The Desaru fruit farm is only a couple of km from the sleepy town of Bandar Penawar. I decided to make it our last stop on our second day of discovery. We arrived there from the crocodile farm in the late morning and were just in time to fall into the “lunch trap”. The package may seem a bit pricey, but heading off to one of the seafood restaurants would certainly prove a lot more damaging to the pocket. The most attractive part of this package is of course, the fruit buffet.
Compared to the crocodile farm and the ostrich farm, the Desaru fruit farm was somewhat more sanitary and upmarket in its setup. The tour was also conducted a bit more professionally. A lorry would bring you inside the fruit farm where you meet up with a guide. She will take you on a walk and introduce you to some of the plants like jackfruit trees, banana, papaya, pomelo, winter melon, dragon fruit, guava, jambu (rose apple) trees etc. There weren’t many fruiting trees when we visited. Only the jambu was in season. Like little pink bells, they hung from the trees, wrapped in paper, ready to be harvested soon.
There was also an attractive koi pond and a mini zoo of sorts. I suggest that you give the latter a miss. Just find some shelter from the baking sun and wait for the lorry to take you back to the main entrance. Back at the entrance next to the rather big gift shop, was the dining hall. We were served a good variety of dishes including a mushroom soup, fried long beans, fried lettuce, prawns fried with salted egg, steamed fish and egg. It was a bit too much for the 3 of us, but there was at least some value for money here.
As I’ve mentioned, the main attraction in having a meal at Desaru fruit farm is the fruit buffet. There was a wide variety of fruits including preserved fruits, but my favourite had to be the mangoes and jackfruit.
After lunch, Wahid sent us all the way back to the resort. With all the drilling and hammering next door, it was difficult to nap. Once the heat of the day started the wane, we hit the pool. Soon it was dinner time. Where next? I refused to be held captive by the resort. No more Aroi Thai and definitely not the same area for breakfast and dinner. Then, I remembered passing by a row of shops and eateries just outside Bandar Penawar. I had a good look at the welcome structure and remembered it as “Desaru Utama”. I decided to call Wahid.
Next stop, Desaru Utama
Check Out Knapsack Books by Chan Joon Yee