Dad's Diary South East Asia trip 1994, Contd.  We leave Malacca bound for Kuantan.
A few trips round Malacca to get our bearings then we took the coast road towads Kuantan.  Mum's diary for now]   Arrived in Kuantan and went on to the beach where the seaside was very beautiful - we were looking for an hotel. eventually we reached the Hotel Kuantan ( It was a long drive that day and Nic had been fined $25 for speeding), so we had to take it easy. Very nice Chinese hotel, run by three brothers. We signed in and had a very nice meal before going to bed  On Wednesday Morning we walked through the jungle pass on the high rocks, overlooking the South China Sea. We saw  two more hotels being built and the Hyatt was being extended.  We walked on to the next bay and had a llovely meal of a Spanish omelette.  This part is called Kelok Chempedek.
We spoke to a mature English gentleman in the hotel who was very interesting as he knew the area very well.  The temperature was very pleasant but the sun was very hot, so we waited for a while until it was suitable for us to have a swim in the sea. I have never experienced the sea being so warm, but then, it was the South China Sea!.  We went back to the hotel and sat reading our books.  Later we had a very good dinner. I had a prawn cocktail and Spaghetti Milanese and Dad and Nic had  sweet and sour fish and prawns in a wonderful savoury sauce.
Next day, Nic found a lovely Chinese restaurant and we had fresh fruit juice and what they called a Steamboat.  This is a cooking pot over the gas, and you cook chicken pieces,prawns, squid, fish balls, noodles, vermicelli,  and spinach.. We needed some help with the sequence of cooking and  the boys enjoyed it very much. We also had Chilli crab, which was super.
Nic met a couple of guests who were from Norway, who were on the way south.. We spent two nights in Hotel Kuantan then packed up to move on to the east coast.  It was a pleasant drive in the Proton through acres of olive oil trees before stopping for a coffee and a p&p, then later found a typical small fishing village Kempang Capek Natasha (Mouth of the river). Fishing boats in the lagoon, huge coconut trees and glorious golden sands. We walked on the footbridge, but it was not complete, so we went to the turtle information centre. We watched videos of turtles laying eggs and the conservation going on in this area. The baby turtles are kept in large tanks for three days until they are large enough to be transferred into the sea to save them being eaten by the hundreds of kitehawks
We travelled on to Tanjong Jara, which is a holiday centre of Malaysian houses and bungalows.
We decide to hire one of these beautiful bungalows, which I thought would be ideal for a Princess, but Nic could not find her!!.  Everything was beautifully made, all the locks and door handles were polished brass and the doors were fantastic.  We move in and go for a wonderful swim in the bay. An eagle flies overhead, off out to sea to catch fish. We think there are a pair in the trees overhead.  In the evening I had a very nice meal of red mullet in ginger sauce, while Nic and Dad had the buffet. Later on they played snooker but there were no leather tips to the cues and the cues kept slipping. I went into the shop and bought some postcards to write home. The beds were wonderful, so soft and comfortable and we all slept well. but noisy birds woke us up at about 4am, but I soon went back to sleep. Dad goes for a walk on the beach and I woke early and had a shower. Then we watched the large kingfishers (perhaps Aussies) and other birds in the trees above our balcony. Soon it was time for breakfast and have you ever had curry for breakfast - yummy! We did and thoroughly enjoyed it.At 10.30 we packed and with great sorrow we left this beautiful bungalow in this beautiful bay, with all its lovely assets.  We will never forget Tanjong Jara.
FRIDAY - Dad is writing now.  Left at 11.30 heading south along roads which seem to have been recently re-surfaced. Except for the fact that the roads were only two carriageways, we made good time.  Everywhere we can see major Civil Engineering works. New roads, new blocks of flats, new houses and new village centres. Turn-offs to larger villages are expensively prepared and the whole area of PAHANG, of which Kuantan is the county town,seems to be preparing for a tourist boom.
Pulling themselves up from the old Malaysian banana leafed houses on poles to this luxury into the 21st century.  There is so much new toad work in the Kuantan area that it is obviously going to expand in the next few years (This is 1994).   From driving south we now turn off west past the huge oil and gas terminals at SIMPANG, all the time passing through forests of palmolive trees.
We turned off on route 3 towards MARAN, KEMALOK AND KERAK  We stopped at MENTACOP, or MENTACAP for an Indian Chicken Birani at a local restauran. Then we did a cIrcle round town and on to the road to BENTANG.  We were now driving into the hill country and we turned off to FRASERS HILL  a hill station which sadly is also facing large developments of condos
breaking the skyline. A pity, this because it is one of the last if the 'English looking cool areas in Malaysia. We booked in to the Merlin Hotel in super rooms. Had dinner in the hotel, M had three lamb chops, I had a sirloin steak and chips and Nic had noodles and chilli beef.
W e were all glad of a beer after spending nearly all day in the Proton.We went into the lounge where our eating neighbours were on the Karoake machine. After a while Nic plucked up courage to have a sing, and eager not to be out-done, I, too had a go but the words were too fast for me and I gave way to some local karoake specialists, who were really good. Later on the standard got better as two men sang in the local language and got many cheers.
Went to bed, tired out at about 12.30
Got up early and had a good (free) breakfastt we went for an uphill\downhill walk but left Nic to continue on as we returned to Bukit Fraser, with its beautiful tree and plant life, with exotic plant life- all in a well kept small village, again being developed in the centre. Went into the local Information office which had photos of the old Frasers Hill in the days of the Raj.  read some booklets and bought some postcards. Nic had continued with his walk and after about 1.5 hours he met us for coffee and we packed up and left, heading downhill. Because the road is steep and narrow there is a traffic light at each end to control what is in the road..