East Coast Ride (19-31 March 2018), Day 5 : Chukai to Kuala Dungun

Kuala Dungun

Riverine Garden Hotel

Breakfast at Kedai Kopi Tin Kam Leng, next to the bus station

Kemasik Beach

Comparing wrinkles!

 D'Nur Selera, lunch

Leaving Chukai

Aftermath of the storm, enroute to lunch stop

Playing Bollywood actresses at Kuala Dungun

When you are in Kemaman, eat like the locals do. Craving for Kemaman’s authentic fish noodle, we made a beeline to the most unassuming coffee shop in Chukai this morning. Housed in what was once a rich Chinese man’s bungalow from the heydays; the now, dilapidated building is totally obscured from the main road. 
 

The coveted noodle, drowned in clear fish stock is served with steamed kembung fish. A nice onion chili sambal is given on the sides to add flavour to an otherwise bland taste. Hence, the winning formula here weighs heavily on the freshness of the fish which can be easily procured in this fishing town.

Riding out of Chukai, we followed Route 3 which led us through Teluk Kalong Industrial Park. Worried we may face heavy traffic in an industrial estate, the roads were almost deserted. It finally hit us that today was Friday, a blessed day for Muslims and a holiday as such in the Islamic state of Terengganu.

As we cut through the industrial park, somewhere in close proximity was Perwaja Steel Sdn Bhd, the now defunct steel production company. Incorporated in 1982 to produce steel for domestic needs, it went through many stages of restructuring before ceasing operations in October 2013 with an estimated debt of RM10 billion.

Sadly, Perwaja made it to Wikipedia’s list of scams and scandals in Malaysia. As receivership was announced as recently as March 2018, it is a clear example of how a government’s blue eyed project can fail despite lavish fundings and protection from competing imports, if it is poorly executed. Most mind boggling though is the fact that no culprits has been brought to justice until today even though reports have confirmed large amounts of money has been siphoned out of Perwaja!

After the industrial park, a little leg work was required to get us over the mountain range. Cruising down a slope, we passed the gates to TATI University College, a private university with overseas ties. Established in 1993 as an institute offering diplomas, it rebranded itself as a University College offering degree programs in a tie up with UTM.

Closing in on Strawberry Kijal Resort, the beautifully paved roads amidst lush pine forests caught our breath. Sadly, this multi block apartment hotel with its own private beach and lagoon is another white elephant! Once operated by Berjaya, the Terengganu state took over the property for RM27 million in 2010. Planning to convert it to a heart institute, this ambitious idea did not take off, rendering the whole place a ghost town!  

Emerging out of the dense forest, we arrived at Kijal. An averagely populated town, we cruised past homes with malay influences. Large enough to call for a post office and police station, it was lacking in shops and commercial centers.

Google saved us a few hundred meters of legwork, bypassing Route 3 on our left!

Right after Laguna Kijal Homestay

At the edge of the town, we came upon Resorts World Kijal, formerly known as Awana Kijal Golf, Beach and Spa. It’s large complex by the beach, connected to the trunk road via a long driveway was all dazzling as grandeur should be.

Beyond Resorts World Kijal, the roads were wide with ongoing roadworks. Deciding on a break, we turned into Kemasik beach.

At 10 am, the beachfront cafes were just starting their operations but a few families can be spotted wading in shallow waters. The waves though were rough, made worse by the many rock formations along the coast. Some rocks, large enough to sustain vegetations even comes with flag poles, flying relevant party flags for GE14.

Kemasik beach looked promising with alfresco dining by the beach while a food court next to the main road offers no nonsense quick meals to those who has a schedule to meet! Ample parking, clean toilets and spacious shower rooms, all recipes for success were thoughtfully provided!

After Kemasik, we soon rolled into Kerteh. Fondly regarded as Petronas town, this base operations for the oil conglomerate sees acres after acres of staff housing along the road! All in uniformity with perfect lawns, it reminded Claudine of Stepford, the fictional town from the 1972 movie!

Soon to follow were the ghastly steel structures of oil refineries. While the roads were spotless, no street vendors were visible throughout this stretch.

If the oil giants were able to ward off hawkers from the trunk road, they were unable to control the natural elements that were to strike Kerteh soon. Dark clouds were blowing in fast as we were approaching Terengganu Crude Oil Terminal. Spinning hard and on the look out for shelter, we were in for a wet time as all we saw were heavily guarded crude industries with sentry post at every gates!

We knew our only escape was to get out of this high security area. Pumping the pedals hard, we managed to get to the brink of the crude industries as the first pelts of rain fell from the sky.

Right after the traffic lights and just opposite TNB’s power station we found our shelter just as the rain caught up with us. A malay gerai, it was closed and all boarded up on a Friday. Taking refuge from the rain on the tiny space where the roof extends beyond the grilled fences, we got wet every time the wind decided to blow!

