You Are At The Tip

You Are At The Tip

Tanjung Piai (pronounced Pee-I) is a weird place. Geographically, it is seriously significant because it is the Southernmost tip of mainland or continental Asia. On the opposite and other extreme end is Cape Chelyuskin in Russia, just below the North Pole.Yet sadly, Tg Piai is virtually unknown to many Malaysians and Singaporeans. In reality the place is a dump. I went there in 2003 with Pooi San, with Emily Lowe in 2011 and with Sharon in 2014 on various roadtrips.

Malaysians only know one thing in promoting a seaside attraction: build chalets on stilts. There is nothing much to see unless you enjoy looking at oil tankers in the narrow Straits of Johor or at the industrial areas of Tuas in Singapore. It is also part of a national park with the mangrove shore as attraction. One thing I noticed is the first thing people do when they arrive at the Tanjung Piai resort is to pee. It is a long drive.

Tip: I don’t recommend staying here. Look for accommodation in Kukup or Pontian or even the kinky love hotel in JB. Search in MyCen Hotels.

Pic 1, If gazebos turn you on.
Pic 2. Malaysians also know selling T shirts.
Pic 3. A family bored out of their skulls bonding at the restaurant. Thank goodness for wi-fi.

#tanjungpiai #johor #jb #tip #southernmost #asia #pontian #kukup #landmark #roadtrip

Exodus Via Kukup

Exodus Via Kukup.

I saw an article in the NST today that Kukup Ferry Terminal was gridlocked as 12,000 Indonesians head home for holidays. I knew I have a pic of the Immigration and ferry terminal archived somewhere. Am happy I found the folder effortlessly. It was taken on 19th June 2010 with my Olympus EPL-1. Remember this place, Emily Lowe?

The great thing about finding a digital file, unlike negatives or slides is that the digital medium remains pristine. There are no fungus, dust. scratches or hair to worry about, In fact the tools of 2017 ‘s Photoshop made it even better.

The Immigration building is quiet and peaceful on a normal day unlike today or yesterday. NST showed a pic of long queues inside the terminal. Kukup is a small fishing village in the Pontian District, Johor. It is famous for its open-air seafood restaurants built on stilts over the water. Regularly scheduled ferries connect Kukup with Tanjung Balai in Indonesia.

I remember many of the houses on stilts were converted into family homestay and hotels. All with air cond and karaoke rooms.

For hotels see nearby Pontian Kecil: http://www.mycen.my/pontian-kecil-hotel-deals-finder/

#kukup #johor #ferryterminal #indonesia #fishingvillage #pontian #travel #roadtrip #coastal

The Village Porter – Kukup

On Kukup Island, there is a bellhop or porter service to move your luggage through the rickety pathways that connect the houses converted into hotels or homestay. I think many of the guests are group tourists from China when I was there.

I created a Kukup Hotels page here: Click on text link if banners don’t load as normal. Or contact me for help.

http://www.mycen.my/kukup-hotel-deals-finder/

#kukup #johor #ferryterminal #fishingvillage #pontian #travel #mycenhotels

The Swamp Thing

It saddened me to see a forlorn cat in Kukup. With water everywhere, a swamp ain’t no place to keep a cat or dog. Without sterilization, the stray population grows and many became feral.

I know we can’t save the world always but we can be empathetic and help educate ignorant pet owners.

#strays #animals #cats #dogs #animals #swamp #kukup #johor