Sunday, July 6, 2008

Pulau Papan, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan.

The opportunity of a lifetime came knocking on my door when Gay Leona Peter E. The Manager of Labuan Tourist Information Centre offered me to join her on a trip to Pulau Papan. Labuan Corporation which is Managing the island resort is promoting a recently refurbished resort on the island. After seeing the result of some of my photo shoot of Labuan, she was confident enough of me to assist her in taking some pictures of Pulau Papan. While she will be attending a meeting with the CEO of Labuan Corporation, their officers and some travel agents, I will be free to roam around the island to have a look and take photographs. Its heaven on earth.

Pulau Papan is one of the six other islands that make up Labuan Wilayah Persekutuan. It is an unhabited island and developed into a resort operated by Labuan Corporation. Some travel agents, homestay operators and an officer of Majlis Tindakan Pelancongan Labuan will be coming along for the promotions.
The island is being regularly visited by day trippers and campers from both Labuan and Brunei close by.
We were at the Labuan International Ferry Terminal by 7.30 AM and after a short wait for the rest of the entourage, we took a speed boat ride to the island. The ride took us about 15 minutes and we had a good view of Labuan from the sea.
Boarding the boat to Pulau Papan.

An officer of Labuan Corporation with his two children.


Ujana Kewangan as seen from the sea. My apology for a poor photo.

Most reports said the island was just a mere 5 minutes boat ride away from the main island and I found it possible when we took the 1000 HP boat belonging to Labuan Corporation on the return trip. That boat almost flew us back at 40 knots!
Return boat fares to the island from near the ferry terminal costs RM15.00. They will send you there and pick you up again at the appointed hour or at you request by phone.
This is the view of the island from the boat.
The island has a long jetty jutting out to sea so even if you come in a with a deep draft, anchoring at the jetty won't be a problem.



The office is where you register upon arrival.

The detached chalet has three bedrooms and a kitchen. A dormitory is attached at the back of each chalet.

Another view of the chalet.


The living area is quite comfortable. I have recconmended to Fauziah ismail to bring her books and read them here.
Comfortable sleeping bed.

Leona seems to like the kitchen so much.

There is no supply of fresh water on this island. Rain water is harvested for washing and bathing purposes. Drinking water must be brought from Labuan Island.
Though there are wells dug, the water is very salty.

Electricity is supplied by a generator. I presume they are for night use only.

A prayer hall is available for muslims to pray in group.

Many resting/cum shelter places are available.

It looks like an attempt at making a Japanese garden.

A peek at Labuan from the island.

The beach looks inviting.

Be warned that swimming is at your own risk. This is because they don't have any life guards stationed here.

The beach is large enough to accomodate 2 volleyball courts.

The ladies playing their volleyball too.


Those who are not playing make sure that the chicken are nicely grilled.

While waiting for the chicken BBQ to be done some ladies sit around chit chatting among themselves.

The CEO of Labuan Corporation showed his vocal prowess by belting out a song or two on the Karaoke. With more than 30 Karaoke outlets to practise in Labuan, almost everyone is a pro.

The people from Homestay Kg. Bukit Kuda look at the accomodation on the island.

This young boy is practicing how to row a kayak. To be safe he did it on dry ground.

The walkways are well paved and lead down to the other side of the island.

Keeping the place tidy is serious business here.

The beaches are cleaned up by a team of workers.

I found this pokok ulat bulu with a fully opened flower. The ripe fruit of this tree tastes exactly like the passion fruit.

With nothing much to shoot at, the flowering senduduk became the target.

This spot looks very scenic.

Moving around the island by the beach I found this rock formation.

The trees has an artistic charm to it.

The stairs lead up to the watchtower. At the top of the flight of steps I saw some poko kapalterbang. So worry not if you get minor cuts here as herbal cut medicine is close at hand.

Unfortunately the watchtower is too low and you can't see much from the top of it as the picture below shows. Labuan Corporation will be building a new tower to replace this one.


I heard from the workers the above lighthouse is not functioning anymore. When I did a Google search I found this notice here.

The return trip was done on this boat with 4 engines of 250 HP each. All the four engines were used and we did 40 knots out of the maximum 46 knots possible. It took us a mere 5 minutes to reach the jetty on Labuan.
If you are already in Labuan and need a much quieter place to visit, look no further as close by is the island of Papan where you can be the Robinson Crusoe for a few days.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pulau Papan jauh ke tengah,
Gunung Daik bercabang tiga;
Hancur badan dikandung tanah,
Budi yang baik dikenang juga.

Eh eh, silap pulau lah. ;-)

Unknown said...

Nice looking beach :)
And like usual, your flower close-ups are mesmerizing :)
Agak-agak bila la bleh pegi Labuan ni... :(

Lee said...

