Knock Knock Knock : A Travel Horror Tale

Asia is a continent rich with cultural taboos, myths, legends and superstitions that permeate every aspect of life. Never open an umbrella in the house in case you unleash a spirit indoors, red must be worn during Chinese New Year for auspiciousness, do not eat with a pair of mismatched chopsticks or your life will be full of odds, poking a set of chopsticks into a bowl of rice will invite hungry ghosts to your dinner table, you can hex your enemy by hitting a photo of him with a slipper (打小人)... the list of supernatural beliefs and practices scroll like the Great Wall of China.

And when it comes to travelling, a whole baggage full of dos and don'ts apply. Amongst these 'spiritual rules' to be observed during travel, one stands out as the most commonly followed and practiced... that of knocking the door of one's hotel room three times before opening it and entering the room for the first time. This simple 'ritual' is performed to announce your arrival so that spirit/s in the room, if any, are not startled and offended by your intrusion of their space.

The origin of this popular practice is hard to trace but it could have its roots in the 1800s during the height of triad feuds in Shanghai. Hotel murders of gang members were rife, and in-room suicides were a more convenient way to go. Faced with the dread of cleaning up rooms where death occurred, chambermaids took to knocking on the doors to inform lingering spirits of their presence so that they may be left alone to do their housekeeping duties in peace. Over time, this Taoist tradition rubbed off on travellers and became an essential part of ensuring a safe stay overseas.

Quite a lot of friends I've travelled with practice this knocking ritual. As for me, I never believed in all that hocus pocus and secretly roll my eyes while scoffing my friends' superstitious behaviour. Do they need to knock on the closet and fridge doors before opening them too? What if the spirit was out when we checked into the room only to return and find us sleeping in its bed?

I ascribe to the logic that if you believe something exists, it will manifest. Be it in physical form or in one's imagination. So if you don't believe that ghosts haunt a room, then there won't be any spook dwelling inside.

But I soon found out, not believing in something doesn't mean it is not there...

During a solo cycling trip to one of Malaysia's eastern beach resorts in Johor, I checked into a resortel that felt as tired as my legs after a day on the pedal. As usual, I can't wait to drop off my pannier bag, get out of my sweat-soaked cycling gears, take a hot shower and recuperate.

I opened the door to my room, like I always do, without knocking first.

The frills-free room with mismatched furnishings and tacky dressing up was as basic as the rest of the resortel. A minimal effort at maintaining the fixtures was evident but I was glad to have a queen-sized bed all to myself.

All washed up and just as I was ready to tucker in for the night, I heard three knocks on the door. It's almost midnight. Who could it be?

I opened the door but no one was outside. Thinking that my exhausted mind must've imagined the knock, I got back into bed but before I could lay my head down, the knocks came again. Flustered that some kid may be pranking my room, I shot out of bed to open the door hoping to surprise the prankster but again, the corridor leading to my room was empty. "Nasty bugger with quick feet," I thought to myself.

So I ran out of my room to try and catch whoever was disturbing my sleep.

As I ran down the corridor and turned the corner, I saw what looked like a girl crawling down a stairway at the opposite block.

I was stunned by the unnatural way of her movements but thought that perhaps she was sick or hurt and needed help.

I raced down from the second floor that my unit was on and started towards the opposite block but when I turned back, there she was on the linkway of my block heading in the direction of my room!

A flash of fear gripped me. "Something's not right," I told myself, thinking that a couple of thieves must be in cahoots to lure me out of my room in order to rob me.

So I decided to run back to my room but as soon as I stepped onto the ground floor's corridor, a figure crept out... and it's the same girl!

With my heart at my throat, I shot past her to continue down the corridor while thinking to myself that the resortel could use some major renovations. Or at least have a paint job and change the awful colours of those out of place neon borders that outline the corners.

My dash back to the room was cut short when a hand suddenly appeared on the wall. It was a left hand. "No ring on the fourth finger, she must be single,"

As the hand slowly walked the wall towards me, adrenalin found my legs again and I started down the corridor of disastrous colours.

