All you need to know about Malaysia

Malaysia Cuisine: Petai

Petai is a fetid jungle bean (the size and shape of a butter bean) that features prominently in
Malay cuisine; the beans come in long, flat pods and are harvested by pluckers who shinny up the bare trunks of tall petai trees - risky but rewarding work.

Some pictures of petai, a green bean used in Malay home cooking. It grows in long pods on a very large tree of the Legume family, Parkia speciosa. The beans are very pungent. I’ve most often seen it cooked in sambal tumis ikan bilis, a fried chili paste with dried anchovies. It is also eaten raw dipped in some kind of spicy sambal. A lot of vegetables in the diet are eaten raw with chili sauces instead of salad dressing, a practice known as ulam. I can eat petai on occassion, but mostly I just like the cool texture on the woody knobs that bear the pods (picture 2). Petai is believed to have a beneficial effect on the kidneys and urinary tract. I imagine this is due to the dark brown foul-smelling urine you will pass the day after a petai meal.

Petai is semi-wild; it is often encouraged to grow on the outskirts of kampungs. It is also gathered directly from the forest. In The Economic Valuation of Parkia speciosa in Peninsular Malaysia, Woo Weng Chuen estimates the domestic market at between RM8-24 million per year. Due to the whole smelly brown urine thing, though, I don’t think Petai has much future as an export crop, aside from supply to southeast asian communities in diaspora.

Labels: Delicious Malaysia Cuisine

Malaysia beautiful island : Perhentian Island

Pulau Perhentian is located in the South China Sea 21 km from the coast of Kuala Besut, Terengganut. For hundred of years ago vessel sailing from the south coast of Peninsular Malaysia to Bangkok will stop-by for a rest and shelter at the Island. They all an ancient merchant carrying food, jewelry, vast and etc. As the activities of merchants, sailors and traders from the South of Chinese Sea have taken place, the island is getting popular for their 'one stop station', these Islands were named as 'Once Stop Island' so called 'Pulau Perhentian' in Malay language.

It comprises of two islands; Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Both islands are surrounded by beautiful palm-fringed powdery white sandy beaches and crystal-clear turquoise-blue sea.

The two Perhentian Islands are rated as some of the most beautiful islands in the world; a virtual paradise for snorkelling and diving in crystal-clear water or just for lazing on one of the white sandy beaches waiting for the coconuts to drop …

The two main islands are heavily forested and ringed with sandy beaches, typical of tropical islands. Accomodation for visitors are predominantly aimed at budget travellers and is mostly on the larger Pulau Perhentian Besar, which not only has wonderful beaches but also forest trails over the hills.

Both islands are separated by a very narrow sound but with strong current. The significant different between the two islands is, Perhentian Besar is more for a vocational island while the small one is an island with the mixture of vacation mood and reality life due to the fishing village, Kampung Pasir Hantu which is resided with more than 2000 villagers and completed with basic facilities apart from resorts and guesthouses.

All manner of aquatic life is visible both near and far from the beach such as turtles, sharks, coral and thousands of tropical fish. The interior is covered by jungle with a wide variety of species. You can watch monitor lizards, monkeys, geckos, flying squirrels, butterflies and many other types - sometimes right in front of your chalet. There are no roads and not many paths, so the islands are mainly peaceful and untouched - so far.

How to get there :

To get to the Perhentian Island or Pulau Perhentian (in Malay), The only way to go there is by the sea especially a boat services from Kuala Besut. Arriving on Kuala Besut jetty please come to our sales office (Anjung Holidays) nearby the jetty, and our staff will help and give you free information about how to get the boat and about the resort on Perhentian Island.

Boat from Kuala Besut to Perhentian Island take about 1/2 hour journey by fast boat and 1 1/2 hour by slow boat. Please click here for futher detail about boat to Perhentian Island.

you don't have to worry about miss the boat because there are many guest house or hotel around Kuala Besut. Car parking facilities are available at RM5/night on Kuala Besut.

From Kota Bharu Town / Airport
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Drive to Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut Jetty
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From Kota Bharu Town you can get direct bus (Transnasional) to Kuala Besut, but please tell to the driver that you want to stop at Kuala Besut jetty because some time they will stop you at Tok Bali or some time they drop you at Kuala Besut bridge only. But from Kuala Besut bridge you can walk to the jetty (10 minutes)
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From Kota Bharu Airport there are a few counter selling boat services, but make sure that you look for boat and taxi service to Kuala Besut jetty (the main jetty to Perhentian Island). Airport taxi to Kuala Besut jetty at RM76/car/way. By mini van at RM30/person/way and by Limo at RM180/car/way.

Just look for our counter (in front of the arrival hall) our representative (Mr. Zul) will help you, with all the information, accommodation, land transfer, boat transfer or further information about Perhentian Island or other interesting places in Kelantan & Terengganu.

From Singapore...
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Drive to Johor Bharu > Segamat > Kuantan > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
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You can take flight from Senai Airport (Johor Bharu) to Kota Bharu airport.
~ Take bus from Singapore to Jerteh bus stand and get taxi to Kuala Besut jetty
~ Take train to Tanah Merah train station and get taxi to Kuala Besut jetty

From K.Lumpur....
~ Drive through Karak Highway > Raub > Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > K. Besut
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Drive through Karak Highway > Kuantan > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus from Putra bus stand and stop at Kuala besut jetty or Jarteh bus stand
~ Train from K.L Sentral to Tanah Merah train station
~ Flight from KLIA to Kota Bharu airport

From Penang / Kedah...
~ Drive to Grik > Tanah Merah > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus to Kuala Besut jetty or Jerteh bus stand

Thai Border (Rantau Panjang)
~ Drive through Pasir Mas > Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus to Kota Bharu > Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut
~ Get taxi direct to Kuala Besut jetty

From Taman Negara...
~ Drive through Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take mini van direct to the jetty

From Cameron Highland..
~ Drive through Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take mini van direct to the jetty

From Cerating & Kuantan...
~ Drive to Dungun > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Get bus to Jerteh and take taxi to Kuala Besut


Resort/Chalet :

Perhentian Island (BIG)

~Perhentian Island Resort::..
~Coral View Island Resort::..
~Tropical Reef::..
~Paradise Island Resort::..
~Mama's Place::...
~Cocohut Chalet::..
~A B C Chalet::..
~Tuna Bay Resort::..
~Abdul Chalet::..
~Everfresh Chalet::..
~Flora Bay::..
~Fauna Chalet::..
~Ocean Blue::..
~Samudra::..
~Arwana::..

Perhentian Island (SMALL)

~Long Beach
~ Lilly Chalet::..
~ Bubu Long Beach::..
~ Aur Bay @ Aur Beach::..
~ D'Langir
~ Mira
~ Petani::..
~ Watercolours resort:..

Labels: place of interest