by Yap WaiChing on 24 October 2025
I arrived at Pulau Kapas true to form: drawn to nature, inquisitive, willing to leap. These signature spice had long existed but dulled to blend into the bland ease of someone else’s comfort zone.
* pours tea *
Currently deglazing the residue of a man-baby steeped in disrespect and who cowardly vanished while owing me thousands, I upgraded my mise en place. Replenished with what truly nourishes. Tossed useless tools. Put a timer on my patience. Portioned in permission to be the acid that sharpens flavour.
Too salty? Maybe.
But my pantry has expanded in depth to store smoked boundaries and burnt edges that add complexity.
Acquired taste? Absolutely.
Here’s to courageously speaking good things out loud. Life of late has been effervescent with gentle serendipities – and that deserves a toast.
One of those sparks – Kapas Escapade with Mowgli Venture – the perfect secret sauce to ignite that extra kick.
On paper, its overview describes the 2D2N trip with cliff jumping, sunrise hike, snorkeling, blue lagoons, chalet by the beach, and stargazing. In practice, it is a balanced recipe of physical challenges and serenity. A vibrantly plated playground from nature’s tougher terrains – cliffs, jungle paths, sun-kissed hill – each offering rewards of perspective, pride, and peace.
Is it safe?
For me, ALL THE YES.
After all, jellyfish stings are more palatable than the emotional indigestion from a relationship only seasoned one-sided. Dizzying precipices feel safer than a space that garnishes with pickled contempt over the low bar. Unpredictable weather? Honestly more honest than being threatened with strategic helplessness, subtly candied for you to swallow.
Professional mental health advocates advised that no one should stick around long enough to see if you potentially get served a side of flying steel bowls, or knives. So I packed my appetite for delectable energy, where the people can tell the difference between spontaneity and recklessness, who understand the distinction between accountability and performative apologies.
If you have a taste for heat, Mowgli reciprocates … like, EARLY. Ours came in the form of a daring amuse-bouche to break the ice – a literal “Amazing Race: Bus Edition” – a mad dash across town to board our ride. Adventure and camaraderie don’t wait, and they found us before we caught whiff of the ocean breeze.
We were a small, diverse group of –
- four determined solo female travelers – Yen Hsing, Tia, Shu Yuan, and me;
- that one steady solo male – Hafies;
- a cool couple – Ash and Euan;
- and a quartet of boisterous childhood friends – Vishan, Haren, Manoj, and Rugan. ( Fun fact – one among them we teased endlessly for having an uncanny resemblance to Steven Bartlett )
Different underlying notes, different zest, but one shared nuanced palate to good vibes. No one was trying to dominate the itinerary. No one was weirdly competitive. Well, except Vishan, who SWORE his rock skipped 4 times on water 😏
We shared snacks, sore feet, and stories. The sweet spot was found when consideration flowed in all ways, and that’s an alchemy considered to be one of the highest form of love. We put forth the best version of ourselves – not in any re-invention, rather a realignment to the version of us that existed before the noise, before the distortions of social mirrors.
Cell bar is limited on the island but I believe we found better connections by taking a break from consulting the internet for answers, and lean in with interest to the inner lives of others amidst the fun and sweat.
We habitually imagine that traveling equates to needing space, to get away from people. But what if the right group of people helps you re-acquaint yourself with your true essence?
Our experience is co-created together with the grounded leadership of Mowgli‘s Kovin and Celine. Both of them fed us timely, put a roof above our heads, showed us the ropes, earnestly implored us to explore, generously imparted wisdom, valiantly retrieved our lost equipment from the seabed, diligently recorded our joy, patiently listened to our concerns, and highly emotionally available. You really could never ask for better ‘holiday parents’.
They handled every bump with ease, from transportation tweaks to questions like, “Do we need shoes for the jungle?” ( Answer: Yes. And grip.)