Out of the corner of my eye, I don't remember seeing a body attached to that hand.

Finally, I came to the stairway that leads to the second level and a harrowing sight greeted me... bad graffiti!

At a time when Penang's wall doodles by Ernest Zacharevic had raised graffiti into an artform, surely the "Stop Running" message can be less of those blood-written horror movie cliches and be communicated in a more artistic form.

Oh, and there was that creepy leg. Confirm got athlete's foot.

Totally terrified by the unnatural encounters by now, I decided to take another flight of stairs next to this to get to the upper floor.

But when I reached the second level, a headless figure stood in my path. Feeling faint from the shock, my eyes grew blurry as I collapsed onto the ground.

The figure started to float towards me. I shut my eyes and recited the Lord's Prayer... then Hail Marys... then the Heart Sutra... then the Kamasutra.

When I opened my eyes again, the figure had disappeared and I tumbled back into my room.

Sleep was fitful that night. I kept having the feeling that someone was watching me.

Here's another travel don't... when travelling alone, ask for a single bed and not a queen or king-sized bed as the unoccupied side is an invitation for something to sleep next to you. If you have to sleep on a double bed, remove the pillow from the unoccupied side so that the bed is only meant for one person.

The next morning, I couldn't wait to get out of the hotel. After a quick shower, I was about to put on my facial toner, eye cream, rejuvenating serum, skin repairing complex, hydrating moisturiser, and sunblock when a message appeared on the mirror... "Waiting for you".

Delay No More... I rushed out of the room.

Checking out at the reception I asked the staff if they've seen a skinny lady with short hair at night and reluctantly, he related the story of a girl murdered in Room 301 49 days ago. Her head, left hand and one of her legs were severed and never found. She was killed while waiting for her boyfriend to meet her at the room. The killer has yet to be identified.

Since that night, I now perform the full rituals when checking in to a hotel that goes beyond just knocking on the door, but announcing the number of days I'll be staying when in the room, flushing the toilet to get rid of bad luck, covering the mirrors at night, placing my shoes in opposite directions away from the bed, Strewing belongings on empty chairs and seats, and removing the other pillow if I'm sleeping alone on a huge bed.

We may choose not to believe in things we don't see but that doesn't mean the unseen forces don't exist. As the saying goes... better be safe than sorry!

Okay, apart from the ritual of knocking and other superstitious practices, the story in this post is purely FICTIONAL and FABRICATED in the spirit of Halloween with a travel theme.

The photos were shot with my mobile phone on location at Bayu Balau Beach Resort at Tanjung Balau and Sin Hin Hotel at Sungai Rengit (Pengerang). My gratitude to Hoh Siow Har for being a sport to crazy pose for the photos because we were bored with nothing better to do at the resort but to bring a travel myth to life.

Happy Halloween and safe travels ya all! :o)

Travel Sharing Session - A Pocket Exploration of Pengerang

Since discovering the thrill of long-distance bicycle touring, I've posted quite a number of blog entries about my riding adventures at Pengerang and many of you have wrote in to ask for more details to help plan your trip there.

The good news is (well, I hope it's good news to you... lol), under the invitation of SAFRA Photographic Club in conjunction with Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, I will be co-hosting a travel sharing session about Pengerang on Friday (5 Sep 2014). Many of the questions I've received about safety and logistics will be answered as well as more insights and tips on planning a visit, what to do, best photographic spots (for mobile phone photography), and things to look out for when cycling long distance at this Malaysian coastal district.

So if you want to go on a weekend escapade of scrumptious seafood, great outdoors and get a wicked fat burning workout, join me and my fellow cyclo-adventurer Siow Har at the session. The event is open to public and FREE! Details in the poster below.

Who is this session for?

- People who are looking for a day trip or short weekend getaway from Singapore
- Seafood lovers and foodies seeking to sample ample kampung flavours
- Photography enthusiasts and anyone who owns a smart phone
- Cyclo-adventurers keen to explore a rustic corridor that's great for pedaling

Hope to see you there!

