Cherating

It was a short notice road trip. Four of us in my car, with other four cars following, all heading to Cherating.
There will be another paintball war in Cherating, located in Mercu Resort ( nice comfy resort by the beach with a big waste land ). So, we set up our battlefield, ensemble all our paintball equipment and waited for the participants to arrive. As usual, I'll be Reuters in the middle of the battlefield. Start off with capture the flag, with all four coloured flags in the middle of the battlefield. Next game - capture enemy flag as many as you could. Last but not least, a battle with bandits to capture all four colour flags. It was awesome!!!
The next morning woke up early as the sun rising beautifully in the East. It was a breathtaking view. A solitude moment to spare. Just me and mother nature...
The beach was clean, though the water are not as crystal in Perhentian Island. If I had brought along my wet shorts, definitely I would have jump right in, regardless of everyone. As the time pass by, me and a friend of mine decided to go to Kemaman for some shopping and dining...
Kemaman is about 30km from our place, which is much nearer than Kuantan. In less than 30 minutes, we'd reach our shopping destination. The pekan is well-developed. Nice, small little pekan of Kemaman. I bought 2 pair of Thai Silk linen that will be made into a baju kurung, and a pair of kain pelikat for my dad, for his Father's Day present. The time is limited, because according to plan we are suppose to leave for Kuala Lumpur at 2pm.
Since I did not found any nasi dagang stalls, so I wanted some of the famous Terengganu keropok to bring back home. We did stop by few stalls. My first time to eat Sata, which is much better than otak-otak. Bought some keropok lekor and keropok ikan. Finally, we start heading back to Mercu to check-out at 2pm.
Pack all our things and stuff it into the back of my car. We will be starting our 5 hours journey back to Kuala Lumpur. Thank you Mercu Resorts for it good hospitality, and bye bye Cherating Beach...
From Cherating, we head down to Kuantan and enter the Pantai Timur Expressway. This is the only road trip so far, that I haven't been doing much driving... And another success road trip to Cherating, a place I've never been before...
more pictures at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lartz/601486986/

Phuket Escape

Just after two weeks back from Perhentian Island, Im off to Phuket, Thailand...for REAL!

DAY 01
By right, our flight was supposed to be at 15:00, but it was delayed to 16:00 (yerp, its Airasia definitely). My dad sent us (me and Ikha) to LCCT using the new open Dengkil - Sepang freeway. We reached there around 1pm, yerp very early since my dad have some other important things to do. Around 3pm, others colleague of Ikha's finally arrived. We check in and wait for our Airbus to arrive.

