Beach near Kuantan Port

As we travel weekly to Kuantan Port for work, we decided to stop off at a little beach right by the side of the road near Kuantan Port.

This is most definitely NOT on the list of tourist attractions for Kuantan. It's quite an 'off the beaten track' area which only those who live here can really know.

Anyway, Kuantan Port is an industrial area with many heavy and dirty lorries passing through these roads every minute of the day. I remarked to my wife on our first voyage out here that we must be getting close to Kuantan Port as everywhere is brown! The roads, traffic lights, signs, trees and shops are smothered in brown dirt. Like this:

Dirt covers everything just a few hundred yards from Kuantan Port

And this little beach has paid the price of being so close to this industrial area too.

On the flipside, it's great for photography!

Remnants of a broken tree

The polluted trees make such lovely lines for photography

This entirely uprooted tree provides many angles

View through the rocks to the South China Sea

View of this little beach from the roadside near Kuantan Port

There were a couple of stray dogs wandering around the roadside, and some monkeys walking around, but luckily they didn't bother us!

Top 20 Photos of 2013 - #15

#15

At #15 is this charming view of the beach named Teluk Chempedak, Kuantan's most famous coastal location. I wanted to capture something other than the usual sand, sea and sky scene, which looks so picture perfect in travel magazines and online articles. In contrast to the usual blues and browns found at beaches, this scene displays the greens of nature which are so abundant at Teluk Chempedak. The new red footbridge transports people from the first beach to the second, and as it can be a strenuous walk for some, there is shelter on the way to stop for a few moments and admire the sea, as the people in this photo are so doing.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 - #16

#16

The KL Tower with quite a different foreground. I snapped this photo whilst visiting the National Mosque (Masjid Negara) in Kuala Lumpur. I had planned to go inside and admire the interior of the mosque but unfortunately the queue was lengthy and moving slow and time was not so free. So instead I walked around the grounds and took some photos of the exterior and surroundings. (One of these shots became my favourite of the whole year, but more on that later!) Whilst standing in the upper courtyard, I caught a glimpse of the KL Tower behind the hedges and trees. Back home I cropped the photo to bring more of a focus onto the man-made and the natural - the tower and the trees. While Malaysia continues to grow and become more advanced, I sincerely hope that it retains nature and allows the greenery to flourish.

Kuantan Skies #8

This is part 8 in a series of 26 photographs of the Kuantan Skies taken this year. All but 3 were taken from my window or balcony.

Kuantan Skies #8 - A view of the evening sky through the branches of a tree

The hills of Teluk Chempedak

The many trees of the Teluk Chempedak hill overlap the foot bridge linking the main beach with a second one. The greenery is a fascinating sight and is still home to a large troop of monkeys who come out during the lunch hour.

The example of patience on Sekilau Hill

Every day I look out my window to a beautiful view of Sekilau Hill (Bukit Sekilau):

I wish I could be as patient as the trees on Sekilau Hill . . .

Come rain or shine they stand in their place and wait patiently . . .

They don't tremble when mists of uncertainty temporarily cover them . . 

They don't worry when the skies turn grey . . .

They also patiently admire the skies on better days . . .

They enjoy the sun when it shines upon them . . .

But they also quietly persevere when the monsoon rains descend . . .

I wish I could be as patient as the trees on Sekilau Hill

Observing the moon

I love the moon. It looks great in the evening and night sky. I know that I need a professional camera to get the necessary zoom ability to capture great photos of it.

Here are some photos of the moon in Kuantan which I captured with my Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot. I think they look pretty. What do you think?

The bright white moon hovers over Bukit Sekilau

What is our fascination with the moon? Did man really land on the moon? The moon shows us something we don't fully understand about space, and what could lie further beyond our moon

The moon is framed by a selection of trees in a small field in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan

The fading light of day only enhances the sunlight hitting the moon as it shines brightly over houses in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan

The moon is not subject to the laws of gravity, as are objects here on earth. In this photo the moon hangs nicely between the frame of two tree branches at a field in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan

I hope you enjoyed those photos. What fascinates you about the moon?

In Hornbill Territory

While we were having breakfast at Vistana Hotel the other morning, I glanced out the window and saw a couple of hornbill's hopping across the wall. I slowly crept close enough to capture a couple of photos. They didn't seem to mind my presence.

This is the second time we've spotted this marvellous bird in Kuantan. Hornbills typically live in the trees and eat fruit as their main diet. On this occasion they were happily trying to catch smaller birds who seemed to enjoy flying dangerously close to these bigger hornbills!

Pantai Sepat (Sepat Beach), Kuantan

Pantai Sepat is a straight stretch of sand and sea in Kuantan. It's a lovely beach located by the roadside at the Tanjung Lumpur side of Kuantan. Travelling over the bridge to Tanjung Lumpur, drive straight past the Yayasan Pahang building. The next left turn at a junction is the road to take you past Sungai Soi. A few more kilometres and the beach will materialise on your left-hand side.

Pantai Sepat is literally by the roadside. It sits in jungle-type land with many old wooden houses in the vicinity and herds of cows grazing on the grass or taking a lie down under a shady tree. Young boys on bicycles cycled on the wrong side of the road in front of our car.

I love these twisted trees at Pantai Sepat

Lauren poses beautifully by the trees!

I enjoyed our short visit to Pantai Sepat, but it was just too hot!

Lauren at Pantai Sepat

A stray knarled branch lies on the beach

Fidelia stayed in the car with Leah while I took photos

Little purple flowers run from the grass onto the beach