Idyllic Terengganu beckons - Part 2

Amazing hues of blue adorned the pre-sunrise sky at Pantai Mangkuk.

The pre-sunrise sky was never better elsewhere - at least that's the impression I got that morning when I made my way to the secluded beach, Pantai Mangkuk. Silhouettes of slender coconut palms against a sky in amazing shades of blue reminded me of images printed on those cheesy Hawaiian holiday shirts that I presumed could only be a figment of the shirtmakers' imagination all these while - how wrong was I! With no one else in sight, I felt totally immersed in the beauty of God's creation - humbled and thankful at the same time.

The sunrise was a magnificent private show!

Fishermen's boats throttled past my line of sight of the tourist-trodden Perhentian Islands as the first slivers of the day's sunlight reflected on gentle waves crashing upon my feet. And when the whole sun finally ascended into view, it was magnificent and moving; I enjoyed the moment alone on a deck chair, as if it was a private show meant just for me :)

Basking in the morning light while waiting for breakfast to be served.

We were quite pleased with our breakfast of nasi kerabu (blue-coloured rice garnished with finely chopped herbs), Western-style pancakes and toast, besides the rather compulsory platter of fruits. I rarely eat rice for breakfast, but I guess people from the east coast would eat rice for every meal of the day, huhu. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em ;)

A laid back pose in front of a unique heritage villa. My mum was notably excited by those pretty frangipani flowers.

Lounging by the pool.

As agreed, a couple of the resort's staff took us on a little private tour of the compounds including a part which was under construction. I was delighted to find out that many more antique local houses would be resurrected as heritage villas, other than the wooden tower and a traditional spa. We also noticed that the resort incorporated several old Malay paraphernalia as decorations: traditional boats, rope making instruments, grinders, cow bells, et cetera. Kudos to the management for realising this project in such a thoughtful manner ;)

Inspecting the traditional sauna under construction.

A fisherman's boat in endearing colours under a heritage villa.

We took some great pictures around the resort before proceeding to Kuala Terengganu, not so far down south for an obligatory sight-seeing tour around the city. First on the list was Losong Village, made famous nationwide by its keropok lekor (a type of local fish crackers). There seemed to be zero websites or blogs in English discussing this delectable gastronomic delight, so no links here, okay. Anyway, we found several shops selling keropok lekor around the village and quite a few of them were swarmed by local holidaymakers coming by the busload, it's hard to know which one sold the best crackers, huhu. But of course we bought some anyway. Yay!

People grabbing keropok lekor left and right at this shop at Losong Village. Good souvenirs indeed!

The shopping frenzy didn't stop there. Next stop was Pasar Payang, the main market of Kuala Terengganu. It's surely a treasure trove of local delicacies and specialties! I was very happy with my purchase of a light blue songket (ones handmade in Terengganu are reputedly the best), a woven rattan lampshade, a purple mengkuang mat, and some serunding daging (spiced beef floss). Double yay :)

Pasar Payang is a treasure trove of local delicacies and specialties.

In the afternoon, we stopped by Masjid Abidin, the old state royal mosque in the middle of the city. In stark contrast to the hubbub of city life revolving around it, praying inside its white-washed walls brought us the oft-welcome peace and serenity. Also known locally as Masjid Putih (White Mosque), construction of the mosque began in 1793 during the reign of Sultan Zainal Abidin II in wood but thereafter it was renovated and expanded by his predecessors to the size and splendour that we now see.

A brief stop for prayers at Masjid Abidin, the old state royal mosque.

It was almost past lunchtime so we hurried to our next destination, Pulau Duyong to find some food. But unfortunately to our dismay all the good food outlets I read about were closed! It was later when I discovered that they only open in the evening around dinnertime. Oh well, better luck next time :( So off we went finding lunch at Kuala Terengganu's famous beach, Pantai Batu Burok (literally translated as Beach of Ugly Stone) in the form of an expensive fried calamari and whatnot...

