Surabaya, INDONESIA

February 7 -10, 2008

It was drizzling lightly as we drove from Surabaya’s Juanda Airport into the city. There was heavy overcast and the outlook for a round of golf seemed remote. The rain was building its tempo. Since it was still too early to check into our hotel, Surabaya Plaza Hotel, we decided to stop at Tanggulagin famous for leather products.

After about 20 minutes at the leather shop, we made our way to the golf club. Somehow, lady luck was on our side. The rain stopped and it was perfect weather for golf. We had a hurried lunch of “sup buntut” (ox tail soup). Hamidon, who took an Air Asia flight arrived as we were having lunch. Datuk Iskandar decided to tee off with Haji Amir and Zaki. That left Hamidon, Tan Sri Halil (former Director General of Customs) and Datuk Halim (former Chief of Police for Perlis) in my flight. Tan Sri Halil decided to tee off from the white tee box.

Datuk Halim at Danau's 114m par-3 Hole 3

Ciputra is a 27-hole city course. It is a beautiful and well maintained course. We played at Lembah and Danau nines that measured 5853m from the blue tees. Playing from the shorter white tees made things a lot easier for me.

Tan Sri Halil at the last Hole

I had a bad start. My first tee shot was a dud and ended just after the lady’s tee box. The flight mates were generous enough to grant me a mulligan but the shot was worse. So I played the original shot and still made boogey. From there, it was boogeys and pars all the way. I had a record 9 pars, 2 double boogeys and boogeys the rest. My chipping and putting were in top form that day. The shorter distances from the white tee boxes also helped the good score.

Beautiful houses surrounding the golf course with huge security wall. This one under construction

Playing for the first time with Tan Sri Halil and Datuk Halim was fun. Despite their high social standings, they were very much down to earth and friendly. We had a good round and they made good company.

After the game, we stopped at a Nasi Padang Restaurant for dinner. That was the beginning of many more Nasi Padangs after that. Everybody semed to enjoy the food very much especially Datuk Iskandar, Datuk Halim and Haji Amir. Both Haji Amir and Datuk Halim were a big fan for ox brain cooked in curry. I never picked up the taste. I prefer the usual beef rendang and tendon curry. Anyway, I was not much of a nasi padang fan.

February 8, 2008

We had an early date with our tour guide, Rizal today. Our destination was Finna Golf Club, about an hour drive from Surabaya. We had to leave early to avoid the morning jam in Sidoarjo at the place where the mud flow had submersed everything in its path. The drilling accident in May 2006 caused the hot toxic mud to spew out at a rate of 100,000 cubic metre per day engulfing houses, factories, roads and anything in its path. The problem remains until today. We left early to avoid traffic jam in the area during the morning rush hour.

The hotel packed our breakfast and it was breakfast on wheel for us. We left in 2 vehicles, one carrying Tan Sri, Haji Amir and Datuk Halim and the other the rest of us.

Finna's Foursome

Finna is one of the 2 mountain courses in Surabaya. Taman Dayu makes up the other one and we would test it after Finna. I was paired with Hamidon, Datuk Iskandar and Haji Amir. Zack, Tan Sri and Datuk Halim made up the other flight.

Finna's Tight Course

Finna was a tough 6,345m course. The fairway was narrow and hilly. I still remembered the par-3 184m hole 5 from my last round there many years ago. It was the signature hole flanked by rice field and with mountain as backdrop. Since the weather was cloudy, it was not much of a photo opportunity. Finna claimed to be East Java’s first world class championship golf course.

Finna's Signature Hole

When approaching towards a few last hole, Haji Amir was struggling with his migraine to the extent that he had to quit the game. He left for the hotel in the smaller 4-wheel drive while the rest of us proceeded to play at Taman Dayu Golf Club.

Finna's Caddies

We split into 2 flights of 3 golfers each at Taman Dayu. I was paired with Zack and Hamidon while Datuk Iskandar, Datuk Halim and Tan Sri Halil made up the other.

Asia's Best?

Taman Dayu is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus championship golf course set in a lush green foothills of Mount Welirang. It is in the resort area of Prigen, East Java near to Finna within one hour drive from Surabaya. It claimed to be the best golf course in Asia.

Taman Dayu's Beautiful Topography

It may not be the best course in Asia but Taman Dayu is certainly the best in Surabaya. It was well maintained and manicured into an enjoyable course. This 6,166m course is a must play course in Surabaya.

