Malaysia, Layang Layang

After a quick stop over in KL (our home town in Asia) to wash and repack, we were off again. And it is not a typo, place is really called Layang Layang. If you are a diver you may have heard of it, if not – not a chance. If former, it has to be on your bucket list, if later don’t really bother. This place is very remote – only one (very expensive) flight from Borneo, about one third way towards Vietnam. It is a tiny island (partially reclaimed from the sea) that hosts mostly Malaysian marine forces and one hotel (guessing not a cheapo, right?). What is it famous for you ask – well, sharks of course! But not any kind of sharks. This is where scalloped hammerheads come to perform their mating rituals and swim in large schools. Yes, this is one of the best places in the world for schooling hammerheads (if you are not a diver, just a quick note: this is one of the holy grails of diving experiences that can make anyone drool). And it happens only once a year, in mid April.

This trip was practically ten years in making. We wanted to go on our first Pelican, but left it too late to book – it was sold out. On our last big trip we had other plans in April. So, this time, we planned in advance. Let’s put it this way: even before we had our plane tickets, we had this holiday booked. And to be on the safe side, we re-mortgaged the house and booked for two weeks.

But first, a stop-over in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo pearl capital. No need to guess why we were here, right? Only thing left to say is that Nives' endurance in pearl buying was matched only by Dejan's expectations of a night out in his favorite restaurant in the world (as a promised reward). Seven St Georges, here we come!

We came to the dive resort with big expectations to face a crude reality. Not a lot of people saw sharks. One or two here and there, but no schools. Disaster! That missed chance on Apo reef seemed even worse now. Nives crying for not seeing them at all and Dejan for not swimming harder to see closer up – very sober mood in our hotel room indeed. But then a miracle happened. After twenty or so years of bad luck with hammerheads (note: we have been filmed with them swimming behind us and not seeing them!) something changed. We were the lucky ones for a change. So much so, other people kept copying Dejan’s underwater footage! And we were there for the golden week as the dive-masters kept referring to it.

In the end how was it? Magical. Amazing. Unique. Absolutely fabulous. Sharks were breath-taking (literally sometimes, as you do have to swim a lot!), but there was so much more: manta rays, tuna... To describe diving in this place with one word would be exciting. You never know what is going to happen. Yes, you do have occasional dives when you spend most of the time in the blue and see nothing, but that is magical as well. Surrounded by blue water everywhere, just floating. Like space in some ways. We absolutely loved this place. So much so, that is now firmly one of our top three favourites (in no order: Palau, Tuamotus in French Polynesia and now Layang Layang).

Let the movie and few more photos speak for us.