30-Mar-2010 -- This was the first visit to N6E100. It lies between two small islands, Pulau Payar and Pulau Segantang, famous for the beautiful coral banks off their shores. The archipelago is declared as a marine park and offers protection for the special marine life.
We took the ferry from Kuala Kedah to Kuah which took around 2,5 hours and brought us within 38 kilometres of the confluence. The archipelago Langkawi consists of about 100 islands in a different size. 70 % of the Archipelago is covered with tropical rain forests. After our arrival we started asking around for a boat to Pulau Payar. There is a big tourist boat going to Pulau Payar every morning, but getting from there to the confluence is difficult.
The Island is uninhabited nature reserve and under special Administration because of it. We figured that hiring a private boat would be impossible over there. We asked around at the marina and found a group of card gambling boat drivers waiting for customers. We explained our intentions, haggled for a price and found a driver. He prepared the boat and loaded some extra fuel while we went to the bank to get the money. Getting to the confluence was straightforward. The two boys steering the boat made for the confluence with breakneck speed. It took us a little over one hour to get there and another one to get back. We used all the fuel and arrived back going on fumes.
From the point both nearby Islands Pulau Payar and Pulau Segantang are clearly visible. The water was very warm, which is typical for the Indian Ocean, and its deep blue colour suggested considerable depth. Many tourists visit the archipelago for snorkeling and scuba-diving. You can spot Green Jacks, snappers, young Blacktip Sharks, Moray Eels, Lionfish, colorful Seastars, Sea Cucumbers, Tropical Butterflyfish, Clownfish and many more. We celebrated with fried noodles and some kind of weird fruit juice at the small cook-shop next to the pier.