A little bird told me......
I enclosed an article written by a travel writer for your reading pleasure. Note the following which are highlighted :
a) what places are covered
b) how wide are the areas covered
c) Activities planned for them
d) local cuisines that they sample
e) Types of hotels that they stay that would feature local architecture
HOLIDAYS ARE NEVER TOO LONG IN PAHANG
When a five-day familiarization excursion to Pahang for journalist and travel operators was organized by Tourism Malaysia recently, I knew this is one occasion not to be missed. Pahang with its alluring natural assets has always mesmerized me with its beauty and never-ending list of places to visit and things to do. It’s probably the love for nature or maybe more, I am not too sure but who can discount the fact that this state has more attractions than elsewhere in the country. Taman Negara National Park, Mount Tahan, Tioman Island, Cherating Beach, Bera Lake, Kenong Rimba National Park, Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hills – all of which are among the places that sits high on the list of Malaysia’s premier attractions, are located in Pahang.
Our journey started in Kuala Lumpur where the participants gathered at the Putra World Trade Centre to board a special coach for the length of the visit. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, I could only join the group in Kuantan
Earlier along the journey from Kuala Lumpur, the others in the special coach were brought to the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary and Deerland – two animal sanctuaries located in the Lanchang area of the state, just two hours from the capital. The former is managed by the Wildlife and National Parks Department and was established to relocate troubled or troublesome pachyderms (which of course was not through the elephants fault), as well as rehabilitate chosen ones to help in the relocation process and to entertain visitors with rides and bathing together sessions in a stream that flows through the area.
On the other hand, an animal lover who created his sanctuary for the benefit of local deer manages Deerland. Here, visitors can also see and get to touch a friendly Malaysian Sunbear, which is a rare opportunity as these species are said to be the most aggressive among all bears. A friendly Python that seems to enjoy the human touch is also another popular resident here, along with peacocks, monkeys and other smaller animals.
It was late evening when the group arrived at the Swiss Garden Resort and Spa, Kuantan where its General Manager did a short introduction on the hotel and a mini tour followed. It is a popular hotel in the international standard category with nice huge rooms, several restaurants including one specializing in Chinese cuisines, a spa, fitness and business centres, a pub, a huge swimming pool and a nice stretch of beachfront.
Early next morning, we were taken to the Royal town of Pekan where the day started with a briefing ceremony on the upcoming Pekan Fest 2007, scheduled to take place from May 30 to June 3. It will be an inaugural event and among its highlights are an education fair, a career drive and awareness showcase, exhibitions of small and medium industries and Pahang traditional crafts, an auto and Motor Show, a Tourism Malaysia Showcase, a bazaar, water-based activities and musical performances.
We then proceeded to the Pahang State Museum and Watercraft Museum. The former is an old colonial building, which is an attraction in itself and its exhibits include Royal regalia, old photos of historical importance, weaponry of yesteryears, and traditional musical instruments.
The Muzium Watercraft is where you can see the glory of traditional boats, used long ago by people of importance. The vessels display intricate and colorful carvings and even the heads and shapes of mythical creatures are incepted into their designs.
The next stop was at Pulau keladi where the birthplace of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, is located. The house where he was born has been restored and contains some very nostalgic memorabilias, which include old bedroom sets, iron boards, utensils and a sewing machine.
In the vicinity is a traditional silk weaving centre specializing in producing a limited but exclusive number of ceremonial wears. We got to see the tedious and painstaking process involved in creating these masterpieces.
It was evening when we headed back to our hotel and along the way, we stopped at a popular roadside stall famous for its fried bananas and keropok Lekor, a traditional fish-based product, which is a favourite snack in the peninsula.
A short break to freshen up and we were set for Kuantan, this time for a night cruise up the Kuantan River followed with dinner at the jetty, hosted by the Kuantan Town Council.
The cruise was quite interesting as we were shown various fish landing places as well as fireflies, congregating at certain swaths of the mangroves along the river’s banks. However, it would be a good idea to get some protection from the damp wind, as it is an open-sided boat and the cruise was quite a chilly experience especially it being the rainy season at that time.
It wasn’t long before we had to check out of Swiss Garden for our next visit. This one had a little adventure added, as we were taken to the Tin Museum at Sungai Lembing, a town where time seemed to have stood still for a long time. The museum is an interesting and pretty building, located on a hillock with manicured slopes and pretty flowers. Inside is the insight to an old mine located nearby, which used to be the country’s biggest tin mine and still holds the record as the world’s deepest.
It was noon when we headed to the popular Sungai Pandan waterfall and recreational forest. This is a popular spot during the weekend and I would say, surely we are lucky to be here on a weekday. We had our best lunch for a long time, very traditional and courtesy of the forest park’s management.
Here, the magnificent waterfall drops down a huge wall and is an inviting respite for those seeking to cool off on a hot day. More alluring to me was the jungle slopes and stairways leading to the top of the drop, partly because I wanted a different view, having been here several other times before, and partly to burn off some food after over indulging during lunch. The trek up is relatively easy and standing among the huge rocks in the centre of a stream that is about to plunge more than a hundred metres as well as the magnificent view beyond make this short climb a memorable effort.
We then proceeded to the Balok Beach to see the opening ceremony of Monsoon Madness 2007, an international windsurfing event held during this period to take advantage of the high winds during the monsoon season.
We stayed the night at Impiana Resort Cherating, a hotel with wood and timber interior and rooms that combine traditional Malaysian and Balinese charms. The resort also boasts a long and quiet beachfront as well as a huge swimming pool and fun pub.
The hotel hosted our dinner, which mainly comprised barbecued specialties. A karaoke session was also organized and many of the group members managed to flaunt their singing skills.
We then visited the nearby Cherating Turtle Sanctuary and were shown some newly hatched turtles, which was later released to take on the perils of the open seas. They were such adorable creatures and it is quite heart wrenching to know that only one in a thousand will survive to adulthood.
Up again early on our final tour day and this time, it was to Pantai Sepat, a seemingly endless stretch of beach hosting a fishing community and offering sweeping views of Kuantan’s skyline, some 15km away.
We were to be taken from here to the Sharsha Riding Centre, which turned out to be a rehabilitation centre for injured or unwanted racehorses as well as a breeding centre for special breed of goats and cows. There is also a aviary with various species of local pheasants, Mandarin ducks, green and blue peacocks and hybrid pigeons.
However, stealing my interest was too adolescent short-tailed macaques. They looked and behaved very human and were rather handsome too. Vying for attention, they kept giving cheeky and forlorn looks and their keeper told me these little creatures can be quite naughty.
Our next and final hotel check-in was at MS Garden in Kuantan. It was a classy new hotel and located in a very centralized area of this sprawling town. Besides it is the Kuantan Megamall, a huge and enticing shopping complex that managed to lure all of us to do some minor shopping.
Dinner was at Tanjung Lumpur and was courtesy of Tourism Malaysia Pahang.
They surely took special effort to ensure we did not leave hungry. It was a seafood galore occasion with heaps of fried squid and huge prawns, Grouper, cockles, Blue crab, and more. I guess none of us will forget this huge feasting session.
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