Knapsack Treks
  • Detian Waterfall Then & Now
  • Good Vices
  • NDP – National Day Pendaki
  • Trip Reports
    • Australia
      • Aussie Odyssey Part 1, Uluru, Kata Tjuta
      • Aussie Odyssey Part 2 Kings Canyon
      • Aussie Odyssey Part 3 Kangaroo Island
      • Dunes Downunder Part 1
      • Dunes Downunder Part 2
      • Dunes Downunder Part 3
    • Climbing Tianyou Peak 天游峰 @ Wuyi Shan 武夷山
    • Europe
      • My Greek Odyssey (Athens & Acropolis)
      • My Greek Odyssey (Delphi)
      • My Greek Odyssey (Meteora)
      • My Greek Odyssey (Mt Olympus)
      • My Greek Odyssey (Pella – birthplace of Alexander the Great)
      • My Greek Odyssey (Thessaloniki)
    • India
      • A Tale of Two Jahans
      • Akbar The Great
      • Dungeshwari – where mistakes are made and corrected
      • Horriday In India – Trains
      • Sarnath – first lesson
      • Shimla – legacy of British India
      • Taj Mahal
      • The Mahabodi Temple, Bodhgaya
      • Varanasi, a city as old as time
    • Indonesia
      • Beautiful Bali 2019
        • Batur Mountain & Lake
        • Kuta Sunset
        • Marvellous Munduk
        • Nusa Penida 1
        • Nusa Penida 2
        • Tirta Gangga
      • Dieng Antiquities
      • Gedung Songo
      • Gunung Lawu 2019
      • Sex & Temples
        • Candi Kethek & Ceto
        • Candi Sukuh
      • Back In Mt Bromo With A Kid In Tow 1
      • Back In Mt Bromo With A Kid In Tow 2
    • Magical Myanmar 2019
      • Hsipaw Trek
      • Paya Ko Thaung
      • Pining For Pyin Oo Lwin
      • Sunset In Sittwe
      • The Goteik Viaduct
      • Yangon Memories
    • Nepal
      • Tilicho Lake
      • Annapurna On Wheels With Two Kids In Tow
      • Gosainkund Winter Trek
      • Lost In Lumbini
    • The Water Curtain Cave
    • Kunming, Dali With A Kid In Tow
  • Wacky Workouts
    • Climb Stairs
    • Great Body Weight Exercise
    • Metabolic Principle – Fat Burn
    • Metabolic Principles – Muscles
    • Pull Ups Step By Step
    • Push Up Variations
    • Pushup Variations
    • Working With Elastics
  • About The Author
  • Knapsack Books
  • Fighting Fit
    • 1000 Squats
    • Alternatives For Prevention of AMS?
    • Buffering Your Blood
    • Carbo-loading: The Real Thing
    • Cold Dips
    • Fluid Replacement
    • Food For Hikes – Sweet Potatoes
    • Healthy Coffee?
    • High Altitude Diarrhoea
    • Jumpstart Cream
    • L-Carnitine
    • Low Carb Myths & Risks
    • MacRitchie To Bukit Timah Hike
    • Preventing Blisters
    • Sandfly Bites
    • Cheating AMS
  • Gear & Stuff
    • Choosing Footwear
    • Cooking Set
    • Cushion Gloves
    • Dressing Right For The Himalayas
    • Gelert Boots
    • High Fashion (Frogg Toggs)
    • Hiking Footwear Cheap & Good
    • How To Clean Mouldy Slides
    • My Neat Knapsack
    • The Humble SAF Combat Boot
  • The Aging Adventurer
    • Bye Bye Bunions
      • 6 Weeks Post-op
      • Day 1
      • Day 2
      • Day 7
      • One Month Post-op
      • Trying On My Boots & Thongs
      • Week 3
    • Clogged Arteries: everyone has them!
    • Don’t Lose That Muscle
    • Foot On Ice
    • How Exercise Affects Blood Pressure
    • Keeping Fit Past 70
    • Secret To Burning Fat
    • Stairs Workout
    • Strength Training
    • The Best Doctors In The World
    • Toes & Poles
    • Too Old To Run?
    • Training For Seniors
  • Legends
    • Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922)
      • The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
    • Gigi The Bikini Hiker
    • Khoo Swee Chiow – K2, the ultimate peak
    • Xiao Peng 小鹏
    • Yu Chun Shun 余纯顺
    • Lei Dian Sheng 雷殿生
      • Horsehair & Blisters
      • Trust & Kindness
  • Other Sites by Chan Joon Yee
    • Chan Joon Yee On Homecooking
    • Chan Joon Yee On Social Issues

Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Categories

Uncategorized

Desaru Utama

by admin March 20, 2017 No Comments

As you can see from the Google Earth image capture above, Desaru Utama is just a couple of km north of rundown and sleepy Bandar Penawar. It is an estate with a cluster of shops, rather typical of Malaysia. Our driver Wahid was not free that evening, but he called his friend to pick us up, giving us the licence plate of the other driver before he arrived at the resort. I got his number too, but I forgot his name. As we needed transport back to the resort, I decided that I would call him when we were done with our makan and shopping.

Less than 10 mins’ drive from the resort, Desaru Utama was a hive of economic activity. There are hardware shops, fast food outlets, provision shops and even a small shopping centre. My No. 2 went straight for the KFC here. He had to have his burger fix. My No. 1 and I are not into junk food. I didn’t find any Chinese restaurants, but after the very Chinese meal at the fruit farm, I was ready for something more exotic. The closest to Chinese food here was a nasi ayam place, but the most striking part about Desaru Utama is the strong Pakistani/North Indian influence at some of the “local Indian” eateries here. I decided to try the somewhat authentic naan and tandoori chicken.

Unless you’re into the clubbing at the Ombak Bar at the resort, Desaru Utama is probably the most interesting and convenient place to go to at night if you happen to be staying in one of the confining resorts in Desaru.

2 naan sets like the one you see above cost me only RM18. We ate with our hands. The kway teow goreng was RM4 (a little more than S$1!) and the sup kambing at RM8 actually had chunks of meat in it. There is also a small shopping centre at Desaru Utama, but since we didn’t have much time to spare, we decided to give it a miss. This place is a lot more happening than the town of Bandar Penawar itself. It was as if all the blood from the latter has been drained by Desaru Utama.

After a satisfying meal and walk, I called the driver (can’t remember his name) and we went back to the resort to rest well for our journey home the next day.


Check Out Knapsack Books by Chan Joon Yee

  • Previous Globemakers4 years ago
  • Next Desaru Fruit Farm4 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Knapsack Books

2021 Knapsack Treks. Donna Theme powered by WordPress