Road Trippin' in Rural - Part 1
Day 1 Culture Experiencing in SEKINCHAN
What is the first thing that come to mind when people talking about rural areas or villages? Relax, nature, fresh air, local food & eateries, scenery, experiencing, bonding, local people, culture? Yes, all these small bits are the essential of a meaningful trip to capture wonderful moment & experiences that you will hardly find in city. These are what I got from this experiencing culture trip.
Our first destination, SEKINCHAN, "Land of Plenty" this is where you can plan for a soul healing getaway to see the greens, earth colors, and the relieving blue. This land is widely recognized as a paddy field as it is one of the biggest and there is also numerous of fishing village located at Bagan area. For those who never been here before, the field is a lot more bigger than what you will expected like "An illusion of never ending paddy field". Sekinchan's popularity had a huge growth recently due to some social media broadcast.
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| It is impressive to drive along the Paddy Field. |
In order to see a nice green sea or golden sea of paddy field, you have to come in at a proper timing/season and
here is the link to help choose a best timing for the visit. By the time we visited, all the paddy were harvested and left the brown earth so we are only seeing the empty fields instead of the legendary green soft carpet view. Therefore, it is advisable to come during grown up & matured time.
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| Only managed to see little of displayed paddy |
From the brief background, Sekinchan is known as a rice producing area and there is the:
Attraction 1: Paddy Gallery & Paddy Processing Factory (PLS Marketing), Lot 9990, Jln Tali Air 5, Ban 2, Sekinchan which located in the amidst of paddy field. Visitors will have short video briefs and tours regarding the whole process from how the seed turn into harvesting.
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| Tour guiding |
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| Processing Factory |
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| Mini Gallery |
In the end of the tour, everyone will be leaded to a souvenier shop which sell all the local products includes different species of rice, crackers, snacks made from rice, local self made ice cream, etc. For more local agriculture & vegetation products such as sweet corns, yams, rose apples, etc.. can be found from the roadside stalls near the factory.
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| Durian Flavoured Ice Cream |
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| Roadside Stall Outside the Factory Selling Local Fruits & Snacks |
Attraction 2: Ah Ma House, Lot 10376, Jln Tali Air 5, Kampung Sekinchan
It is a specialty cake & biscuit house which is a store with old and antique interior design. The house itself gave a very classic wooden house look and came with all the antique furniture. Ah Ma House is like our bakery shop that make and sell traditional biscuit with the recipes that handed down by from their grandmother.
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| Old Time Wooden House |
Antique Interior
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| Kuih Kapit in the Making |
Others than snacks, they also sell the cooked bird nest since Sekinchan having a lot of swiftlet farming house standing on the middle of the paddy field.
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| A Huge Swiflet House |
They are also selling our childhood candies and snacks which had brought back my childhood memories.
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| Candies & Snacks |
When it comes to food, Sekinchan is a land for new food discovery and most importantly they are so CHEAP! Sounds good? Yea, the food taste good too! For example the kuih they sell at the roadside stall you can see in the town. Big portion with cheap prices, who don't want? Others than that, they also having their own version of food such as kuih lempar and different types of roti bakar (bake bread) or they can be steamed too.
And we found these local foods from our lunch hunting in the town, we were attracted by the specialty of the food their so in the end we chose for this restaurant:
The Family Restaurant.
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| Kuih Lempar with Chicken Meat and Glutinous Rice Inside |
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| These are 2 Different Types of Bake Buns: Coffee Bread in the Left, Soft Bun in the Right |
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| You Couldn't Imagine How Nice the Coffee Bread is! I am Addicted!! |
Attraction 3: Nan Tian Temple
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| Nan Tian Temple |
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| The Building Details & Styles |
Nine Emperor Gods temple aka NAN TIAN TEMPLE which located in the midst of the brown earth sea (during our visit time). It was another kind of feeling with the soil smell mixed in the breeze which gave an unfamiliar yet a fresh environment. It will clear your mind and it was so comfortable to see such a big opened space in front of you.
Every 1st to 9th of the Ninth month of Lunar Calendar, the worshipers is going to celebrate the birthday of Nine Emperor Gods for 9 dyas. This is the most important religious event in Sekinchan as the villagers will seek for the guardian from God for the calm of ocean & rich in harvest. So currently the preparation is on going at the back garage of the temple, some people are working on the float painting for the parade.
