Swimming with the fishies off Mabul Island

We are here! We've arrived in Mabul, an idyllic island off the southern tip of Sabah.

We find it a bit weird that we are so separated from the locals who look after us here, having generally preferred to eat and hang out with them on the rest if our trip. There's even a barbed wire fence between our resort area and their homes and our curfew is at 6pm! The implication from the staff is that we'll get mugged if we venture out on our own. I've personally never felt threatened in Malaysia, even when I am on my own.

Still, you couldn't ask for more in a resort really. It really is stunning. Only 20 or so tourists here. All here for he diving. The food is great, it's baking hot, there's a pool and we have our own raised hut to sleep in. The military patrols the island too for our protection, after a boat full of divers was taken hostage in 2000.

Being an island, we had to come over by boat from the mainland and saw some tiny, picture-perfect islands on the way. Proper paradise, though I don't much fancy living on one by myself. Too remote.

There are wild dogs and skinny cats with docked tails wandering around everywhere. Timid creatures. We nearly squished an iguana whilst driving over from the mainland. The minibus driver screeched to a halt though and moved cautiously around it while it ambled on.

We've done two boat dives already (the dive masters are gorgeous!) and tomorrow are off to Sipadan, the real reason people flock here. It's clear, deep and full of interesting things, if something of a challenge even for the most experienced divers, which we're obviously NOT! Hope to see some sharks though and more giant turtles. It's hilarious the way these dopey-faced, massive creatures glide about with such insouciance.

Grub time...wish my ears would stop popping. Equalizing is my main diving problem it seems.