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Day Trip To Kukup and Pontian Kechil


The plan to go to Kukup was a surprise. My husband’s friend, Manish, was supposed to drive to Johor Bahru for CNY dinner with his wife Sana. So we asked them for a lift to JB. Saturday when thEy came to pick us up that time he said we will be driving to Kukup. Although they had been to Kukup few times before but still they decided to show us this beautiful place.  

Kukup is a small fishing village in the Pontian district.
We drove from Singapore to Kukup via Tuas check point. I was excited as this was the first time I will not have to get down at both the check points. The immigration was smooth because of Chinese New Year.
Kukup is around 60 km from Tuas check point. It took us around one and half hours to reach. The drive was pretty as greenery is ubiquitous. On our way we saw a lot of fruit farms specially durian and makeshift stalls selling them. The fruits are cheap as compared to Singapore.
After reaching, we parked at a huge parking lot which was free and we walked towards Kukup International Ferry Terminal. As we were walking I couldn’t avoid the fishy stench in the air. We took a boat to Pulau Kukup National Park from the pier beside the terminal. To and fro ride costed RM 5.00 per person.  As we got onto the boat we could see clusters of Kelong or offshore small fishing market. As we moved further we noticed the lush mangrove forests which was Pulau Kukup National Park. We paid entrance fee RM 21.00 per person (for foreigners RM 21.00 and Malaysian RM 5.00) for the park.  The park had broadwalks AND observation deck. There is nothing much to do but enjoy the flora and fauna. We saw crabs of various colour blue, pink ,green and a monkey.


 

After seeing the national park, we took a ferry to one of the Kelongs. We saw many species of fish and how they were bred. The sections were compartmentalized using fishnets to separate the different breeds. They are sold to local markets, exported to Singapore and you can even buy these. They were selling variety dried fishes and many other items made from fish. Being a vegetarian I had least interest in knowing. As per Sana, these were homemade, fresh and tastier than what you get in Singapore.
View of Kelongs from Boat
 

Offhore Fish Market
By the time came back to the mainland we were quiet hungry. It was impossible to find a pure vegetarian restaurant. Manish and his wife were going to “Restoran Sea Food” so my husband and I decided to just have coconut water. We were shocked to find a separate vegetarian menu. Sana helped us to check with the restaurant manager what oil they use and what whether they use egg or not as they understood Malay and Chinese. Once we were satisfied we ordered fried rice, noodles, spinach and stir fried vegetables without egg. The portion size was quiet good but the food was okay. I would suggest to carry your own food if you are picky on having food in a non-vegetarian restaurant.
Lunch at Restoran Sea Food
After our lunch, she said she wants to buy jellies so she and I walked down to a small lane beside the ferry terminal. Jellies were vegetarian so I decided to try before buying. I tried the corn flavour and it was the good. These were made from agar agar in coconut milk and mildly sweet. I bought a packet (10 pcs) which costed me around RM 12.00. I also shared these with my office colleague they said this was unique but they liked it.
 
After buying jellies we walked back to the car park and headed towards Pontian Kechil. It is a town and capital of Pontian district, Johor, Malaysia. We were there for an hour to see the sunset. And believe me it was amazing; serene and quiet. After half and hour we headed to a newly built park “Laman Diraja Pontian”. This is a replica of Istana Bukit Serene, Johor Bahru.


It was already late evening and my friends were getting late for the dinner. So they dropped us to the bus stop in johor bahru from where we took a bus to Singapore.
It was a quiet nice experience away from the hustle of the city life.   
Top five thing for a day trip in Kukup and Pontian Kechil
1)      Pulau Kukup Natioanl Park- Spend some time exploring the flora and fauna walking in the mangrove forest. The park timings are 9 AM to 5 PM.
2)      Buying crystal jellies- I highly recommend buying these from Kukup Pinfen Crystal Jelly.
3)      Catch the sunset- Take a stroll along the coast line and watch the sunset at Pontian Kechil.
4)      Buy Pineapples and Durian- The days are hot and humid. As fruits are in abundance and cheap also, savour them and keep yourself hydrated with coconut water. You can even visit the durian and pineapple farms.
5)      Food- As a vegetarian you wouldn’t find much option. But still when you are visiting a place, you should try some local food. You can also enjoy the coconut milkshake and icecreams.

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