2016 - South Peninsular Malaysia Road Trip - Day 2

Malaysian Outward Bound Youth Association
4days road trip from KL > Kukup > Mersing > Sg. Lembing > KL
The 1,316km South Peninsular Malaysia Road Trip - 15 to 18 July 2016


Wow! What a view when you get up earlier in the morning. From the resort's verandah we could see across the water onto Kukup Island and all the fish farms.

Day 2 Sat. (16.7.2016) – Kukup to Mersing (293km)

The route: Kukup > Pontian Kechil > Pekan Nanas > Skudai > Kota Tinggi Resort > Tg. Sedili > Mersing

7am - We wasted no time in exploring the Kukup Blue View Resort and the surrounding. There were so much of activities around us especially the fishermen and the several fish farms on the water.
8am - Checked out and walking towards the jetty for breakfast. You can walk around the village on the wooden or concrete boardwalks built on stilts above the mud and water. The villagers have everything they need such as schools, temples, shops and restaurants.
9.45am - Arrived at Taman Negara Tanjung Piai the southernmost tip of mainland Asia. At 11.16am we left the southernmost tip of mainland Asia and returned to Pontian Kecil for tea and had lunch at Kota Tinggi.
4.16pm - As we arrived late at the Kota Tinggi Waterfall entrance gate, we decided to pass this waterfall and go to the river and a camping ground nearby. 5.36pm arrived at Tanjung Sedili Kechil Jetty and at 6.13pm we were at Sedili Besar waterfront.
8.25pm - After almost 12 and a half hours on the road we finally arrived at our destination of Mersing for dinner. For the day we covered a total of 293km road journey.

Sleeping in Mersing Home-stay.


Kukup Blue View Resort 龟咯蓝玻璃海上度假屋, No. 101, Air Masin, 82300 Kukup, Pontian, Johor, Tel: +607 6960580 / +6012 787 9947 (亚英 AN), Facebook: www.facebook.com/blueview.kukup


The panoramic morning sea view from Kukup Blue View Resort.


7.40am - The morning sea view from Kukup Blue View Resort.


Kukup fishing village sea view from Kukup Blue View Resort.


Kukup fishing village is a fishing community in the Pontian district of Johor.


This Kukup fishing village is built on stilts above the muddy mangrove shoreline and has been in existence for more than 100 years.


Together with the neighboring Kukup fishing village it is known as "Air Masin" and has a population of about 1,500 people, nearly all Chinese and mostly engaged in fishing and catering for tourists.




Being first time here, my wife Catherine and son Jin Wei were excited over this Kukup fishing village area.


There are scores of floating fish farms in the channel between Kukup and Pulau Kukup.


Visitors can take a boat tour to visit these Kukup fish farms, or kelongs, and take a closer look at the various species of sea creatures being cultivated here. The kelong boat tour costs RM5.






A good view of the Kukup International Ferry Terminal on the left. At the distance is the Indonesian Island of Pulau Karimun Besar.


Opposite the channel is Pulau Kukup a protected uninhabited nature reserve covered in dense mangrove forest. It is possible to visit and there is a boardwalk with view towers.






You can walk around the village on the wooden or concrete boardwalks built on stilts above the mud and water. The villagers have everything they need such as schools, temples, shops and restaurants.


Plenty of mud slinging mud-skippers. The fish excavates the burrow using only its mouth. It can spit balls of mud quite some distance from the burrow entrance!




There are Kukup fishing village shops selling dried fish products like 'keropok and belacan'.


At Kampung Nelayan Air Masin, provision shop near the entrance.


The open space between Kukup houses is to act as fire breakers in the event of fire.


The open space between Kukup houses is to act as fire breakers in the event of fire.


We bought 2 packs of 6 crystal jelly each costing RM10 and there are many different flavors.




8.30am - We took breakfast at a 'wanton mee' stall in the fishing village.


All of us took this spicy 'wanton mee' noodle for breakfast.


We dropped by at the Kukup International Ferry Terminal for a while and departed for Tanjung Piai at 9.30am. The ferry terminal links Kukup to Tanjung Balai in the Riau province of Indonesia. The ferry runs hourly and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes and tickets cost IDR130,000 one way plus Terminal fee of IDR30,000.


9.45am - Arrived at Taman Negara Tanjung Piai the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.








Taman Negara Tanjung Piai - The famous landmark at the park entrance.


Taman Negara Tanjung Piai - Pictured on the stone, is a map of the world, pin-pointing the park as the Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia.


Taman Negara Tanjung Piai
Address: Tanjung Piai National Park, 82030 Mukim Serkat, Pontian, Johor, Malaysia
Phone: +60 7 696 9712, Opening Hours: Every day 9:00am – 6:30pm


Price: Foreigners: Adult RM20, Students and Senior RM10, Malaysian: Adult RM5, Students and Senior RM3


Taman Negara Tanjung Piai - By the entrance there is a video room for viewing.


Taman Negara Tanjung Piai - At the entrance there is a small shop where you can buy drinks, ice cream and souvenirs.


Tanjung Piai has a National Park which covers an area of 926ha – mostly mangrove forests.




Bakau Kurap, Rhizophora Mucronata, Family Rhizophoraceae - The timber is used for fuel and charcoal-making. The bark is rich in tannin, used for tanning and dyeing and occasionally medicinally in cases of haematuria.






Taman Negara Tanjung Piai - The boardwalk in the park.


The boardwalks passes through dense mangrove forest and we could observe the mud-skippers, crabs, and cockles squelching about on the grey mud and lizard on trees.