Personal experience on how kind the local villages are and so open heart for welcoming visitors, they want outside people know more about their culture, they eager to share more with visitors. That is my first noticed when a guy came in sudden and voluntary to showed us their work progress in the back garage. He showed us the way and explained the details of the event. He also showed us around the orchard at the back and taught us some insects/bugs trap techniques and intro the orchard. I can see that they are very proud of their culture activities & productions. We gladly learned a lot from the local people.
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| Last Year Float Car Can Be Seen from Far & This is the Entrance of the Orchard |
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| Strolling Around in the Orchard & Took Photos |
Recommended Stay : Farm Ville Cafe & HomeStay, Lot 11304, Site B, Sekinchan, Selangor
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| The Container Design Hotel |
Although this home stay is not that big but it definitely has the bonus that you must pay a visit! It has enough opened inner courtyard for gathering, and what's more you can look for? Entertainment! A trampoline was set up at the container top and there is another mini golf field setting at another container top. Most amazingly is they also having a field view cafe which located above the entrance and is facing to the paddy sea. The view will be amazingly stunning & awesome if the timing is right! One more bonus, bicycle rental is available here!
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| Container Top for Entertainment Area |
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| Definitely is a Yay for this HomeStay! |
Attraction 4: Mango King, 248, Lorong Empat, 45400, Sekinchan.
Here is like a small market which sell different types of local fruits and snacks. Not to mention all the fruits there are just too delicious to eat. As sweet as honey, even sweeter than honey! The owner is very kind enough to give out a lots of tester to try! They are too generous that even put a basket of fruits there for people to take / try as you like! From my point of view, they do not hesitate to use this way to promote is due to they have enough confidence with their fruits' quality. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN GET QUALITY & CHEAP FRUITS!
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| The Fruits Itself Have Made This Place Turning to an Attraction Destination. |
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| Different Types of Mangoes. |
Mango King, we are actually here to find the mango king but sadly they did not have it when we are there. But we still have other fruits such as banana, rose apple, ciku, papayas, etc...
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| After Try, Remember to Support. |
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| Others Than Fruits, Some Dried Snacks Also Sold Here. |
Recommended Stay: Sekin Hotel & Resort, No. 358, Jalan Pantai Redang, Sekinchan
A very nice opened space hotel located near to seaside. This would be a good place to stay if going in a huge group as they have rows of hotel room with relaxing, peace & nature landscape in the surrounding. The environment will assure you a good stay there.
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| Rows of Rooms |
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| Quiet & Beautiful Place. |
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| One of the Activity: Take Photo x 594317549 Times |
Meanwhile, you can walk to Redang Beach in the evening for sunset viewing... There is a high look out point decking prepared by the hotel for guests, you would not regret to climb up there for the nice sea view & the breeze, of course a full set will come with a complimentary sun set view!
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| Sekin Look Out Point |
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| Wefie Before Sunset. |
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| This is How to Enjoy It! |
Once done the relaxing time up there, we took our time to walk to Redang Beach along the seaside.
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| Sea View All the Way |
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| Wave Sound All the Way |
After 15 mins of walk and reaching at
Attraction 5: Readng Beach
This is where you can find local authentic seafood or dishes. There are few stalls which do barbecues. Nothing you can ask more for such a "content full" dinner meal after sunset. Sea Breeze + Nice View + Tasty Food.
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| People Playing Kites, Building Sand Castle, Blowing Bubble Here. |
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| Enjoy Life to the Upmost |
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| Super Huge Wishing Tree with Loads of Red Ribbon Which can be Seen Even From Far. |
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This was My First Try of Scallop! Not Bad.
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Waiting for the time pass with our dinner, stall hawker keep reminding us of the time timing for the Blue Tears viewing. I used to saw it once in Pulau Redang but the quantity is very little. And for here, what I saw is a row of neon blue waves! Even thgough it was not that obvious due to lighting of the surrounding, but still the noticeable neon blue waves will make your tears to burst out. It was so beautiful and everyone seem so excited and shouted crazily when the waves came in. Too bad could not capture in photo so capture them with eyes!
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| This is How It Looks Like. Exactly Like This! *From Web |
Day 2 Culture Experiencing in SABAK BERNAM
After breakfast in hotel, everyone get ready off to Sabak Bernam which is a more towards to fishery villages district. It took a roughly 30 mins from Sekinchan.