Meanwhile, VT and Mr Lim were luckier! They found a waiting area for visitors, waiting to clear security. Snug and warm, they shared their location with the 3 wet folks!

Thankfully, the rain stopped as quickly as it came. Just as quickly, we were reunited with VT and Mr Lim who were slightly less than 2 km away.

On the move again, we started hunting for lunch and soon found ourselves at D’Nur Selera, near Paka town. While their buffet spread were extensive, most of the dishes were snapped up by hungry factory workers from as early as half past noon. The food was delicious, made more so by their sambal belacan!

After lunch, we cut through Paka town and circled the foothills of Bukit Bauk. The road builders had respectfully circumvented the granite hills, leaving the forest undisturbed. Instead, it was converted into an eco park for nature lovers! Unknown to outsiders, Bukit Bauk harbours many horror stories ranging from headless ghosts to invisible beings!!!

At the foothills of Bukit Bauk, there are 2 large institutions. Sekolah Menengah Teknik Dungun, becomes the feeder school to Politeknik Sultan Mizan which stood side by side. Both equipped with large fields and boards, we saw many young teens on their way back from Friday prayers.

Cruising downhill after Bukit Bauk, we decided to stop for drinks before hitting town. Taking a break at Batu 6’s Chinese coffee shop, we noted our corner eatery is actually a house converted into a restaurant!

We arrived at Hotel Saujana at the hottest time of the day. Housed in a three story shop lot right opposite the hospital, we wisely requested for rooms facing the back lanes. However, between Jenny and Claudine, they checked out several rooms before settling down on the best amongst the worst!

Despite a large room, VT and Claudine noted their room curtains were falling off their hooks, the room chair was stripped off the upholstery and the toilet could not flush initially. Next, they discovered the bathroom comes with a pooling effect which allowed water to seep out to the room.

Putting up with all the defects, Claudine and VT had taken a rest after all the washing was done only to be disturbed by a continuous noise coming from the bathroom. Dismissing it as water filling into tanks, they quietly noted something more hair raising.....a random knocking on their room door!!!

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That evening, we walked the beach and dined on street food. Overcrowded with tourists, the food served at the beach promenade were disappointingly edible only.

Returning to our rooms, the noise in Claudine and VT’s room continued to persist till morning. Even though they had doubled checked if the knocking was caused by a draft, all the exterior windows were shut tight!!!!


Photo Credits :
1. KC
2. Mr Lim

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Hotel Saujana, Kuala Dungun

East Coast Ride (19-31 March 2018), Day 4 : Pekan to Chukai

Pantai Sepat

Red flag condition

Pantai Sepat

Pantai Sepat

Pantai Sepat

At Joe's Mee Chalong

Jenny, at the junction just before our Mars exploration began!

Just before we were ripped off

Ripped off

Crossing state borders

Kemaman's famous baked crabs are actually minced crab meat baked in shells

Starry starry night

Chukai

Chukai

River promenade

River scenes

The Sunplay babies are growing : One brought from home, one bought in Mersing and another one bought in Chukai

Our worry for breakfast was totally unfounded. Heading north, less than 300 m away from our hotel is Medan Penjaja Peramu, a food court that serves fantastic roti canai.

Making the menu too, is their signature nasi lemak. Cooked in Hulk’s blood, the green hue was a real turn off despite the heavenly scent of pandan leaves.

Coincidentally, Tom and his fellow associates were at the same food court this morning. After a short chat, we bade him farewell and weaved our way through the bellies of Taman Perdana and Taman Mentiga Jaya.

As we made our way along the fringes of the housing estates, we found ourselves in the “Beverly Hills” of Pekan. Unfortunately, with the only access road separating the bungalows from the forest, which coincidentally runs parallel to a river, many “rich” appeared to have abandoned their pet projects in exchange for civilization!

Turning right for SK Pulau Serai, a local primary school, we were caught off guard by its adjacent lot. Occupied by D2E Ventures, a car factory, the huge enterprise was strangely out of place in a barren area.

Further down the road, we were again, taken aback with MRSM, a fully integrated boarding school famous for churning out the A’s. Surrounding its huge compound was an equally vast area of low lying forest!

Our third surprise came when the road came to an abrupt end! Where the school fence meets the forest, the road ends as well!!! Checking our bearings, we finally found a gravel trail through a small clearing in the shrubs.

A few hundred meters later, we were relieved to be back on tarmac as our ears were beginning to burn from Jenny’s lectures. A narrow kampung route, it led us all the way to Route C101.