Pulau Duyong is practically deserted by day, huhu...

Idyllic Terengganu beckons - Part 1

The award-winning Tanjung Jara Resort, Dungun, where we spent time for lunch whilst admiring its azure seascape.

This would be the first time I treated my family to a vacation. It was April 2012 hence we avoided the daily downpours one might expect during the long year-end school holiday. Amidst the excitement and nervousness of it all, I managed to drag my parents and youngest brother all the way to Terengganu! I've never been there before but hell it looked great on the internet :)

I think the road trip took us about 9 hours from Johor Bahru on an average speed of about 100 km/h with a few stops in between - my father and brother insisted on driving their manual car (a bit too leisurely by my standards) instead of my automatic one. It's been a long time since I drove a manual car, so I left it to them to do the driving, hah!

A meander amongst the traditional-style accommodation at Tanjung Jara Resort will get you to Nelayan Restaurant.

We stopped by Tanjung Jara Resort in Dungun at around 2 p.m. just in time for lunch. They have a highly rated restaurant there called Nelayan (fisherman in Malay). From the car park, a 10-minute relaxing meander amongst award-winning traditional-style accommodation and gently swaying coconut trees would get you to the seaside eatery, located only steps away from the infinity pool and spa. The welcoming sea breeze interminably caressing your cheeks if not the breathtaking vista of the azure sea can persuade any visitor to stay there a night or two longer I imagine.

Post-lunch photoshoot at Nelayan Restaurant :)

But we're here strictly for lunch and not a minute more because I've secured bookings at another fabulous accommodation (I hoped). So after filling our tummies with the (ehem, slightly overpriced) club sandwich and spaghetti (my mum despised the al dente experience, she rated it as undercooked, hehe), we're off northbound to Setiu, where the lonely Terrapuri Heritage Village awaited our long due check-in.

And when I say lonely, I really meant the less-than-a year-old resort was quite far removed from other hotels and resorts. Unbeknownst to me, it sat smack at the end of a long and quiet village road. Initially my mum was verbally worried that we had lost our way and advised that we should turn back. As it was already 6 p.m. and quickly getting dark, I was worried too, you know :( But we persevered on our course and much to everyone's relief, we found it at last with a tiny plaque announcing the resort's name! Phew...

Dear Management, your resort does not deserve this tiny plaque. Its fabulousness demands a bigger one ;)

Our rather late arrival was promptly greeted by a staff member and checking in was a breeze. Our suspicion that we were the only guests around for the day was confirmed during our chat with the staff at dinner (I opted for the 3 day 2 night offer which included breakfast and dinner). Later on, we also found out that this dainty resort had only 4 personnels running it. Nevertheless, I was personally impressed by their willingness to make us not feel alone but at the same time being non-intrusive. Every mealtime would end with a warm friendly conversation and they even showed us around the grounds the next morning (a personal tour, wow). As it turned out, the traditional spa and a wooden tower were still under construction at the back of the resort - reasons why I should come here again, I believe ;)

Climb up those stairs to reach enlightenment, or really good food :)

My admiration for the non-Malay owner's dedication in preserving hundred-year-old Malay traditional houses and turning them into an eclectic mix of resort-style villas has never waned even after we left the place. The addition of modern facilities and other creature comforts only added to its charm including air conditioners, 3 ceiling fans, a hot water shower and a wooden bathtub. No TV? Not a problem 'coz we never need it here.

Huge prawns and other well cooked Malay condiments. As I said, really good food.

Meals were prepared by local villagers (now that's really authentic traditional cooking) and were certified delicious by my mum who herself cooks really well. I agree!

My heritage villa. The bathroom is a new addition but still complementing the style of the original house.

Good night, Terrapuri. You look so damn good even at night!

The 9-hour road trip sure took a toll on us, but in my personal opinion, it was well worth the journey! The pictures I took of Terrapuri that night were to me so impressive that they made me wonder what good things the next day would bring ;)