les plages enchanteresses de Terenggano - Tanjung Jara

The picturesque Tanjung Jara, a quiet but uncompromising bustling coastal village in Dungun so long had been existed by her own without a hint of glamour. This status didn't last very long though, until some years back when the F1 world champion Michael Schumacher during his restful retreat at this peaceful sanctuary decided to treat himself with his newly found talent in football and challenged a local kaki-ayam FC for a friendly kick-off. This single event very quickly became the much-talked about subject in local and international news and managed to shift the spotlights from Sepang to this sleepy fishing village.

This blissful beach is hidden from the untrained eyes but not that further away from the trunk road of Dungun-Terengganu. This less known beauty is only a few kilometers away from another more popular beach of Rantau Abang. Its enchanting beach golden beach washed by inviting turquoise waters, sloping gently into the greenish wide open sea is very prominent. There is a cave below the end of the hill near the shore, where visitors can go in and get to another side to embrace another breathtaking view of the blue-green water of the South China Sea. The water is so clean and calm enough for a dip. There is also find a lanai-style gazebo on an elevation where one could get a bird-eye view of the coastline. Close to this beach is Tanjung Jara Resort, which won the Aga Khan Award for Best Muslim Architecture in the 80s. For the unwary travellers who are a bit adventurous, further away we can see Pulau Tenggol and Nyireh, prolific diving sites for avid divers.

Having all these intoxicating beauties lingering in my mind, this led me one find mid-afternoon to re-route my journey back home and stopped for a while at this beautiful spot to rekindle my sweet memories living in Dungun 35 years ago. The charm is still there even though I could not find the exact jutting barnacles-covered rock formation where at the very young age I stood facing the sea and braved the splashing wave that kept hitting my face. As I was strolling along the sandy beach in a less fashionable manner, under the watchful eyes of bemused local dwellers, I suddenly realized nothing stays the same, not even the hill, the beach or even the people around me. But those changes are most welcome. They add some charm to the place. In a way they made me feel that I am once again belong to this place.

I then said to myself "ahhh....what a refreshing feeling. I am coming home !!!!!