Hi Zawi, as usual being in your blog is like viewing National Geographic...very total exposure.
Its beautiful this place, one place somehow I had missed leaving my footprints behind old days.
Maybe I did? Must check my old diaries, ha ha.
Love the Chalets. Siapa Leona tu?
Zawi, you da man with the camera! Lee.

J.T. said...

Hi Zawi

Nothing much to say except I enjoyed looking at the pictures you posted. I especially love those trees - as you said, it has artistic charm. I can see you are putting your new toy to good use.

Have a good week.

rauhunt said...

Rindu pulak rasanya ngan kedamaian pantai dan pulau-pulau d Malaysia.

*Pak Zawi, makcik cleaner tu guna penyapu lidi ke pelepah?

Pak Zawi said...

Mazle,
Tak reti nak balas ngan pantun la. Semoga anda akan mengingati Pulau Papan bila ke Pulau Labuan kelak.

Pak Zawi said...

Akmal,
I am learning up on my closeup photography real fast. Thanks to the additional lens, it makes my work easier. It was a good buy.
Buat la program lawatan pelajar ke sana dapat la subsidised fare ke.

Pak Zawi said...

Lee,
Your compliments are always superlatives. They will always make me feel good.
Saw your footprints in Kota Kinabalu Sabah but cant find any in Labuan hehehehe. Maybe Labuan was not developed then. Now the Oil n Gas Industry is big there. There is expansion and new plants being done.
Leona is Tourist Iinformation Center Manager for Labuan.

Pak Zawi said...

j.t.,
You dont have to say anything. Just leave this :) sign and I know somehow I have made you happy by what I posted. That will be good enough for me. I guessed it right, that someone will appreciate the sight of the tree trunks. Strong gusts of winds must have bent them that way.
Have a good day.

Pak Zawi said...

Rauhan,
Balik nanti jelajah la pulau-pulau kat Terengganu tu. Jangan lupa juga Pulau Suri di Tumpat tu. Kedamaian di pulau-pulau sukar dicari di lain tempat.
Makcik tu guna pelepah nyior untuk menyapu. Cara tu bagus sebab 'swath' dia lebih besar.
Pak Zawi ingat masa kecik dulu guna pelepah nyior untuk buat karak bagi menyuluh jalan di malam kelam.

Unknown said...

hi Zawi, I am back from the buzy schedule.. pergi balik, pergi balik KL. So, u now enjoying yourself. That's nice. Have a good time there !

Pak Zawi said...

kbguy,
I am home in Pasir Mas now. If you happen to pass by Pasir Mss, do give me a call.
Hope you sons are all settled in now.

drizzt said...

comel sungguh pulau papan ni .. boleh jadi option utk relaks2 .. tapi ayoh awi tok royak bab2 makke2 .. sene nok nok makke minum pulau tu? ko keno bowok bekal maggie mee? Hehehe

Pak Zawi said...

drizzter,
Pulau Papan ni sebenarnya pulau kosong sahaja bab tu saya kata boleh jadi Robinson Crusoe. Semua makanan dan minuman kena bawa sendiri. Cuma tempat tinggal sahaja boleh disewa dari Labuan Corporation. Nanti saya akan letakkan alamat dan contact no Labuan Corp.
Apa susah nak makan buleh naik bot gi pasar di Labuan 10 minit perkalanan bot sahaja.

Awang said...

Pak Zawi,
Beautiful place you share with us..Thanks.Harap-harap airasia ada zero fare to BKI than xBKI/LBU guna express boat.Agak nya next year punya plan.
Oh ya..I have been to Layang-Layang Island..(1980)from BKI.Masa tu bikin loadcontrol new aircraft cuba landing& takeoff from Island Airstrip.Ok then I enjoyed looking at the photos.

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam Pak Zawi
Thank you for the recommendation.
Is there a specific website for Pulau Papan I can browse and possible do a reservation for the accommodation/chalets?
Most importantly, got internet/broadband access or not?

p/s Labuan Corporation should pay you commission for doing their PR for them.

Pak Zawi said...

Awang,
Cheap fares are available all the time but you will have to choose the off peak season.
I thought the island is worthy to be shared and enjoyed by all.

Pak Zawi said...

Fauziah,
I recconmended Pulau Labuan as I dont want you to be reading your books at The WW2 Memorial which you had taken a fancy hehehehehe.
Contact Labuan Corporation to book the place at this address
http://www.labuantourism.com.my/
or
Contact Labuan Tourist Information Center at this address
Labuan
Labuan Tourist Information Centre, Lot 4260, Jalan Dewan / Jalan Berjaya, Labuan 87007, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan
Phone: +6087-423 445 Fax: +6087-423 446 Email: mtpblbu@tourism.gov.my
Get Leona to help.
About the internet connection, Celcom had a very strong presence there so if you have their wireless modem, I guess you wont be as bad as my friend Mat Salo on the barge somewhere in Kalimantan.
Anyway they are charging RM350 per day for the 3 bedroom unit so coming alone won't be so economical.

