Cruising the Malacca Strait

The Malacca Strait is the body of water between the west coast of Malaysia and Indonesian Sumatra, and it connects the Pacific and Indian Oceans. A very busy waterway 560 miles long, it is one of Asia’s primary sea routes, with almost 100,000 vessels passing through each year. Read on for our experience cruising the Malacca Strait. Malacca is pronounced Muh-LAK-uh.

Post Puteri Harbour Anchorages

A few days after returning from Kuala Lumpur, we untied our lines and left the Puteri Harbour dock. We day sailed for the first two days, stopping at the small islands of Pesang and then Besar. I don’t remember much about either, so they must have been peaceful and boring, which is good.

Sunset on the Malacca Strait, Malaysia
Sunset at anchor at Palau Pisang, Malaysia
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Impressions of Bali

Since we arrived in Indonesia in November, we’ve fallen in love with this country. From the friendly islands of eastern Indonesia we moved on to the center. In between visa runs, we visited Bali a few times, staying on land and on our boat. Although our short stays are not enough to provide a definitive guide to the island, we developed impressions of Bali.

About Bali

Bali is one of the world’s most renowned vacation spots and has been called “Heaven on Earth.” We respectfully disagree. We found this paradise spoiled by overcrowding, traffic, and pollution. When we were there, it wasn’t even busy with tourists, as tourism has been down lately.

Much like Moorea versus Tahiti in French Polynesia, we prefer Lombok over Bali. Lombok is quieter and more relaxed. I know we’ve been spoiled, and after years of traveling we prefer uncrowded places. But our impressions of Bali also include some lovely places and experiences.

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Far North Queensland Highlights

We spent our last months in Australia sailing north along the east coast before heading west to Darwin. From Townsville up the coast to Thursday Island, we visited memorable spots and met cool people. We stopped in fun cities and beautiful islands, our Far North Queensland highlights.

About Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the sprawling but not very populous region north of Townsville. Its biggest city is Cairns, and it is best known for The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO heritage site.

Map of Far North Queensland
Map of Far North Queensland

Off the mainland coast of Far North Queensland are many islands in the Great Barrier Reef, some of which we were lucky to visit.

Stops in Far North Queensland

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