Beauty of Bachok
Relax, enjoy the view and go for long walks (or ride a horse if you are so inclined!) on the picturesque beaches with your family. Story on Pages 8-9
“WHICH would be convenient — fly or drive there?” the first question my parents ask while planning our family vacation to the east coast.
We are planning to visit Kelantan, a charming state located in the northeast part of the peninsular. Very traditional and laidback, it is an ideal place to unwind and relax, a change of scenery from busy Kuala Lumpur.
Flying to Kota Baru might be easy and painless as it takes only 45 minutes via direct flight.
But in terms of cost, it’s not worth it, especially if we travel in a group. Plus, if we fly there, we still have to rent a car to explore the state.
We agree it is best to drive. So here we are, the four of us, on an enjoyable road trip from KL to Kelantan in a comfortable and spacious Honda HR-V.
COMFORTABLE RIDE
Our East Coast journey begins as we enter the Karak Expressway, from Gombak. As usual, the traffic on the expressway is overwhelming. Not only because of the winding and sloping road, but there are too many vehicles on the road, slowing the traffic down at every hilly turn.
Luckily, our Honda HR-V is very agile and stable. Okay, let’s talk about the performance of this subcompact SUV. Car handling is light and easy, I have no problem picking up speed on the hilly road and the gear changes smoothly.
The Hill Start Assist helps prevent the car from sliding backwards when the brakes are released on an incline, a perfect function when driving on the Karak expressway.
Just after the Genting exit, the road clears up a lot, and it gets better upon entering the East Coast Expressway (LPT). Unlike the hilly Karak, the LPT expressway is a straight road with very few cars, and I can now leisurely drive using the cruise control.
The cruise control allows the car to move effortlessly. The setting is very userfriendly and straightforward — just accelerate to the speed that you want, press “set” on the steering wheel, and you’re good to let go of the pedal. You can also set it to accelerate or decelerate using the plus (+) and minus (-) button, with just a press of the thumb.
After less than five hours on the expressway, we exit LPT and embark on the Kota Baru-Kuala Terengganu route, a “kampung” (village) road which will take us another hour to get to where we are heading, Bachok.
Legend has it that Bachok got its name after the first settler in the area, Tok Bachok. But there’s another twist to how Bachok got its name which is originated from the Siamese words Ban which means village and
Chak which refers to a native plant “nipah”. The pronunciation of Ban Chak was later changed to Bachok to suit the local Malay dialect.
Well, no matter how it got its name, Bachok is just half an hour from Kota Baru. It is where you can find many beautiful and popular beaches in Kelantan.
SWING BY THE SEA
First, we stop at a popular beach in Bachok, D’Aur Beach Resort, which is a family chalet offering not only accommodation but a day trip to visit this interesting private beach.
Entrance fee to the resort is RM5 per car and there is ample parking space. It is almost 4pm when we arrive and the resort is already crowded with visitors.
The beach reminds me of the breathtaking island of Gili Trawangan, just off Lombok. If you have been to Gili Trawangan, you’ll hardly miss the ocean swing but if you haven’t been there, you’ll get the lookalike here in D’Aur.
There are a few swings available for you to get a picture-perfect shot with the wavy ocean background. However, you need to be patient to wait for your turn as the beach is teeming with visitors, all wanting to get on the swings.
Those who want to swim, make sure you come during the right season. I would highly recommend from May to September, although that is the high season but the sea will calm down during the season, so it’s much more picturesque.
The management of D’Aur has built quite a good infrastructure for visitors including stalls, public toilets, praying area, playgrounds and even platform gazebo.
ocEan mElody
Next in my Bachok beach list is Pantai Irama, a beach popular with the locals. Pantai Irama got its name from the gentle hush of the sea breeze, which is akin to a sweet ocean melody.
Because it is a public beach, you can expect a crowd. People come here to relax and enjoy the view, go for long walks by the beach, family picnics and more.
There are many facilities here, including motels, public toilets, water sports, and boats for hire.
The place is also often used as a venue for events. Hungry? There are stalls selling all sorts of local specialties and even fresh seafood barbeque. The prices are quite affordable too.
My favourite spot in Pantai Irama is the scenic man-made bank built with stones. It’s refreshing to enjoy the sea breeze from up here while savouring local snacks such as sate ikan.
ITS VERY OWN NAMI
K-drama fans probably dream of going to Nami Island in South Korea. The line of Metasequoia trees has become an iconic symbol of Nami Island after the TV series Winter Sonata was filmed there.
Psst... Kelantan also has its very own Nami Island look-alike. Here in Senok Beach, you’ll get a similar feel walking underneath tall lines of trees, minus the snow, obviously.
Hundreds of pine trees were planted in Senok Beach as an initiative to avoid the beach getting eroded but today, this has become a pretty spectacular scenery.
The beach is very popular among newlyweds who love to go there to capture their wedding portraits.
Well, I know why. The place is really picturesque with stunning natural lighting. Sadly, it is unkempt and dirty. Plastic bags, polystyrene containers, and other garbage are scattered everywhere. It’s really frustrating to witness such a beautiful destination ruined by reckless visitors who throw garbage wherever they want.
Despite the less-than-pristine view, I still get to capture Instagram-worthy shot of the place. Plus, unlike the two other beaches, Senok is less crowded!
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