When I arrived at Alunan, I was expecting the standard getaway, an escape from the city to refresh myself temporarily. But as soon as I arrived at the resort (via boat) I noticed something very special about this place. Beyond the breathtaking views and crystal clear skies and ocean, there was a lot of genuine care and connection from the resort team. The delightful guest service assistant, Sel, was waiting at the pontoon to greet new arrivals. She accompanied us to reception while showing us around the resort. After checking in, another guest service assistant, Teha, brought me to my stunning ocean-view room (floor-to-ceiling windows all around, a sizeable bathroom, and a rooftop deck) while explaining the unique character of this resort along the way. In order to preserve the island's ecosytem, no heavy machinery was used in the construction of the resort. There were no single-use plastics to be found, all body care items were natural and reef safe, and complementary jars of snacks were refillable. This has given the resort a very unique character: sturdy metal staircases and platforms connected various parts of the establishment, which rest at different altitudes on the landscape. There was even a tree growing out of the middle of the restaurant, protected by resort owners who seemed to have great respect for the island's primary forest and surrounding seas. Furthermore, the resort is passionate about the reef ecosystem surrounding Perhentian, and boasts a Coral Conservation initiative which allows guests to ”adopt” corals. With a small fee, one could learn about corals from resident marine biologists and place rescued corals in the coral nursery. Here, I met Aimi, who answered my questions about coral behaviour (I didn't know corals were animals rather than plants, or that they bred in rather strange ways). Upon adopting a coral, I got to jump into the ocean to snorkel around the coral nursery, which was teeming with fish species. It was surreal. There was also a dive centre, where another marine biologist, Naufal, assisted guests with necessary equipment to explore the seas. Lifejackets and snorkelling equipment were available to utilise at no cost, which led me to develop a daily swimming and snorkelling routine after settling in at the resort. Mind you, there's quite a fair bit to see in the ocean ecosystem in Perhentian. Batfish, wrasses, groupers, blue-lipped clams, corals and many other fishes can be found all around the island, clearly visible as the waters were clear like glass during my stay there. Those who can't swim could just visit the pontoon to look at the various colourful fishes of the Perhentian seas. There are no cars or roads, but one can hike or kayak their way around this stunning island. I went to Keranji beach via kayak and saw stunning, decades-old underwater coral from my kayak, and was often close to tears from the natural beauty of this island. If in the past my island holidays were notable for the hangovers
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