Related Posts :

Pengerang by Accident

A Cycling Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru

2nd Attempt at Bicycle Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru

Cycling from Sungai Rengit to Tanjung Balau

A Christmas Ride to Tanjung Balau

Pengerang - A Christmas Ride to Tanjung Balau

Date of Exploration : 21 - 23 Dec 2013

I didn't realize it but this is my fourth long-distance cycling trip in Pengerang this year. I thought there would be nothing left to blog about since I covered the same trail as my last bike tour from Sungai Rengit to Tanjung Balau but new encounters along the way made for a progressive account of the Malaysian coastal hemline undergoing some pretty major developments.

As I've talked at length about how to get here, things to do at Pengerang and cycling from Sungai Rengit to Desaru and Tanjung Balau, you can find out more by clicking those links. This entry will serve as an addition to the bulk of information and tips that have already been shared. I think I'm becoming a Pengerang junkie. LOL!

And under the influence of the yuletide season, we decided to do something to bring on the festive cheer during our long ride this time round with...

... a Santa Hat! Hahaha... or should I say, Hohoho?

If you are unfamiliar with Pengerang, it is a seaside district in the Malaysian state of Johor that can be reached by an hour's bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal (the same terminal that offers ferries to Pulau Ubin). Sungai Rengit (the main township of Pengerang) is famous for seafood and lobster feasts at lower prices than Singapore and Johor Bahru.

Pengerang / Sungai Rengit is also a popular starting point for long-distance cycling enthusiasts to pedal to Tanjung Punggai, Batu Layar, Desaru, Tanjung Balau, Tanjung Sedili or even all the way to Johor Bahru and taking the Woodlands causeway back to Singapore (a distance of 190km)!

Getting to Pengerang involves taking a boat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal. We took wooden bumboats (S$11) on all previous trips but we were lucky to board an air-conditioned speedboat this time round. It costs more at S$13 but it's worth the extra S$2 for the comfort and speed.

We usually take slightly over an hour to reach Tanjung Pengelih but it took only 40 minutes with the speedboat. Problem is, you cannot choose the boats and it's a matter of luck which boat is next in line to take passengers and there's no knowing what kind of boat is available. The boats don't depart on a fixed schedule and leave port once there are 12 passengers.

Arriving at Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal, we took a 15-minute cab ride to Sungai Rengit. There were usually cabs waiting for passengers at the ferry terminal but this time round, there weren't any. Thankfully, a terminal staff was kind to call us a cab. So if you don't see any cabs at the ferry terminal, approach the staff to help call for one. The cab ride costs RM20 be it free board or called in.

Upon arriving at Sungai Rengit, we saw a replica of the famous Lego wall art from Penang at the side of the town's coach and taxi terminal. This was a new addition as we've not seen it during our last trip on 26 October 2013.

Since Christmas was round the corner, we decided to pimp our ride with some windmills to add a festive spin during the ride. Heh heh.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?
*Having a Rudolph moment*

Something crazy we did was wishing motorists that passed by Merry Christmas! LOL. Many drivers were taken by surprise and some of them toot their horns and waved back.

A few slowed down. My take is that they were wondering if we needed help (bless their kindness) so there's a technique to roadside well wishing to distinguish between a SOS cry and Christmas cheer.

We learnt that waving thumbs-up and peace sign conveyed good tidings while waving with both palms opened up (as in this photo) tend to get drivers to slow down to see if we required assistance.

After a 4.5 hours cycle, we reached Tanjung Balau. We did slightly better than our last timing of 5 hours. Since we stayed at Bayu Balau Resort the last time, we decided to stay with Pelangi Balau Resort on this trip.

Twin room at Pelangi Balau Resort (RM160 per room per night). We didn't make a booking and just walked in for a room. We were lucky to get one as moments later, we saw a "Full House" sign at the reception.

