It was a truly amazing experience which touched me to the core
after my visit to Tuba island, near Langkawi in Malaysia. The
moment I stepped foot on this little rustic island, home to 4000
local natives and fishermen, peace descended on me and I felt the
stress, tension, noise of the city fell away...
I was greeted by the curious and friendly smiles and waves of the
people as I hopped onto the motorbike - the key form of transport
on the island - I would later find out that there are only sixteen
cars on this 20 square kilometre island...Thick lush greenery
dotted the horizon, and rich padi fields stretched out and beyond -
cows, and goats were king of the road - they gazed at me, unfazed
as I made my way the traffic of animals...water buffaloes lolled
around in the mud and padi fields, happily soaking in the sun, with
the wind rushing in my ears and the sun streaming on my face, all
my troubles melted away...
The beach front chalet was basic but comfortable - I was struck
again by the ringing silence and surrounding peace. When it was
high tide, the fishes swam right up to the chalet, and they were
soon feeding from my hands...
The highlight of my trip had to be the island trip, where I was
treated to a scrumptious BBQ seafood lunch on one of the private
beaches...fresh fish, crabs, prawns, satay - as they say "the way
to the heart is through the stomach" - that must have been the
moment when I fell hard in love with Tuba and its neighbouring
islands, and has stayed that way since 
the perfect ending to a day filled with idyllic bumming
on the beach all to myself, a visit to the caves - was the
beautiful sunset that graced the skies as the boat made its way
gently back to shore....
I love Tuba, the beautiful people, and the everlasting peace - to
think that rustic and remote islands around the world are fast
becoming extinct, I'm so happy to have discovered a place like Tuba
- I hope it will remain untouched for many generations to
come!
In case anyone is interested, here is some information on Tuba
island:
http://www.langkawismartours.com/island.htm
