Travel to Places You've Never Been

Phuket Trip Part IV

2009-07-13T21:34:00.000+08:00

Feb 2009

This entry is continuation from the last entry which talks about Movernpick Resort. Nothing much I can write here as pictures themselves below speak thousands of words.

My favourite is of course the shower that is located outside the bathroom. I feel like I'm going back to my childhood days where we bathed at wells in open space seeing white coulds and the blue sky above. Another feature that I also like is the window near bath tub inside the internal bathroom. I could open the blind as nobody could see from outside because there was a wall built about one foot from the window. Though it was a small space, the sunlight could still reach small plants that were planted there.

Enjoy the pictures here.

..to be continued with more stories..

Previous entries:
Phuket Trip Part I
Phuket Trip Part II
Phuket Trip Part III

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Phuket Trip Part III

2009-07-09T21:34:00.000+08:00

12 Feb 2009

The place we stayed, Movernpick Resort, had a very large area. At the building which the lobby was located, there were also a ball room that we used as our meeting area, office spaces, restaurants and a bar. On top of the building, there occupied several floors of hotel rooms. Walking straight from the drop off area near the front desk brought us to a staircase which halfway through, there located a cafe. Sittings there were unique as patronages had drinks inside few structures that resembled a huge bird cage. Further down the staircase, there was a big swimming pool. The swimming pool was never short of swimmers or sunbathers during daytime.

Walking straight again brought us to a big garden, which occupied almost the whole resort area, where resort bungalows were located. The landscape was very awesome. A lot of tropical trees and plants planted here until the lanes leading to rooms located in the bungalows became sheltered by branches and leaves of the trees and plants. In the middle of the garden, there was a fountain splashing in a pond. The colour of the water splashing upwards became shining white when it was lighted by the sun. After going through several set of bungalows, there were other smaller swimming pools. One of them was located in front of a building that placed a gymnasium.

Meanwhile, the rooms inside the bungalows were quite sizeable. The bathroom was big. The one that attracted me most was the external shower placed just outside the bathroom. There were walls surrounding the shower but no roof was built. I felt like I was part of the nature watching birds flying and chirping and seeing white clouds and blue sky above. Another feature that I liked about the room was I did not need to close its windows for privacy. There were small plants surrounded the bungalows and those small plants acted as curtains or blinds. In front of the room, there were also a table, a couple of chairs and a sofa for relaxing under a shade made from a type of crawling plant. The plant grew from pillars of a supporting structure like typical tropical house and its roots hanging from the roof. This created a tranquilt environment for relaxing.

If walking further along the lanes cutting through the sets of bungalows, one could reach a beach called Karon Beach. At an entrance near the beach, there located a spa, an internet cafe and a bar. In front of the internet cafe, there was an ATM. So, guests here did not have to go outside if they were short of cash.

Overall, I really liked the resort. However, with a lot of trees and plants at the garden and having a feeling of going back to the nature, we must be aware of mosquitoes that easily bred here. One of my friends was suspected with dengue after returning home. Not sure if he caught the fever here or after going back. I also caught flu after reaching home. Perhaps it was due to alternating hot sun and rain in Phuket. Anyway, that was a normal setback which I thought we could manage up front.

..to be continued..

Previous entries:
Phuket Trip Part I
Phuket Trip Part II

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A view at the staircase near the lobby.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A unique sitting inside a huge bird cage at a bar.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Lanes leading to resort bungalows.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Another viwe of lanes leading to resort bungalows.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A beautiful landscape at Movernpick Resort, Phuket.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A beautiful view of nicely planted plants.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A signboard at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Another view of the beautiful landscape.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Tuk-tuk, a popular local transport was also used as transport by resort workers.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Drifted woods were also used as decoration at the garden at Movernpick Resort, Phuket.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Small plants at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A performance of traditional Thai music at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A swimming pool at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A pond in the middle of the garden.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A unique light at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

The lane to my room.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

A type of tropical fruit found just in front of my room. According to Man vs. Wild show on Descovery Channel, if we want to know a fruit can be eaten or not, we must taste with our tongue first. I tried the method and it proved that the fruit was itchy to my tongue and should have not be eaten. It was a good try. Couldn't imagine if the fruit went into my stomache.. :)

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

The external shower wall.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

The relaxing place which was sheltered by a type of crawling plant.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Internet cafe at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Inside the spa at Movernpick Resort.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Entrance to the spa.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

The lane leading to the beach.

Phuket Trip Part II

2009-07-06T07:47:00.000+08:00

12 Feb 2009

We stayed at Movernpick Resort at Phuket Karon Beach. As mentioned in the last entry, the journey from the airport to here took us more than one hour. Earlier in the morning, I woke up early and thus felt very tired when reached here.

I was unlucky during checking in at the resort. After having been in a long queue, the room which I should check in was not ready yet. The receptionist there suggested me to take lunch first while waiting for the room to be ready. I was alone there but later found out another colleague who also had his room not ready yet. We both went to a restaurant, which was located one floor below.

The food at the restaurant though did not have many Thai menus. When we first having our lunch, there was no Tom Yum. Unlike when I was in Bangkok before, Tom Yum was a must everyday. The resort belonged to foreigner, so it was not really "Thai" as I would expect it to be. Some of the workers there were Westerners, perhaps on foreign assignments.

The meeting would start at 2.00PM, seemed that I didn't have much time to rest. Right after finishing our lunch, we went back to the front desk to take our room key. Now luck was our side as our rooms were ready right at the time promised earlier.

The resort area was very big and had many rooms. Some rooms were located at the main building which was a couple stories high, like normal hotel while some were located inside bungalows that were built inside a lush green, beautiful and big park. I got a room in one of the bungalows. I was really excited!

Considering a big area which the resort covered, the distance from the lobby to the room was quite far. We were given a map but it was difficult to imagine where the place I was standing and where my room was located. So, we decided to take an electrical-powered buggy available there to go to our rooms. Lanes leading to our rooms were very small, just enough for the buggy to get through. Sometimes when we bounced with pedestrians, they had to step aside to give way. While the buggy moved to our destinations, I couldn't even remember the route that the buggy had taken. It was crook and every corner looked the same.

After leaving our luggage in our respective room, we went back to the lobby with the same buggy again. We then headed straight to a ball room where the meeting was held. I still felt very tired and could not even focus to what was being presented. I didn't even know what the speaker was saying.

At the night, we had a cocktail and welcome dinner but I had no fun. I was very tired and sleepy. All I wished was to go back early to the room and to sleep. While some of my colleagues went out to a beach nearby right after the dinner was over, I went back to have a good rest. Hoped tomorrow would be a better day...

.. to be continued..

Previous entry:
Phuket Trip Part I

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Movernpick Resort, Phuket.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Small lane leading to resort houses.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

One of the resort houses. This double-storey house had a jacuzzi..

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Scenery at the lane leading to rooms.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

The lane to my room.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Relaxing area outside my room.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

Resort map which confuses me..

Phuket Trip Part I

2009-07-02T21:12:00.000+08:00

12 Feb 2009

When I heard that a kick-off meeting to be held in Phuket, there was no excitement though. Perhaps the place was too near as I was hoping to go to somewhere further. Furthermore, I could arrange my own trip to Phuket with AirAsia if I were to go on my own. Another thing which made me felt 'cold' was the meeting would last until Saturday. Saturday was supposed to an off-day and I usually had my own things to do on Saturday. Nevertheless, I also felt that something was so strong attracting me to go to Phuket. So, don't forget to continue reading my journey until the end.

In this entry, I'm going to explain a little bit about Phuket's history. Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand and is about the same size of Singapore island. Phuket island is connected to the mainland via a bridge. In the past, Phuket, which is located in the Southern part of Thailand, was a sovereign region governed by ethnic Malay Muslim. The name of Phuket itself is actually a Thai distortion of "bukit", a Malay word which means hill. From far, the island looks like a hill and that was how Phuket has got its name.

Actually, the names of Southern provinces of Thailand are originated from Malay words as they are the original inhabitant here. After the controversial 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty, the sovereign region of Patani, which comprised Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, has been annexed by Siam, the names have been changed to Thai names. Satun is originated from "Setul", a type of mangosteen, Songkla from Singgora (Malay loaned word from Sanskrit which means Lion City), Yala from "Jala" which means net, Narathiwat from "Menara" (tower), Ranong from "Rundung", Trang from "Terang" (bright) and Nakhon Si Tammarat from "Bandar Sri Raja Dharma". Phattalung is from "Mardelong" or some say from "Petaling". Only Pattani has the name closest to the original name, Patani. Pattani is originated from local Malay dialect, "pata ni" which means this beach. Some opine Patani is originated from "Petani" which means farmer due to a lot of salt farmers alongside Patani beaches.

In the past, Phuket was also known as Tanjung Salang or Cape of Salang or Thalaang in Thai. During colonial times, English and French wanted to take control over Phuket due to tin availability here. At the time, Phuket was also known as Junk Ceylon. There is a technical school near Phuket airport named after Thalaang while a new shopping complex at Patong called Junk Ceylon.

