Imagine a mere spec of an island that takes only 15 minutes to circumnavigate, fringed with azure, coral reef shallows before the deep, blue ocean resumes and where turtles greet you on arrival. I introduce Lankayan Island.
Lankayan Island is a 1.5 hour speed boat ride from Sandakan and forms part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) in the Sulu Sea. There is a remote feel to the place and it’s hard to tell east from west in this isolated paradise. Be prepared for an armed military escort though and strategically placed beach bunkers complete with tripod-mounted machine guns. I didn’t really expect a tropical getaway to be heavily guarded 24/7 with militia but oddly I wasn’t perturbed by their presence.
It is a place where there are four seasons in one day from sunny and blisteringly intense heat, to completely overcast and humid, to pouring with rain, to cold and windy, and finally to peaceful waters at low tide. The sky some days was completely obscured in a swathe of blue, grey and white clouds, reminding me of the wet season skyscapes from the northwest of WA and other days it was vivid blue with colossal white clouds.
As soon as you depart the narrow fringe of beach you are completely immersed in the shady and humid environment created by the dense pandanas, hibiscus and other tropical plants.
A stunning array of orchids hang in abundance from the long slender trunks and the trees molt continuously leaving a thick carpet of red, yellow and green leaves on the sandy floor and wooden decks. Large yellow hibiscus flowers also dot the sandy floor like teacups. The island is nothing more than a peaceful and relaxing vegetated sand dune and turtle nursery.
The bungalows are quintessential beach villas straight out of a Lonely Planet guidebook, complete with the timber cladded framework on stilts, steeply pitched roofs, wooden window shutters and verandahs that overlook your own private sun lounges waiting on the beach.
The insides are equally as vernacular with mosquito net enclosed four poster beds, colourful rattan cladding and of course the mandatory ceiling fan lazily circulating. This is the perfect place to relax as there isn’t much to do except snorkel, read and sunbathe.
The warm, clear waters are a snorkelers’ paradise. Short, sparse seagrass meadows quickly give way to coral farms that have seen more colourful days but still teem with fish. In fact I’ve never seen so many fish in all my life; there were hundreds in every pattern, colour and size. Some hide in fanning grasses, others in sand holes in the sea floor, just two eyes peeking out of the darkness. Some looked like Nemo, others like zebras, some all colours of the rainbow others with leopard print; I have no idea what species but the diversity was amazing. It is an underwater wonderland that is easy to get lost in for a couple of hours.
There were also deep blue starfish, large purple clams and black sea cucumbers commonly lolling around on the sea floor and best of all green turtles. They are surprisingly hard to keep up with even though they look like they are moving slowly. Being able to see the patterns on their shells, flippers and head and to just swim with such a beautiful, old creature, even for a few brief moments, was amazing. Seeing their tracks roaming around the island looking for a nesting spot and witnessing the hatchlings emerge was equally incredible. I don’t know where something so tiny gets so much drive to dig itself out of a relatively deep hole and power itself down the beach to the surf. Its instincts must be strong. They literally swarm out of the nest, one or two at first then droves of around fifty rush to escape the sandy nest and head for the lightest horizon.
The restaurant and common area is an impressive decagon pagoda situated out in the ocean connected to the island and jetty by a series of boardwalks. I love the feel of this open style South East Asian architecture that constantly connects you with the environment. I love the shoes off policy for its cleanliness and because there is something so very grounding and homely about walking around barefoot. I also love that you can pick a different table or sun lounge that overlooks a different view with each veggie chow mein meal. Or if you tire of those aspects you can always wander down the boardwalk to one of the sun beds or swinging chairs to watch the day’s light fade and witness the stars turning on a warm, tropical evening just for you.
