07 July 2009

Had it not been for the sheer driving pleasure...






I have been visiting this particular place numerous time for the past years. That is for only one reason - I simply love beaches (got to be extra careful with the spelling) and their magical surrounding. Even though this particular place wouldn't comply 100% by my definition and standard as a true beach, for the reason that I couldn't find 'keropok lekor' or 'sata' in the vicinity for my heavenly consumption while sitting under a solitary palm tree. For a mere a one hour drive from my place, this is the nearest place I can have a dip in the sea and eased my beach addition a bit.

So last weekend my family and I packed up our thing and off we went to Bagan Lalang, a small fishing village in Sepang where they used to dumb all the dirty engine oil from the nearby F1 circuit into the rivers and painted the whole shoreline in black. No...no... I am just kidding. (This is probably a clear effect of doing things when you are in a jovial mode. Nobody seems to take thing seriously these days. Who wants to be serious anyway when the only serious thing in our life is how to have a humongous supa-dupa flat plasma TV than our neighbor next door).

Bagan Lalang has changed a lot since the last time I visited the place, that was 3 years ago. The major change in my opinion is its landscape. Suddenly the sleepy village and calm beach are transforming into becoming a tourist major attraction in years to come. You don't have to go to the Kanggaroland anymore, we have our own Sepang Gold Coast at our doorstep. A lavishly man-made islets of floating bricks and cement they called a bungalow ala The Palm Islands of Dubai are under the construction close by. Very impressive looking pyramid-shaped structure and paradise island resort-style are the show of engineering and architectural modern marvel in plain display. With the cost estimated at 3 billion Malaysian Ringgit, the number of zero that follows the denomination is impressive indeed.

But something has never changed. The kampung folks and their lifestyle. At least for the time being. The fishing activities are still bustling with fishermen coming in and out of the moor with their sampan, the traditional 'kelong' is still standing still for the avid anglers, there is a fish market that pack with fresh sea produces and sells local delicacies, plenty of affordable accommodation near to the beach and for the cheapskates and more adventurous one you can even ditch a tent and spent you night under the moon on the beach. Dining out may sounds a bit of the elite side, but finding a place to tickle your taste but is never a problem. You can find many restaurants run by the locals that cook tasteful dishes along the coastal line, that won't cost a bomb.

I am not sure when I shall come again to this place. I wish this is not going to be the last. The natural beauty that nature has been presenting and allowing us to enjoy all this while is dwindling fast each time I gaze my eyes upon them. Modernization and commercialization are the two words that superficially justified by the mankind ever since to feed their endless greed. I hope mother nature won't bleed and shed its tears. I hope we don't live that long enough to see, hear and feel the earth dying.


Even though this is not a fountain of youth, dipping in the pool with these energetic kids has really regain back my youthfulness. If not because of having the thought that UV might retarded some of my skin cells and accelerates my aging processes, I might have slept and dined in this swimming pool forever.


Actually the sand that made up this beach is almost as fine and clean as the beaches on the coastal areas of the eastern peninsular. The feel of the soft sand under you feet really has the soothing effect on me. On the positive side, the sand reclamation for the development has turned the once muddy beach into a white sandy coastal area.

The knowledge is passed from generations to generations. It is good to educate the young and instill in their soft heart that we should preserve whatever God has created for the mankind. God creates everything perfectly and for a specific reason.

This lone fisherman scouring the beach floor, looking for 'kepah'. At the back is part of the development that is actively taking its shape. How long 'kepah' will live in the spoilt environment?, that fisherman is probably wondering.

I tried my beachcombing skill and this is what I got. After 10 minutes, this is my own collection of the hidden treasure under the muddy sand.

Overly-excited to embark on the beach activities, my kids didn't care less for an early breakfast in the hotel. At the end, they surrendered to their grumbling tummy and helped themselves with nasi lemak and telur goreng served as their brunch right under a coconut tree near to the beach.

I found local produces in this small market are really tempting and mouth watering. We ended up with box full of the gift from the sea at the back of my bonnet.


