Roadtrip 2011 Day One
Ah.. another road trip is over. And I can't wait to go on the next one! Maybe we should consider crossing the Thai border next! But I think, for that to happen we need safety in numbers.
Anyways, this time, we travelled an approximate total of 1508 km with a total driving time of about 20+ hours (or so Google says). Easily a day of driving with all the other things thrown in.
Route: Singapore - Kota Tinggi - Mersing - Kuantan - Cherating - Fraser's Hill - Gopeng - Ipoh - Kuala Kangsar - Putrajaya - Singapore.
copyright Google Maps 2011
Lazy Pigs
We started off our journey bright and early. We planned to headover the causeway before 7am. Well, being the lazy pigs that we were, we didn't set off till past 9! LOL
But anyways, our first stop was for breakfast brunch at Kiang kee Bak Kut Tea (Teh) - a suggestion by jebenmed, just past the town of Kota Tinggi. It's about an hour's drive away and would make for a lovely sunday morning sojourn.
It could be the fact that my Grandpa used to run his own Bak kut teh stall, but I really didn't see what the fuss was all about. Perhaps its the novelty that food was still cooked ala traditionale? Or the quixotic charm of eating food by the country road? I don't know..I didnt see the proprietors hunting down wild boar! Ok la, not great.
Ordering was a bit confusing - but you'll work it out :) Get there early, we reached at about 1045 and the Yu Char Kway was all sold out! Oh the humanity! Bak Kut Teh without Yu tiao?!! Sacrilege!
Road to Cherating
So after pigging out, and feeding the poor skeletal stray, we continued onwards to Mersing. I've been to Mersing a few times, even staying over one night but merely as a stop over to Pulau Aur and Dayang. There's really nothing much to see so we just drove right pass, not even stopping to pee. Or did we?
We stopped at Kuantan for a toilet break but again we didn't linger - I was at the wheel from Mersing and LY was fast asleep from iPad fatigue. I made a round through town pass the huge mosque (and yes, the Kuantan Medical Centre LOL where I spent almost a whole day waiting to see if the student under my charge was ok. Long story short, he was involved in an ATV accident) and continued onward on Highway 3.
We arrived at Cherating just past 2pm. Or was it 3? Who cares?!
The weather was warm but lovely and the flowers...well...inviting...
The hotel - well it's not Club Med, seemed a little dated. 1980s Golden Girls-que Miami Beach kind of dated. Rooms were big though. But it felt more like a chalet then a hotel. Oh well, for SGD$60 .. we weren't really complaining. There were bugs and centipede! on the bed (ahh!) and the bath was erm.. yah. I'll write more in the tripadvisor entry...oh yes..the bathroom mixer was the other way round.. got a shock when trying to shower!
We spent the afternoon relaxing by the beach, having dinner and enjoying the post-apocalyptic quietness (sans zombies lol inside joke lah) before our evening trip to see the fireflies. It wasn't turtle season and wasnt keen on visiting the sanctuary again.
Ahh bliss.. to be away from overpopulated Singapore. All the noise, the people, the worries, the troubles - Life. Now THAT is a luxury. We even got to start our bird watching early!
Well not that kind of bird watching...
We had dinner at a kampong nearby - Restoran Intan. It was recommended by the GPS of all things. The food was very tasty and just so ...different. MMMmm
Claypot Tofu
Ayam Curry
We spotted a flock of Hornbills during dinner. Went in for a closer look. They were not the least bit shy! But they were frolicking in the Muslim cemetary and I didn't know the protocol. So we stood outside.
Unfortunately for us, the famous thunderstorms of the east coast came that evening - so no fireflies. Thankfully it started before we headed out on the boat. I do not want to imagine what it would have been if we already started the cruise on that puny sampan. My heart goes out to the families of the two Sg guys lost at Aur. It was a most terrible and terrifying storm.
Anyways, this time, we travelled an approximate total of 1508 km with a total driving time of about 20+ hours (or so Google says). Easily a day of driving with all the other things thrown in.
Route: Singapore - Kota Tinggi - Mersing - Kuantan - Cherating - Fraser's Hill - Gopeng - Ipoh - Kuala Kangsar - Putrajaya - Singapore.
copyright Google Maps 2011
Lazy Pigs
We started off our journey bright and early. We planned to headover the causeway before 7am. Well, being the lazy pigs that we were, we didn't set off till past 9! LOL
But anyways, our first stop was for breakfast brunch at Kiang kee Bak Kut Tea (Teh) - a suggestion by jebenmed, just past the town of Kota Tinggi. It's about an hour's drive away and would make for a lovely sunday morning sojourn.
It could be the fact that my Grandpa used to run his own Bak kut teh stall, but I really didn't see what the fuss was all about. Perhaps its the novelty that food was still cooked ala traditionale? Or the quixotic charm of eating food by the country road? I don't know..I didnt see the proprietors hunting down wild boar! Ok la, not great.
Ordering was a bit confusing - but you'll work it out :) Get there early, we reached at about 1045 and the Yu Char Kway was all sold out! Oh the humanity! Bak Kut Teh without Yu tiao?!! Sacrilege!
Road to Cherating
So after pigging out, and feeding the poor skeletal stray, we continued onwards to Mersing. I've been to Mersing a few times, even staying over one night but merely as a stop over to Pulau Aur and Dayang. There's really nothing much to see so we just drove right pass, not even stopping to pee. Or did we?
We stopped at Kuantan for a toilet break but again we didn't linger - I was at the wheel from Mersing and LY was fast asleep from iPad fatigue. I made a round through town pass the huge mosque (and yes, the Kuantan Medical Centre LOL where I spent almost a whole day waiting to see if the student under my charge was ok. Long story short, he was involved in an ATV accident) and continued onward on Highway 3.
We arrived at Cherating just past 2pm. Or was it 3? Who cares?!
The weather was warm but lovely and the flowers...well...inviting...
The hotel - well it's not Club Med, seemed a little dated. 1980s Golden Girls-que Miami Beach kind of dated. Rooms were big though. But it felt more like a chalet then a hotel. Oh well, for SGD$60 .. we weren't really complaining. There were bugs and centipede! on the bed (ahh!) and the bath was erm.. yah. I'll write more in the tripadvisor entry...oh yes..the bathroom mixer was the other way round.. got a shock when trying to shower!
We spent the afternoon relaxing by the beach, having dinner and enjoying the post-apocalyptic quietness (sans zombies lol inside joke lah) before our evening trip to see the fireflies. It wasn't turtle season and wasnt keen on visiting the sanctuary again.
Ahh bliss.. to be away from overpopulated Singapore. All the noise, the people, the worries, the troubles - Life. Now THAT is a luxury. We even got to start our bird watching early!
Well not that kind of bird watching...
We had dinner at a kampong nearby - Restoran Intan. It was recommended by the GPS of all things. The food was very tasty and just so ...different. MMMmm
Claypot Tofu
Ayam Curry
We spotted a flock of Hornbills during dinner. Went in for a closer look. They were not the least bit shy! But they were frolicking in the Muslim cemetary and I didn't know the protocol. So we stood outside.
Unfortunately for us, the famous thunderstorms of the east coast came that evening - so no fireflies. Thankfully it started before we headed out on the boat. I do not want to imagine what it would have been if we already started the cruise on that puny sampan. My heart goes out to the families of the two Sg guys lost at Aur. It was a most terrible and terrifying storm.