"Does the Wormald's book give you any other suggestions?"
The book(2016, not 2017 as I stated before) does have a variety of suggestions but the comments in the introduction to Malaysia are sometimes varied from the specific suggestions later in the text. She suggests Tenggol, Redang, Tioman, Tengah, and Aur for varied reasons, and also Rawa but gives no details about it. The book clearly states that if your trip is primarily about diving you should go to the state of Sabah. For us, however, it is a first trip to Singapore/Malaysia. We will do some diving/snorkeling on this trip but want to explore whether Malaysia would be a good home base for several months a year to take shorter trips out to other more remote locations in southeast asia.
Unfortunately, I think yours and other comments about the effect of large populations of residents and tourists and accumulating
rubbish is now a global phenomenon. Close to my home, for example, a 2012 study determined the Florida Keys, U.S.A, were the most highly degraded reefs of 35 areas studied in the Caribbean, primarily due to the number of residents and tourists. I no longer go there. Going forward, it seems we will have to go to smaller, more remote, and more expensive locations to find less impacted diving.
Thanks for the extended reply and the links. Currently we are thinking a few days on Tioman at a dive lodge and then north to one of the locations in Terengganu state but have not made definite reservations yet. Since it is not high season we may just "wing it".
All the replies in this thread have been very interesting and helpful and we are using them to decide where to go/stay.
