountered in the South Island back home, and almost didn't come. They asked me
to point out that for most people the Sand Flies are not noticeable and much of
the time they are not there at all!
That’s about all. Don’t hesitate to email enquiries@siburesort.com if you need any further advise about what to bring, or more likely what not to bring as we do try to provide most things (including beach towels, children’s toys, books and games, plus a very loveable Golden Retriever named Henry who loves to play and swim).
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Contact Us at Sea Gypsy Village Resort & Dive Base - Pulau Sibu,
Malaysia.