The room was comfortable enough although the hot shower wasn't working. Breakfast was included and although it was a fuss-free minor buffet train of local favourites such as nasi lemak, roti prata, ayam redang and fried noodles, they tasted pretty good. I was addicted to the nasi lemak quickly.

Unbeknownst to me, I packed vacation garb that matched Pelangi Balau Resort's yellow visage. I even found a yellow towel in my room to complete the dirty Superman look! Muahahaha...

We reached Tanjung Balau at around 5.30pm just in time for sunset.

The thing that says Tanjung Balau is the distinctive jetty with four pyramid shaped shelters.

Our arrival coincided with low tide that released its grip of a rocky coastline.

I was awed by the endless blanket of rocks and peddles that were visible after the waters have retreated. It's like a curtain of the seabed had been pulled back.

As the beach was east facing, the sunset displayed its colours inland.

I followed the sunset hues that brought me to an outback lane opposite the resort developments. I didn't have my bike with me so I didn't follow this path to see where it leads or it could bring me closer to the setting sun.

Dinner was at the entrance to Tanjung Balau kampong where three Malay stalls (stir-fry, bakar and drinks) at a carpark made up an unlikely open-air restaurant. We had sotong goreng, assam ikan, fried kalian and mee goreng for RM31. Good price after the SGD-Ringgit exchange rate but taste while palatable, was lackluster.

Supper was an ayam burger (RM3.00) under the influence of Ramly and thick but exceedingly sweet iced Milo at the entrance to Tanjung Balau jetty.

6.41am : As Tanjung Balau faces the east, catching the sunrise here is a must!

The morning was thick with clouds and just when we confirmed that we won't see the iridescent yellow disc ascending the horizon, golden rays broke free of the shadowy shroud. With the high waves returning for the tide and the shine of hope, the momentary light show though fleeting, was immensely uplifting.

Watching sunrise at Tanjung Balau is very scenic. Too bad the golden lights at the top left of this photo aren't obvious after my phone cam aggregated the scene's foreground and background lighting differences. 

A tiny swamp nearby contains a sparse collection of mangroves struggling against the vigorous waves. The stoic and expressive woods make for some pretty beautiful shots.

A decaying trunk we saw in October was lost to the waves by December. So thankful that I got a shot before the wooded spouses got separated eternally.

Tanjung Balau conquered yet again!

After spending a night at Pelangi Balau Resort, we set off on our ride back to Sungai Rengit.

The weather had just the right amount of sun and gloom that made for a comfortable long haul ride to enjoy the Malaysian countryside.

Along the way, we took a Zen break to pose with this striking tree at the entrance to Punngai Beach Resort.

Carpets of endless lalang fields accompanied our ride.

Contrasting with the green were a mushroom of construction sites lining the highway. We snuck into one to camwhore. Shh... don't tell the builders. LOL.

A train of drainage slabs got lined up like the backbone of a new housing estate.

After a 4-hour ride, we arrived back in Sungai Rengit to spend the night. We tried Straits View Seafood Restaurant, a new eat in the town for dinner. It is definitely a strong contender to dethrone Jade Garden Seafood Corner, the most popular seafood restaurant at Sungai Rengit currently.



We tried Kam Hiong Lobster, the delightful Ginger Wine Egg Soup, Lotus Root in Salted Egg Yolk Sauce and Gung Bao Wild Boar meat. They were all yummers and the bill came up to an affordable RM111.60 (S$44.30).

Straits View Seafood Restaurant had the most different styles of cooking lobster compared to the other restaurants who bank on four popular styles - in superior sauce, steamed, buttered, or with salted egg yolk. We tried Kam Hiong style at Straits View which was basically lobster stir-fried in dry sambal sauce with dried shrimp. It's not bad, but the spices overpowered the lobster meat's freshness.

This quick pre-Christmas cycling trip had been yet another great eat-and-burn vacation. With this funny photo (wacky hat and sleeping uncle), I wish you and your love ones a healthy and fun-filled yuletide and coming new year!