I called Bard and let her know that I am about to board into my flight, and she swing by to send me off. By the window, and near the wing is my favorite seat. The flight is about 1 hour 15 minutes, much shorter than flying to Kuching. Oh ya, Phuket is one time zone behind Kuala Lumpur. I did fall asleep awhile, when I woke up there's this small little islands scatter below us.
Upon arriving, all foreigners need to fill in the visiting form. We walked straight to the van shuttle service. Eight of us gets a ride and we stopped by a tour agency and I think all of us were being ripped off by the tour agency. As decided, 6 of them will go on snorkelling in Phi Phi Island, while me and Ikha will be going to Phang Nga National Park, on a canoe trip.We requested the driver to bring us to one of the best spot for some new dining experience, i mean the special mouth-watering hot tomyam and the delicious seafood variety. So, we arrived at a restaurant, forget-the-name, but it was located by the sea and beside a fishing village somewhere in Phuket town. The food was ok, but not as expected. Tomyam, green curry, black pepper crab, sweet and sour fish for a price about 4000Baht.
Finally we hit the road again, and this time to Royal Paradise Hotel in Patong. Check-in, cleaned myself and and take a stroll outside with everyone...
DAY 02
Woke-up at 06:15am due to my phone daily alarm, which was 7:15 according to Kuala Lumpur. Still early, kill my alarm and get back to sleep. Around 07:00 we wake up and get ready for breakfast. At 08:00 a van will swing by and pick us up for a whole day canoe trip in Phang Nga. From my room, I could see half of the Patong area, since my room is on the 21st floor. From the lift, I could see the whole Patong Beach area...
1 hour after, we reached the jetty where the big boats (more like a tongkang)with inflatable canoe in it await us. First destination is about 40minutes journey, Koh Phanak. It was a huge limestone island. At this moment I can only think of "it would be fun if I could some climbing here!" The rocks was a beauty. We stop infront of a small cave entrance and they start to unload all the inflatable canoe in the water. Each canoe can accomodate 2-3 person including our canoe boys. Hon, a person with a sweet smile is our canoe boy for the entire trip. Somehow, he resembles Mat Yue (Perhentian Beach Boy). The cave was dark and full with bats. We paddle through the darkness and water keep on dripping onto us. The exit was very low. All of us need to lie down flat on our back to get through. It was a huge lagoon, with green clear water, some monkeys and beautiful limestone creation.
Next point is the Ko Hong, 15 minutes from Ko Phanak. More beautiful scenery can be seen here. There are some cameramans sitting by the shore taking your pictures with its famous landmark (picture below) and you can bought it for 200Baht once you reach the jetty.
30 minutes from Ko Hong, we reach the famous James Bond Island. Here, there is a lot of stalls selling dried sea product, and lots lots of souvenirs. Bargain as much as you can here , if not you'll definitely be ripped off! Our last point is the Lawa Island, for a dipped. This is where Hon really make fun of us... Hahahah, it was really fun having Hon as our guide for the entire trip, though he only talk very simple english.
Reach our hotel at around 18:30, and we quickly get ready for next axtivity, Simon Show (cabaret show by beautiful men). The ticket cost 600Baht/person. A must-see show in your list. Overall performance by these beautiful men was awesome.
Note : Don't take pictures with them, cost its gonna cause you your wallet. Just take pictures of them, NOT with them, unless you are willing to spend more...

After the show, me and Ikha decided to walk around Bangla Road for the night life once again this time with cameras and DVD-camera. Definitely a different sight from Kuala Lumpur. We discover a 100Baht t-shirt store. The cheapest you can get around Patong. Of course Im spending my money here. Phuket, provocative, and more others wierd design are available here.. from XS to XXL in many different colours.
Day 03
Our final day in Phuket. Had our breakfast at the coffee house and head outside. Since the nightlife here ends about 4am in the morning, most of the stalls are open for business after 11am (including the money changer).
We walked trough Bangla Road heading towards the famous Patong Beach. There was a tsunami evacuation route and warning signs everywhere. We take more photos here, just a good feeling to hear the sound of the waves, while sand between your toes... Yes baby! Im in Patong Beach!!!
Last minute shopping, when we realized we are broke! No more Baht money.. Hehehhe, so we change more RM to Baht. A local we met during yesterday canoe trip did tell us where to shop (forget the place - again). The bazaar is about 10 minutes from our hotel.
We decide to have a look at the 100Baht store for more t-shirt. This is the 100Baht store Im talking about. Good luck in finding the store.. We have 1000Baht left, and the store was closed!!! So sad...
At 1pm, our ride arrive taking us back to the Phuket International Airport, 45 minutes away from Patong. 17:30 Kuala Lumpur time, we reached LCCT. It was indeed a short and enjoyable trip.
"What ever happens in Phuket, just leave it in Phuket..."

my Flickr site : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lartz/510225309/

