Travel: Mersing Marvel
A last-minute decision to go on a 2D/1N getaway in Malaysia during a lull business period saw me arriving in the rustic, serene fishing town of Mersing on Monday (16 Jul 07) afternoon. Located in the state of Johor, Mersing straddles the eastern coastline of Malaysia, facing the vast expanse of the sprawling and mighty South China Sea.
Click on the map for bigger view. Mersing is found near the top right hand area, below an arrow pointing to an observation field people visit for stargazing.
Mersing is a small fishing outpost which has not changed much in the last few decades, except for new developments along the coastline built for the increasing number of tourists visiting various islands in the vicinity, all of which are known for diving, snorkeling and beach-related activities. The most famous island is known as Pulau Tioman, quite a familiar name to Singaporeans.
Most tourists leave Mersing in a hurry upon arrival. Ferries will send them to neighbouring islands during the March-August season. Beyond that, the monsoon season sets in, resulting in choppy waters and unfavourable conditions for such visits. However, to the more adventurous backpackers, there is also much to admire in Mersing itself and its surroundings.
With a population of around 60,000, Mersing still retains most of the old rural charm that is no longer found in modern-day Singapore. It would be good to bring your kids there to remind them what’s it’s like of Singapore 50 years ago. In addition, seafood restaurants and tiny eating spots located along the beach front are great places for dinner and enjoyment of the sea breeze.
Here’s a brief account of the visit, mingled with some discoveries and pleasant surprises found along the way. I’ll give detailed information just in case you want to go there if you find my report interesting. He..he… (I was one of those backpackers who cringe and maximize their budgets. Hehe...)
Getting There:
From Singapore, board an express bus at Queen Street, which is a 5-min brisk walk from Bugis MRT Station. It’ll send you to Larkin Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru. There are 2 companies plying the route. (What I mean by express bus is the bus actually travels faster than a slow-moving car on the expressway.)
Bus fare: S$2.40.
You’ll reach Woodlands Checkpoint in about 25 mins and possibly another 20mins crossing the Customs and arriving at Larkin.
At Larkin, you should be able to catch the 1130am express bus to Mersing if you board the bus at Queen Street early, say around 10am. The bus counter is located inside the ticketing area, counter BT-50 if I remember correctly. There’s another bus company at Counter No.9 which has a 230pm schedule. If you miss both buses, it’ll be evening time for the next trip. The entire journey takes about 2.5 hours. There is a return trip to Larkin at 3pm at the bus terminal. The bus will then stop at the ferry terminal about 10 mins later, to pick up tourists who just return from the islands.
Bus fare: RM$10.00.
Mersing is about 150 km away from Woodlands. For those who drive, take the No.3 Route which plys the eastern part of Johor. It’ll lead you to Mersing, then to Endau and subsequently to Kuantan. By the way, Endau is the gateway to the Endau Rompin National Park, a delight to nature lovers and great fun for small families!
Things To Do There:
1) Visit the various islands
2) Enjoy the various beach resorts to the north of Mersing town. Some are simple no-frills type while some are endowed with a range of events suitable for the entire family, such as jungle trekking, beach activities and even stargazing.
3) Makan – Eat and eat! The favourite pastime of Singaporeans! Savour the fresh seafood hauled from the South China Seas, served in Malay and Chinese cooking style, at great prices! You can also visit the “keropok” (or fish cracker) factory at the edge of the town and buy some fish crackers along the way.
This is not a restaurant, just a restpoint facing the open sea. Mee soto at RM2.00 is served along with snacks and ice kachang! It's about 5km north of Mersing.
4) Just go to the beach and relax there, enjoy the breeze and admire the Sunrise.
If you have no idea where to go, you must visit the METIC, or the Mersing Tourist Information Centre. It is located before the Ferry Terminal, just after the one and only KCF outlet there. I found it to be an extremely helpful place for you to discover Mersing.
There is staff stationed there to assist you in selection of suitable places of accomodation and resorts nearby, with estimated prices shown for your decision. The staff should be helpful enough to give you a free ride in their office car to the resort you have selected eventually. This is what happened to me, and I ended up in a village resort known as Kali’s Guesthouse at the edge of Mersing Town.
Where I stayed:
Kali’s Guesthouse
Room with air-con, fan and sofa, with detached bathroom. See below.
1 night: RM60.00nett
That's the signboard. As you can see, the chalets are hidden in thick vegetation! See the A-shaped roof behind?
This is my hotel room! The balcony is useful only if you have an interest in observing chickens and rabbits.
This shed is for those who want to take a cozy nap in the afternoon breeze.
With a traditional Malay kampong setting, Kali’s Guesthouse is good for couples and backpackers who wish to escape from the hustle-bustle of nearby Mersing and yet want to remain near to the fishing port. You can find poultry being reared here, together with a few cute rabbits hopping outside your hut. The detached bathroom is exposed at the sides near the roof cover, though not very obvious. Unless you are a movie star stalked by paparazzis, you really don’t have to feel awfully perturbed by the openings. May not be suitable to those who are used to staying in clean hotel rooms. (I’m not saying the Guesthouse is not clean, but there’s an obvious tad of difference in quality and cleanliness.)
Interesting things:
1) Saw a number of dragonflies near to the beach, outside the Guesthouse. Dragonflies could mate in mid-air! Saw a couple in the act while in flight. Fly and do other stuff at the same time. A lesson for some people to think about.
2) A hen can fly! Saw a desperate rooster chasing a hen. To escape the chase, the hen leapt all the way, a good 2 metres high to perch on a tree branch. Alas, my camera was too slow to capture the interesting sight!
3) The Milky Way is visible in the night sky! After a short period of rainfall, the night sky turned stupendously clear, revealing the awesome centre of our Milky Way galaxy in gray-white patches. Most imminent near the Scorpius and Sagittarius constellations in the south, the Milky Way stretches across the zenith of the sky to the east. Click the pictures below to see clearly!
A wonderful sight to behold indeed! Not to mention the myriads of twinkling little stars above my head! When viewed through my compact 8x42 binocular, the black background was filled with almost infinite white dots! Fellow Singaporeans, you really need to experience this unique sight to appreciate the marvels of God’s creation!
4) Other interesting stuff - For you to discover when you go Mersing yourself!
Cheers!
posted by The Cocoon Man 天蚕人 @ 3:03 PM
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