Tour of East Coast - Part 3

Stage 2: Kuala Besut - Penarik

Route map of stage 2

We took advantage of the early morning departure from Kuala Besut due to a slightly lower temperature.

After checking-out from the hotel, we took the road to Besut town and made a left-turn towards the coastal road heading to Kuala Terengganu.

Basically, this is uncharted territory. 

Rather than following the conventional Jertih - Setiu route, we took the scenic way which is much more further than expected.

All set to roll from Kuala Besut

Traffic light junction near Besut town

Rolling into daybreak

The big country...

My Garmin EDGE800 GPS led my to the T3 coastal road. There are at least six villages before we hit a roundabout towards the Permaisuri junction.

After clocking-in about 15km, we pulled over at a roadside stall to have our breakfast. The only food we had was half a nutrition bar at the hotel prior to leaving.

Our water supply was enough to last us at least 30km before the next refill.

A hearty breakfast!

The last outing with my touring mitts... 

Michelle adjusting her saddle

Breakfast was cheap and excellent. Two plates of rice with chicken and two cups of tea costs RM7.50.

We observed as the villagers found us amusing. 

So far, the bikes have been working fine.

Except for some brake drag on the front wheel, everything was smooth.

When we reached the coastal route roundabout near Benting Lintang, we took a detour into a fishing village. 

The beach area near Benting Lintang

An estuary near the beach

Animal crossing

From Benting Lintang to Kampung Fikri, there's virtually nothing in-between. Just bare soil, lots of little lizards leaping into their dugout holes on the ground. From a distance, they looked like little dinosaurs. 

There are many of these little reptiles dotted along the way.

As the day became hotter, the 10:00am Sun was scorching over our heads.

Near Fikri, we pulled over a Caltex station to rehydrate.

After a good rest, we rode towards Kg Nyatoh, which is very near to Penarik.

I haven't been to this village since 1997 and much has changed in the area.

Taking a break in Fikri

Cycling along Kampung Mangkuk in Penarik

Expect the unexpected..

This stage of the ride was basically an "open book".

We made no reservations and left it pretty much to fate.

At 11:00am in the morning, the heat became unbearable. We took a break at some stalls and had a drink before riding out to Kg Mangkuk.

There's a chalet facility called "Penarik Inn" and I have stayed there before.

To our dismay, the place was in shambles. The inn operator wanted RM120 for an air-conditioned room, but we can only check-in after 02:00pm.

The other choice left, was Pandan Laut Resort, some 3km away in Kg Bari.

Feasting on fried seafood..

Fried fish

Sizable shrimps

I told Michelle that it was best for us to have lunch before moving on to the motel in Kg Bari.

We pulled over at a "sotong celup tepung" (squid fried in batter) stall along the way and ordered some food. 

A piece of squid costs RM12, while four piece of fried shrimp came at RM5. The cheapest fare, is the ikan kembung (Indian mackerel) at RM6 a piece.

Lunch was decent and also on the high side. The stalls here would charge RM30 for a few fried dishes.

After a good fill, we rode down towards Kg Bari and found the resort.

It's shaded under a treeline and is very well-maintained.

I asked it's owner Wan Najmudin if there were rooms available. He told me I could either get a RM50 A-hut for backpackers or the RM80 chalet with air-conditioning and hot shower.

I took option B and had two European backpackers as our neighbours.

After settling-in, Michelle went to work while I engaged in a conversation with Najmudin, the motel owner.

He said not many Malaysians would cycle as a couple along the route and bunk-in at his motel. 

I told him that it would be a shame for me to even claim I am a Malaysian if I have never seen the country -- especially a beautiful place like Penarik.

Najmudin told me that he started dabbling into the hospitality industry from scratch after getting married and things are certainly picking up for the young man.

He also shared a little bit of the area's history.

"My late grandfather was a pioneer at Kg Bari, he literally opened this area," he said.

The Pandan Laut Resort is commendable. It's clean and a real nice place to be. It's also an important staging point if you decide to ride along the East Coast on a tour.

The chalet

The Road Warriors 

Later in the day, we walked across the road to a stall serving coconut water. While I was ordering, someone in the crowd called out my name.

He was my contact in Kuala Terengganu and is employed with Media Prima. We engaged in a conversation and wished each other well.

When it was closer to the evening, we rode into Penarik to purchase some drinking water.

Cycling on an inner road along Penarik

With Simon and Pak Deny from Indonesia..