Rusdi Abu Bakar said...

Salaam PW,
PW pakai setting gapo untuk gambar2ni di camera?

Pak Zawi said...

Rusdi,
Campur campur antara Auto, Auto Focus, Manual Focus, Aperture Priority, Speed Priority jare-jare dan ISO ubah dari auto ko 400, 800, 1600 dan 3200. Tak leh kiro bab tengah experimen main ikut sedap jah.

Daphne Ling said...

Hey Pak Zawi,

Thanks for sharing this! It's beautiful...Some parts of the beach and the outside-part of the chalet look alot like Pulau Mabul. Gosh, how I miss that place!

As for being Robinson Crusoe on the island, lol! So many amenities and got poster-bed samore, where can be RC?!?!? ;)

Enjoy yourself, Pak Zawi...

Pak Zawi said...

Daph,
I haven't been to Mabul so I can't compare.
You can pretend to be Robinson Crusoe on the other side of the island where there is no structures built and Labuan Island isn't visible. Modern day Robinson Crusoe has to have some comfortable facilities hehehehehe.

Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles said...

Pak Zawi,bila tengok bunga ulat bulu tu teringat setem Great Britain yang ada gambar bunga yang lebih kurang sama.

Pak Zawi said...

drbubbles,
The similarity of the flower on the British stamp shows that the plant is not endemic only to Malaysia. Could it have been brought over by them? Let us leave it to the botanist to solve the mystery.

Daphne Ling said...

Oh Pak Zawi,

Wanted to say this in my previous comment, but forgot until I saw your comment to DrBubbles.

Actually, the flower you showed (the 'bunga ulat bulu' that has fruit that tastes like passion fruit), is a passion flower, if my eyes are not playing tricks on me...=)

It is, the very least, from the same family: Passifloraceae.

I believe the one you photographed is specifically called: Passiflora caerulea.

I could be very, very wrong, of course *lol*! If I'm wrong, sorry lar ya?

Pak Zawi said...

Daph,
I think you are right. They must be from the same family and this one is the one from the wild. The fruits are small and has a very thin skin compared to the cultivated ones. It can be part of the Robinson Crusoe game where you try to survive on the fruit of trees and plants growing on the island. The cocnut trees growing on the island must be considered as wild too hehehehe.

Hi&Lo said...

Pak Zawi,

Your pictures tell million words. Not only the place is beautiful but the camaderie.

Women playing and chatting while the men at the stove. Roles have reversed even in the remote island of P Papan.

If only I have a vehicle, I wld love to take you to one of the most scenic spots in the West Coast of Sabah. It's on the other side of Mt Kinabalu.

Padi fields, blue river, waterfalls and the simple rural folk against the majestic Mt Kinabalu.

Pak Zawi said...

hi&lo,
One day I will get to see the other side of Sabah. So far I have done Keningau and pass by Ranau.
My friend Janna from Keningau just did a ride to Tawau with a couple of friends. The roads are good now and you don't have to use 4WD. It is easy to do then.
The way you describe those places sure make me want to go and take lots of photographs there.
Thanks for the kind thoughts.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

true enough, when i thought your photography skill deserve some recognition, it was only a matter of time before it fell on the right people to prove my claim!

Pulau Papan is simply amazing. abundance of good spot to camp and just chill around. i wish i was there. only qualms i have is; neither the chalet or surau are wheelchair-accessible! hehe...not a big deal to many, not quite to some too, i guess.

nonetheless, i really enjoyed looking at the pics. thanks pak Z.

Pak Zawi said...

kerp,
My photographs quality improve tremendously when I bought the DSLR. Many things not possible earlier become possible. I am sure glad you appreciate the pictures.
Agree with you that the island is not friendly to people like you. Your problem will start even before reaching the island when you have to board the boat to there. Maybe they will improve the facilities when more people visit the place.
Meantime just enjoy the sceneries from the pictures bro.

LITTLE DEWA said...

salam
elo uncle
u back fr labuan?
btw, itu pokok ulat bulu kami di kampung panggil 'pokok buah seletup'
& i love the buah, sedap!
bet kids nowadays x penah rasa buah seletup ni
hehe

ZABS said...

Salam Zawi,
In the old days when GPS is not available yet, the Lighthouse is very important for ships plying the waters, especially at nights.

However with the GPS, it is still important as it can act as a leading light for ships to follow when entering and leaving the harbour.

Never had the chance to be on that Islands before. Maybe it was not developed yet during my active years sailing the South China Sea.

