We started our journey at around 10.30 a.m. and our first stop was the well known “Masjid Terapung” in Tanjung Bungah. Popularly known as the “Floating Mosque”, it was built after the 2004 tsunami destroyed a nearby mosque.
It is a marvellous piece of architecture; unfortunately it was low tide at the time of our visit, so it was surrounded by a lot of unsightly mud.
Our drive took us along the coast towards Batu Ferringhi where we stopped at a small batik factory and handicraft shop. We were shown the process of batik printing and of course we could not resist popping into the shop where we picked up a few items. We particularly liked the “manek” or beaded batik purses which were very colourful.
We then passed by the Reservoir and Butterfly Farm and stopped at the Tropical Fruit Farm. We saw an interesting bunch of red bananas which we were told had been specially grown by the farm. You can see a picture of them below. However, it’s only the skin that’s red in colour – I expected the flesh to be red as well!
We were told we could take a jeep up and look at the fruit trees up on the hill (there are over 250 types of tropical fruit grown there) but since it was raining, we decided against it.
There were many other interesting items sold at the Farm such as spices and balms. I was delighted to see Citronella balm among them and bought a bottle to ward off the mosquitoes at home!
We were eager to see a durian plantation but then again, it was too early for durians, so had to be content just looking at the trees as we passed by.
We made it to Balik Pulau by lunch time and had lunch at the market. There were only a few stalls open, so we didn't have much choice. We ordered Pasembor, which was not bad, but the Fried Koay Teow was a disappointment as it was done in a different style and arrived at our table wet and soggy!
Balik Pulau is also famous for its nutmegs. The shops there have two versions - freshly bottled ready-to-drink juice and the concentrated type which is more expensive.
Nutmegs at the Balik Pulau market
Balik Pulau pineapples and mangoes
By 2.00 p.m. or so, we were back home. It was still drizzling but the rain didn’t spoil our trip. It was great fun!
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