Day Trip up the East Coast to Kemaman and Cherating - Kemaman Zoo, Turtle Sanctuary, Club med Cherating, De Rhu beach resort and Pak Su restaurant

Going on a day-trip can be a whole lot of fun, and at the same time, extremely tiring. It's important to be prepared, particularly when children will be along for the ride.

Last Saturday we set out from Kuantan at 8:30am with our lovely friends and headed up the highway. We brought along a 5-litre bottle of drinking water, a bottle of isotonic drink, and a paper bag full of snacks for the children. We also brought the pushchair for Leah in case she got tired of walking around. Our friends had umbrellas. I was carrying my DSLR camera, bag and tripod, and Leah when she wasn't in the pushchair!

Posing at Kemaman Zoo by a unique tree trunk with bags, drinks and pushchair

I think the key to it all is having pleasant and easy-going company because the heat, the children and the baggage can be a large burden. But we managed everything with a smile and with a genuine excitement to be going places, exploring, and doing so with really good friends.

This photo was taken by our friend, Kenny

Kemaman Zoo is around an hour's drive from Kuantan. Kemaman is a town in the state of Terengganu, neighbouring Pahang to the north. We tried to get there early so as to avoid the heat, but it was still boiling anyway. A makeshift train pulled along by a tractor took us from the entrance to a central point in the zoo where we could explore.

The main animals of interest are the elephants, lions, a tiger and two bears. There are also plenty of birds, snakes, crocodiles and orang-utans. A smart orchid garden, children's playground and waterfall/swimming area are all present.

Lauren feeding the elephant

Leah was terrified of the elephants!

Sharmayne feeding the elephant. Leah waving goodbye to the elephant! Photo taken by Kenny

Having fun at the children's playground

Sharmayne and Lauren posing by the waterfall at Kemaman Zoo

There are 2 famous places in Cherating - the Turtle Sanctuary and Club med. At the Turtle Sanctuary we saw these very cute baby turtles:

We got in to Club med Cherating for a look around and were not disappointed. It's absolutely beautiful! Here are a few photos of this glorious resort:

It was a hot day! This large swimming pool was tempting...

Grace and Fidelia wanted to see some orang utans!

I love being with the children - they had so much fun!

Beautiful view at Club med Cherating

Lauren shows her favourite monster face whilst Sharmayne models the umbrella!

Good to see there is a tsunami evacuation route

Keeping ourselves hydrated with plenty of water, we stopped off to allow the children to try their hand at batik painting at a nearby roadside stall. We all got to sit down and relax for an hour.

It was 4pm by this time so we decided to set off for some swimming time at De Rhu beach resort, which is located nearby Swiss Garden Resort & Spa Kuantan. It was my turn to accompany the children in the pool while Fidelia, Grace and Kenny sat in the shade!

Sharmayne on the water slide!

Sharmayne gave me a good water fight in the pool, especially when I wasn't looking!

To end the day trip we drove to Pak Su seafood restaurant for dinner. Unbelievably, the children were still full of energy! I had to follow them around while waiting for our food to arrive.

I was too hungry to take photos of the food! We had fish, butter prawns, sweet and sour chicken and vegetables amongst others. After a long, tiring and really fun day trip, it was really good to eat yummy food.

Thanks to Kenny, Grace and Sharmayne for driving us around and providing perfect company. It was such an enjoyable day that I didn't really want it to end.

And I haven't had a day like that for years.

Lauren's Developing Talents

So Lauren is growing quickly and we are starting to see her talents which she is developing. First of all, she's pretty good in front of a camera - will she be a model???

Secondly, she's equally as good behind the lens. Here she is in action with the camera on Fidelia's hand phone - will she be a photographer???

She snaps dozens of pictures at a time - just like her daddy!

Thirdly, Lauren has been trying her hand at teaching. Frequently she asks me if she can teach my tuition class. Sometimes I permit her and she sits in my chair and tells my students what to do! Will she be a teacher???

Next up, Lauren was watching the swimming on the TV with us yesterday while she was having a nice warm bath. We heard her voice saying "Look at me" and this is what she was doing - will she be a swimmer???

Lauren has also taken quite a shine to sports, in particular tennis, and here in this picture, football - will she be a sports star???

Finally, Lauren really enjoys drawing and colouring, and her pictures have been progressing rather nicely over the last few months. Here's her latest drawing which she presented to me - will she be an artist???

What do you think she'll be?!