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

Translation from Thai: Phuket Karon..

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

Translation from Malay: Bukit Karon?

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

Junk Ceylon - a new shopping complex at Patong, Phuket.

Actually I forgot to ask for a window seat during checking in. It was unusual for me not to be seated at a window seat. Thus, I could not snap pictures from above. According to a colleague who seated near a window, the beautiful Langkawi island could also be seen.

We started our journey in the morning and arrived at Phuket about one hour later. After landing at Phuket International Airport, there was no usual Thai environment where we normally could see in Bangkok like all those Thai architectures, clothes and Thai-looked people. The environment was very much like Malaysia, perhaps due to heavy influence from Malaysia in down South Thailand. Furthermore, there were a sizable Malay community here. The house and building architecture were very much similar to the ones in Malaysia.

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

A lot of rubber estates found in Phuket.

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

Shop houses in Phuket.

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

Common sight in Thailand. Electrical cables mesh from pole to pole. There are no underground cables.

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

A mosque in Phuket.

Despite being a beautiful island, one disadvantage of Phuket was that the airport was located very far from the town centre and main attractions. The airport was located up in the North while the tourist attraction areas were located in the South. Our journey from the airport to the place we stayed, Movernpick Resort, which was located at Phuket Karon Beach, took us more than an hour, exactly the same duration of our flight from KL to Phuket!

..to be continued..

Reference for history: Wikipedia

From Phuket Trip - Around Phuket

A van that brought us to the resort was very unique - full of accessories including lots of lamps.

From Phuket Trip - Movernpick Resort

We stayed at Movernpick Resort.

Robbie Fowler to Play in Sabah

2009-05-01T07:37:00.000+08:00

Stumbled upon a news from RSS feeder today that former Liverpool star, Robbie Fowler will come over to Sabah to play against a Sabah selection team. He's now playing for an Australian team, North Queensland Fury. The match will be played at Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu on May 27.

It's too far for me. Had the match arranged here in KL, I'd definitely buy a ticket..

Travel to Vietnam Part VI

2009-04-26T23:00:00.000+08:00

19 June 2008

Today was our last day in Vietnam. We started our journey back early in the morning to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines before continuing to our final destination, Kuala Lumpur via Malaysia Airlines. There was no direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Da Nang yet. Hopefully Air Asia could add Da Nang as their new destination one day.

That morning, I was late to check out. I was the last person to be on a bus that would carry us to the airport. Luckily I managed to get it on time. Becoming the last person to be on the bus was an advantage though. I could sit at the front seat and in front of me, I could have a clear, wide view, similar to the driver's view.

There were a lot of motorcycles on the road in Da Nang. Everywhere were motorycles. The bus was moving slow and steady. I felt relaxed, no rush like in KL. The bus sometimes honked so that smaller vehicles gave way. Here, frequent honking while driving was accepted and was not considered as annoying. To certain places, honking might be considered rude.

While we were passing over a river through a newly built bridge, we could see that Vietnam was indeed fast developing and seemed nothing happened here few years back eventhough Vietnam had experienced bloody wars. There was a stadium being built by the side of the river. In the middle of the river, some boats were moving, a sign that lots of activities were happening here. Far behind, there were tall buildings rose above the rest. At the horizon, a series of blue mountains decorated the magnificent panorama view of Da Nang.

We arrived at the airport quite early. We has our light meal first. At the airport, the view was also beautiful. From here, we could see the same blue mountains from close range. There was also former US Air Force's depot over the other side of the drive way. Da Nang was one of the battle fields during Vietnam war and thus a lot of war legacies could still be seen in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Slow yet smooth traffic in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A new stadium is being built in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Among millions of motorcycles in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Aircrafts landed at beautiful Da Nang airport.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Beautiful panorama of Da Nang airport.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

An aerial view of a dam in Da Nang.

The flight that we took to Ho Chi Minh City was quite full. As usual, I was quite bored in the flight. I had no mood to take pictures, just took one or two only. Didn't know why, perhaps it's time to go back and missed Da Nang or too tired.

We arrived Ho Chi Minh City airport around noon before taking our next flight in the late afternoon. Our plan today was to go shopping again at Ben Thanh market! Before we went to Ben Thanh, we went to a shopping mall which I forgot its name (perhaps Saigon Center). We hoped that we could find some good quality goods there but we were disappointed as there were not so many choices compared to Ben Thanh. This was typical shopping complex that could be found anywhere.

While we were there, I started to feel uncomfortable at my throat. Think I was going to get sore throat, then caught flu and finally got fever, as usual. Perhaps this came from outdoor activities yesterday at Hoi An. I drank less water because it was difficult to find toilet there. I asked for some sweets from my friend to relieve my sore throat.

The distance between the shopping complex and Ben Thanh market was not far. We just walked to Ben Thanh. Although the traffic here was quite heavy, we could easily cross the roads as the traffic speed was slow.

At Ben Thanh, we went straight to the same shops that we surveyed when we first arrived here. I went to a shop selling bed sheet with rose motive which was made from hand-woven thread. It was really beautiful. The seller could speak Malay and it was easy for me to speak to her. Perhaps she worked in Malaysia before or she's a Cham Malay who also lived here.

Few of my friends were looking for laptop bags. There were a lot of choices here and they looked alike original ones. When a seller was asked if bags sold were genuine or not, she replied,

"Same, same like original."

They straight away got their answer! Another friend bought a white gown with hand-woven rose motive, also made from thread for his daughter. It's awesome. Vietnam silk was also available here and it's considered cheap. I saw a lady from Malaysia too was trying few clothes, perhaps for a wedding ceremony. There were a lot of beautiful clothes here, yet at cheaper prices. You can shop till you drop here!

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

An antic car found while I was walking to Ben Thanh market

After shopping at Ben Thanh market, we went to a restaurant that served halal Malay food for our lunch. The name of the restaurant was Bon Mua Four Seasons Restaurant (refer Google Map). The owner was a Malay, perhaps a Cham Malay or Cambodian Malay (refer previous entry regarding Cham Malay). She spoke fluent Malay and looking from a sweater hanging near the cashier counter, somebody might have been studying in a college in Malacca. However, it was sad to see younger generation of Malay here couldn't speak Malay anymore. One of them was a the owner's son there. This was because there were limited utilisation of the language here as well as Vietnamese language was used as medium of teaching in schools.

The foods here were very much similar to the ones in Malaysia. We ordered Tom Yam, Daging Gulai, Sambal Belacan, Ikan Tiga Rasa and among others we normally ate. This was the only time we could feel full! We're not get used to Vietnamese foods while it was also difficult to find foods that suited our halal diet. When we were eating, there was an Indonesian family also eating in the restaurant. When we about to move, another Malaysian family also patronising the restaurant.

Four Seasons Restaurant was located not far from a mosque called Dong Du Mosque or Jamia Al-Muslimin (refer Islamic Finder), which was located by the side of Sheraton Hotel. We went there for prayer. We met the community there which most of them spoke Malay. Some of them could be Malaysian who were working in Ho Chi Minh City. The mosque there did not just serve as a place for prayer. It was also used as community centre for Muslims. There was also a small restaurant there selling halal foods.

After that, we went to the airport. My body was getting worse. I felt very sleepy after taking flu pills at the restaurant. I slept all the way to the airport and then continued in the flight.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

The lounge Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Leaving Vietnam.

We arrived KLIA almost dark. I went straight to a clinic there. I really felt uncomfortable at my throat. When the doctor asking me where I was returning from, I replied Vietnam. He said it was normal for people coming back from Vietnam to catch cold. It could be the weather difference there. So, be prepared by drinking a lot of water.

It was sad to leave Vietnam. Sometimes people would think that Vietnam was not a nice place. Ironically I found Vietnam an interesting place, unique and it's worth having trip there. The goods were cheap and the place was beautiful.

Vietnamese are not like before. In the past, they came to Malaysia as refugees, now they come to work here. It's no surprise that they will go back to serve their fast developing country and perhaps one day will come here again as tourists!

The end.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Sunset at Port Dickson, right before we were landing at KLIA.

Previous entries:
Travel to Vietnam Part I
Travel to Vietnam Part II
Travel to Vietnam Part III
Travel to Vietnam Part IV
Travel to Vietnam Part V

Travel to Vietnam Part V

2009-04-22T23:06:00.000+08:00

18-19 Jun 2008

Around Da Nang, there were many places that visitors could visit. Apart from wide and white sandy beach, here was also located one of UNESCO's World's Heritage Sites namely Hoi An. This place was used to be the centre of ancient Champa Kingdom.

On the second night here, we had opportunity to go to Hoi An to witness Full Moon Festival. However it was unfortunate as the most anticipated full moon was out of sight. Like when we first arrived here, there were thick clouds blanketing Da Nang's sky and that's why the full moon couldn't be seen.