Related Posts :

A cycling Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru

2nd Attempt at Bicycle Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru

Cycling from Sungai Rengit to Tanjung Balau

Pengerang - Cycling from Sungai Rengit to Tanjung Balau

Date of Exploration : 26 - 28 Oct 2013

Whenever I feel the impulse for a quick getaway that mixes good food, adventure and some serious calories burning, I come to Pengerang for a long-distance cycling tour. A mere hour's boat ride from Singapore, Pengerang offers delicious and fresh seafood (especially lobster) at prices that make the wallet smile and serves as a gateway to enjoy the Malaysian countryside and unspoilt beaches best explored on two wheels.

Having successfully cycled from Sungai Rengit to Desaru in July this year, Siow Har and I came back to Pengerang again to attempt going even further... to Tanjung Balau. The map below shows our bicycle tour route which started from Sungai Rengit (at the bottom) to Tanjung Punggai to Desaru and finally reaching Tanjung Balau. Total distance : 41km one way.

To get to Pengerang, we took a bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal and took a cab to Sungai Rengit. Sungai Rengit is the main town of Pengerang.

This is our fourth trip to Pengerang and also my fourth blog post about the place so I won't dive into too much details about the coastal district or how to get there. You can find out more information on Pengerang from my previous entries listed in the 'Posts Listing' section under 'Malaysia'.

While most things remained the same from previous experiences, what's different on this trip was that we didn't go during a public holiday or were super kiasu to arrive very early at Changi Point Ferry Terminal to stake out for a boat. Iinstead of being at the ferry terminal at 7:30am like what we used to do, we met at 9:45am this time round. There wasn't a crowd and we waited only 35 minutes for a boat (compared to the upwards of 2 hours on previous trips). Hence, it may be better to go later instead of earlier for a boat.

Bumboats ply between Changi Ferry Point Terminal and Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal from 7:00am to 4:00pm. There are no fixed departure schedules for the boats and they leave once a boatman has 12 passengers. The other way to get to Sungai Rengit is by bus from Larkin (Johor Bahru).

Instead of our usual 2D1N trips previously, we did a 3D2N this time and here's the itinerary if you wish to follow :

Day 1 - Depart Singapore for Pengerang (Sungai Rengit), have lunch and cycle to Tanjung Balau
Night 1 - Dinner and sleepover at Tanjung Balau
Day 2 - Explore Tanjung Balau, have lunch and cycle back to Sungai Rengit
Night 2 - Dinner and sleepover at Sungai Rengit
Day 3 - Late breakfast, explore Sungai Rengit and depart for Singapore by 2pm

There are two kinds of pain when cycling long distance... the pain of the butt and the pain from being sunburnt. Learning from previous trips, I'm all covered up and invested in a pair of padded cycling tights. Sunblock isn't something to stinge on either and bring along lots of water. I loaded up with two 1.5L bottles of hydration for the long ride.

Uh-oh... buat doh (fell down). Was negotiating a sandy curb while leaving a provision shop and my bike's wheels stalled, causing me to topple. Lesson : Avoid cycling on sandy surfaces!

One of the reasons why I enjoy cycling on the open road is the lack of skyscrapers to crowd out the works of art overhead. I've never seen a cloud formation like this. Awesome!

After riding for about four hours, we reached the roundabout where if we turn right, we will arrive at Desaru. I was tempted to go right since exhaustion had set in and we were clueless about how much further we needed to cycle to reach Tanjung Balau.

But we pushed forth and found out that Tanjung Balau is only another 6km away! ENDURE!!!

Tanjung Balau and Bayu Balau Beach Resort

The stretch of tar from the mouth of Desaru to Tanjung Balau was rather merciful as after a short pedal, it was downslope for about 3km. The 3km no-ride segment leads to a flat road for an easy ride to the beach resort. However, for the return trip on the next day, the slope turned from friend to foe.

Tanjung Balau sits within the jurisdiction of Kota Tinggi and used to be a fishing village until the 1950s when villagers were forced to relocate as a result of communist unrest. Tanjung Balau was deserted with fishermen returning temporarily for seasonal catch before the area was stabilised and developed for tourism in 1985. Since then, the fishing community has been housed in an organised kampong that reinstated their livelihoods while allowing tourists to get a feel of the nelayan (fisherman) spirit.