Our stay at Zenith Hotel, 20-21 January, 2011

We enjoyed a pleasant stay at the Zenith Hotel from 20th to 21st January, 2011. We had been offered a free stay by the General Manager Jerina Foong, so we decided to take up the offer on Fie's birthday, the 20th. We were greeted by an impeccably dressed and spoken man at the front desk, by the name of Razif. He welcomed us warmly, was polite in language and demeanour, and swiftly checked us in and escorted us to our room. First impressions are extremely weighty, and I'm delighted to announce that Razif gave us a wonderful introduction to our stay at the Zenith Hotel!

The lobby area and front desk

View across the lobby and out the front window, where East Coast Mall stands nearby

We reached our room on the 6th floor, and after exploring the room we found it to be satisfactory - king size bed, flat screen TV, view of the swimming pool, lovely large windows, modern bathroom. I like to describe the Zenith Hotel as 'Simply beautiful and beautifully simple.' There was a fridge that didn't get very cold, and a technician later told us that the ventilation needs some rethinking. As does the drain in the bathroom, which after a few showers, did become rather smelly. The Zenith Hotel is by no means complete, with only the first nine floors currently ready for service. Floors ten until twenty-three are still under construction, so it is a trial-and-error process the hotel is going through right now. I am sure that when the Zenith Hotel is fully finished, it will be worth another stay and review!

The table with complimentary newspapers

Unique flower and limes table decoration

A plate of fruit was provided

I was very impressed with the lovely large windows giving a view of the pool and the Kuantan landscape

Enjoyed a couple of hot baths here

The great shower

Modern bathroom sink, tap and mirror

However, there were far too many positives which greatly outweighed the little concerns we discovered. The shower was the best I've ever had in a hotel, refreshing, reinvigorating, I didn't want to come out. We were determined to make the most of our stay, so we quickly got dressed in the night gowns and slippers provided in the room and prepared to go to the swimming pool.

Fie and Lauren enjoy the pool while I show off the Zenith Hotel slippers!

I spent a short while relaxing before I went for a dip in the pool

The birthday girl!

Fidelia in action in the pool

Nice view of the swimming pool deck

Cooling off under the shower by the pool

View of the Zenith Hotel's iconic arc

"3 going on 15," as Jerina puts it, Lauren revels in ordering food on the room phone!

The key card which is used to gain access to the rooms from floor 5 and above in the elevators

We stayed in room 605

The elevators on the 6th floor

View of the carpet lining the hallways on the 6th floor

The sunlight bursts in through a corner window on the 6th floor of Zenith Hotel

Central chamber of Zenith Hotel on the 6th floor, which escalates up to the top giving the observer a view right up through the ceiling at the 23rd floor.

Looking down on the Zenith Hotel swimming pool from the 9th floor

Another view of Kuantan from the 9th floor corner window of Zenith Hotel

Entrance to the ballrooms on the 3rd floor of Zenith Hotel, which are located at the adjoining Sultan Ahmad Shah International Convention Centre (SASICC)

A worm's eye view of the ceiling lighting in the ballrooms

An intriguing list of souvenirs one can purchase from rooms in the Zenith Hotel

The west-facing rooms have a delightful view of the sunset on nights like these:

I went back home, a 5-minute walk up the road, for my tuition class from 8-10pm, then returned and decided to call the operator about room service. We ordered a French Fries at 10:53pm and it duly arrived 17 minutes later at 11:10pm, very quick service! I don't think I've ever paid RM17.40 for a plate of French Fries, but when you're staying at a hotel, prices don't seem to be that important - for me it's just enjoying the moment because it's not every day you'll be staying at a hotel!

Lauren found an extremely long chip!

Certainly one of the longest I've ever come across!

The next morning, from the east-facing corner window on the 9th floor, I captured this sunrise:

The sun breaks through the clouds to begin a new day

The complimentary buffet breakfast was delightful; I particularly enjoyed this feast on my plate.

One thing I would say by way of constructive criticism is for somebody to adjust the air conditioning so guests don't feel like they are freezing in the dining room. Maintaining a comfortable temperature would be the final ingredient for a lovely dining experience in the Dining Room.

We went out for one final foray into the swimming pool after we watched a movie in our room:

Yes, my wife joked that the Zenith Hotel night gown looks rather like a kung-fu jacket, so here's the pose! I thought the night gown was great, and I enjoyed wearing it in our room and en route to the pool and back.

My wife and daughter have a "kick-around" in the pool

Water flows off the edge of the pool where it is recycled back in

We really enjoyed the swimming pool at Zenith Hotel

One last picture poolside in the fantastic Zenith Hotel night gowns

I would definitely stay at the Zenith Hotel again and advise anyone around Kuantan, or planning a visit to Kuantan, to come and sample the luxury and good service at the Zenith Hotel. Kuantan is experiencing unprecedented growth and the Zenith Hotel is a great symbol and icon of this development.

The Zenith Hotel: Beautifully simple and simply beautiful