Carpacker 2015 – East Coast – #6 Continue the Journey to Kuala Terengganu and Batu Burok Beach Resort

Continued from the entry Carpacker 2015 – East Coast – #5 Beserah and Cherating. For pre-travel, you can refer here.

From Cherating Beach, we looked for a spot to bathe Aqif before Maghrib. I’m not sure where we stopped, maybe somewhere between Dungun and Marang. The mosque was small and had many toilets at the back. Seeing no one around, we quickly bathed Aqif. After bathing, we performed our obligations (praying).

But did you know the route we took wasn’t through the LPT2 highway but through the old roads along the coast all the way to Kuala Terengganu? So, it took a longer time. I didn’t mind, because I enjoy the old roads. Maybe for some people, these old roads are troublesome, slow, tedious, and difficult, but not for us. There were all sorts of things along the way, from batik cloth shops, fresh/dried squid sellers, kites, restaurants, and many others. However, by the time we were on the old roads, it was already night (8 pm – 10 pm), so there wasn’t much to see or check out. Even though we started early from KL, there still wasn’t enough time, typical humans! 😀

Next, we headed straight to Kuala Terengganu intending to stay overnight at Batu Burok Beach Resort. There’s a reason why we started the journey on this date: the previous week was the school holidays. So, if it was a holiday, it meant hotels and resorts would be full, and prices would skyrocket. We don’t have school-aged children yet, so why join the “human rush program”? Hehehe.

We arrived in Kuala Terengganu around 10 PM, utterly exhausted. Aqif and Tatie were already asleep in the back.

By chance, I passed by the Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque, more popularly known as the Floating Mosque of Terengganu. I immediately took a right turn. It was my first time seeing it. I parked the car near this small bridge. Invited Tatie to join, but she was too tired, she said. So, I ended up enjoying the view outside the mosque alone. It was beautiful. I did plan to visit at night for photos.

Another two photos of the left side of the floating mosque.

Okay, we arrived at Batu Burok Beach Resort. A bit of a waste since we checked in almost at midnight. I went straight to the counter to check-in and asked them to stay in the car for a while. I requested a ground floor room facing the sea. Awesome! Luckily, it was available. Once done, I immediately invited Tatie and Aqif for dinner at a nearby restaurant called Warung Pak Maidin. Just a short walk. Left the bags in the car first; we heeded there to fulfill the screaming call of our stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

Aqif’s face was already tired. Imagine starting the journey from 6 pm until 10 pm, almost 16 hours with eyes wide open! I had it the worst since I was the driver. But it’s worth it for my child and wife…

I still had energy left, what kind of magic did I use? The prices for food and drinks here were okay, not bad. Even surrounded by resorts and hotels, it was just over MYR20.

Okay, behind me are the rows of food stalls with Warung Kak Pah famous for its nasi dagang. Pretty close to BBBR resort, right? Even though the resort provides free breakfast, don’t expect us to eat there. Every day, we become regulars, queuing up and eating in front of Warung Kak Pah.

We got room 003. One thing I wasn’t happy about BBBR, everything else was okay, but the room near the reception didn’t get free WiFi. Plus, Celcom’s line was always in EDGE mode! We were bored at night.

Do you think we just went straight to bed because we were tired? No way! What else… we went straight to the beach area even though it was late and we couldn’t see anything. Just wanted to enjoy the sea breeze.

Coincidentally, there was a resort worker there, so I asked if the beach was safe for swimming. He said it wasn’t. Indeed, most beaches along the east coast from Johor to Kelantan are not safe for swimming. Every year, some tourists drown. But if you just want to play at the water’s edge, it’s okay.

Costs from Beserah to Kuala Terengganu (based on current prices, excluding food/drinks):

• Car fuel: Depends on the type of car.
• BBBR Resort per night: RM130
• Beserah to Kuala Terengganu: No toll

Everyone was exhausted, and the pillows were calling. I slept like a log. To be continued in the next entry… Carpacker 2015 – East Coast – #7 Warung Nasi Dagang Kak Pah and Around Batu Burok Beach.