Tag: seaside

Pontian Sunset

Pontian Sunset.

Few visitors to Pontian realise it is a district in Johor where its two coastal towns are named Pontian Besar and Pontian Kecil. Ironically, Pontian Kecil is the larger town and administrative capital of the district. It is famous for seafood, just like Kukup, to the south. Drive even further down the coastal road heading south and you will reach Tanjung Piai at the tip. It is Asia’s southernmost point on mainland Asia continent.

Being a former fishing village, Pontian Kecil is famous for seafood. I hunted down one of its famous wonton noodles stalls. Sin Kee served the noodles with tomato ketchup. The use of tomato sauce is possibly influenced by the town’s proximity to Singapore. Pontian region was also, once upon a time, the largest exporter of pineapples in the world.

I loved chilling out under the casuarina trees at the stalls at the breezy esplanade and watching the sunset by the sea. It was beautiful, making Pontian of the most under rated travel and adventure destinations.

There are many hotels in Pontian Kecil. Find a good deal here:
http://www.mycen.my/pontian-kecil-hotel-deals-finder/

#pontian #johor #pontian #pontiankechil #sunset #seaside #adventure #roadtrip #food #kukup #tanjungpiai #mycenhotels

Bagan Lallang Beach

My first trip to Bagan Lallang, was as a young man in the 1980s, courtesy of Texas Instruments Malaysia of Ulu Klang. I went there to shoot some pics and videos of their Family Day and they brought a few thousand employees and family members there. The beach was virtually unknown then and was very deserted on a normal day and was nicely undeveloped. Even finding the remote and secluded beach was a problem as there were no GPS or Waze then. My fondest memory was walking in low tide and climbing up on a skeletal boat wreck not far from shore. Today the wreck is gone and there is the beautiful and luxurious Avani Gold Coast Resort. dotting the coast. Seen here in the background, its beautiful palm frown shaped design protrudes into the ocean. It is best seen as an aerial view. The beach is still serene and deserted on a weekday. Love the neat rows of casuarina trees on the sand. There used to be plenty of lalang (weed or cogon grass) on the sand, true to its name. The foreground old exposed brick wall or rustic pillar, iron fence and creeper plants were created by a filter in Smart Photo Editor. The software has a suite of thousands of bizarre and weird effects and filters which you think you will never use and will scoff at. Depending on the picture, if it works, it works amazingly well. The resulting picture reminds of the time I was having a drink by the beach side at the covered concourse or foyer of another faraway seaside resort. It was the Spanish inspired design of the Awana Porto Malai (now Resorts World Langkawi) in Langkawi island. Anyone remembers or knows the enterprising event organizer Vincent Joseph from T.I.? Would like to get in touch with him. #baganlallang #beach #goldcoast #selangor #seaside #awanisepang #texasinstruments #nature #travel #smartphotoeditor

All That Glitters Is Gold

The stretch between Morib Beach and the luxurious AVANI Sepang resort in Bagan Lallang was branded as the Gold Coast of Selangor. For me the true beauty of the Gold Coast is at this section where mangrove trees appear half sunken during the sea’s low tide.

Under a golden sunset, all that glitters is gold, especially to someone appreciative of nature. I love the haunting and eerie silence of the submerged trees when contrasted with the the noisy birds flying above the swamps.

Unusual to see so many crows here. Crows are scavengers but not marine birds. Maybe the low tide exposes food. One of them, in mid flight, looked like it had a fish hanging from its beak. I took the Sony A7R out from the bag as it has the rapid firing capability needed for this scene.

This corner is a true eco tourism gem that is overlooked and not promoted. Look for gold yourself at the Gold Coast.

Sony A7R ISO 100, f 22, 1/200 sec.

#sunset #goldcoast #selangor #seaside #lowtide #birds #sea #landscape #ecotourism #nature #sepang

The Beach Boys Of Morib

Morib beach is so idyllic, secluded and near yet nobody comes here on a weekday. Except for the beach boys, a group of monkeys having the esplanade to themselves. Glad to see wildlife co existing.

Delightful to see them swinging on Casuarina trees. Morib is the nearest real beach for us landlocked KLites. You will cry if you come here on a weekend as I previously did. The amount of litter and garbage strewn about and left behind by visitors was shocking.

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 200, f16, 1/250 sec.

#pantai #pantaimorib #morib #beach #sea #ocean #monkeys #wildlife #nature #casuarina #landscape #goldcoast #selangor #tourism

Mui Choy Kau Yoke 梅菜扣肉

For Chinese Only.

Alex is Chinese. Thus it was not surprising his eyes light up when the boss at the restaurant suggested Mui Choy Kau Yoke (梅菜扣肉) or braised pork belly steamed with preserved mustard greens – a kind of Chinese cabbage or bok choy.

The dish will always make a Chinese drool not just because it is a delicious porky dish but because it is from an ancient recipe. People are always happy to make a connection with tradition or heritage, I think.

The traditional Hakka dish is normally slow or home cooked and not always available at any restaurant. The total amount for all three dishes, Lala fried with bee hoon, Oyster Omellete (Oh Chien) and Mui Choy Kau Yoke came up to a reasonable RM 63, according to Alex who bought. Thanks, Alex.

I was telling Alex that I appreciate the restaurant for not pushing pricey dishes such as fish and prawns, unlike so many others.

Restaurant Seafood New Hock Heng Huat Tg Sepat. Address in previous post.

#chinesefood #pork #muichoy #kauyoke #tanjungsepat