Batu Hitam (Black Stone Beach), Balok, Kuantan

Driving back from Kuantan Port we decided to stop off at Batu Hitam (Black Stone Beach) in the Balok area of Kuantan. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from Kuantan town and is located along the coastline a short distance before Swiss Garden Resort & Spa (travelling from Kuantan town).

Batu Hitam is famous for the numerous black rocks strewn across the sand. It's great for a visit, and of course, for me, it's a great photography opportunity too! Obviously, it's best to go when the tide is out.

At Batu Hitam, Balok, Kuantan, with Lauren on a breezy day

Lauren shows a really interesting rock at Batu Hitam, Kuantan

Lauren amongst the black rocks at Batu Hitam

Interesting sand detail on a black rock at Batu Hitam

My wife and I enjoying the breeze at Batu Hitam

Lauren and Leah at Batu Hitam

My wife relaxing on a bench at Batu Hitam

Message in a bottle

Found this bottle washed up on Balok beach at Swiss Garden Resort & Spa. Unfortunately there was no message inside. 

Have you ever found a message in a bottle?

What would you write in a message before throwing it in the sea?

Xenodocheionology

Since Day 1 of this challenge I've been racking my brain, as well as my dictionary, for 'X' words.

I thought of 'xylophone' and I was going to dig around for an old picture of Lauren playing the xylophone which her granddad bought for her.

The obvious 'x-ray' came to mind, but there's not much I can write about that which is of any relevance to me or Kuantan.

Then there were fleeting thoughts of cheating slightly by using a word of which 'x' is not the first letter, as in 'excited' or 'axis'. But I'm not into worming my way around things.

A fellow blogger suggested 'X marks the spot' and I just visited a blog who used this as their title, and I did think for a while along those lines.

But deep down I still yearned for a great 'x' word to make my A-Z challenge complete. (I have 'y' and 'z' sorted!) That's when I googled "words beginning with 'x'" and happened upon this website:

www.phrontistery.info/x.html

Hence my word for today: xenodocheionology. And it means 'love of hotels'. Which is very pertinent for my life in Kuantan.

We have stayed in a number of hotels during the last 5 years.

I love to pay a bit extra for some additional quality.

It's not so much that I love having servants run around for me, but I do love the rare circumstance it provides to sit back and relax.

I love the plushy ambience, the cosy music playing placidly in the background.

I do love complimentary buffet breakfasts.

I love the night gowns in the room closet.

I love the feeling of 'getting away' from the speed of normal life.

I have a severe case of xenodocheionology.

The Zenith Hotel in Kuantan

Swiss Garden Resort and Spa in Balok, near Kuantan

Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore

What do you like about hotels?