By the time we arrived at Tanjung Balau, the evening parade of colours had started so we decided to spend the night at Bayu Balau Beach Resort. The next morning, we woke up to a gorgeous sunrise and checked out the beach as well as the Fishermen Museum nearby.

I wasn't expecting much from Tanjung Balau as many of these minor Malaysian beachside attractions hang on the verge of neglect but it exceeded all impressions I formed before visiting. The beaches at Tanjung Balau are really scenic with one side decorated with organic sheared rock sculptures while the other side spots shallow shores caressed by watery ruffles. It is possibly the best beach to be not too far from Singapore!

Photos : (Top Left) Cycling past the Desaru roundabout leads to the Tanjung Balau roundabout. Right is the way to go to reach the beach resort. (Top Right) Watch out of tapirs crossing the road. Initially, I thought it's an anteater in a panda costume. *feeling dumb* (Bottom Left) Directions for the attractions at Tanjung Balau. (Bottom Right) Entrance to Bayu Balau Beach Resort which we stayed. Just next door is the Pelangi Balau Resort that looks pretty good too. 

Bayu Balau Beach Resort consists of individual chalets built in the style of traditional attap houses. Cost : RM160 per night (weekend) / RM120 (weekday). We didn't book in advance and just walked in to get a room. A RM50 deposit was required during check-in although I wonder what's there to insure against. Check-out time was 12pm but we were allowed to hand in the key at 1pm.

Although the chalets looked pretty good on the outside, the interior was like stepping into Twilight Zone. We stayed in unit no. 18 with a hole on the door leading to the bathroom where half the lights were not working and there's no hot shower. The chalet was very basic but comfortable enough after a long day's ride.

The compound around Bayu Balau was rather well maintained with a children's playground in good condition and this bridge, that still had all its colours, linking to the public beach. I don't mean to be picky but many of the Malaysian attractions I've been to, even the big ones, seem to suffer from the 'god will take care of it' syndrome.

Tanjung Balau Beach

There are two beaches in Tanjung Balau - a small but very scenic craggy crescent fronting Bayu Balau Beach Resort and Pelangi Balau Resort, and a public beach with shallow waters and gregarious rolling waves.

The beach near the resorts is great for photography while the public beach is where all the splash action takes place. The locals seem to prefer Tanjung Balau beach over the nearby Desaru beach. Personally, I find that there are more things to see, do and photograph at Tanjung Balau.

It's a bird... it's a plane... no, it's a super cool Man of Steel kite! Price : RM55.

Public beach at Tanjung Balau.

The shallow shore of Tanjung Balau beach reminded me of Kuta Beach in Bali.

Constant surf washes over the powdery beach. Not ideal for swimming but great for splashing around. 

We weren't prepared for the watery bliss at Tanjung Balau so we didn't get into the water and just camwhored with the waves. I think the core workout sessions with my personal Roy Chan from SAFRA EnergyOne gym is starting to pay off with a flatter tummy *happy!*

While Tanjung Balau's public beach is a wide stretch of sand and sea, the beach in front of Balau Bayu and Pelangi Balau beach resorts is more rocky and home to a jetty. This photo of the jetty during sunset was taken when we first arrived at 6.15pm on the first night. The pastel backdrop was so bewitching, we were drawn towards the jetty to start snapping photos before even searching for accommodation.

Beach at the right side of the jetty.

Beach on the left side of the jetty.

To swim in these wild waves and jagged teeth of rocks is a suicide mission.

As we scoured the beach by torchlight at night, we saw a lot of hermit carbs going about their business and this monster... It is the biggest hermit crab I've ever seen so far! The resort beach as well as public beach at Tanjung Balau are littered with pretty shells especially near the rocky outcrops. I didn't pick any of them home, preferring to leave them where they are.