During the festival, lanterns which resembled lotus flowers were offloaded from boats and sampans in the middle of the river and were left drifted. Perhaps because the full moon was not seen, there were not so many boats and sampans in the river. They might not celebrate at this time.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Lanterns were offloaded from a boat in the middle of the river at Hoi An, Vietnam. Not many boats seen perhaps due to the full moon which was out of sight.

Awarded as one of UNESCO's World's Heritage Site few years back, Hoi An was an ancient city where it had become an important port in the past. It was also one of the stops in the spice route. Now the trails that it left has become attractions among backpackers to taste local delicacies, shop and enjoy sea activities. We had another chance to go there again in one afternoon as we had treasure hunt activities there.

Close to Hoi An, there was also located Cham Island which the people there were related to the Malays down South of this region. Da Nang used to be called as Indrapura and this was the centre of once powerful kingdom of Hinduism-Buddhist Champa. According to certain theories, based on artifacts found, the Malays were originated from Cham people.

After Champa Kingdom was annexed by Viet Nam, its last king together with his loyal subjects escaped to Cambodia and started a new civilisation at the bank of Mekong River called Kampong Cham. If we look at the name of Kampong Cham, Cham language and Malay language have a lot of similarities. Kampong in Cham and Malay language means village. There are few other words which are exactly the same meaning such as sungai (river), banyak (a lot), ikan (fish) dan orang (people). Some of Cham people also ran away down South to the states of Terengganu and Kelantan in Malaysia and also to Southern provinces of Thailand. Some had also escaped North to Hainan Island in China. When I was raised as a kid in Terengganu, there were a lot of Cham people selling cloth from house to house. They were good businessmen and businesswomen.

However, not all his subjects ran away as some still resided in Vietnam. Apart from its original location at Cham Island, there were also still resided at Nha Trang. During its golden age, Cham people were converted to Islam by Arabic traders and had close relationship with Abbasid kingdom in Baghdad. It also helped Johor Kingdom to fight against Portuguese in Malacca. I was not very sure those residing at Cham Island still practicing Islam. Some said they still practiced ancient belief although they were Islam, similar to few Javanese in Indonesia.

I had a short chat with one sugar cane juice seller at Hoi An. When he was asked where he's coming from, he simply replied that he was from Cham, not from Vietnam though. I guessed Cham people still believed that they were being colonised by Vietnam. There was a movement to help freeing Cham people from Vietnam but now it was abandoned.

From the beginning, I knew our treasure hunt team would not win. Our friends from Thailand even went shopping instead of completing tasks given! Actually I rued the chance to buy some souvenirs as prices here were much cheaper compared to other places such as Ho Chi Minh City. However, at least I could relax and enjoy taking photos while they were shopping.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Animal-shaped whistles made from clay is one of the famous handcrafts from Vietnam. This picture was taken at Hoi An.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Local delicacies at Hoi An. The ones look like woods are indeed woods that produce fragrance.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Only walkers and primitive vehicle users are allowed here.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Water transportation is still important in Hoi An. A boat from Cham Island is carrying passenger and motorcycles.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A museum at Hoi An.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Carrying loads traditional way is still very much popular in Hoi An. In Penang, sellers used the same way to sell rice and that's how Nasi Kandar was known.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Japanese Bridge built by Japanese during the World War II.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A lady is making lanterns at Hoi An.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Lanterns sold at a shop in Hoi An.

While we were on the way to Hoi An, I could see a former American Air Force depot used during the Vietnam war. Around Da Nang, destructions from war could still be seen. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in sandy areas, there were big holes created from bomb explosions. A temple from Champa Kingdom days was also being restored after destroyed by bomb explosion.

The houses of Vietnamese were indeed unique. The front opening was very narrow, just to fit in a car while the length was extended behind, about double the size of a normal terrace house. For rich people who wanted bigger house, they didn't extend to the next door, but it went upwards until three storey! Didn't know why but I guessed this was because of the shape of the land they owned. The pieces of the lands were actually similar to the shape of each paddy field lot. So, each house was built according to the shape of that land piece.

Another uniqueness about Vietnam was grave at the backyard! In the past, Vietnamese buried the dead in their own backyard. However, the Vietnam government now did not allow this anymore and proper centralised graveyards were made available.

Before the introduction of Roman characters, Vietnamese language used similar characters as Chinese. It was however written and read from the right to the left, similar to Arabic character.

..to be continued..

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A former US Air Force depot in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Vietnamese house - narrow opening but extended behind.

Previous entries:
Travel to Vietnam Part I
Travel to Vietnam Part II
Travel to Vietnam Part III
Travel to Vietnam Part IV

Travel to Vietnam Part IV

2009-04-05T10:30:00.002+08:00

18 June 2008

The place that we stayed was Furama Resort. It was located on the way to Hoi An, one of the UNESCO's world heritage site, the same title that Malacca and Penang have got recently. I will tell more about Hoi An in the next entry. This resort was facing South China Sea, the same sea that extends towards East Coast Peninsular Malaysia in the South, and is close to China Beach, which was famous to American troops and its alliance during Vietnam war.

At one glance, the architectural design of the resort was very much similar to traditional Malay and tropical concept but it still had local elements. It was an idea of an Australian architect. There were few blocks of buildings that connected to the main building that included the lobby, restaurants and bar. A beautiful surrounding could be clearly seen right at the moment we arrived, which was really fast attracting us.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Furama Resort, Da Nang.

At the lobby, on the right, there was the reception counter which faced sets of sofas for waiting and relaxing. Straight to the front, there located a courtyard which placed rows of big vases alongside a small pond. Inside the pond, there were few Japanese fishes swimming between leaves and blooming lotus flowers.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Courtyard at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Rows of big vases alongside a small pond at the courtyard at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Fishes are swimming between lotus plants at the courtyard at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Courtyard at Furama Resort at night.

On the left hand side of the courtyard, there was a restaurant which was located at a building that extended from the main building that included the lobby. On the right hand side, there located a bar. The design of both left and right hand side buildings were symmetric. Straight to the front, a sizable swimming pool could be seen. It had square design which suited for marathon swimming compared to those swimming pools that had weird shape. I liked this one. The bottom of the swimming pool was surfaced with blue tiles, similar to its blue sea background.

Separated from the swimming pool by short coconut trees, there laid a wide, clean and white sandy beach. There were huts, which their roofs were made from palm leaves, for those who liked sunshine and sun-tanning. Underneath, there were chairs with blue-and-white-striped canvas for lying and relaxing.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

The swimming pool at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

The huts for relaxing located at the beach at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

The sea was blue and very peaceful. Seemed one could forget all stresses when was here. The waves were just small touching the beach gently and was very suitable for swimming. At the horizon, it looked clear from any obstructions except a small unknown island. There were also few fisherman's boats catching fishes. Far to the left, the famous Monkey Mountains could be seen. The beach with beautiful corals there was a heaven for divers. Fisherman's traditional village which added colours to this beautiful scenery could also be seen from here.

On the right hand side, there was a new resort building being erected. Some trees had been planted to beautify the landscape.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A beautiful beach at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A very peaceful view at the beach at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Water trishaw at Furama Resort, Da Nang. At the background is Monkey Mountains.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A new resort is being built at Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Panorama of the beach at Furama Resort, Vietnam.

Coming back to the resort, there were many facilities available. For those who wanted cash, there was an ATM located at the lobby building. For those who don't know yet, most of hotels and resorts in Vietnam have casinos. One of us, an uncle who frequents Genting, was quick to grab this opportunity to bet his luck.

After checking in, I was accompanied to my room. The resort's area was big and I had to walk for a quite long distance. My tiredness however fast disappeared seeing lush green landscape here. A lot of small trees planted alongside the corridor. On the right hand side of the corridor, there located resort rooms while on the left hand side, it was open to the air facing a beautiful park. At the park, there were a lot of trees planted giving a green and eye-soothing view. The most outstanding were tall coconut trees rising above the others.

Visitors can also walk in the park as walking pavement was made available. In addition to lush and beautiful greens here, visitors could also smell a nice aromatherapies which was installed at certain locations at the park.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

The building that accommodates resort rooms.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Corridor at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Tall coconut trees at the park at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Walking pavement at the park at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A lagoon at the park at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Aromatherapies installed at certain locations of the park at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

The room was also nicely designed and decorated. The room adopted open concept where there was a window in the wash room that separated it from the bed. This gave a feeling that the room was big than its actual size. Every room had a balcony that faced another park on the other side. A couple of chairs and a table were provided for visitors who wanted to feel hotter air outside. A railing to hang wet clothes after going to swimming pool or the beach was also available. For rooms that were located near to the sea, the balcony actually faced the beach. However, not mine though, just the park..

..to be continued..

Visit Furama Resort website.

Previous entries:
Travel to Vietnam Part I
Travel to Vietnam Part II
Travel to Vietnam Part III

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Bed inside the room of Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Open concept at Furama Resort room, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Another view inside the room at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

View from outside at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Chairs and table at the balcony at Furama Resort, Da Nang.