My youngest has started to develop from being a novice to an expert in kite flying. At least with the help of his attentive mummy.

Ice cream treat for the kids to cool off and end the day on the beach.


On the way back, I found this 'lokan' sold by a local along the road not far from the beach. I didn't expect to find this 'lokan' in Bagan Lalang. This freshwater shells reminded me of my late grandfather who really good at collecting this mollucans in the river, which is abundance. They live in the muddy sandbank among other nipah inhabitants. Correctly cook, their taste is irresistible.

45 comments:

Naddy said...

Once I attented a course held at the nearby Hotel Sri Malaysia in Bagan Lalang. Fortunately I also had the opportunity to chill out with friends nearby the mentioned goldcoast.

As facebook and blog became my hobbies, building relationships with new real people seems too require too much effort. And I hope I don't end up as a social-hermit later as I stop and smell the roses every other day.

Have a nice outing with the family Doc.

Kak Teh said...

Dr Sam, I was at the seaside too last week. But no time to enjoy it at all. AM looking forward to some rest and perhaps a trip to seasides in Malaysia soon.

Sally said...

Hye doc..Bagan Lalang eh..di situlah Sally dan rakan2 Matrik pergi kursus Biro Tata Negara..ages and ages ago..

mmg best being at the seaside especially during dawn n dusk..

laki cikgu kimia said...

lean back perlu kan kadang2..

DrSam said...

mizzyN,
The hotel was fully occupied during our stay. I didn't know there was an entrance at the back leading toward the beach, not until the last day :)

I've met and made many new friends from blogging. That alone for me had served the purpose very well, even though I had no intention in the first place.

Kak Teh,
Your seaside experience was really a memorable one and should have been written down in our history.

Perhaps we can arrange a seaside BBQ when you are in Malaysia. Any auspicious date KT?

tchersally,
zaman berzaman tu. saya kursus BTN dan nyanyi lagu Warisan kat Graha Patriotika, Tg. Keling.

laki cikgu kimia,
kalau dapat selalu pun lagi best :)

cendawanintim said...

beli ke tak lokan tu?

DrSam said...

cendawanintim,
memang tergoda dan terus beli 2 kilo. RM2.50 satu kilo. Sampai rumah terus masak ala resepi arwah Tok.

The Cendol Champion said...

bestnya....rindu nak pergi picnic kat tepi laut ni...lately ni ramai blogger cerita tepi laut....

nAz said...

Have a nice holiday! =)

Sir Pök Déng said...

Seems like Bagan Lalang will be one of the local spots I need to explore in the future! Weldang!!

Things have been going the same here in Dungung's coastal area. It was once a sleepy kinda beach with nothing much to do rather than sitting ourselves on the shore overlooking the horizon until maghrib.

Now due to rapid development planned by the municipal board, this once sleepy pantai had been incredibly transformed into one of the major tourist spots in Dungung (even though it's still not Malaysian best). Hawker stalls selling delicious Dungung snacks mushroomed along the lengthy coastal line now that we have a place to hang out every evening.

Abd Razak said...

Wow...nice place Dr...happy holiday

NoTTiNgHelL said...

a very gud weekend u had DR...;)
i love sea too...any where should be ok..as long as i can hear the O M B A K..;)

Zendra-Maria said...

Beautiful entry Doc. It's been a while since I heard the sea too, what more to frolic in it. Must make some time for Bagan Lalang.

nahmy said...

betullah apa yg dikatakan. tak perlu pegi jauh utk menikmati keindahan & ketenangan...

x said...

Wah. Bestnya. Dahlah saya ni memang suka jalan-jalan di pantai.

besi said...

bagan lalang...masih tak berpeluang pergi lagi....
dr sam...dok kat tepi pantai..feel lain kan....
masih belum berpeluang nak pegi pantai laut china selatan lagi..
hanya disebelah barat je...

gud day dr.....

Encik Ariff said...

wah.
bestnya.
;)

Anonymous said...

salam Dr.Sam..
bagan lalang.... dah banyak berubah ...... teringin nak makan sotong celup tepung kat sana best....:)

Lin Arief said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
umie@kakyong said...