We saw these wild pig roaming in the park.





All taking a rest in the park.


There are a number of viewing platforms and observation towers for bird watchers and nature lovers to obtain a better view of the habitat of the mangrove dwellers.




Tanjung Piai offers a scenic view of the Straits of Malacca.


The polluted water of the Strait of Malacca.





Its 8km shoreline borders the Straits of Malacca. The park also supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.


Tanjung Piai offers a scenic view of the Straits of Malacca.


Almost 526 hectares of land here is mangrove while the rest is inter- tidal mudflats.


Crossing the bridge to southernmost tip of mainland in Asia.


10.36am - The boardwalk emerged from the forest and we just walked to the southernmost point where a concrete jetty provides a view out to sea where lines of supertankers and other vessels are queuing up to enter Singapore via the Johor Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.


“Congratulation! To George Ling and Wei Wei, you are now standing at the southern most tip of mainland Asia”.


“Congratulation! To JP Anandan and Catherine Navamani, you are now standing at the southern most tip of mainland Asia”.


“Congratulation! To Ching Jin Wei, Catherine and yours truly, you are now standing at the southern most tip of mainland Asia”.


“Congratulation! To Jin Wei, Song Poh, Ray Lee, Chan Nam Hong and Mohd Shahrul, you are now standing at the southern most tip of mainland Asia”.


11.16am - We left the southern most tip of mainland Asia and returned to Pontian Kechil for tea. We had lunch at Kota Tinggi.







We saw this monitor lizard by the road side as we left the place. Monitor lizards have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs.


4.16pm - As we arrived late at the Kota Tinggi Waterfall entrance gate, we decided to pass this waterfall and go to the river and a camping ground nearby.


A group photo at the Kota Tinggi forest reserved camping ground.


There is a nice camping ground here.




A group photo at the Kota Tinggi River camping ground.




5.36pm - Arrived at Tanjung Sedili Kechil Jetty.


The fishing boats at Tanjung Sedili Kechil Jetty.


The Sedili Bridge that connects Sedili Kechil to Sedili Besar. View from Sedili Kechil looking upstream.





The shopping time at Tanjung Sedili Kechil Jetty.


Ray Lee was seen telling us what to buy here.


As there was not much to see in Sedili Kechil, we crossed the bridge at 5.35pm to the peninsula on which is the fishing village of Sedili Besar.


The oil palm estate road to Sedili Besar.


6.13pm - Arrived at Sedili Besar waterfront.


Car 1 (WXC1082) - Mohd Shahrul, JP Anandan and Catherine Navamani


Car 2 (AKL 1502) - Ching Neng Bin, Ching Jin Wei and Catherine Oon


Car 3 (WNM2277) - George Ling and wife Wei Wei


Car 4 (WQM8014) - Chan Nam Hong, Ray Lee Chow Foh and Song Poh


Sedili Besar is a one street cowboy town.


Ching Jin Wei taking a photo shoot of Chan Nam Hong at Sedili Besar.


The beautiful cloud formation of an animal blowing fire in the sky and the scenic river view at Sedili Besar.


The beautiful cloud formation of an animal blowing fire in the sky and the scenic river view at Sedili Besar. Noticed the boat rushing over to collect the fishing nets.


The fishermen ready to lift up the nets and expected to be a big catch.


True enough it was a big catch of Ikan Cupak.








We bought this 2kg+ Ikan Cupak or Nyuk-Nyuk for RM20.00


This fish is for our dinner tonight in Mersing.




6.28pm - Loading the fish and getting ready to go to Mersing with the fish.


7.59pm - Our second night dinner was at this T & K Restaurant in Mersing. Mersing used to be a sleepy fishing village, but now is the gateway to all those beautiful islands. While waiting for food to be served we suddenly realized that we have not got our accommodation yet. Luckily the restaurant proprietor's daughter managed to get the home-stay for us, a single storey house with 4 air-con rooms for RM250.


The fish for dinner - as suggested by the cook, the fish head be cooked in curry and the body be deep fried.








Yours truly bought 5 bottles of beer to celebrate the two Catherine's birthday - Catherine Oon and Catherine Navamani. Many thanks to Ching Neng Bin for the beer.


8.25pm - After almost 12 and a half hours on the road we finally arrived at our destination of Mersing for dinner. For the day we covered a total of 293km road journey.


The Ikan Cupak curry fish head was really nice to eat.


I think the deep fried Ikan Cupak fish taste better than the curry.






Deep fried crabs.


Evening fellowship continued with Nescafe CafeViet from Vietnam at our Homestay for RM250 a night. Many thanks to you Chan Nam Hong for the CafeViet.




Now the best part before calling the night was this one for the road-trip with a cup of Chinese Wu Chia Pi wine each and then say goodnight. Many thanks to you George Ling for the bottle.




Expenses


Day 2 Jelly (Kukup)
$20.00

$511.30
16/7/2016 Breakfast (Kukup) 10pax
$40.00

$471.30

Tg. Piai (Entrance) @ $3x10 & $5x1
$35.00

$436.30

Tea (Pontian Kechil)
$35.50

$400.80

Lunch (Kota Tinggi)
$68.00

$332.80

Snacks (Sedili Kechil)
$6.00

$326.80

Cupak Fish(Sedili Besar)
$20.00

$306.80

Dinner (Mersing)
$286.60 Total Per Pax $20.20

Homestay (Mersing)
$250.00 $761.10 $69.19 ($229.80)







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