Dinner choices at Balau Bayu Beach Resort weren't many. There's a diner within the resort that serves food and doubles as a karaoke 'pub' (only Malay songs though and no alcohol is served) at night. Near the entrance of the jetty are two small stalls selling Malay stir-fry and burger at the. I had an ayam (chicken) burger for RM3.

But walking towards the entrance of the road leading to Balau Bayu Beach Resort, there were a few stalls selling BBQ seafood, drinks and cooked food.

We ordered seafood tom yum soup (RM15) and BBQ fish (RM25) at the makeshift open-air 'food court'. The soup tasted rather weird as instead of using prawns, fish and squid, the broth was cooked with cockles, mussels and a small flower crab. The fish was fresh and quite big with thick flesh but unfortunately, it was over-cooked so the meat became rather tough. But the spicy sauce it was coated with was sedap! Total bill : RM43.

Must-Do at Tanjung Balau : Watch the Sunrise

Before coming to Tanjung Balau, we didn't know that the sunrise here is a stunner. From the direction of last evening's sunset, we figured that the beach resort is east-facing and decided to wake up for the sunrise even though we were so tired from cycling long distance.

We were very glad we didn't sleep in...

Woke up at 6am to do the morning routine and walk over to the jetty. This photo was shot at 6.30am.

The risen yolk framed between the pillars of the jetty.

Dawn hues at Tanjung Balau resort beach.

Foliage to the left of the jetty created an interesting frame for the sunrise.

There were quite a lot of photogs crawling along the shore and perched on rocks to shoot the sunrise with tripods and DSLRs. Felt so inadequate shooting with only my mobile phone as we wanted to travel light for the long bike ride.

Shot taken at 6:56am... A new day has dawned.

Walking along the shoreline in the direction of the public beach, we came across a pebbled bay with some mangroves and the artful remnants of a tree. Here I was trying to capture the beauty of decay.

The dead tree seemed to have split at the lower trunk to form two natural sculptures high on drama.

The tree makes a really nice subject on its own or as an organic prop to 拍写真集 or for wedding photography.

More awesome backdrop for abovementioned photography. This slice of stone is known as the 'sail rock'.

Tanjung Balau Muzium Nelayan (Fishermen Museum)

Done with watching sunrise and checking out the beaches at Tanjung Balau, we walked over to the Fishermen Museum which showcases the history and developments of the area. For a small town museum, this has to be the best one I've seen. We were so impressed with the quality of information, exhibits and staging.

The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm (Mon - Thurs), 9am to 12pm and 2.45 to 6pm (Fri), and 9am to 6pm (weekends and public holidays). Entrance fee costs only RM2 so don't miss checking out this charming museum when in Tanjung Balau.

We thought the museum would be a small unkept gallery that could be covered within 30 minutes. But we were wrong. We spent almost an hour and had to leave because we needed to check out from our resortel. Else, we would've stayed longer.

A pair of colourful Perahu Payang (big fishing boat) greeted visitors to the Fishermen Museum. A characteristic of these intricately decorated boats used by fishermen in Terengganu is the Bangau (the horizontal protrusion from the bow). 'Bangau' means Cattle Egret (those birds usually found on the back of buffalos) but to fishermen and boat makers in the East Coast of Malaysia, Bangau means the horizontal ornament at the front of the boat. They can take the form of a fish's head (sekochi), bird's head (kolek kue) or designs of shadow puppets. 

Photos : (Left) Entrance to the Fishermen Museum. (Top Right) Within the reception of the museum sat a cute two-seater canoe with the head of a bird. (Bottom Right) Entry ticket is purchased not at the reception but a small shelter further in.

The museum has a total of 5 galleries : Main, Geology, Boat Collection, Sea Safety and Ship Collection, Desaru Shipwreck, and Special Exhibition. The directory listed a Fish Aquarium although we didn't see any.

Staging of an traditional fishing kampong scene within the main gallery. The air-conditioned museum was clean and well-maintained with the exhibits in generally good condition.

The Geology Gallery divulges information about the area's geological profile as well as identifying the types of stones and minerals found there.