Perhentian Escape

Pardon me for my super late post ...
DAY 01
Three of us arrived at the Besut jetty around 9am. With helped from Pak Din, a local, we manage to get a ride on the first speedboat to Perhentian Island. Round trip ticket will cost you RM60 for half an hour trip ride. Our destination is the Long Beach, Small Perhentian. As most people will say, that is the most happening and beautiful beach with approximately 1km of white sand beach. For Long Beach, we need to hitch a ride on the water taxi as there is no jetty available there (RM2 per person).
Our next mission upon arriving is to get a room for ourselves. Since its was a public holiday season, there arent any vacant rooms in Long Beach. There, we met with Mesour and Mat Yue who helped us find a room. Note : 90% of chalet/resorts on Long Beach is based on walk-ins, no booking here.
After about an hour searching, and pull some tricks, we did get a room. Better say its a RM20 per bed dormitory with a balcony sea view. Its was my 1st 3rd time in Coral Bay Beach. We stayed in Senja Bay Resort for the next 2 night. Settled ourself, take a nap after 8 hours journey from Kuala Lumpur to Besut due to the rain. Later that evening, we decide to dip our skins into the clear crystal water. We rent a canoe for an hour (RM5 per hour). The sea was clam as this beach is facing the mainland. We picked a wrong season, jellyfish season. Everywhere you could see them and unfortunately, Ida was stung. Luckily the resort staff have traditional remedies to cure it.
As the sun sets down, we can only think of SEAFOOD BBQ!!! Oh ya, the view from our room during sunsets was magnificent. After maghrib, we walked by the beach heading to a restaurant, Amelia, located about 500m from our resort. We ordered 3 different sets - kingfish, squid and crab. Each sets cost RM16 comes together with rice, baked potatoed, salad, desert and selected sauce. This restaurant serves about everything, and they do have night movies for the guest to eat and watch. As we waited for our food, we played some cards game to fill up the time...
DAY 02
Woke up to the sound of waves splashing ... Took light breakfast which we brought along, and get ready to hit the beach, Long Beach. To get onto the other side, we need to walked through a pathway about 5 minutes from Coral Bay. Along the way, there is more resort under construction. We are suppose to meet Mat Yue at 11am for snorkeling trip, but somehow we are late by an hour. Basically we missed the trip and just had our time playing on Long Beach. And again, Im in lurve with its super crystal clear water and the white sand beach.
Whole day was spent by playing in the water, and eats at Ameen's Restaurant while playing more cards game. Beside Ameen's there is a row of souvenir shops. We walked into one of it and bought some stuff with bargain price. Thank to Ikha for her Kelantanis dialect that saves us! Around 5pm, Messour arrives and took us on his boat for short snorkeling trips. We stopped at 2 point - turtle point and shark point. Unlucky for us, there is no turtle by the time we reach, but we did spot a coral shark. We head back around 6.30pm just before its start pouring heavily.
Messour drop us on Long Beach, and we walked back to our resorts. By 8pm, the rain stops. Mat Yue came knocking on our door and we head to Amelina's for dinner. We start ordering and play some cards, again!! Tonight, not many people around, due to the rain before.
DAY 03
Woke up and get ready to go for another snorkeling trip with Messour. As we waited by the beach, we spotted a cast-away diver, named Mohammed from New York City. He do resembles Tom Hank in Cast Away.. Hehehe, we chat with his friend, which in return persuading us to stay for another day just to go for a dive. Impossible, since all our cash had run out.
Messour arrived, and we are on with some other locals and foreigners on the boat. We stopped by at coral point where the coral here was very beautiful. If only my Nikon D70 have its underwater casing. While snorkeling, we saw some jellyfish in our way. Just before we went back, Messour drop the other tourist at Kampung Pasir Hantu for lunch, and we head back to Senja Bay resorts.
Packed our things, say goodbye to the other divers and Mat Yue. We took the 4pm ride back to Besut. It was a very bumpy ride as the tide are getting higher. Afternoon rides are much comfy and safe. Before heading back to Kuala Lumpur, we express our gratitude to Pak Din for helping us, shops some last minute souvenirs and bought some keropok ikan... 7pm we leave Besut and reach home at 2am.

My Flickr site : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lartz/481513874/