February 9, 2008

It was shopping day as everybody decided to lay off from golf. The 36-hole rounds did us in. We went back to the leather shop in Tanggulangin where I bought myself a leather overnight bag. After shopping at Tanggulangin and lunch of nasi padang again, we went for massage & mandi lulur. It is a famous Javanese therapy, where they would massage you and rubbed your body with avocado and milk. It was good enough for our aching bodies.

Pedal Power Merry Go Round, Tanggulangin

By night time, we visited the Tunjungan Plaza, Surabaya’s most famous shopping mall. Datuk Halim wanted to buy some traditional batik clothing for his family. So I accompanied him to Mirota where I remembered buying a jukebox replica during my last visit.

Haji Amir and Hamidon left for home today. That left one extra golfer. I had to bow out from the next game at Bukit Darmo the next day. I had played there during earlier visit.
February 10, 2008

The remaining 4 golfers proceeded to play at Bukit Darmo. I chose to stay behind and went shopping at Surabaya Plaza located next to my hotel. The first thing I noticed was J Co Donut outlet. In KL, you have to stay in line for almost 40 minutes just to buy the doughnuts. Here, I was the only customer. They even gave me an extra donut. I bought 1 dozen for the rest of the gang.

At 6.55pm we left Surabaya for home. I was already down to my last dollar.

Kuala Terengganu, MALAYSIA

January 1 – 3, 2008

It was a long weekend due to the Federal Territory Day. We decided to drive to the east coast to Kuala Terengganu since we had not been there for many years. My sister, Liza lives there with her husband, Hadi and their son, Hazwan.

The drive along the East Coast Highway was smooth. Once we hit the old trunk road from Kuantan we encountered quite a lot of traffic. The drive along the coastal road was very pleasant due to the beautiful beach sceneries. We stopped for lunch at Awana Kijal Golf Resort. I just had to be near to a golf course!

Awana's Lobby

There were a lot of street hawkers along the road. One thing about them is they tend to sell the same products at the same location. In one area, everybody would be selling lemang. Then in another, corns, or even keropok lekor. I stopped at a stall selling coconut sapling called nira. It used to be my favourite when I stayed in Kelantan in the mid 80s.

Kemasik Beach

I remember the name Kemasik when we passed through the area. Somehow, it rang in me to stop and check out the beach. When I was working for a local bank in the 80s, somebody mentioned that it was quite beautiful. It was not too late to check it out. It was beautiful all right but there are a lot more beautiful beaches in the East Coast. Somehow, the beach was littered by indiscriminate picnickers.

After 7 hours on the road, we reached Liza’s place. Liza lives in teachers’ quarters near to Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sulaiman where she teaches. It was a five storey apartment close to beach. Even our room faced the beach. I just loved the sound of the ocean and the wind. It invigorated me.

View of the Beach from Liza's Apartment

In the evening we drove to Kuala Terengganu’s most famous beach, Pantai Batu Burok. The place was packed with weekend crowd. It was Friday, a weekend in holier than thou Terengganu.

Hazwan, Anas & Maisara at the beach
Taman Tamadun Islam
February 2, 2008

We had only one day to tour KT. The choice of where to go was clear. KT was launching a place called Taman Tamadun Islam (Islamic Civilisation Park) that includes a beautiful mosque called “Crystal Mosque” and various miniature mosques and monuments of the Islamic world.
The bus that ferries visitors take up the shape of Malay architecture

The park was built on a 23-hectare islet called Pulau Wan Man in the middle of the Terengganu River. It cost RM250 million which was part of the project under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER). The park features 21 replicas of mosques and monuments. They include Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock (Qubbah As Sakharah), Spain’s Alhamra, India’s Taj Mahal, Malaysia’s National Mosque, Brunei’s Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Pakistan’s Badshahi Mosque, Saudi Arabia’s Masjidil Haram and Nabawi, Indonesia’s Almanar Kudus, Uzbekistan’s Kalyan Tower, Nigeria’s Agadez Grand Mosque, Iran’s Sheikh Lutfallah Mosque, Syria’s Aleppo Citadel, Tunisia’s Qairawan Grand Mosque, China’s Xian Mosque, Iraq’s Samarra Grand Mosque, Turkey’s Suleyman Mosque, Thailand’s Central Pattani Mosque, Afghanistan’s Abu Nasr Parsa Tomb, Egypt’s Mohamed Ali Parsha Mosque, and Russia’s Kul Sharif Mosque.

Crystal Mosque

The park was yet to be officially opened by the Prime Minister the following day. When we arrived, the crowd was getting bigger. There were buses to ferry the visitors into the park. Private cars were not allowed in.