Previous entries:
Travel to Vietnam Part I
Travel to Vietnam Part II
Travel to Vietnam Part III

Travel to Vietnam Part III

2009-03-27T19:31:00.007+08:00

16 June 2008

Our journey to Da Nang continued with Vietnam Airlines because there was no MAS service to Da Nang. The journey was quite boring, perhaps because I'd been too long in the flights and I was also tired. I tried to sleep but I couldn't. So did my friends. Seemed they forced themselves to sleep even though they're not sleepy.

I just kept watching the stewardesses. Thought they're not too sexy like AirAsia stewardess. They wore traditional Vietnamese costume. The blouse they wore was long, extended beyond their knees. From hip and below, the blouse was cut into two at both sides. Inside the cut, a white trouser which they wore together could be seen. When they were walking, the front cut of the blouse followed their knee movement, the other cut lagged behind. So graceful.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam Airlines that we board to Da Nang.

The journey to Da Nang was quite far, it took one hour and ten minutes. It was a long journey as I was quite boring. I got window seat but I couldn't see anything down under as the clouds were thick covering Vietnam lands.

When we were about to reach Da Nang and our plane was lowering down its altitude, then only I could see the beautiful scenery of Da Nang. Far behind, there were mountains giving peaceful colour to Da Nang. In front of the mountains, there laid green, fertile lands decorated by squares of paddy fields. There were rivers flowing slowly, connecting the mountains and the green lands.

When our plane was getting lower and lower, I could see the afternoon sun shone through the thick clouds creating lines of white ray straight to the lands. The lines then reflected from the surface of the rivers giving a very magnificent view. Oh, this was very beautiful and tranquil!

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Sunshine is reflected from a river in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

Afternoon sun shines onto Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A crook river in Da Nang.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

A river widens in Da Nang.

After few minutes, our plane safely touched down at Da Nang International Airport. The airport here was smaller than the one in Ho Chi Minh City. There were no aerobridges here. We got out of the plane with traditional staircase and we then took abus that was ready waiting just in front of the staircase. Here was much like Soekarna-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. Once again, the driver was on the left hand side and I was still not getting accustomed to it.

From Vietnam Trip - Da Nang

We get out from the plane via staircase and then get onto a bus to the terminal.

There was no immigration point here as we've already gone through the process at Ho Chi Minh City airport. So, we went stright to claim our luggages. Very much similar to Ho Chi Minh City airport, there were so many people waiting outside. Thought this was a norm in Vietnam but I was not sure what they were actually doing. I did care much as our bus was already waiting for us.

We would be staying at a beautiful resort called Furama Resort. While on the way, the surrounding was very similar to Ho Chi Minh City. There were a lot of motorcycles on the road. Everybody rode slowly but traffic was still smooth. For those riding bicycles, they could even stay in the middle of the road because their speed was also the same as those riding motorcycle. Occasionally, if there was any bigger vehicle wanted to pass through, they gave way, including our bus. I like driving style here. The traffic was slow and steady, no rush and definitely less stress.

The development in Da Nang was also amazing. It looked very rapid. Seemed they really had awaken from the darkness of war that had ruined their lives for so many years. The development rate of Vietnam had actually surpassed Malaysia and foreign investment had kept pouring in. On the reasons was cheap labour. However, there was a setback despite all these. The cost of living had spiked tremendously until a level that Vietnamese couldn't cope with it. With only a considerably small of money that they received from their job, they couldn't catch up with the high inflation rate.

After about half an hour, we finally reached Furama Resot. The beautiful resort was located facing South China Sea, the same sea that reached our shores at East Coast Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. The beach here had been well-known since the war time and once became a relaxation place for American troops. The sands were white and the beach was wide, suitable for all kinds of beach activities. The sea was blue but it's still shallow, ideal for swimming activities. From the beach, I could also see the famous Monkey Mountain, whose beach was one of diving heavens.

At night, we had cocktail party but I didn't enjoy much. I was very tired. I went back early and got onto bed early too.

..to be continued..

Previous entries:
Travel to Vietnam Part I
Travel to Vietnam Part II

Travel to Vietnam Part II

2009-03-21T13:55:00.006+08:00

16 June 2008

As our plane was moving further up, we could see more houses and buildings replacing the green paddy fields. This was a sign that we were approaching Ho Chi Minh City, which was used to be called Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City was indeed a large city. Until the horizon, I could still see buildings. This was far bigger than KL.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

>
Aerial view of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam - formerly known as Saigon.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest city in Viet Nam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

A river flowing through the city of Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

A view at Ho Chi Minh City suburb, Viet Nam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam - a densely-populated city.

When I first reached the Ho Chi Minh City international airport, I was impressed with current development of Vietnam. The people have awaken from the destruction of war. The terminal building here was also impressive, with one glance, it resembled KLIA. The wall was made of glass and it's leaning outside from floor to roof. This gave the impression that the hall inside the building was bigger than its actual size. Although there were quite a number of passengers and visitors, the customs and immigration processes were efficient. There were a lot of counters opened.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

>
New terminal building at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

We arrived at 10.24AM.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Carousal area at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Actually, Ho Chi Minh City was not our final destination. We would continue our journey to Da Nang, one of the historical and beautiful city in Vietnam. Here was one of the battle fields during Vietnam war and also the centre of ancient Champa kingdom.

We still had four hours before our next flight. So we had ample time to go round the city. As planned much earlier, we wanted to go to Ben Thanh market and for that, we chartered a van for our round trip.

When we first got out from terminal building, I was shocked to see a lot of people waiting outside. Not sure whether they were waiting for somebody or were looking for money by offering some services to tourists.

While on the road, I felt quite awkward because vehicles here was left-hand drive. I still needed to adjust myself even though I was not driving as this was actually my first time being in a country with left-hand drive. Vietnam was once colonised by American while Malaysia was colonised by British. So, that's why both countries now have different legacies. After researching from Internet, now I realised that only a handful of countries in this world are right-hand drive. The majority are left-hand drive. Almost all Commonwealth countries and few others like in South East Asia such as Indonesia and Thailand are right-hand drive.

Another uniqueness about Vietnam was its millions of motorcycles on the road. Everywhere were motorcycles. They occupied almost the whole road. When Miss World competition was held here, it also featured motorcycle on the stage during award giving ceremony.

There are reasons why Vietnamese prefer motorcycle. All vehicles are sold only by cash. There is no installment even one wants to buy a car. Because the economy is just recovering and the standard of living is still not high enough, the people here can only afford to buy motorcycles. For those who can't even afford to buy motorcycles, they only had bicycles.

For those who could only own bicycles, it's not bad at all. The traffic here was very slow even when one person rode a bicycle, the speed was almost similar to those riding motorcycles. However, for those who were not familiar with traffic here, it could be dangerous. The traffic was quite chaotic and was without proper rules. There was one instance; our van started to move after a traffic light turned green but there was a pickup wanted to cross in front of us. So, everybody including motorcyclists gave way so that the pickup could get out. They're so tolerant here. I couldn't imagine if this could happen in KL. Despite all these, the rate of accident here was very low.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Everybody rides motorcycle in Viet Nam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

One lane is almost full with motorcycles.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Part of millions of motorcycles on the roads in Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Motorcycles waiting at a traffic light in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Eventhough the traffic light in our direction is green, there is suddenly a pickup wants to cross in front of us. Amazing! This can only happen in Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

I like this guy style. Really cool! I wish I could get his bag and helmet!

After half an hour going through quite a heavy yet smooth traffic, we reached Ben Thanh market. After we entered the market, hearing that we all spoke Malay, the shop owners there greeted us in Malay! I was amazed the fact that they could also speak Malay. I guessed either they had worked in Malaysia before or perhaps they were Malay Cham who were actually originated from Vietnam, although most of them are now living in Cambodia.

Here, a lot of local goods like handicrafts, clothes and local delicacies were sold. There were also unique and beautiful paintings made from hand-woven thread. I bought a bed sheet set with rose motive made from hand-woven thread too. It was beautiful.

The price here was cheap, provided you knew how to bargain. Shop owners here were very reluctant to let you off unless you bought something from their shops. However, it could work our way if we knew how to bargain. The trick was to ask for a ridiculously low price, then you could match exorbitant price sent initially by the shop owners. In the end, at least you got your desired and reasonable price.

I also saw a few Malaysian shopped there. Perhaps they're preparing for a wedding ceremony by looking at type of cloth they were buying.

Here, you can buy goods in US Dollar, in addition to Vietnamese currency, Dong. The minimum note you can trade is one Dollar. If there is smaller change, it will be in Dong equivalence.

After finishing shopping at Ben Thanh market, we headed back to the airport to catch our next flight to Da Nang.

..to be continued..

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

One of the entrances at Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Hand-woven painting from thread are widely sold at Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

The diagram of Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City. All types of goods sold here.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Clothes section at Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Crafts section at Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City.

Travel to Vietnam Part I

2009-03-19T10:01:00.004+08:00

16 June 2008

I was really excited to know that I was going to Vietnam. I'd never been to Vietnam which was recovering fast from war. All I knew when I was kid, Vietnamese were refugees and sought shelter at an island in Terengganu, Malaysia called Pulau Bidong. Locals used to call them 'drift people'. A famous picture portraying a young girl running naked, looked terrified was also still fresh in my mind.

