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Sunday, May 6, 2012

Flowers in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan

Bukit Sekilau in Kuantan is rife with nature. Flowers, trees, plants are on show on every road and outside each house.



During the month of May I'm celebrating 6 years living in Kuantan with some of the things I particularly love about this town on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.



People in Kuantan love gardening. There are myriad flower nurseries dotted around Kuantan, most notably on Jalan Beserah opposite M. S. Garden Hotel, Jalan Teluk Sisek on the way to Teluk Chempedak, and Jalan Tengku Muhammad near Alor Akar.



A neighbour has invested in a number of pots and placed a load of flowers outside our apartment block in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan. This pink hibiscus was attractive, along with this white one:



The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia. I love photographing the hibiscus flowers on show in Kuantan.



I have been photographing nature in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan for the entire 6 years we've been living here. If I put all of my images of flowers together in one blog post, it would take hours to get through!



Of course, when photographing the same area for so long, the challenge is always finding different angles, perspectives and views of nature. Sometimes that's hard, but pictures like the one above make it very satisfying.



Although it's the hottest part of the day, the afternoon is the best time I like to go out and photograph flowers. It illuminates the images and brings out all the colour.




Oftentimes I've gone out in the Malaysian heat to photograph nature in Bukit Sekilau, only for my wife to complain that I should be more careful under the sun. Heat headaches have hit me after some walks around Bukit Sekilau. I think the captured images are all worth it though!



Now I'm more clever and don't go out when it's too hot, like I did when I first moved here to Kuantan. (Remember, us Englishmen love the sun!) Nowadays I wait until the late afternoon to saunter around Bukit Sekilau. On the occasion I do go out in the heat of a Sunday afternoon, I'll wear my sunglasses and cap, and make sure it's 20-30 minutes maximum!



I love this yellow stunner growing outside somebody's house just around the corner.






It's great that I'm able to walk out around Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan and see these lovely images of nature, any time I want. It's something nice I can do when I have a bit of free time or feel bored (which doesn't occur too much anyway!)





6 years of these gorgeous sights around Kuantan has filled me with happiness and contentment. Nature like this was created to please the human eye and brain, and I'm extremely fortunate to have this "botanical garden" right at my doorstep. I love Kuantan!

9 comments:

  1. Hi Duncan. First of all, your blog has a nice fresh look this morning. I think it's lovely how you have really taken to living in Kuantan and love it so much. (I'm sure that Fidelia and those two gorgeous girls might have something to do with that as well!). Stunning photos, as always, of the beautiful nature all around where you live. I love the pink hibiscus, and I do love how you always manage to do something just that little bit different with your shots. Me, I'm still practicing with the new camera that I had for Christmas. It's the aperture and light settings that I just can't get the hang of!

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  2. I have learned that every paradise has it's negatives and you seem to have experienced Malaysia's heat the hard way. I am glad you are being more careful now and able to get us stunning images like these. You surely brightened my Sunday morning.

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  3. Beautiful flowers as usual Duncan. picture 7 is my absolute favourite. Thank you.

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  4. Hi Diane, thanks for the compliments about my photos. I wish you all the best with your new camera. Perhaps you have an 'auto' setting where aperture and light is automatically sorted out for you?

    Hey Odie, you're right, there are always some negatives to everywhere one may live, but it's about accentuating the positives :)

    Cheers mum! Clear blue sky and sunshine makes a lot of difference!

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  5. These flowers are so common here that we Malaysians take them for granted and stop appreciating them, esp the hibiscus! Some really stunning close ups, Duncan.

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  6. Yo bro! You just injected some colour into my grey, rainy bank holiday Monday with this post! You've got some great angles there. I just bought a new lens today and can't wait to try it outside once the rain stops!
    Love Rach

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  7. Thanks ordinary malaysian, we do take many things for granted at times don't we?

    Hi Rach, thanks. Hope your days get brighter soon! And all the best with your new lens!

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  8. Great shots! It seems as though there are many spectacular and beautiful flora and fauna there!

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  9. Thanks Dusty! There are indeed beautiful sights at every turn.

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