DrSam..
lom sampai lagi... insyaalah akan menyusul juga nanti... mmg best dok tepi laut... amannn... nyaman... angin yang sepoi2...

DrSam said...

nhayatiz,
pujuk cik abang tu untuk melepaskan rindu-rinduan ditepian pantai.

nAz,
wishing you the best of luck in your new place.

Sir Pok Deng,
My family moved to Dungun from KayTee circa 1972 and stayed in a government quarter near the Astaka (not sure whether it is still there) until 1975 before we began our nomadic life again and traveled down to Kemaman. Every now and then whenever there was an opportunity I would spend the whole evening playing with my siblings on the beautiful beach nearby. The fresh salty breeze caressing my face was an unforgettable memory embedded in my head - forever.

But now, whenever I go back to Ganung and pass through Dungung town, the many unsynchronized trafic lights (I counted more than 10) along that short stretch of road have really pissed me off! What happeng sir?

Razak,
Nice place to spend a weekend with families and friends.

Naddiea said...

Salam...

Doc,ur entry inspired me to appreciate beaches outside Terengganu.hihiihi....i will ask my hubby to bring us there for sight-seeing n beach walking.

Have a good day ahead..

p/s:td nama lain ( aprodite) sbb x perasan member x log out blog dia.so terdisplay nama lain.hihi

DrSam said...

NoTTiNgHelL,
not much ombak you can see or hear in this part of the beach. But the coastal line is quite nice for the whole family to chill out.

Zendra,
If you want to stay overnight, then early booking is highly recommended. apart from Sri Malaysia, a resort run by Persatuan Nelayan is the best place to stay as it is the nearest to almost everything.

nahmy,
macam-macam ada...

Si Penconteng,
Bercanda ditepian pantai
Memadu asmara...
(lagu Kak Nita dan Allahyarham Sudirman)

besi,
aisey man...kena buat eksplorasi tu. Pantai timur dari Kay El cuma 2.5 jam aje.
(kempen melawat Malaysia :)

encik ariff,
memang seronok bersantaian bersama keluarga dan taulan.

F...L...66,
Salam. memang segar betul. Baru lepas dicandat dah masuk kuali untuk digoreng. Besar pula tu (meleleh pula air liuh bercerita pasal sotong goreng fresh ni :)

aphrodite,
Salam. A visit to the beach is worth the traveling and effort. But don't compare it with Ganung's beautiful white sandy beaches le :)

umie@kakyong,
oh ya...sekarang musim buah-buahan. Sepanjang jalan ke Bagan Lalang penuh gerai menjual buahan termasuk Dragon fruit. Ditepi pantai pun ada jual. Paling suka buah manggostana, cantik dan manis tak terkira.

DrSam said...

Naddie,
ha..ha...boleh jadi kes haru tu tersalah pakai nick orang lain. Saya pun pernah terpakai nick anak saya yang tak log out laptop saya :)

Have a great day to you too!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ouT oF My MinD said...

best dpt cuti camtu. dkt bagan lalang jugak saya start kenal tempe goreng...sedap gila. masa kursus di sana, tiap2 petang msti keluar nk cari tempe tu, walaupun saya bukanlah pemakan tempe yg tegar...

Sir Pök Déng said...

Haha! Not sure about that, doc. Perhaps it's the government's effort to put a municipal touch to Dungung. The more traffic lights on the road, the more 'municipal' Dungun is. Just my two cents of loyar buruk.

CAHAYA said...

Lokan ke ni? Baru tahu. Tahu makan je sblm ni. :P

DrSam said...

ouT of My MinD,
Orang cakap,tempe ni kalau makan banyak sangat, muka pun jadi muka tempe. betul ke ;)

Sir Pok Deng,
Or perhaps that was one of their tourism strategies. The more you stop (at the traffic light) the more you'll get charmed by the local beauties :)

CAHAYA,
Itu lah dia. The delectable 'lokan' in person.

kuIna said...

hope.... pembangunan & permodenan tdak mengubah persekitaran but normly on paper only... huwaaaaaaa

i like beach...