I also remembered a story from a worker at an oil rig telling me that when he just started working there, he saw a mother was hugging her crying baby while she was struggling to keep afloat after her boat crashed onto oil rig pillar. Being under huge stress, the poor mother threw her baby into the sea. The baby was fast carried by raging wave and had not been seen again. The mother kept crying even after she was saved and he couldn't even say a word to see the most terrifying yet sad incident in his life. He wished he did not see that incident.

That was one of the sad stories of Vietnam. However, now everything has changed. Vietnam has awaken up and never looked back. Those years Vietnamese came to Malaysia as refugees, then they came to work and now they went back to contribute to their nation.

Our journey started in the morning. As usual, I pre-booked a taxi with a driver which I normally called. He came sharp at 6.30AM and we reached KLIA at about 7.30AM after going through usual morning rush.

Actually my e-ticket was kept by my colleague. Unluckily, she still hadn't arrived yet as she was still trapped in traffic jam. I was becoming anxious, worried about expected long queues during this morning rush hours at the security check point. After half an hour waiting anxiously, she then arrived, looking tired.

Queues at check-in counters were long. We split into two lanes to gamble if one of us could get to the front first. However, after waiting for so long, the queues still did want to move. Seemed at this time everybody was having problems while checking in. We were nervous, afraid that we might not catch the flight.

Then, I saw an airline guy was walking around to see the situation. I was quickly appeal to him if he could help us. He then asked for the e-ticket and agreed to help us. He brought us to the furthest empty counter from the queues and processed our check-in. We were so relief..

Our problem did not end there. We still had to catch other long queues at the security check point and perhaps the immigration check point as well! At the security check point, we had to ask permission from other people there so that we could cut the queue. However, at the immigration check point, the queues for Malaysian were not long and we could get through very fast.

While we were briskly walking to the departure gate, we saw other friends walking towards us. They already had breakfast. I was a little bit disappointed as we had no time for our morning meal. I was unfortunate but still could have my breakfast in the flight later.

The weather was very clear and our flight took off without any glitches. I could see the greens underneath. Our flight cut across the Titiwangsa Mountains, the backbone of Peninsular Malaysia. While our flight moving Northeast, I could also see Kenyir Lake in Terengganu, which is the biggest man-made lake in South East Asia. I've been there few years back and that was one of the best place for fishing and camping.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Terengganu Highlands

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Kenyir Lake, Terengganu.

After few minutes enjoying spectacular view of Kenyir Lake from above, the pilot announced that the passengers could view Kuala Terengganu city on our right hand side. However, I couldn't see as I was seated on the left hand side. Nevertheless, I was lucky as on the left, I could also view beautiful beach at Merang, Terengganu. There was a white line of sand separating blue South China Sea and the green land of Terengganu. After a while, there was another surprise. Our plane was flying over Redang Island! The view was spectacular. We could see white sands at the beach. In shallow water, the water was green and it's where corals lived. Redang Island was one of diving heavens among Terengganu islands.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Merang Beach, Terengganu

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Redang Island, Terengganu

While enjoying the beautiful scenery below, my breakfast arrived. I almost forgot that I was hungry. After finishing meal, our plane had actually reached Vietnam shore. There were big rivers flowing between paddy fields. Along the river banks, there were houses. Believed they used rivers as their main tranportation.

..to be continued..

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

We are flying into Viet Nam.

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

A wide river in Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Agricultural area and river in Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

Paddy fields in Viet Nam

From Vietnam Trip - Ho Chi Minh City

More and more inhabited areas in Viet Nam

J.Co Donut

2009-01-15T21:37:00.005+08:00

I first saw J-Co Donut in Malaysia when its outlet was opened at Pavillion, KL. When I was walking inside Pavillion for the very first time, I was attracted by long queue at its outlet there. Common sense would say when you see a lot of people at any business outlet, product sold there must be outstanding and unique.

I was there few times after that trying to buy donuts there but I could still see long queue at all times, regardless lunch hours, at night or even working hours. It's been like that for quite some time.

Few visits later, I was lucky. There were only couple of patronages inside. I quickly queued at the counter and placed my order for the first time. Yes, donuts here were better compared to others. The texture was softer and the topping was also tasty and creatively decorated. My friend said the donut was still preserved at the original quality although being kept in fridge for few days. I was not quite sure as I've never kept other donuts in fridge before.

Ayam Bakar Wong Solo

2008-12-07T20:41:00.002+08:00

Ayam Bakar Wong Solo or Wong Solo Grilled Chicken is originated from Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. This is a franchised restaurant network which has now expanded to Malaysia. So far, they are available in KL with two outlets, one is at Kampung Baru, located near to Kampung Baru mosque and the other one is located at Taman Dagang, Ampang.

The specialty is of course Ayam Bakar or Grilled Chicken. There are also other Javanese food specialties such as Ayam Penyet or literally translated 'steamrolled' chicken and Gado-Gado. Unlike Padang foods originated from Sumatra, which have a lot of gravies, Ayam Bakar Wong Solo is eaten without much gravies, just like typical Javanese food.

I have tried both in KL and Solo and the qualities indeed were the same. My favourite is for sure Ayam Bakar set which includes sambal (chilli paste) and salad. I also order for Gado-Gado as a side dish and my favourite drink is Avocado juice, thick drink with a little bit chocolate put inside.

It's really worth trying but bear in mind, don't ever take sambal if you cannot stand hot food. Ensure you standby with plain water and ice if you would like to try one.

The Amazing Race Asia 2008 Ends

2008-11-20T22:11:00.003+08:00

The finale was on air. Congratulations to Sam and Vince for winning The Amazing Race Asia. I'm very pleased to see them winning. For me, they are 'neutral' team and they deserved to win although with a little bit of luck.

Actually throughout the race, of course I'm from Malaysia, I supported Malaysia team - Ida & Tania and Henry & Bernie. However, I preferred Ida & Tania. Didn't know why, perhaps their joyful attitude attracted me. In the last show, I really hoped Ida and Tania would win the race. Nevertheless, luck was not on their side. Having trapped in the sand and missed the flight cost them dearly.

Since the last few episodes, personally I hated the Filipino couple, Geoff and Tisha. Geoff was so arrogant and unsportsmanlike. Every time they were ahead, he was full of arrogance and over confident. They were the only team who bullied the other teams. In one episode, they got Henry & Berny waited. In another one, they got the coolest couple, AD & Fuzzie to make U-turn. I couldn't imagine if I were them, having so tired and stressful, I would have put a punch to Geoff's face. Thank God they didn't win! I was amazed with AD & Fuzzie, they got that far as the only team who never ran!

I would like to comment few mistakes done by the couples during the final race. During the desert activity where the racers must drag the camels into the cage, Vince did a mistake. 'Shu' is a universal language between human and animal that means go away! When he said 'shu' it meant he wanted to chase away the camels whereas he was still holding to the camels. That's why all of us could see why the camels wanted to distance between themselves.

The very last mistake that proved dearly to Filipino couple was not to use right balance of force when canoeing. Rowers normally exert force on one side and follow with the other side. If we start with the right hand side, all rowers must start with right hand side. Then, move to the left hand side. They didn't follow this and rowing in a circle is a normal mistake a novice or an inexperience does. Too much force on one side, for example those right-handed exert too much force on the right but less on the left, can also cause the canoe not moving.

Anyway, the race was over. Congratulations too all participants for having such a wonderful experience and of course got chance to travel to many countries FOC! Hope to see a more challenging race next year!

Tag: The Amazing Race Asia, Ida & Tania, Sam & Vince, Geoff & Tisha, AD & Fuzzie, Henry & Bernie

Ayam Penyet

2008-08-25T09:31:00.008+08:00

Ayam Penyet (in Indonesian) or Ayam Penyek (in Malay) is one of the famous Indonesian food. A place that I would like to mention is not in Indonesia though, but it is located in Singapore.

If you go to Orchard Road, you may find a restaurant located on the 2nd floor of Lucky Plaza. There are a lot of Indonesian food varieties and Ayam Penyek is the specialty there. Ayam means chicken and basically this is fried chicken served with fried tofu, salad and hot spicy chili sambal. If you don't fancy eating hot and spicy food, try to avoid eating sambal as to some native Asians, this is considered hot. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy the tasty fried chicken.

I might call this place as 'Mini Indonesia' as there are a lot of patronages from Indonesia. While eating, you can listen to popular Indonesian songs. The owner is in fact an Indonesian from Surabaya, East Java.

Ayam Penyet set.

Spicy sambal and salad eaten with Ayam Penyet.

My nasi tambah (extra rice) is being brought over.. :)

Esplanade Singapore

2008-08-19T07:15:00.003+08:00

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay is located near the mouth of the Singapore River. This is the place where concerts, theatres, arts and cultural performances take place. The site was the former "Satay Club" which was one of the famous eating place among Singaporean.