Dome of the Rock in Terengganu

The park was hardly ready to be officially opened. The road leading to the park was small and appeared to be hastily constructed for the opening ceremony. The area where the mosque replicas and monuments were located was out of bound. The main attraction was the Crystal Mosque, even that it was closed to visitors. The visitors were limited to taking photographs from a distance. There were some festivities in the area but they were in line with the Islam Hadhari’s concept. No wild parties!

After taking some photos, we decided to leave. We may be coming back for a closer look in the near future. Another “Malaysia Boleh” project.

We also visited Liza's house which was still under construction.

Elephant Sanctuary, Kuala Gandah, Pahang, MALAYSIA
January 19, 2008

The elephant conservation centre in Kuala Gandah is a favourite weekend outing for mostly western expatriates and tourists from Kuala Lumpur. When we arrived at the centre around noon, the place was full with Mat Sallehs, a big group of tourists from Australia and England.

To get there, take East Coast highway heading toward Kuantan. After Lanchang toll exit, turn right onto a rural road that would take you all the way to the centre.

The entrance to the centre

After exiting from the toll and turning right, I stopped at a vanilla farm, Rentak Timur Sdn Bhd. I was curious and wanted to see for myself how vanilla trees were grown commercially. Furthermore, I wanted to make doubly sure that I was heading in the right direction. I met the farm Business Development Manager, Bobby Ronald who offered me to be their contract farmer instead. Well, may be some other times.

Taking a break at the centre's one & only food stall

We reached the place at around 12.30PM. The centre is the base for the Elephant Translocation Team, which began the elephant translocation programme in 1974. The team relocates problem elephants than transgress into human settlement and oil palm estates due to depleting habitat. The entrance to the centre is free but donation is highly sought for the cash strapped team. From the look of the set up and running of the programme and the centre, this is one dedicated elephant team.

Family Ride

The activities at the centre started at 1PM with the screening of video presentation highlighting the team’s work in relocating the rogue elephants. Following the Visitors’ Timetable, we moved to the feeding of the elephants at 2PM, followed by elephant rides. The ride was short but the queue was long. I went along with Nina and Anas.

Feeding the Elephant

The best activity at the centre was taking the elephant ride inside the river and on cue from the trainer, the elephant would drop sideways plunging into the river with the riders. Everybody seemed to enjoy this very much. We were afraid of getting wet and did not go for it. It was one thing that I later regretted.

1st Get on top of the elephant

The elephant would throw the riders down

Taking the plunge

The already wet crowd inside the river could then participate in cleaning the elephants. This time they brought out 2 baby elephants which were instant hits among the kids. Even Anas could not resist. He took into the water.

Anas bathing a baby

By 3.30PM, the river activities stopped. It also started to drizzle. Anas was still in the river with a group of Sikh families. The visitors could still participate in feeding the elephants their dinner of water melons, bananas and cucumbers. They must be real hungry after all these activities.

Lucky couple who got the honour of the last ride out of the river

On the way back we stopped at an Orang Asli (aborigines) village to take some pictures. The village is right next to the Elephant Sanctuary.

Orang Asli Village

By 4.30PM we made our way back to civilization. We decided to detour a bit to Temerloh for its famous river fish, patin. We had our meals at one of the stalls in Temerloh. It was late for lunch and too early for dinner. We had some leftover patin and catfish.

As I was driving back to KL, I wonder how come Malaysians seemed to have missed something in their backyard enjoyed by foreigners. Perhaps we were too busy going to shopping complexes to really get out and taste nature which is aplenty. What a pity!

Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Miri, Sarawak, MALAYSIA

January 16, 2008

The Club House viewed from the 18th Green

Eastwood Valley is a relatively new course in Miri compared to the old Kelab Golf Miri. I had played there a few times and loved the beautiful course. I would say this course is a lot better than Damai. It was carved out of a swamp land that resulted in the flat terrain of the fairways. Waters are part of the course’s feature. I lost more balls here that even AirAsia didn’t charge me excess baggage on my return flight.

Me, Shah, Aziman & Rizal

The course measures 6,092 metres from blue tees. It has a huge club house and chalets where you can stay and play. For about RM500 we decided to opt for the stay and play package. It came with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Shah, our branch manager arranged for 2 flights of 8 golfers. I was paired with Shah, Rizal and Aziman. I had a solid start. I parred the first hole, 463m par-5. After the second hole I went back to my room to get my camera. By then the weather started to change for the better. It was a good photography session given the beautiful setting and bright sunshine. It was a yo-yo game for me with pars, double and triple boogeys.