Nightfall in Penarik

More surprises! 

After capturing some video footage on my Canon EOS M, we rode across the road towards the Caltex station to get some drinking water. While the bikes were parked, I noticed two old Volkswagen combi vans. 

The outline of its driver looked very familiar. 

As soon as the guy alighted from his van, I yelled out his name.

He's Simon Chua, a freelance graphic designer and Volkswagen combi enthusiast.

"Eh Sam! What the fuck????", he said.

I can see Simon's face, he was surprised. Earlier, when I was paying for the drinking water, he spoke to Michelle.

Simon introduced me to his partner and Pak Deny, a Volkwagen enthusiast from Bandung, Indonesia.

They were fresh out from Thailand after a convoy to Songkhla.

After a decent conversation, we parted ways. 

It was time to get an early dinner and we made our way to a restaurant by the roadside.

We ordered a bowl of soup and a plate of fried rice which we shared.

Later, a group sat beside us and engaged in a conversation. They told us that they were on their way to Pulau Redang.

I can see the two couples feasting on plenty of dishes and since they drove in on a 5-series BMW, I think the shop owner will be doing some brisk business.

After the meal, we excused ourselves and rode back to the motel.

There's some chores to do, the devices needed to be charged and we kept in touch with the world with our mobile phones. The data lines in this part of the country was really bad. But it'll have to do.

Kuala Terengganu is next and we had to hit the sack early to take advantage of the cool air in the morning the following day...

Tour of East Coast - Part 2

Stage 1: Kota Bharu - Kuala Besut

Our plane took off from the Subang Skypark at 01:20pm. 
It was a full flight with holiday makers enroute to Kelantan's state capital. We can see some young folks, clad only with tank tops and bikinis underneath them in the flight.
Michelle and I sat at the rear section of the aircraft and it took more than an hour to land at the Sultan Ismail Petra airport in Kota Bharu.
At this point in time, my hope was for the bikes to arrive intact.

An aerial view of Kota Bharu

The Firefly ATR 72-500 aircraft with our boxed bikes near it's cargo bay

Setting up the bikes

The box traveled from Taiwan to KL and eventually met it's end in Kelantan..

Setting up and rolling out..

I was surprised to find our boxes to be first luggage to roll out from the conveyor belt at the luggage recovery area.
So, having seen that everything had checked out allright, I moved the boxes onto a trolley, piled up all the gear (we packed at set of panniers with all the sharp stuff onto a duffel bag) and pushed it out.
It was mid-day and I was pretty hungry and to my shock, a bottle of 500ml mineral water costs RM4.80 at the airport.
I didn't bother with that and went on to set up the bikes. 
Michelle's Road Warrior was first on the list and as predicted, it took about 45-minutes to install the fenders and wheels on both bikes before we could roll out.
I took the used boxes and discarded them at a dump which is about 800-meters away from the terminal.
From the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, it was a 10km ride to town.
Our destination was the Bintang Indah hotel at Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra. 

Kota Bharu bound..

Dinner at Haji Noor seafood restaurant 

Steamed squid with lime sauce - a "must try"

Day Zero, a rather uneventful day..

We rode into town and took a while to locate the hotel. It turned out that hotel Bintang Indah was a refurbished motel owned by a Chinese family.
The rate goes at RM90 a nite and it was fully-booked.
I complemented the owner that his rooms were cleaned, but spoke too soon as Michelle noticed a large cockroach on the bed's wooden panel. 
Later in the day, we walked out to a seafood restaurant near a five-star hotel and had dinner there. The dishes at Haji Noor seafood restaurant are pretty decent except for the pathetic looking and tasting omelette.
After buying some drinking water from a local supermarket, we walked back to the motel and called it a night.

Destination: Kuala Besut

Our alarm clocks was set for 05:00am. 
This gave us ample time to pack up, scan the room if we left anything behind and roll out to enjoy the cool morning before daybreak.
We supposed to roll out at 06:00am, but was delayed a bit.
Nevertheless, we were out of Kota Bharu before the Sun was up.

Getting the bikes ready for the journey to Kuala Besut

The breakfast crowd

Meat on the grill

We rode about five kilometers out of Kota Bharu and found a roadside stall selling breakfast. There was a steady line of people queuing up for their food, so, this better be good!
After parking the bikes, I lined up with the rest of the folks there and ordered two packs of rice and drinks. The bill came up to RM9.20 and it tasted really good. I was surprised to see grilled lamb on the menu and people here in Kelantan take their breakfast rather seriously.
With the carbo-loading done, I checked my Garmin EDGE800 GPS. A route was plotted for Bachok and later, to Kuala Besut in Terengganu.