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| First Breakfast |
First stop for day 2 is Attraction 6: Bagan Nakhoda Omar, BNO Beach
A place with full of lively activities / local's daily routines. Looking at fisherman taking boats out to sea, coming back with harvests, mothers digging for clams at the low ebb tides, kids following their moms and catching small creatures from shallow water, doggies running around in the muddy shores, hawkers preparing food.
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| Looking for Clams from Sand |
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| Life is Going On. Work Hard |
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| Small Prawn Caught by Kids. |
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| See the Horizon. Where is the End? |
The food court at BNO Beach served the famous Mee Udang and we took the opportunity to tried out few dishes from there. When the noodle was served, I was amazed by the amount of prawns they gave and yet in intermediate size, it cost not over RM8.
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| The Must Try BNO Prawn Mee Special |
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| It Taste As Nice as It Look |
Attraction 7: Fishing Village
When we walked out from BNO Beach, the street leaded us to the fishing villages and there is a lot of traditional houses built along side of the river shore. This is where we can see & know all the villagers' activities, works & life. It is interesting to look around the different architecture style of traditional wooden house with small details such as openings & facade details.
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| Entering the Fishing Viallage |
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| Traditional House |
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| Traditional house |
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| Age Games |
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| To Jetty |
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| Jetty Where All the Harvest Coming In |
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| Once Docked, the Skin of Mantis Shrimp will be Removed and Only Keeping the Flesh |
The villagers are all so nice as we simply got into any house compound to their jetty to look around and they will chat with us and explained to us instead of chasing us out. Most of the houses own their own jetty & boats. Everyday will have freshly catch and available to be sold out immediately, That is why the seafood here are cheaper and more fresh.
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| Fishing Boats |
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| Jetty is Where they will Work Directly & Any Unwanted Skin or Internal Organs will Dumped Straight Away down to River |
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Direct Business
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There are busy adults work hard while there are also the kids whom play hard. One of the kid's activity is crab fishing in 2 ways:
1. Shrimp Bait Fishing
- A skinned shrimp was tied at one end of a string, then let it down near to the crab in the muddy shore, then depends on the crab whether to be fished or not to be.
2. Rubber Band Fishing
- A more simple way of fishing without baits but tied a rubber band at one end. After that try to challenge the crab, then the crab will hold (clip) on it.
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| Bait Tying |
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| Looks Fun but Not Easy |
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| Showing off their Special Catch & Insisted Us to Take A Picture for Them. |
I am really appreciate how kind and generous the villagers are welcoming us with warm hearted and being so friendly to outsiders.
Attraction 8: Sabak Bernam Museum, Jalan Pasar, 45200, Sabak Bernam
This is a heritage museum housing the information of the history of agriculture & fisheries in Sabak Bernam District. A large collection of traditional fishing and agricultural equipment are exhibited here. **No Photo taken in the museum as photography is not allowed.
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| Entrance |
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| Traditional House |
Attraction 9: Local Food
Here are the food the we ate in Sabak Bernam which is the local specialties:
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| Nasi Ambeng- Mixture of different dishes such as fried mee, fried vermicelli, rice, chicken & shredded coconut. |
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| Try out the food we never tried before. |
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| Tapai on the left covered with which is a fermented rice. |
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| Kerepek the local products |
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| Testers available for all the kerepek. |
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| Dinner: We want seafood! And we got river view! |
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| Ordered little as it was so pricey, should have choose a non-tourist spot restaurants. |
Attraction 10: Firefly Watching in Kuala Selangor
This destination have to be reach by taking boats that needed going into further distance of the river to a little bit far off from town. Whole trip will took around 40 mins.
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| Ready to go! |
Best timing for fireflies watching is in between 8pm-9pm as that is the peak hours. We went after 9pm which the guider told us the amount was already reduced. Even so, this was the first time that I saw this much of fireflies. It have been so long since my last saw a firefly, I cant even remember when was it. I did not expect that I can see that much of fireflies here. It was so surreal that look like a blinking Christmas tree, the natural with no power supply.
No photo allowed during the tour so just keep it in my mind. They choose to stay on mangrove trees so only a certain area will have fireflies. In the middle of the route, the boat will stopped somewhere the white crane stayed.
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| Mangrove Tree also their habitat. |
This was the last activity of Day 2 and... Before you can rest, special time:
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| DESIGN TUTORIAL |
I am in another group for junior ice breaking games so I will be in the another night tutorial. Play hard, also need work hard eh?