Following the road to the coast, we headed north when we came to the sea. Passing Sungai Pahang Tua, a river delta saw landforms in the river. A natural harbour, fishing boats were docked by the banks while further inland, others were left to rot in stagnant waters. Strangely, we were riding on a strip of land with the sea to our right and a river to our left!

Pantai Sepat : While we were enjoying the beach scenes, a herd of cows started running on the opposite side of the road!

Pantai Sepat caught our breath! Not only was it windy on red flag conditions but the sights of sand and sea was magnificent. Cleverly planted with casuarina trees which offered the much needed shade in tropical climates, the grassy ground makes a perfect picnic spot. Standing by the beach, we could even see Kuantan which was only 21 km away!

Traffic began to build up on Route 183. Crossing the Kuantan River, KC shared tales of yesteryears where many riders he was traveling with suffered cramps during the ascent.

In the city center, traffic was horrendous! Making a short stop at Shell, Jalan Gambut we planned our escape! Even Berjaya Megamall’s glitzy stores could not entice us to make a detour!

Some huffing and puffing were required to get out of the city. We had to climb past a ridge! As we made our way out, a Caucasian couple on the opposite direction gave us a salute as if to say “Goodbye, suckers!”

We did suck it all up! The dust, the hot afternoon sun, the headwinds. 

Cruising downhill right after our ascent, we came across Joe’s Mee Chalong. Curious, hungry and tired, we made the stop.

A popular eatery, the crowd is drawn to their famous Mee Chalong; yellow noodle in chicken broth served with assorted fish paste. Spawned by social media, we found the ratings to be totally inflated as the noodles were over cooked and the fish paste, bland. A better alternative would have been their nasi kukus ayam goreng berempah which took a back seat as it was after all a local dish cooked by every household!

After Joe’s, we continued our descent to the coast. Lorries were abundant along this coastline, making trips to the port.

In our mastermind to avoid the hustle and bustle of port activities, we took a detour, just 2 km shy of Kuantan port. Thinking we had made the right decision, Route 3 was a simulation of “Planet Mars”! Equally busy with heavy vehicles, we had to fight our way over a hill, gaped at ZCM Minerals Sdn Bhd’s quarry and mock Great Wall of China, coughed our way through a dusty and broken road before finally coming back to earth! A small placard with the words “Welcome to Planet Marikh” placed just outside the quarry shows the sentiments of the local people!

Slightly dazed from our “Mars” exploration the highways and byways ahead was a challenge. Confused with the butterfly interchange which threatened to lead us back to Kuantan port, we treaded carefully!

Traffic mellowed down after Gebeng. Unfamiliar local delicacies only known to this region started popping up. Close to Terengganu border, stalls offering Satar and Akok started mushrooming.

Following the coast, we were riding mostly on flats. Bored with the mundane landscapes, the "Sanctuary Penyu' signboard caught our attention. Thinking it was a turtle sanctuary, it turned out to be just a resort!

Coincidentally, right opposite the resort was a kedai runcit. It was a hot mid afternoon and the watermelons displayed on the shelves looked too good to resist. Requesting to purchase only half a fruit, the owner was agreeable, cutting a fresh fruit for us! He even brought out a whole box of tissues for us! Priced at RM2 per kilo, we finished our half which weighed at 5 kg!!!

We were an indisciplined lot! Less than 10 km later, we screeched to a stop, hypnotized by fresh coconut and pisang goreng. A real rip off as we did not check the price, it was the most expensive coconuts we have ever had in the entire East Coast trip!

Priced at RM5 per fruit, the hefty price came with a free guide service! Probably filled with remorse, our “day light robber” directed us to MOA’s turtle sanctuary, located next to Club Med Cherating!

The sanctuary, situated 2 km off the trunk road, through hilly terrain is opened to the public for free. Off turtle laying seasons, there were no eggs nor baby turtles at the hatchery but a few adult species in separate pools. Well kept and well managed, it receives a huge throng of visitors daily.

With our shadows growing longer and the sun tilting towards the horizon, we became more focused on riding. Just past 5 pm, we crossed the Kemaman River into Chukai. Making our way along Jalan Jakar, we arrived at Riverine Garden Hotel with enough time to catch the evening scenes along the river.

That night, we had Kemaman’s famous baked crab at Tong Juan restaurant. A halal restaurant popular with all ethnic backgrounds, we wisely made a booking before hand. Even Tom’s associates dined on a table right next to us though Tom himself had left for home.

After dinner, we walked the streets of Chukai. Eager for supper, we settled for durians which were so much cheaper in the East Coast.

Disturbingly, many hawkers on the street offer jars of pickled turtle eggs. Turning our nose up against this delicacy, we returned to our rooms...but not before checking out the jetty and the river promenade.

Photo credit : 

KC

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Riverine Garden Hotel

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