The Boat Collection brings together traditional fishing canoes and crafts used in bygone eras before speedboats took over. If I were a fisherman, I think I will sink this purse lips raft! Watch out for the low beams at this exhibition area though. I knock my head really hard on one of them and got a nasty ba-loo-ku (swell on the head).

Other than the Fishermen Museum, the public beach compound has ample carparks, children's playgrounds, a gift shop, toilets with showers, and a food court (only 3 stalls were opened during my visit).

Tanjung Balau was a surprisingly delightful seaside attraction to explore that's close to Singapore. The coastal development is very small so all amenities and sights are mere minutes on foot from each other.

I didn't see any buses coming here so it's either you cycle like we did (approx. 4.5hrs at a leisurely pace from Sungai Rengit), drive, or take a cab at Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal or Sungai Rengit (Pengerang).

I will definitely come back again.

Hello Sungai Rengit... Again

Although we went further on this trip and were tired, we weren't as exhausted as the previous trips, which just goes to show that we are getting better with practice! We rode a total distance of 82km to and fro between Sungai Rengit and Tanjung Balau and we are talking about going even further the next time to Tanjung Sedili. Or maybe we shouldn't be so ambitious? Then again, if not now, when?

Back in Sungai Rengit, we discovered that one of the famous seafood restaurants we dined at during our first trip has been burnt to the ground. Shocking. Ironically, the toasted restaurant was called Good Luck.

On this fourth stay in Sungai Rengit, we tried another hotel (Sin Hin) and a different seafood restaurant (You Kee) for dinner to compare.

Always so happy to see this sign. It means we've made it back!

While on the cab from Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal to Sungai Rengit, the cab driver told us that Good Luck Seafood Restaurant and a house next to it were burnt down about two months ago. Actually seeing the wrecked site was unnerving. Not so Good Luck after all.

Only the front signage of the restaurant was left. The tree that witnessed the fire didn't survive the blaze unscathed. I hope there were no human casualties.

A hole has been left in Sungai Rengit's culinary landscape but a couple more seafood restaurants have already emerged in the small town.

We spent the night at Sin Hin Hotel which cost RM60 for a twin room per night. The hotel is right above S.H.H. Motor where we rented our bicycles at RM15 per bike per day.

The room is functional but the blankets (kept in the cupboard) were really thin. A peculiar thing is the TV. It requires a password to be turned on. We weren't informed when checking in and tried our luck with '0000' for the password. It worked! Sin Hin Hotel comes with free Wifi but the connection sucked big time. We couldn't get online most of the time.

Instead of Sin Kong Restaurant which we had grown rather fond of, we decided to try You Kee Restaurant which is just diagonally across.

We ordered Salted Vegetable Soup, Stir-Fried Broccoli, Gungbao Ostrich Meat, and the star... Lobsters Fried with Salted Egg Yolk. The soup and broccoli were decent but the ostrich meat was rather tough. Total bill : RM147.

It was the first time we tried Lobster Fried with Salted Egg Yolk and it's super delish! This cooking style wasn't listed on the menu but the lady who took our order recommended it after sensing our deliberation over the three standard cooking styles - steamed, buttered, and in superior sauce. This salted egg yolk version is my current favourite. Not sure if the other restaurants have this style of cooking lobsters.

The next day, we had a late fried chicken breakfast at Mary Brown's because the town's only fast food restaurant is air-conditioned and has free Wifi before heading to Tanjung Pengelih to wait for a ferry back to Singapore at 2pm. It was the first time we were going back on a Monday so we were a little unsure if we can get a boat as there wasn't a fixed departure schedule. Just like coming here from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, the boatmen leaves once he gets 12 passengers.

Thankfully, a boat was available and we didn't have to wait very long (less than 30 minutes) for it to depart even though there were only seven passengers. The boatman must be in a hurry to get over to Singapore.

Despite falling down and the head bump, this trip had been a blessed one with short waiting time for the boats and two glorious days of sunshine!

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