Esplanade is located near the Padang and just few minutes walking distance from the famous Merlion which is located on the other side of the Singapore River.

Visit Esplanade's official website.

Holiday Inn, Melaka

2008-08-06T07:06:00.004+08:00

This is the newest hotel in Melaka. Located near the sea and Melaka river, this hotel is not very far from the historical area of Banda Hilir and shopping complexes around Padang Pahlawan. Though located over 200km from Singapore, visitors can still watch Singapore TV channels, in addition to local and satellite channels.

Personally, I really like swimming which is located above the floors and is facing the longest straits in the world, Malacca Straits. You can feel breeze from the sea while swimming here. Really calm and tranquil.

Penang's Prawn Noodle

2008-07-31T20:53:00.004+08:00

This is the famous Penang's prawn noodle or mee udang. Located in Sungai Dua, Penang (main island side), this eating place is easily reachable. Just exit Sungai Dua exit along North South Highway, from KL/Penang Island, turn to the right at the first traffic light. After that, just drive straight and go straight again at the second traffic light. When you see a bridge which at the end you reach a corner, you notice a small lane on you left hand side, now you already reach the place which can even be seen earlier while on the bridge.

You can choose how many prawn for your ingredient and the noodle is served in two types, either gravy one called mee rebus or fried one called mee goreng. Personally I choose mee rebus because it's tastier.

Mee Goreng Udang.

Mee Goreng Udang.

Mee Rebus Udang.

Mee Rebus Udang.

Coconut drink.

Merlion, Singapore

2008-07-27T00:00:00.007+08:00

Panoramic view of Singapore's famous Merlion. Designed by Fabrice Jiew for the Singapore Tourism Board in 1964, the name comes from mermaid and lion. The creature recalls the story of Sang Nila Utama who saw a lion while hunting on the island. This icon is located at Merlion Park, facing Singapore River and also Esplanade which is located on the other side of the river.

Grand Hyatt Singapore

2007-12-26T19:52:00.001+08:00

This is one of difficult hotels to make reservation i.e. is always full. However, I had luck that day and managed to get a room although I made reservation only one day earlier than check-in date. As said by my friend before, this hotel was excellent in term of facilities and no doubt the best thing I liked was its DVD player. It played almost every format including DiVX and Windows Media. The TV that was attached to the wall also offered probably one of the most channels you've ever seen. All major languages' TVs were available including Yoga channel. Yoga mat was also available in the room should guests like to follow instructions from the channel. I tried once but had no 'feeling'..

Foods was not a problem here as its main restaurant, Straits Kitchen offered Halal food. I remembered one of its outstanding and 'hyperactive' Malay waitress there who liked to sing while guiding guests to assigned seats. One thing I didn't like was she thought I was an Indonesian. Sorry, Indonesian friends, I don't mean to insult but this is the reality that a lot of rich people from Indonesia like to go to Singapore and now Bahasa Indonesia is everywhere in Singapore, overriding its sister's dialect, Bahasa Melayu Singapura. Wonder why those rich people like to go to Singapore, not KL which on the other hand has become homes to thousand or perhaps millions of lower-income Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (TKI) or affectionately known to local as Mat Indon or Minah Indon. Probably KL is further and the airfare is more expensive.

Ginger Coconut Drink

2007-07-25T19:59:00.000+08:00

Somewhere in Cheng, near Cheng Mutiara apartment, on the way to Alor Gajah from Malacca town, you won't fancy that a small stall selling coconut juice is actually no ordinary stall.

Called Bertam Malim Fresh Coconut, a specialty at the stall is coconut juice mixed with ginger. The drink is so delicious and the taste of the ginger in the coconut juice also gives you a unique aroma in your mouth. You can quench your thirst with this unique recipe during hot day. The stall is open from mid day until late afternoon.

Tags: ginger coconut, Bertam Malim Fresh Coconut, Cheng, Malacca

Petronas Twin Towers

2007-05-26T20:44:00.000+08:00

Petronas Twin Towers is undoubtedly Kuala Lumpur's most popular landmark. The 88-storey twin buildings was once the tallest building in the world. Although there are few more buildings which have now surpassed Petronas Twin Tower as the world's tallest building, such as in Taiwan and China, which the latter is being built, it is still regarded as the tallest twin tower in the world!

Located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, called Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), it is accessible by public transportation such as bus, taxi and underground train. There is also one big shopping complex there called Suria KLCC, which you can find almost everything including international brands as well as unique local brands.

For those who like seeing KL from high above, you may go up to Skybridge which connects both twin towers at levels 41-42. The admission is free but you have to queue and no reservation is allowed. The Skybridge is open from 9.00AM to 7.00PM daily except on Monday. So, be sure you come early and ticket is issued as early as 8.30AM.

View bigger pictures here.

View in the Skybridge.

View down under Skybridge.

KL at dusk.

Tags: Petronas Twin Tower, Skybridge, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, KLCC, Suria KLCC

SMART Tunnel Now Opened

2007-05-15T16:44:00.000+08:00

14 May 2007

Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel or SMART Tunnel has finally been opened to public starting today. This is a new architectural landmark in Kuala Lumpur and has featured in Discovery Channel. The tunnel has dual purpose which is to mitigate flood and also to serve as two-storey highway.

In the morning, I thought of getting the first time experience driving into the newly-built tunnel but couldn't make it as I was late. However, after a long working hours, I managed to drive there. From the North, the tunnel can be accessed via Jalan Tun Razak near to Menara RHB/Kg. Pandan round about or from Jalan Sultan Ismail (Bukit Bintang). The tunnel ends at KL-Seremban Highway near to TUDM Sungai Besi.

It was an enjoyable driving experience since everybody was not rushing while seeing the internal view of the spectacular tunnel. The ride was smooth but the tunnel is not straight as it has to cut through underground pilings of KL buildings. For the first month, motorist can enjoy free access but the toll charge for the subsequent months has not been finalised yet. Think everybody expects this will be the highest ever toll rate in KL since the costs associated with this mega project were huge.

When reaching the end of the tunnel, there were toll booths. Due to testing period, drivers with Touch&Go card and SmartTAG still had to use them. However, the value inside was not deducted as the access was still free.

I made U-turn at Cheras/Taman Desa flyover and drove back into the tunnel to the North. In the tunnel, local radio frequencies are displayed for drivers to tune in to get the latest updates on the tunnel condition. As the tunnel has dual purpose which one of them is to mitigate flood, during heavy rain, the highway will be closed and will be flooded with rainwater. In emergency cases, there are staircase to climb up to the ground level. Hopefully there will be no cases whereby drivers have to leave their cars when the water floods in. Think every driver now has to consider buying catastrophe insurance for every car.

Before reaching the other end of the tunnel, the highway splited into two directions. Once headed to Jalan Tun Razak while the other one to Jalan Sultan Ismail. I took the latter one. The tunnel is linked to Jalan Imbi/Jalan Pudu and Jalan Sultan Ismail junction, near to Berjaya Times Square. For shopping craze, it is now easier to go shopping at Bukit Bintang.

The tunnel entrance from the North via Jalan Tun Razak.

The tunnel view.

More tunnel view.

No toll charge yet.

Entrance from South.

Tags: SMART Tunnel, Kuala Lumpur, Discovery Channel

Johor Bahru

2007-05-08T08:13:00.000+08:00

Johor Bahru is the southernmost city in Peninsular Malaysia and located at the border of Malaysia-Singapore, which is connected to Singapore via a causeway across Tebrau Strait.

Johor Bahru is well-known as a shopping hub especially to Singaporean who enjoy cheaper currency rate here. A lot of shopping complexes as well as hypermarkets can be found everywhere in Johor Bahru.

Johor Bahru is also popular with its food. If you fancy seafood, you may go to Lido Beach or Permas Jaya. You can also find Mi Rebus at Stulang. If you like dining on a tree while enjoying local cultural show, you may try Nasi Beriani Gam at Anjung Warisan, which is located near to Hutan Bandar.

A lot of new development projects are underway in Johor Bahru. To ease the congestion at the immigration check point, which is regarded as the world's most busiest immigration check point, a project called Southern Integrated Gateway (Malay: Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu) is being completed. It includes main railway station, a new customs, immigration and quarantine complex (CIQ) and JB Sentral, a new transport hub.

Under Malaysia 9th Plan, Johor Bahru is also included under the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). The objective of this project is to develop the area to be the Southern Peninsular Malaysia's most developed region, where living, entertainment, environment and business seamlessly converge within a bustling and vibrant metropolis.

Tag: Johor Bahru, Singapore, seafood, Mi Rebus, Nasi Beriani Gam

Malaysia F1 Grand Prix 2007 at Sepang

2007-04-17T09:55:00.000+08:00

Had chance again to attend F1 race at Sepang this year. Initially thought of canceling the trip due to an illness but somehow recovered on time. What a race this year seeing McLaren rookie, Hamilton outpaced Ferrari. (Of course I have to be a McLaren fan - wanna know why? - ask me..) This year also recorded the highest attendance despite "threat" from Singapore to be a new F1 host. Personally, I feel it's still a long way for Singapore to host a race at night. A lot of safety factors, lightings and venue have to be detailed out.

