Day 9 Oct 23 Pantai Kemunting Part 2

There is an enormous number of chalets along this stretch of beach. It seemed that every other residence had a number of rooms or some modest separate building set up as a chalet. There were also a handful of larger, more ostentatious establishments.

The Ismah Resort sits nicely in the middle of the two types - a low-rise development comprising two rows of chalets leading down to the beach, with an open-sided function area in the middle and a small pool set back a bit. The development stretches from the main road all the way to the parralel-running kampung road by the sea. Managed by Hajjah Rahmah and, I presume, her husband Ismail, the name of the resort is obviously derived from both theirs.

I rode down the steep slope to the main office building, and met Hajjah Rahmah who gave me a discounted rate on the chalet unit closest to the beach. The whole development looked very new and I was surprised when she said it'd been around 3 or 4 years. She smiled and said cleanliness and upkeep were very important to her - and it showed.

The unit had a small verandah where I put down my wet things, and a car park lot right in front where I washed the bike down with some water. It was full of sand and grit, as were the in-facing sides of the panniers. I washed those down with squirts from my water bottle too.

Inside was a queen-size bed with fresh and crisp floral-pattern sheets, a side table, a dresser cum desk, a TV mounted on the wall and a chair. A wardrobe in one wall was set next to the bathroom. A good-sized room, the bike rolled in with plenty to spare. I was quite impressed - everything really did look neat, tidy, even new.

Hajjah Rahmah brought me a kettle and that's when the illusion started to, not shatter, but perhaps crack a tiny bit. There were two plug points in the room, one set in the wall at the head of the bed and the other, across from it and under the TV. Both were about 4 feet off the floor. The wire attached to the kettle was about oh... a foot-and-a-half long.... I eventually adapted and moved the chair over to the wall, upon which I sat the kettle and boiled up some water. Details... details...

Still, the rest of the place was very nice and clean. I saw one of the staff walking the short stretch of beach right in front of the resort, picking up litter. Talking about the beach, the yellow sand here is nothing to shout about I guess, but the Ismah Resort did have its own 30 or 40 metre stretch, bounded on both sides by trees and bushes and on this stretch they'd put up a swing and marked out a volleyball court as well.

Grace had said there was a chance I could watch as they released some hatchlings that night and I asked her to call me, whatever the time. As things turned out, she later rang and said something had come up and so I would not be able to witness this remarkable event after all.

I walked out along the kampung road for my dinner later that evening. I walked for a couple of km, found nothing much open and eventually settled on a set of stalls just starting up for the evening. I had one of the best Maggi Mee Gorengs I've ever had - with prawns and sotong among others, and topped off with slices of red chillies for that added zing. The wind was blowing almost a gale and it was a wonder the cook could get any cooking done at all! Her husband was perched on the seawall hastily banging in some sheets of corrugated roofing to block off more of the wind.

When I later told Hajjah Rahmah of my plan to check out early, and seeing that there were no other guests on this weekday, she gave me a her mobile number and told me to call her - even at 6 am. When I did that the next morning, true enough, Ismail met me at the office and checked me out, then opened the back boom-gate so I could go out. We spoke for a few minutes about my route and what I was doing and he thanked me for staying with them, then wished me well for my journey ahead.

A very nice couple and a very nice place indeed. I especially liked the care they put into the upkeep of the place. Sure, competition was stiff, but I saw lots of other chalets along the beach which were in a more perilous state, and whose owners and operators had not half the dedication Hajjah Rahmah and Ismail had. Perhaps next turtle season...
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