Hole 13

The second nine, called the City Nine, was more scenic with a lot of ponds. My most memorable hole was the 146m par-3 Hole 13 with an island green. My 6 iron was a little too strong and ended the shot over the island green in the water. Somehow I got a good chip for a gimme boogey.

Shah showing off his text book swing

Shah was not playing his normally good game. His tee shots mostly hooked to the left. They gave him enough problems, he did not get a decent score. Aziman was a careful golfer, outshining the rest of the group. Rizal was a 24-handicapper but played a respectable game for his handicap. I had a lot of shots that ended in bunkers. Some even turned out from fairway bunker into greenside bunker. Anyway, I was more engrossed in taking pictures than playing golf.

The Group after 18 holes

I would recommend Eastwood Valley anytime. The course was kept in good golfing condition, a rare gem in Sarawak’s golf chapter.

Damai Golf & Country Club, Kuching, Sarawak, MALAYSIA

January 15, 2008

After our meeting we headed to Damai, voted as “No.1 Best Golf Course in Sabah and Sarawak” for the years 2003 until 2006. We wanted to tee off earlier as nightfall comes 1 hour earlier in Sarawak. Damai used to be one of my favourite courses. I would not miss a chance to play there whenever I came to Kuching.

We decided to tee off from the 2nd Nine first since there was a couple just started on the 1st hole. From the look of it, it would be a long wait. When we stopped at the starter’s hut, Zack jokingly asked if there were any caddies. There was one available, an old man caddy. His caddying left much to be desired.

Diedrich, Erika, Me & Zack

As we were preparing to tee off, a husband and wife Mat Salleh couple reached the 10th.Hole for a crossover. Zack invited them to join us and they gladly obliged. It proved to be a fun 9-hole round with Diedrich and Erika Willms from Germany. They make Malaysia their second home.

I was not hitting the ball well but I had a wonderful time playing with Diedrich and Erika. They told us that they are in Malaysia about 6 months in a year, enjoying the sun and golf. They did not seem to worry much about their scores. Erika would walk to her ball and hit it without any practice swing routine. Her shots were equally good as Diedrich’s. They were both jovial and fun to be with.

The second nine called the Ocean Nine was a delight to play. I loved the feel of the ocean breeze as we walked along the fairways. The fairways are fringed by mangrove swamp forest, rocky outcrops and beautiful beaches. Erika remarked, “ If they had a golf course like this in Europe, it would be swarmed with golfers but let’s keep it quiet so that we could enjoy it by ourselves”. She was right. We plodded on. I did not pay much attention to my score.

Diedrich at the signature hole

Hole 17 was Damai’s signature hole. This 154m par-3 hole played onto the green with the sea on 3 sides. It was listed as “One of Malaysia’s Super 18 Par 3 hole voted by Par Golf Magazine for 2005/2006. This is the hole that I likened with Dalit’s and Datai’s memorable par-3 holes.

Erika and Diedrich bade farewell after the Ocean Nine. We moved on to the Mountain Nine. This first nine was set up in a natural rain forest setting following the contours of Mount Santubong’s foothills. The greens on this nine were under repair and they were a let down. They took away the pleasures of playing in one of the best courses in Sarawak.

Damai, in my opinion, is not as good as it was before. The setting was beautiful but there were some indications of the fairways not being well-kept. Even the greens were showing signs of neglect despite the repair works. I hope they would continue to keep the first Arnold Palmer-designed course in the country as pristine as it used to be. Anyway, I would definitely come back.

Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park, Perak, MALAYSIA

January 12, 2008

It was another typical Saturday at home. Ton suggested the family take a drive to Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park located in an oil palm plantation in Sungkai. I have heard about the place somewhere before. It was time to check it out.

The drive along the north-south highway took longer time due to the road construction to expand the highway into 6-lane expressway. The construction has been going on for quite sometimes now and has become a pain in the neck. It was a case of cruising at my top speed of 115km/hour and then jamming on the brakes when the lanes merged into one, all of a sudden.

The Entrance to the FELDA Scheme

We took the Sungkai exit and then turned left onto the old trunk road heading toward Slim River. Then we followed the road signs onto smaller FELDA road. From the Sungkai Toll, it was about 20 minutes drive or 17km. Somehow, the road got smaller as we drove deeper into Sungai Klah FELDA scheme but it was good road. With several turnings, I was beginning to get worried of finding my way out of the place later.

Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park is a natural resort developed by the FELDA Group through its subsidiary, Plantation Resorts Sdn Bhd . Its main attraction is its 2 natural free flowing pools, one hot pool from the hot springs and another cold pool from the mountain spring. It was right in the middle of an oil palm plantation and durian orchard with the Titiwangsa Range as its backdrop. It makes a scenic water getaway for city folks.

Titiwangsa Range as a Backdrop. Note the Looming Dark Cloud

After paying the entrance tickets (RM10 for adult, RM8 for child), we followed the board walk that meandered along the hot streams to the centre of attraction The whole place looked very clean and well maintained, unlike many public parks found in Malaysia. A miracle of what RM10 can do to a public place. We headed straight to the restaurant for lunch.

Anas went straight into the mountain spring pool right after lunch. The hot springs pool was a bit too hot for him. The pool has a built slide, just like any other water theme park. The slide came out from a giant octopus’s statue. The water was only chest deep at its deepest, perfect for non swimmers like me. There was a big group of weekend revelers in the pool.

Anas in the Mountain Spring Pool in Front of Octopussy

I left Anas in the cold pool to check out the hot pool. It was hot all right but manageable. Before I could really settle down I had to rush back to the family as it was starting to rain from the far horizon. By 4pm the drizzle turned into a torrential storm. Everybody was out of the pool and sought shelters wherever they could. We had a good spot in a restaurant. I had some goreng pisang, a cup of coffee and a good book to pass the time and the rain.

The place is a good weekend picnic site for families. Beside the 2 pools, it offers several other facilities including camping, villa, spa and egg boiling activity. It is easy to boil eggs when you have hot water all over the place. It was one activity that we passed. We were on diet. If you love water and natural settings, this is the place to be. I prefer Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park to Sunway Lagoon or Tiara Beach Resort. It is pretty much less expensive and less crowded.

Dalit Bay Golf Club & Spa, Sabah, MALAYISA

27 December 2007

The Club House

Today is the last day of our Sabah Tour. I was beginning to feel the tolls of playing golf everyday for the past 3 days, most of the times in the heat of Sabah’s coastal sun. My skin colour began to change except for the white patches from wearing glove and watch on my left hand.

Like Tiger Wood, Wearing Red Shirt on Final Day

Dalit Bay Golf Club is part of the Shangri-La’s Group of resort hotels located in Tuaran, Sabah, about half an hour drive from Kota Kinabalu (KK). The golf course is filled with water ponds that come into play at most holes. It is a rather flat course but nonetheless exciting. It is a “must play” course when you are in KK. The course measures 6,369 metres from black tee and 5,956 metres from blue.

Hanafiah could not make it today. So he was replaced by Dato’ Dr. Azhar, the Malaysian Cocoa Board’s Chief. Later, I learned that he was from my hometown, Arau and also came from SDAR, my high school in Seremban. It is a small world. Again, I was paired with Ayob and Hamidon. Datuk Iskandar, Dato’ Azhar and Zack made up the other flight.

It was already 8.30am by the time we teed off. In terms of sun clock, it was like 9.30am in West Malaysia. The heat was beginning to hit you. Datuk Iskandar’s flight started from the black tee box! Ouch! Black is the longest tee box meant more for the lower handicapper and pros. We had to follow suit.

Ayob Ripping It Off on the First Hole

Dalit has 2 nines, the first called Mengkabong Nine and the second is known as Tambalang. There are waters every where. I made sure to bring enough balls for my round.
Everybody in my flight had a good start. Ayob drove onto the fairway slightly to the right and Hamidon put it smack in the middle. I had the longest drive, as usual, a bit more to the right. I fumbled on my second shot and put it in the greenside bunker. I had been having trouble adjusting to my new R7 sand wedge. It took me 2 strokes to get out of the bunker for a 2-putt double boogey. That was the start of my horrible score. Again, as Zack used to put it, “What else is new?”

Hole 11 From the Tee Box

We plodded on to the second nine. We stopped to get more balls from Ayob’s car, just in case. Hole 11 was the star attraction for Dalit Bay. It plays over the sea in a very scenic setting. I remember having a birdie (more from fluke than skill) at this hole the last time I was there. Today, it was a boogey day. This 169 metre (from black tee) par-3 has a close resemblance to Langkawi Datai Bay’s Hole 19 and Damai in Kuching with almost similar design and sea setting. These are the holes that you must play before you die!

Green of Hole 11

I was really struggling when we got to the final holes. Five rounds of golf in 4 days during the hottest times of the days began to take tolls. It was a very fulfilling golf outing. This golf resort that carries the tagline “Heaven Created the Setting. We Just Added the Finishing Touch” is definitely a must-play course for the golf geeks.