Tawau/Semporna (IV) - Day 4 (Pearl Island Resort)

It's Chinese New Year's Eve, and this year marks the first time we're spending the festival on holiday. Breakfast is served from 7am to 9.30am, and we decided to head out at 8am to start the day. Breakfast was simple, with a limited selection, but this morning they offered three types of fresh fruits: papaya, honeydew, and dragon fruit. There was also an egg station, open from 7am to 9am, where you could choose from sunny-side up, omelette, scrambled egg, over-easy, or over-medium eggs. I went for an over-hard fried egg, and it was spot on. The edges were lightly crispy and golden brown with a firm, fully cooked yolk. A dash of soy sauce added a savory touch that made it absolutely satisfying.

However, apart from the fried egg, the rest of the breakfast was disappointing. The hash browns were oily, the cocktail sausages and bacon were too salty, and the chicken porridge lacked flavour. Besides that, the ayam masak merah (chicken in red chili sauce) was tough, while the char kueh teow (stir-fried rice noodles) was just average. I tried their egg tart, but it was too sweet for my taste, with a soft and non-crispy crust. There was also a dessert that I couldn't identify, since there was no label. It was watery, didn't taste like yogurt, and had a texture more like an unset pudding.

While we were having breakfast, a guest from Hong Kong was watching a video on his phone at full volume, completely ignoring everyone around him. The noise was quite disturbing and ruined the calm we hoped for, despite the cool sea breeze and beautiful view. It was a pity, as the surroundings would have been perfect for a quiet, peaceful morning. After breakfast, my partner decided to relax in the room while I stayed around the dining area a little longer to enjoy the view and the breeze. Meanwhile, while we were out, the housekeeping staff had already made up our room.

Among all the resorts we've stayed in Semporna, this one really stands out for the number of sea turtles we saw. They swam around the dining area, and it was so easy to see them up close. The dining area itself is a wonderful place to unwind, with a gentle breeze and soothing music playing in the background. I ended up staying there until lunchtime, just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

We had our lunch at 12.30pm. Most of the dishes served were deep-fried, including salted egg squid, fish and chips, chicken wings, and mushrooms. The dishes I enjoyed the most were the onion ginger beef, winter melon soup, and Caesar salad. Today's lunch was definitely better compared to yesterday's. The salted egg squid were quite good. It was tender and flavourful. The fish and chips were decent too, although the fries were a bit soggy. The chicken wings were juicy and tender as well. However, the mango pudding was too sweet for my liking.

After lunch, we headed back to our chalet to relax. Honestly, there isn't much to do at the resort other than eat, relax, and snorkel. You can go for the Bohey Dulang hiking adventure, but it only takes about two hours, and there's a fee. We went out for a tea break at 3.15pm and I spotted a large sea turtle outside our balcony.

The tea break was simple, as they served leftover cakes from lunch, donuts, and banana fritters topped with cheese. I had the same teh tarik as yesterday, which was creamy and smooth. The fried banana was under-ripe and soggy. Besides that, the red bean-filled donut was hard and not very enjoyable. We relaxed in the dining area after the tea break, although it was a bit noisy with some guests talking loudly.

Once again, the clouds blocked the sunset, leaving only a hint of colour in the sky. While having dinner, everyone was excited because a sea turtle had made its way into the dining area compound. Tonight, they served a whole barramundi (siakap) fish. My partner, who loves fish, enjoyed it very much, but I found the flavour a bit strong for my taste, probably because the fish was larger and cooked in a way that brought out its natural flavour. The beef dishes were tough and hard to chew. Besides that, the lamb had a strong gamey taste, and the Nestum prawns were bland. There was no watermelon, and the honeydew wasn't fully ripe, so it lacked sweetness. Apart from that, the pomelo was sweet but slightly dry. On the bright side, they served my favourite lobster balls again, and this time there were plenty left, so I could even go back for a second serving. The apple coleslaw was nice and refreshing too.

We sat on the swing and relaxed at the dining area after dinner. A cool breeze blew, and we saw many sea turtles swimming around the resort. After a day of just taking it easy, I ended up going to bed early again that night, around 10pm.

Pearl Island Resort

Nasi kuning

Char kueh teow (stir-fried rice noodles)

Ayam masak merah (chicken in red chili sauce)

Grilled tomatoes with garlic

Cocktail sausages

Hard boiled egg with coconut flakes

Hash browns

Bacon

Watermelon

Mixed tropical fruits: papaya, honeydew and dragon fruit

Breakfast cereals

Desserts

Buns

Salad section

Egg station

Fried egg

My fruits

My breakfast

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Pearl Island Resort

Green bridge

Pearl Island Resort

Corals

Pearl Island Resort

Corals

A school of fish

Spotted a sea snake

Lunch time

Rice

Fried rice

Onion ginger beef

Salted egg squid

Fish and chips

Fried chicken wings

Seafood French beans

Vegetables

Fried mushroom

Bruschetta

Fruit salad

Honeydew and watermelon

Honeydew

Mango pudding

Cakes

Pandan cakes

Bbq salad

Mango pudding

My lunch

Winter melon soup

My lunch

Fruits

Spotted a sea turtle

Spotted a sea turtle

Cakes

Teh tarik

Donuts

Banana fritters with cheese

Sunset at Pearl Island Resort

Sunset at Pearl Island Resort

Sunset at Pearl Island Resort

Sunset at Pearl Island Resort

Sunset at Pearl Island Resort

Bbq lamb

Dinner time

Chicken with mushrooms

Yam with beef

Lobster balls

Mushrooms

Vegetables

Vegetables

Nestum prawns

Chef cutting the bbq lamb

Steamed fish

Assorted fruits

Pudding

Cheese tarts

Apple coleslaw

Custard pudding

Corn salad

Smoked salmon salad

His dinner

My dinner

Corn soup

Fruits, salad and lobster ball

Spotted a sea turtle

Spotted a sea turtle