Nice pictures, as commented by u.lee, it was like viewing the National Geographic.

Pak Zawi said...

Little Dewa,
Dah balik Pasir Mas dah.
Terima kasih kerana share maklumat pasal buah seletup. Anak kami pun tak tahu mengenai buah ini boleh dimakan. Sukar ditemu jadi tak sempat ajar anak-anak tentang perkara begini. Ni dah tinggal di Pasir Mas dan ada ketemu balik buah sebegini bleh la ajar cucu2 pula.

Pak Zawi said...

Zabs,
Thank you for the explanation. I guess with new technologies, navigating ships are not only simpler but safer as well.
How I wish they will make the light house can be converted into a watch tower since it is high enough to see Labuan from a vantage point. Maybe safety is not there as it is meant only as a lighthouse.
You and U Lee really made my day. How I wish I am really that good. Even half as good is good enough for me.

Mat Salo said...

Pak,

I spent almost 2 years in Labuan, gazing across to Pulau Papan but never had the chance... Of course that was almost 20 years ago and wasn't as developed as it is now.

Those days I was preoccupied with saving money for the fare to go home... thanks for the great travelogue and photos, Pak.

JALAN REBUNG said...

salam pak zawi,

I've been wanted to go to Labuan but do not have enough info on what to do over there. Now, with your info (I do agree, it's like a blog version of Discovery Channel ..hehehe) I can start planning for a Labuan Trip.

Pak Zawi said...

Mat Salo,
I know how it was back then since I was there too in year 2000. In year 2000 development was really much yet compared to now.
Anyway Pulau Papan can be done in a day unless you want to stay overnight there and gaze at Labuan Island and wishing yourself to be on the bigger island hehehehe.

Pak Zawi said...

jalan rebung,
I think tis is the first time you make your comment here and as such I would like to welcome you.
Yes with more informations you will definitely enjoy Labuan more. My blog is just a poor version of Discovery Channel hehehehe. Anyway I take it as a compliment and thank you very much for it. Makes me feel really happy that the effort is appreciated.

Nightwing said...

Good one Pak Zawi.

Thank you again for sharing Labuan with us.

Great stuff indeed..:)

Pak Zawi said...

Nightwing,
Labuan is part of Malaysia. I am doing my bit to promote Negaraku Malaysia to the world.

Jessica Morris said...

thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting!

this island is beautiful! is it open for people (americans!) to stay at?

Pak Zawi said...

jessica morris,
Thank you for the reciprocal visit.
It is an island resort and it is open to all tourists. If you were to come I would advise you to do the main island of Labuan first before doing the smaller island of Pulau Papan. Please read my previous two earlier two postings on Labuan Revisited to find out what is there on this island off the coast of Borneo.

farah, s. said...

salam pak zawi,
thanks jenguk blog farah.
pasal NZ, view kt sini mmg cantik.
bolehla Pak Zawi datang nnt =)
by the way,
view kt Malaysia pun not bad..mcm gmbr2 dlm entri ni... ;p

Pak Zawi said...

farah,
Visit ke New Zealand masih dalam perancangan. Memandangkan saya perlu 2 minggu untuk melihat NZ, maka lambat la sikit perjalanan ke sana.

Anonymous said...

DEAR ZAWAWI,
Very impressive progress made in Pulau Papan, since I saw it last that was in 1993 - 1996. It is nice to see the place had been quite well renovated.

I was the Engineer on board of Sea Venture Dive Platform (which is currently stationed at off Pulau Mabul) East Coast of Sabah.

Surprisingly we found many WWII artifacts - such as soldiers safety hats near Pulau Papan.

Nice to dive (specially for noice divers ) in the area except strong current prevails some times.

I did some of the best dives in Pulau Rusukan Besar, Rusukan Kechil, and Kuraman

Keep up the good work of promoting Labuan and surrounding areas.

FOR DIVING IN THE AREA BEST GUIDE IS STAR DIVERS - TERRANCE LIM

Engr. M. Rauf
Karachi - Pakistan

Pak Zawi said...

Engr. Rauf,
I am happy to find that you are happy with the post. Yes I will continue promoting not just Labuan but Malaysia to the world.

sh said...

This is my fourth year living in Labuan Islands, didn't know that Pulau Papan is such a beautiful island, haven't been there, must make a trip there one day.... honestly Labuan is a good place to live, no traffic jams, no toll, no hustle and bustle .... plenty of fresh and nice seafoods....

Pak Zawi said...

sh,
Enjoy your stay while you are in Labuan. It is the best place to enjoy fresh seafood.
Take a day trip to Pulau Papan for a picnic. The return boat ride costs less than RM20. Dont forget to bring lots of drinking water as non is available there. My son inlaw had his company's family day there and it was an enjoyable one as ample BBQ facilities are available.