The race is starting.

'Home team' - BMW Sauber

The winner going to the pit lane. Notice dark clouds pouring down heavy rain downtown KL but not here in Sepang. If it's rain, what a race!

Tag: Formula 1, Sepang, McLaren, Ferrari, BMW Sauber

Nyonya Food, Melaka

2007-03-12T16:46:00.000+08:00

It's always nice to be in Melaka because of its various types of foods available there. Due to long history, there are so many ethnics here including intermarriage such as Portuguese-Malay and Chinese-Malay or better known as Baba and Nyonya.

This intermarriage hundreds years ago has created assimilation of cultures including foods. Here I would like to share on Baba and Nyonya foods. They have influences of Malay and Chinese-style cooking.

One of famous restaurant in Melaka is Restoran Ole Sayang. It's located downtown Melaka at Taman Melaka Raya. A lot of specialties you can try such as Pong Teh Chicken, Asam Pedas Fish and Cendol (dessert).

Pong Teh Chicken

Asam Pedas Fish

Restaurant address

Tag: Melaka, Nyonya Food

Seafood in Melaka

2007-01-05T18:09:00.001+08:00

This is a must visit place if you are in Melaka. Apart from visiting the historical area downtown, visitors should try local seafood for dinner. Located not far from the town, I recommend going to Alai. The food there is cheaper and the quality is not bad too. This is a very good alternative if you always go to other tourists-oriented seafood places such as Umbai.

I have tried seafood at a stall called Medan Ikan Bakar Haji Musa and it was excellent. As usual in Melaka, seafood is eaten with Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice). Nasi Lemak is readily-served, wrapped in banana leave, in a small portion. If one wrap is not enough for you, you can always take another one as waiters normally send more than one wrap of Nasi Lemak for each person. If not, you can always ask from them. But, be cautioned! Nasi Lemak contains high fat. If you're on diet, be watchful! Enjoy seafood more!

Seafood here is fresh as the place is actually located very near to the sea. You can choose your own seafood and order according to your preferred style. If you choose fish, you can have sweet and sour cooking or locals called it tiga rasa or literally translated three-flavours style i.e. sweet, sour and salty. You can also enjoy mussels (lala) served either boiled or grilled.

Please also don't forget Otak-Otak, a kind of local delicacy made from fish flesh, flour and chili, wrapped and grilled in coconut leave. (I saw this delicacy name was wrongly spelled in Singapore as Otah-Otah, it should be Otak-Otak.) And the last thing you wouldn't want to miss is Prawn Satay, another version of butter prawn.

If you can't speak Malay, or can't even speak English, don't worry. The Malay owner here can also speak Mandarin. She's actually half Malay and half Chinese.

Be sure you're heading to stall number 10, Gerai Ikan Bakar Haji Musa.

Nasi Lemak served in small portion but you can always ask for more.

Otak-Otak hidden in coconut leave.

Boiled mussel.

Sweet and sour fish.

Prawn Satay

How to get there?
If you're from Melaka town, please head towards Muar using old road. After Kampung Kandang traffic light, before you reach a bridge, bear right and turn to the right into the first small road before a river. Then go straight until you reach a T-junction, then turn to the left. You'll reach an eating place. If you miss the right turn from the main road, you still have another alternative road, refer maps provided:

Tag: Melaka, Seafood

Roti Tempayan

2006-12-11T22:24:00.000+08:00

If you are on the way to or back from Desaru, one of beautiful beaches in Johor, I'd like to recommend you a place to have your meal. Located at Felda Air Tawar 5, there is a restaurant serving Roti Tempayan or a bread baked in a large clay-made barrel. It's quite easy to locate this place as it's just beside a Shell petrol station, facing the main road.

You can eat Roti Tempayan with chicken curry or mutton curry. However, please be mindful when you're ordering Roti Tempayan as the size is considerably big - a pizza medium size. If you really want to enjoy this, you may just want to order a drink as a supliment.

Tag: Roti Tempayan, Desaru

Kemasik, Terengganu

2006-12-06T23:10:00.000+08:00

As one of the beautiful beaches in Terengganu, one never misses to notice a beach with a big rock called Kemasik Beach. Located very near to Awana Kijal, many passers by stop here. Though it's not safe to swim here due to its rocky nature, many people still come here to enjoy the beautiful scene or to picnic.

There are few stalls there selling local seafood snack and I would recommend you to try Ikan Celup Tepung or Fish Fritter. The fish is so fresh coming from nearby fishermen jetty. You can also try Sotong Goreng Tepung or Calamary. You can still feel the elastic texture of the squid.

Tag: Kemasik, Terengganu, Awana Kijal, sotong, Ikan Celup Tepung

Stuffed Crab

2006-09-19T21:30:00.000+08:00

If you are looking for a good food while you are in Kemaman or are stopping while on the way to any other places in Terengganu, you should go to a restaurant called Restoran Tong Juan and try its specialty, Stuffed Crab.

Stuffed Crab is made of chunks of crab meat, onions and parsley which are packed into large crab shell and is fried. It is served with chilly sauce. Don't worry as this sauce is not really hot but a little bit sour.

The direction to this restaurant is quite easy. If you are from Kuantan or from East Coast Highway, once you reach a traffic light downtown Chukai, turn to the right. About a kilometer, you will find the restaurant on your right hand side, facing Kemaman River which is on your left hand side. This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.

You may visit the restaurant's website here.

Tag: Stuffed Crab, Tong Juan, Chukai, Kemaman, Terengganu, Malaysia

Chatuchak Market, Bangkok

2006-09-17T10:16:00.001+08:00

This place is a must if you visit Bangkok. Probably the biggest market in this region, you can find almost everything at Chatuhchak Market, from clothes, handicraft to pets. I bet if you are a true shopper, one day is not enough to get around the whole market. Furthermore, prices are considerably cheap.

This market is open during weekend only (Saturday and Sunday) but by Friday afternoon, the stalls are already open. Transportation to this place is not a big problem at all as BTS Skytrain service ends here. Besides, you can also take taxi or take the most efficient Tuk-tuk if you stay near to Chatuchak Market.

Tag: Chatuchak, market, Bangkok, shopping, Skytrain

Merdeka

2006-09-03T16:04:00.000+08:00

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Malaysia celebrated its 49th nationhood last Wednesday, 31st August. It happened that I was in KL on that day, after finishing a training and thus, I planned to watch a concert which was held at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) on the eve of Merdeka day and later to join countdown to midnight as well as to enjoy fireworks show.

While I was inside a lift in a hotel I stayed, namely Traders Hotel, a hotel staff asked me where I would be going on that night to celebrate Merdeka. I replied that I would be going down to watch the concert and later to witness a beautiful fireworks show. He smiled and instead recommended me to go to 33rd Floor of the hotel to see the fireworks. There I should have a clearer view. Wow, that’s a good idea! Furthermore, I could hardly walk at downstairs as the area was jam-packed with thousands of spectators.

Then, I just stayed inside my room while waiting for the midnight to come. I watched TV and read newspapers. My friend who came over surfed complimentary Internet access provided by the hotel.

About five minutes before the midnight, we went over to 33rd Floor, where a swimming pool was located. Upon arriving, I saw a lot of other hotel guests had assembled here and they had booked strategic location to witness the show. We, however, managed to find an unoccupied space. It headed towards majestic, the world’s tallest twin tower, PETRONAS Twin Tower. Besides the KL iconic building, we also saw other towers which did not miss to celebrate this festival, also in conjunction with a special promotion by the national power company, TNB, by lighting up their colourful neon.

About one minute to go to the midnight, we heard huge roars from the ground as thousands of people were counting to the special moment. However, this had continued pass the midnight and no fireworks had been launched. What happened? Any technical glitches? Only few kilometers away, at Bukit Bintang, I heard few fireworks had been shot to the sky. Some hotel guests moved to the other side of the floor to see the fireworks but we just stayed here so that others wouldn’t take our place.

It had passed five minutes. Huge roars were still heard from the ground as people were anxious for the moment. Suddenly a loud sound was coming up from the ground to the floor we stayed. Yes, the show had started! The sound was so loud as the fireworks rose to the sky.

Very beautiful and cool! The fireworks exploded right in front of our eyes! I could hardly open my eyes as the explosion was very near to us. The fireworks were launched from the ground and they exploded at a level which was equal to the floor we stood up. Nevertheless, it was such an experience! Colourful and various firework shapes changed in seconds.

I also managed to capture few shots but forgive me as the pictures are quite blurry as I couldn’t stand the explosion of the fireworks right before my eyes. Also featured is a video captured during that precious moment. Cheers!

View complete pictures here

Tags: merdeka, KLCC, fireworks

Pulau Duyong, Terengganu

2006-08-24T11:51:00.001+08:00

Pulau Duyong is an island located near the mouth of Terengganu River in Kuala Terengganu, East Coast Peninsular Malaysia. This island is well-known as a boat fabrication centre and its clients come from all over the world including Europe and America.