For someone like me – easily overwhelmed by options, a nervous wreck about timeliness, and perpetually cursed with the amazing talent in getting hopelessly lost just by walking a straight line – it was blissful. With personal limitations, along with the worldly demands of life itself, upping and leaving at a finger snap isn’t a privilege most of us enjoy. Going anywhere solo (or otherwise) takes quite a bit of mental capacity to begin with.
Sometimes, self-care is letting others take the wheel.
Mowgli was the steady hand on the wheel. They set the tone from the get-go – starting with our group chat, which turned out to be more than just logistics. It became our go-to spot for clarity, blind man jokes, and eventually, invites to the next excursion (already!)
Most of us had never leapt from a cliff into open water before.
By the end of Day Two, we were hooked.
After a 45-minute sweaty hike through Bukit Berakit on Day One, we met the sea with trepidation but with a lot of encouragement. The next day, our star main course – a hike up Bukit Singa rewarded us with a sunrise that didn’t just light up the island – it lit us up.
The confidence shift was undeniable. Hesitation evolved into hunger for the next jump. Each of us found enough belief in ourselves to step off the edge, free-falling, trusting the cerulean of the sea to receive us.
You’ll have to be there to see and feel for yourself!
Me? I took the opportunity to face a reality check with the ocean: could free-diving be for me? For I adore the wild waters, but scuba gear never quite fit my spirit ( I tried! ). The paralysis had been long looped in a cycle of conviction where I may never be made for the intense cobalt, because I still struggle within a safe rectangle of chlorinated cyan.
Often, we wait for a glimmer of sincere faith from someone who matters, and while that’s a very human thing to want, the truth is, the fire was always yours. Thanking my lucky stars – those that Tia showed me at 4am – the motivation to explore this endeavour was seeded by Celine and Kovin, through their assertive “try, you can,” served without a hint of condescension.
The answer laid in the poise I found staring through my snorkel into the sun-pierced navy and wanting to reach further. The calm blue lagoon reassures, but it also demands. Why not? Depth requires effort. It asks for change – not a dare to abandon ourselves, but as an invitation to grow. The Open Blue doesn’t negotiate with the bare minimum, so we meet halfway, on each other’s terms. It can be patient, but it won’t hold the door open for stubborn refusal. So, for now, in the forgiving shallows of turquoise, we shook on being on the same page. Here’s to what may be the beginning of a reciprocal relationship.
I long to return, more learned in their love language, for a heart-to-heart beyond the teal.
[ update: dive centre shopping done, inquiries made, affiliation confirmed! ]
Mowgli Venture keeps its groups small for a reason. Along with creating room for real connections, there’s no pressure to perform, and no tourist traps. Just good people, hidden gems, and a willingness to dig deeper – into the environment, into new friendships, into ourselves.
If your jam is valuing a relationship with Mother Earth, emotional intelligence, endless curiosity, and being grounded in sustainability, you’ll fit right in.
So go.
Thread in.
Go be a humbled guest upon the ragged hem of the ocean that owes us no safe passage.
Go trek where a river used to rage.
Go stand witness to wild shorelines carved indifferent and merciless to our existence.
To behold the gleaming aquamarine in the distance.
Go to say hello to jungle critters.
Go earn an epic sunrise together.
Go to make triangles out of circles ( IYKYK ).
Go take that sacred leap of faith: literally or metaphorically.
For sweet insights drawn from your own sweat and curiosity.
For the fine art of stone-skipping and debate who really ‘won’.
Go for yoga blessed by the morning sun.
Go for fat island cats that sleep like carpets.
For re-calibration, re-connection, re-habilitation.
For something new to begin.
Or just for that one complicated card game you will win.
Go for the sand you eat from a badly served beach volleyball.
Above all,
if none rings true,
go anyway, even if it’s simply just for you.
From soft cotton blue to rugged indigo, the loom at Pulau Kapas awaits your unique fibre. Embroider yourself into the tapestry of this little island life, even for a while, and may your sweet endings be to leave unspooled from what no longer serves, dyed in brighter hues, and bursting at the seams with warm memories.
Until we weave again, save me a spot at THAT 10-metre jump point? 😉