A Thai Buddhist temple near Bachok

A large clam from a roadside stall near Cheran Ruku

Fresh seafood! 

Kandis fishing village

Entering Terengganu

With the Sun still far in the horizon, we rode out towards Bachok.
Once we were near the district, I saw a large statue of Buddha. It was Vesak day and this was rather meaningful for us.
As I was taking snapshots, Michelle pointed out a peloton of road cyclists zooming past. By the time we could put of a fix on them, they were long gone.
At Bachok, we made a pit-stop and were greeted by a few cyclists.
"Gi mana bang?," (where are you headed brother?) one of them asked.
I told them we were headed to Kuala Besut in Terengganu.
From Bachok, we rode past Kandis, which reminded me about a Batak village in Sumatera, Indonesia that has the same name.
The next town after Kandis was Tok Bali in the Pasir Putih district. By this time of the day, it got hotter and hotter.
We pulled over at a stall near Tok Bali and helped ourselves to some coconut water. This traditional beverage is good for cooling down the body.

Surprise! Surprise!

From Tok Bali, we made our way down to Cherang Ruku, a village before crossing the state border.
Right down the road, I spotted the border sign and told Michelle to pull over so that we could do our customary "we were here" photo shoot.
And while we were at it, a stranger with a camera walked up to us.
After pulling focus on the guy, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a fellow cyclist from Kuala Lumpur. 
I met Alvin Shen a couple of times, but never really rode with him. He was with a group of cyclists headed towards Jerteh on a bikepacking adventure.
Later, the whole group came up and took a photo with us. They continued their journey while we pushed on towards Kuala Besut.

Our lunch at Kuala Besut

Taking a breather

Coconut trees in Kg Air Tawar

Dessert

The famous Zul ikan bakar in Kuala Besut

A decent seafood dinner

We checked-in at a hotel near Kg Air Tawar across the Kuala Besut bridge.
The rates are okay, our room was spacious and clean. But the entire compound of the hotel looked pretty run down. I was told by a staff there that the owner couldn't really be bothered on renting out rooms and that the facility was more than enough to cater for their own staff. It's owned by a plastic factory. 
After leaving the panniers in our room, we rode back to Kuala Besut for lunch. The entire town was packed with tourists and we managed to find a Chinese coffeeshop not too far away. 
There, it was chaotic. We sat down next to a group of young people who had just taken a holiday in Pulau Perhentian. 
I struck a conversation with one of the guys and he said there is a "cyclist friend" in their midst.
One of them said: "You are Samosaurus right?".
I was dumbfounded. Never expect to meet people whom I barely know. But it was a blessing to realize that people do follow my work.
After a good fill, we rode back to the hotel, did our laundry. 
Later in the day, we walked along the beach in Air Tawar and had more coconut water.
Dinner was in the next agenda and we rode towards an ikan bakar stall across the road.
The food outlet was not lit and I realized that there were people seating in the dark.
It opens from 08:00pm - 02:00am and once the lights came on, there was a feeding-frenzy.
The place in question was Zul ikan bakar.
We ordered some crabs, squids and a table-sized garoupa.
After waiting for nearly an hour, our food was served. And the bill came up to RM85. Pretty steep for a Malay stall, but it was a good experience. 
When we were done with dinner, it was time to head back to the hotel to catch some "Zzzzs".

Tour of East Coast - Part 1

A trip long overdue.. 

Route map for stage 1 of the ride.. 

I have plans to ride along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Never got around doing it until recently.
Now that we have the bikes, well, be it a 20" (our trusted Dahon Speed P8 & TR) or the newer Tern Eclipse S18, the desire to ride in Kelantan and Terengganu grew much stronger than before.
We have the experience, the ability to plan the logistics and accommodation and with some recent developments in my career, I though it was best to take some time off to ride it out. On the road, everything seems clearer. No thoughts about work, all the shitty politics, crappy increment and lousy bosses. It's just between me, the bike and getting to the destination.

Putting a plan together.. 

