Pulau Perhentian Bubu Long Beach Resort

Bubu Resort in Perhentian Hotel Rooms
Bubu Perhentian view from the jetty
The Bubu hotel viewed from the end of the arrival jetty.

After my trip to beautiful Perhentian I thought I would do a quick write up on my experience. If you have never been I have one word for you: GO!

How to get there: There are three ways I know of. Take the bus, drive, or fly. I have heard the bus trip is 9 hours, driving all the way is likely only an option if you have two drivers (please do not be the sleepy dead hero and do it solo in one go), or fly. I decided to fly with my preferred airline, Firefly. I like their aircraft and as a corporate account holder I get some small perks if I need to change flights/passengers. The fact you leave from nearby Subang instead of the horrible cattle shed waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy out at the KLIA and dont have to worry about buying luggage allowance or food are also factors worth consideration. Also it was the cheapest!

One thing you have to watch out for on the firefly aircraft is that the over head compartments are very small. If you are a photographer a smaller Lowepro back pack will work. Into this I was able to fit the following: Canon 5DMk3, Canon 650D (backup), 135mm F2.0L, 85mm f1.2L, 24-70 F2.8, 16-35mm F2.8L, Speedlight 600EX. I could probably have gotten by with my Nikon D3, however it is a taller and noticeably heavier camera, all part of the price for being more rugged.

If you check in to the same hotel I used then you will get picked up from the Kota Bahru airport and driven south for about an hour to the jetty. You will be asked to pay an RM5 tax by a customs officer before boarding your boat. This is supposed to be put into a fund for the protection the marine environment. I have no idea where you can find updated information on what these efforts may be.

The fast boats takes 30 minutes to get to the island. Make sure you know which island you are going to as there are two of them.

Where to Stay: If you are on a tight budget or want to “slum it” you have lots of options. Most places have fans and likely have hot water for limited times during the day. My own criteria was:

  1. Must have an in room safe so I can secure my camera equipment.
  2. Must be a place I want to come back to at the end of the day
  3. Have decent food.
  4. Accept credit cards (just in case)

My back packing days are more or less over and with over 25 countries under my belt by the time I was 25 I think its time to have some comfort now and again. With these as my criteria there was only one location that would foot the bill: Bubu Long Beach Resort on the small island of Perhentian Kecil.

Bubu Hotel Perhentian Island

Welcome to the sun bleached Bubu resort on Long Beach

Boat times do not sync very well with check in and check out times however that will give you time to chill out and take in the venue.  Below you can see the general layout. The ground floor rooms open out towards the beach front while the middle and top rooms open towards the rear. They are accessible via staircases either end and an open walk way facing the hill side jungle, and if you are over towards the right of the photo you will see the power generators. My room was the one in the top right of this photo and despite being the closest to the generators I didn’t find the noise disturbing.
Bubu Resort in Perhentian Hotel Rooms

The lower rooms of the Bubu have entry ways that lead towards the beach.

The beach bar offers two free cocktails every evening if you are staying there. Either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, so the kids can join you too. Be warned that a long day on the beach will make that second Maitai a wee bit more relaxing than you were prepared for   🙂
Bubu Resort Bar free cocktails

Two free cocktails EVERY afternoon from 5pm.

Bubu Hotel Perhentian room view of beach
View from my room in the Bubu Perhentian

My room view was simply awesome. I could wake up to this every day and reminded me of my childhood home. The breakfast area is in the thatched building to the left. They have a proper coffee machine and barista which translates into: Best coffee at any resort I have been to up to this time.
Bubu Perhentian room interior

Interior of my 3rd floor room at the Bubu.

Here’s a look at my room interior. Good air conditioning. Clean interior. No phone. No TV. Comfortable bed. Perfect.
Bubu Perhentian bathroom interior

Bathrooms were small, nice and clean. Hot water all day.

Bathroom was clean, has hot water all day and good pressure in the showers. I did find the shower floor slightly slippery and it nearly caused me a problem. There is a compound available in hardware shops that can alleviate the slipperiness. I hope they apply it soon…hint…hint
Bubu Perhentian room safe

The Bubu guest rooms have an in room safe. Probably the ONLY hotel that does on the island.