Hidup KOKA said...

Bestnya pantai ni!!!!

Unknown said...

wahh!! pegi x ajak...erkk!! ehehe...


ape2 pun... nice shot... pantai tu membuatkan nampak aman jer...

dan...nasi lemak tu..buat jadi lapar pulak..hihih...

kucingorengemok said...

alamak, ruginya... internet slow byk gambar tak keluar :(

Miss Izah Mohamed said...

salam DrSam..
dah lame xjenguk cni.. hehe

eh lokan?? dah lame xmkn tu..
time bulan puase je jumpe..
letak lam bubur lambuk.. sedap! heh

hav a nice day

grow2g3th3r said...

DrSam... i love pantai.. especially.. terengganu area... dan yang kelakarnya.. jika dla dalam 'stress'.. dla suka mengadu kat ombak.. sebab ombak pendengar yg setia... ombak tak pernah nak melawan apa yg dla cakap.. ombak just dengar... then pergi.... wow.. leganya..............

Liyana Safra Zaabar said...

bagan lalang tempat kursus motivasi bfore dtg japan.hehe

DrSam said...

kulna LadyInRed,
True. That is one thing we are very good at...everything looks good on paper.

hidup KOKA,
kalau kita rancang betul-betul, boleh buat 'beach gathering' ni bro. Amacam?

Ejump,
Tq. Setakat ni memang pantai tu aman lagi. Harap-harap ia kekal selama-lamanya.

kucingorengemuk,
pakai je wifi kat kopitiam tu :)

Miss Izah Mohamed,
Memang betul tu. kalau bulan puasa memang popular bubur lambuk bersama lokan. Nyaman betul. tapi rasanya kat kawasan Besut lagi banyak kawasan nipah kan.


grow2g3th3r,
ombak selalu berbisik pada kita, cuma kita aja tak mengerti maksud hati.

Cendawanintim tgh boring sakan tu kot, kalau ingin bercakap dengan ombak ajakle dia sekali.

Liyana Sarfa Zaabar,
Memang popular tempat tu untuk orang berkursus, teambuilding, family day etc. Masa saya pergi pun ada 3 company buat family day kat hotel Sri Malaysia.

Admin T.H said...

great pics, love them. Wow.. the freshwater shels must be good.

Memorable trails... said...

Great escapism with family Doc.I too should do one of these days.Never heard and never been to Bagan Lalang.Must be a seafood paradise.
Kalau di Kelate ni ,bila p Tok Bali penuh lah boot dgn seafood.Bila balik kids tak makan those shell produces..
Last2 maknya yang kena habiskan sekuali lala..

DrSam said...

T.H
Thank you. That freshwater shell is really, really good.

madam gold,
Should explore this part of the peninsular as well madam. There many nice beaches along that long stretch of the coastal area. Even though the beaches in this side are not as pristine as the one on the other side, but they can still offer good place to chill out or a short getaway. And the fresh food is another pulling factor too.

SRISUFI said...

Salam Dr..

tajuk nya sahaja mengingatkan saya sebuah novel Inggeris tu...best.


=)

DrSam said...

Srisufi,
Salam Sri.

Ye ke? Saya pun tak tahu, hanya tulis ikut rasa aja. Terimakasih diatas perkongsian itu.

AQisH said...

seems u had a great time with the family..;-)

dulu selalu dtg sini..masa my BIL beli rmh sini..tp skrg dia dh pindah KB..

PerantauSepi1306 said...

no wonder the pic lok familiar... i took the a pic at the same spot before.. hehehehe... jom campinggggg ;D

DrSam said...

AQisH,
Jika ada rumah dikawasan pantai seperti di Bagan Lalang tu memang seronok. Tiap-tiap hari boleh termenung tepi pantai.

PerantauSepi1306,
Camping sounds a good idea. Haven't been doing those activity for a very long time.

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