Literally translated from Malay, Pulau Duyong means Mermaid Island. It is believed that long time ago, mermaids laid here and that was how the island got its name.

Recently, as part of the government effort to boost tourism in Terengganu, a sailing event, Monsoon Cup, has been held and Pulau Duyong has been chosen because of its strategic location. Wide Terengganu River mouth as well strong winds during Northeast Monsoon from South China Sea offer a challenging venue for this event.

A resort cum tourist centre called Terengganu Heritage Centre has also been completed for tourists to enjoy beautiful scene here. The resort faces Kuala Terengganu town on the South bank while on the North bank, it faces colourful fishermen village. Direct to the East, tourists can see beautiful South China Sea especially during sunrise in the morning.

There is also a boat service connecting Pulau Duyong to Kuala Terengganu town. Tourists can use the service to go to Payang Market which is located at the jetty on Kuala Terengganu town side. There are a lot of local made products like silk, batik, brassware, jewelries and local dishes such as Keropok and Nasi Dagang.

Heritage Village is under construction.

Tags: Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, Monsoon Cup, Terengganu Heritage Centre,

Malacca, Malaysia

2006-08-07T13:13:00.000+08:00

Considered as the base for modern Malaysia today, Malacca or called Melaka in Malay, has enjoy great success in its hundred years of history.

Malacca was founded by a prince from Palembang, Sumatra named Parameswara, who fled from attacks of Java and Siam. During his rest under a tree, he was startled to see his hunting dog was kicked by a white deer. Believing this incident would bring a prosperous years ahead, he decided to settle at the place and named it Melaka, taken after the tree's name.

Malacca was under its greatest success during the reigns of Sultan Mansur Shah and Sultan Muzaffar Shah, with his genious Prime Minister, Tun Perak and his valiant admiral, Laksamana Hang Tuah. Located strategically inside the Malacca Straits, Malacca was one of the important ports connecting Arabs and India in the West and China on the East. One the legacy left by the merchants who plied their trade in Malacca until today is intermarriage between local Malays and Chinese called Baba and Nyonya and intermarriage between Malays and Indian called Chitti Melaka.

However, Western powers were interested to take over Malacca due to lucrative spice trade as well as its strategic location to control ship movements in the strait. In 1511, Portuguese attacked Malacca under Alfonso d' Albuquerque. Dutch then took over Malacca in 1641.

In 1824 under Anglo-Dutch treaty, Dutch handed over Malacca to English and on the other hand, English handed over Bencoolen (locals call Bangkahulu or Bengkulu) to Dutch. This marked the modern maps of Malaysia and Indonesia today.

Today, Malacca remains as one of top tourist destinations in Malaysia. At Banda Hilir, there located A Formosa, a fort left by Portuguese as well as a building built by Dutch called Studhuys. There are also replicas of traditional Malacca Sultanate palace and Flor De La Mar ship.

Visit Melaka Tourism
View complete pictures here.

Tags: Melaka, Malacca, Parameswara, Palembang, A Formosa, Portuguese, Studhuys, Dutch

Putrajaya, Malaysia

2006-08-04T13:36:00.000+08:00

Putrajaya is the new administration capital of Malaysia. Located in Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) area, Putrajaya has close proximities to Cyberjaya and KL International Airport. A dedicated highway connecting Putrajaya and KL is also being built for better connectivity between both cities.

Apart from majestic architecture of government buildings, there are also many other attractions here such as Putra Mosque, Dataran Gemilang, Botanical Garden, Perdana Putra Park and Taman Rimba Alam. You can also take a ride with cruise boat along the main lake here and enjoy spectacular view of Putrajaya.

View complete pictures here.

Tags: Putrajaya, administrative capital, government, Masjid Putra

Journey to Bali: Uluwatu

2006-08-02T09:08:00.000+08:00

Uluwatu is another interesting place to visit in Bali. Uluwatu is located on top of a deep cliff facing the sea. Just like Tanah Lot, this place is very beautiful during sunset. Down under, series of waves are splashing rocks at the cliff leg. You can also fancy going for surfing here (for experienced surfers only!).

There is also a pura called Pura Luhur Uluwatu. Those who come here will be equipped with a yellow cloth in order to hinder off back luck. However, beware of monkeys here although they look calm. They can be agressive if being fed.

After enjoying the breathtaking sunset view on top of the cliff, you can also watch a Balinese traditional dance called Tarian Kecak which starts right after the sunset. The dance depicts the story of Ramayan epic. Instead of normal gamelan, the dance is backed by 150 men chanting the chorus.

View complete pictures here.

Tags: Uluwatu, Bali, sunset, pura, Tarian Kecak

Journey to Bali: Tanah Lot

2006-08-01T09:44:00.000+08:00

It's a must to visit this place if a person comes to Bali. Called Tanah Lot, this is where is a small hill located very close to the shore. It will become an island during tide as the sea water will separate the hill from the mainland. On top of the hill, there is a temple for predominantly local Hindu which is known as pura. There are also very tame Holy Snakes here which you can touch, believed to bring good fortune.

The scene here becomes spectacular during sunset. Gloomy and red sky turn the surrounding into majestic and serene background with the pura as the silhouette.

Tourists can come here by tourist package or for those adventurous ones, may come by your own by hiring motorcycles.

View complete pictures here.

Tags: Tanah Lot, Bali, pura, sunset, Holy Snake

Travel to Tok Bali and Kuala Besut

2006-07-31T10:35:00.000+08:00

When I was about to go back to Kuala Terengganu (KT) from Kota Bharu (KB), my friend suggested to me to use coastal route, instead of using normal inland route. The road is less congested and there are not many speed traps along the way. I bought the idea as I wanted to do something different and I wanted to explore the area.

I remembered quite some times ago, I did pass the area when I was riding an illegal taxi (due to last minute plan) back from KB to KT. I remembered I saw a lot of coconut trees and the road was straight.

From KB Mall where I met my friend, I took main road all the way straight to Bachok. If using normal route, I must turn right somewhere in Kubang Kerian and head to Pasir Puteh but this time I should go straight until just 5 km before Bachok town, according to my friend, I should turn to the right for a short cut. However, I didn’t take the short cut as I wanted to get around Bachok town. Never in my life, I reached Bachok.

To my surprise, Bachok is only a very small town and surrounded by fishing villages. I thought Bachok, as one of district capitals in Kelantan state, should be bigger as its role speaks. Nevermind, it’s ok cause I also don’t want to be caught in traffic jam nor to wait long at traffic lights. I stopped for a while to withdraw some money from a bank so that later I didn’t have to go to KT town again.

My journey continued with breathtaking and serene surrounding. There were lots of coconut trees along the road with white sands covered their roots. The road was straight, as still freshly depicted in my mind. Sometimes I saw houses which were built scatterly but still near to the road. There were also shops especially ones that sold sea-based products. They sold keropok, which is made from sago and fish flesh. Some even used the famous Keropok Losong which is originated from Losong, Kuala Terengganu to attract customers. Not sure whether it was really authentic or not.

After about 20 minutes, I reached Tok Bali. This place is famous as a fishing jetty and also with its brand new bridge. I saw few advertisements by the roadside showing few resorts were being erected here and were already put up for sale. How fast the development here. The bridge there was quite high from the ground when reaching its centre. While driving, I was being slowly shown the beautiful scene of the river mouth on my left while colourful fishing boats and villages seen on my right. When heading down the bridge, I saw a fish market located beside the jetty.

The road was straight again after that until before I reached Bisikan Bayu Beach. When approaching the area, there were few stalls selling catches from sea like kerang, kepah etc. Then, I saw a chalet called Kisana Beach Resort. This resort headed towards sea with lots of Ru trees inside. This place also hosted the Malaysia National Service Program where after school kids gather and learn about nationalism.

The journey continued. About 20 minutes again. I reached Kuala Besut which is famous as its jetty, a point to get to snorkelling heaven, Perhentian Islands. Though Kuala Besut is located in Terengganu state, there was no signboard indicating that I passed the border.

There were few shops comprising tourist agencies, sundry shops and fishing related shops. A lot of tourists were seen waiting to get off Perhentian Islands or might have just arrived from the islands. Along a river, called Besut River, there were lots of fishing boats resting or perhaps preparing off to the sea.

When I get out from the jetty area, there was a bridge across Besut River and from here, all activities around the area can be seen. Further up, there were also few resorts and guest houses offering stays for tourists while on the way to Perhentian Islands.

After that, not much excitement can be seen except alternating fishing villages and small jungles. However, this was quite an experience. While many head towards beautiful islands in Terengganu, it is still worthwhile to get along the coastal road around here. There are lots of interesting sea-related activities can be found. Not to forget foods such as keropok or dried fish. There are few resorts and guest houses here for you to stay. For those who plan to stay longer, don’t worry, there are also lots of shops offering laundry services here.

Tags: Tok Bali, Kuala Besut, Kelantan, Terengganu, Malaysia, Fishermen Village