Michelle my wife had picked a date and taken leave for the tour.
I too made similar arrangements to match the days needed to cover at least two East Coast states: Kelantan and Terengganu.
She proceeded by booking airline tickets from a budget carrier to Kota Bharu. Since our new bikes are built like a tank, she purchased extra baggage weight and declared them as "sports equipment".
The last time we flew to Thailand, it cost us dearly for paying overweight baggage. With the airfare sorted out, the next thing in mind, was to source for accommodation.
I researched about motels along the route and managed to book three places to stay. The rest of the places along our five stages remained "open".
Next, I drew the routing for the tour. 
Since I have been to most of the villages and small towns in the East Coast, it's just a matter of catching up with times.

Preparation

I had my Tern Eclipse S18 retrofitted with a new set of front derailleur. The original piece from Microshift was a crappy component.
This time round, the bike was upgraded with a SRAM Rival front derailleur and a pair of AVID quick-dial brake-levers.

Getting the bike retrofitted and serviced.. 

The new front derailleur

The quality of the SRAM Rival front derailleur is just miles apart from the original piece that came from the factory.
All this bike needs: is a couple of tweaks here and there to make it even more awesome. Since we had some boxes at home, transporting the bike was not an issue, packing it became a totally different story.. 

The Road Warrior: not a bike for everyone.. 

Tern's Eclipse S18

While I was waiting for Michelle's bike to be serviced and retrofitted with a SRAM Rival derailleur taken from my Eclipse X20, an old-timer tried to lift her bike.
"Fuah! I am a weight-watcher. This bike is definitely not for me..."
He went on preaching about weight and performance. 
I told him that if he could ride the Tern Road Warrior (name given for the Eclipse S18) for 50km with a full load, I will pay him RM10 for every kilometer. Sounds like a fair deal, but he backed off. 
Even when I was in Taiwan at the Taipei Cycle show back in 2014, I was told by the Tern guys that the Eclipse S18 is built for people who knew what they wanted. It was as simple as that.
And with a pricetag shooting up to RM8k for the bike, I doubt that it would sell very well here in Malaysia. People can't see the fine details on the bike.
I also made a commitment to use the Road Warrior as our main touring bikes. We retired our Dahons to enjoy riding a larger bike.
By saying "large" it's also by no means: heavy! So, during the Tour of the East Coast, the Road Warrior was put to its paces. For me, it was a great opportunity to test the bike to it's fullest.

Packing

To get the bikes into it's boxes (we had two large boxed for 24" bikes), I had to remove the front and rear wheel including the front fenders.
The first thing I did, was pack Michelle's bike. I took off the wheels, but the frame remained unfolded.
Exposed components such as the rear-derailleur was padded with foam and newspaper. It' also advisable to cover the chainring and other sensitive components.
Since this bike came complete with racks, it was a challenge to fit the frame and it's wheels into the box without putting too much stress on the frame and wheels. Since the Road Warrior is a big bike, there's just enough room to squeeze in everything.
I just made sure that the vital components are protected because baggage handlers can be very rough with bikes that are packed in oversized boxes.

The wheels are separated from the frame

Snug-fit into the box

The bike's seatpost was removed and placed onto the box with the pedals, front mudflaps and it's fastening wires. 
It wasn't hard to pack the bike because the box was large enough to swallow the entire bike. 
And with this taken care of, my next cause of action was to pack my panniers. 
For this light touring trip, I had my clothes on one pannier and the essential road gear on another.
I carried a trunk bag and used it to house my Canon EOS M camera including two Sony Action cameras.

Leaving the comfort of our homes.. 

Prior to our departure to the Subang Skypark, I have made transport arrangements with a cab company.
They assigned a driver on a Toyota Inova to pick us up from home to the airport. It came with a flat-rate of RM80 for the trip.
We had En Zul as our dedicated driver and this guy was really helpful.
The packed bikes fit like a glove in the vehicle and after saying goodbye to the dogs, we were well on our way.

Michelle giving Sir Naughty a pat.. 

Our gurl getting a pat on the head.. 

The bikes in the executive cab bound for Subang Skypark

We arrived at the airport with enough time to check-in our cargo.
After all the formalities are done, we took a walk to the nearest Starbucks cafe.
There, we sat down and helped ourselves to a mug of freshly brewed coffee..

Rolling the cargo

Checking-in the bikes

At the check-in counter, one of the staff asked: "Basikal?"
We told him what the contents were and a friendly supervisor said not many passengers would check-in their bicycles with the exception of some European cyclists who uses Firefly as one of their main mode of transport.
We chilled out at the lounge and when our flight was called, it was a slow crawl to the departure gate..