The in room safe was perfect. Easily big enough to accommodate all of my camera gear and then some. It provides peace of mind when you are out and about. While crime is certainly not in your face like in a big city, I heard petty theft is an issue and a friend who goes there regularly knows of someone having their camera stolen. Better safe than sorry.
The beach area in front of the Bubu Resort

The beach area in front of the Bubu Resort

The primary purpose of going to the island is the beach and sea. The beach is very nice powdered coral and the water is very clear compared to the Klang river and Port Dickson, so you will find it an amazing experience. Right next to the Bubu there is a dive shop which takes out several boats in the morning so you can snorkel. It costs RM60 for the full morning with gear rental additional. The gear rental covers mask, snorkel, flippers and life vest. Most people wear the life vest while snorkelling for safety sake however if you are an experienced free diver you don’t need to wear it when in the water. There are 4 locations they take you to see. The first is usually turtle bay. This is a sandy bay with a sea grass growing on the sea bed. It is about 4m deep and we saw two good sized turtles I would estimate were 1m across and 1.5m long. If you are a good free diver then you will love diving down to the sea floor to get a closer look at the turtles. Just be careful coming up as there are a LOT of boats and other divers. Someone mentioned there had been someone hit by a boat a few weeks earlier so please stick with the crowd.

The second location was above a reef which had myriads of fish. They were very friendly and delighted many of the snorkelers as they swam up to have a closer look at us.

The next location was Shark Bay. Hopefully you will be able to see black tipped reef sharks here. They are harmless but most people feel a tinge of trepidation about going in. That’s normal so don’t worry. Swallow your worries and head on in. I was fortunate enough to see one on our trip. It’s not guaranteed. Water is about 5m-6m here.

The last location was a sandy bay had completely different fish, made for speed and agility.

I was keen to get some photos under the water. I rented a Canon G9 from a diving instructor (RM100 per day) along with Canon’s underwater casing for it. It was a good job I did as I found the Dicapac DCP-WPS10 totally unacceptable due to its buoyancy, poor focusing and near impossible control system. The G9 was marginally better. After shooting with a DSLR the response speed of the G9 when in its underwater case the control system was soft and sluggish. Under water it was pretty much spray and pray. All of these photos were taken in water easily accessible and only waist to shoulder deep.

Pulau Perhentian underwater photography of fish
Underwater photo of some interested fish (Canon G9)
Pulau Perhentian underwater photography of fish and reef
Underwater photo of a reef and some fish (Canon G9)
Pulau Perhentian underwater photography of clams
Underwater photo of some large clams (Canon G9)

Perhentian fish

On Perhentian you do not have to go far to swim with the fishes. This is from the jetty.

Photoshoot for Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett
Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett
Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett

I was contacted to provide a photo shoot for Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett for the run up to the Miss Universe 2012 finals in Vegas in December. Part of the experience for each contestant are the photo shoots in evening gowns and swimsuits so we simulated this experience to help Kimberley for her build up. Most Miss Universe contestants are not professional models (but many go on to become one) so these types of shoots are valuable. I found Kimberley to be excellent to work with through out the shoot and has nailed her poses well. After the hair and makeup was  completed it was then on into the shoot which was for another 3 or so hours with a total of over 700 photos being taken.  I can only post up a few of the images here as it is for internal use only, but I would say we had a very successful shoot.

Behind the scenes photos kindly provided by Selvam of Creative Imaging Works whose studio we rented for the shoot. Special thanks to Andrea Fonseka for providing the team and artistic direction.

We wish Kimberley all the best for the finals.

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett checking her poise

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett

Fun on the set

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley LeggettMiss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett

Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett with the team including Andrea Fonseka, Swimsuit designer Steph Tay, Photographer Grant Corban and the support team.

Honeymoon Locations in Malaysia

Four Seasons Malaysia Honeymoon

Four Seasons Malaysia Honeymoon

Over the years I have been to many hotels throughout Malaysia and wanted to put up some of my suggestions.

Four Seasons Langkawi Island: Intimate and quiet. The perfect honeymoon destination where everyone know your name. You can enjoy the infinite pool, water sports, cycle rides to waterfalls. his hotel tops my list for couples who want that something special. They have a variety of specials for honeymoon couples so best you call ahead.

Pangkor Laut Resort: Another very pleasant location.  A bit busier and will feel a bit more hustle and bustle, but a tasteful resort experience.

Datai & Andaman Hotels: The Datai and Andaman are both fantastic places. Deciding between the two can be difficult.

Westin Langkawi: Lovely beach and larger scale than the above resorts. It can feel like a family holiday destination.

Tony Blair in Malaysia

Tony Blair Visit to Malaysia

Tony Blair was the guest of honour at a special dinner event in Kuala Lumpur. The event was low key, so not mentioned in many newspapers. We were chosen to be the photography team to cover the event. For those who don’t know, Tony Blair served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2007.

Tony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to MalaysiaTony Blair Visit to Malaysia

Dac and Wai Pin ~ Wedding Photography at the Westin Langkawi

Westin Hotel Beach Resort Wedding on Langkawi
Westin Beach Resort Wedding Photographer Langkawi
Sunset Photo at the Westin Beach Resort Hotel on Langkawi

Dac and Wai Pin contacted me to be their wedding photographer for their Chinese/Vietnamese/Western fusion beach resort wedding at the Westin Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia. Two very lovely families. The weather was all over the place with rain coming down during the portrait session, partly due to it being a crazy hot day that ended up with a pool party at the end of everything. Good it was a private pool as the party went on into the night. You can view their wedding  below.

Westin Hotel on Langkawi

We had some time to kill before the wedding so took a few images around the Westin. Looks great doesn’t it.

Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The day starts with make up.

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Wai Pin’s gorgeous red Cheongsam

Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Dacs groomsmen ready to go

Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Another photo the bouquet

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Wai Pin arrived at the Tea Ceremony location first

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The tea ceremony would be held on the Westin’s jetty

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Dacs family arrived next

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

And gave his bouquet to Wai Pin who was obviously over joyed

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

And she showed her appreciation

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Nice tea set for the Tea Ceremony

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Dacs family are from all over the world and were separated by the Vietnam War so this was an emotional moment.

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Dac’s mum welcoming her into the family

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Tea ceremony time. Chinese and Vietnamese tea ceremonies are very similar.

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Some quiet words of advice

Tea Ceremony and Chinese wedding on the jetty at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Another view of the Jetty that was used for the Tea Ceremony

Wedding portraits at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The lovely couple after the tea ceremony had finished

Wedding portraits at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Wai Pin looked great

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The Western style wedding was set up on the beach.

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

And everyone’s ready

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

We certainly had some competition in the photography department

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Dac catches his first glimpse of his bride.

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Wai Pin’s brother gave her away

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

A very pleasant setting for a beach wedding I do think!

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Time for the vows

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

“I do”

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Bridesmaids….penny for your thoughts!

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Rings exchanged

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Kisses done. “Right, we’re married!”

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The wedding party group photo….make a note of the beach slope for the next photo.

Beach Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Ok…I am jealous. Very jealous.

Wedding portraits at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

While we were setting up for the next photo we took this quick grab shot

Wedding portraits at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The stunning sunset portrait

Wedding cake at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

The wedding cake (s)

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

These books are a great idea for sharing your life with your friends.

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Time for a fan dance girls

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Listening to the speeches

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

And more speeches

Wedding banquet toast at the Westin Hotel Langkawit the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Time for the couples toast!

Wedding banquet ideas at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

There were a few games with prizes to be won.

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Wai Pin checking on her guests

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Nice family photo

Wedding cake at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Cutting the wedding cake(s)

Wedding banquet at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Good night everybody. See you next time.

Wedding at the Westin Hotel Langkawi

Sunset Photo at the Westin Beach Resort Hotel on Langkawi

 

Property of Grant Corban Photography Sdn Bhd (666138-V)