The last time we were at Tanjung Sutera, my partner and I tried to catch the sunset but to no avail. This time, he was determined give it another try.

However, our hopes were quickly dashed when we saw the immense cloud cover. So instead of a nice, glowing, ball of light, we saw a sky in a myriad of orange and purple hues, and of course – lots of puffy clouds. Disappointed, we headed back to catch more sleep.

Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and blinding rays of sunlight that peeked through our window, I was shocked that it was already 9+ am! We quickly rushed out of our rooms to the cafeteria, and was greeted by many Kruzers who were eating, or have already finished their breakfast.

Anyway, to curb the disappointing sunrise and breakfast buffet, I decided to order my comfort food – donuts.

Since we are only moving off in the afternoon, we had a lot of spare time after breakfast. Some of us went back to our rooms to curb the post breakfast lethargy, while a handful decided to catch a shuteye right where they were seated.

Having had enough sleep and donuts, I starting roaming ound the resort to take some pictures. Here’s the cafeteria, where many meals are partaken, and many conversations exchanged. Basically, it is where we eat, loiter, and bum around.

Enjoying the sea view, and being serenaded by the sound of crashing waves

2:30pm came faster than a blink of an eye. With much reluctance, we bade farewell to the resort and moved off to our next destination. Here’s a picture of 2 newcomers – Aaron & Karen!

Kruzers waiting at a Traffic Junction

Since the distance from Tanjung Sutera Resort to our dinner destination is short, and we had a few hours to spare, Isaac took us for a slow and easy ride through the trunk roads.

Halfway through, Isaac brought us to a local beach for a short rest. Having traveled in the afternoon heat for some time, this rest stop by the beach, together with an ice-cream man who promptly came to us in hope to sell some ice-cream, was a good break to cool us down

View of the beach. Absolutely loving the azure blue skies!

About 20 minutes or so, we continued on our journey to our last destination for dinner!

Travelling on the Sungai Johor Bridge, (which I hear is) the longest river bridge in Malaysia.

As we journeyed further, the skies started turning grey.  I’m not sure about the rest, but I was praying hard that it wouldn’t rain! Or at least, it wouldn’t rain until we reach our dinner destination!

Alas, the skies gave way. Bummer! So we pulled to the side of the road, under the bridge, and put on our rain gears.

Despite the heavy rain and traffic, we managed to arrive at our destination – JB Permas Seafood Restaurant – safely.

The interiors of the restaurant are bright and spacious.

Since I didn’t have lunch at Tanjung Sutera Resort before we left, I was quite famished by the time it was dinner. Catering to the urgent needs of my stomach, I didn’t take any pictures except for the Oyster Clams.

But all in all, the food was good albeit a bit pricey. Regardless of the price, a sumptuous dinner along with good company, is always a good way to end a trip.

As we arrived at JB Permas Seafood Restuarant in the early evening, it was about dusk when we finished our meals. Which means that we could still catch the sunset!

As night slowly fell, the crowd at JB Permas Seafood Restaurant started building up. At the same time,  we started making our way back home.

Such is Kruzer’s AGM trip to Tanjung Sutera. Located just 100+ kilometers away, Tanjung Sutera resort is one of Kruzer’s favorite locations to unwind, chill, and relaxation.

And although it is a familiar place to many, there are some things in this trip that are different from the previous – like 3 new friendships that we’ve made, and an Annual General Meeting that was held in a spacious hall.. with our bikes!

Arriving just slightly before the meet up time at 7am, I was delighted to catch some sunrise while waiting for the rest to arrive.

The other early birds took this opportunity to catch up, check their bikes, and attend to some trip administrative matters like signing of the indemnity forms and receiving their info tags.

More bikes arrived as time passed

At about 7:50am, our pre-trip briefing began. As usual, Isaac gave us some advise about the waypoints and riding etiquettes.

As mentioned earlier, Tanjung Sutera is one of Kruzer’s favorite destinations, which explains the large crowd of kruzers who signed up for this trip.

Minutes later, we headed off to our next destination – breakfast!

By the way, there’s something about this picture that I like. Perhaps the misty view, bare roads, and the verdant slopes by the side make it look as if we are off to a mystical land.

CY waves to the camera

Usually for me, one very effective way to stay awake on a bike trip is to keep myself occupied, like practicing my photography on interesting subjects or other riders.

Kruzer crowd posing for the camera at a traffic junction

After riding through several trunk roads and squeezing through the morning traffic, we finally made it to our breakfast destination at Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh.

Well known by the locals and other Bak Kut Teh aficionados, Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh is an unassuming eatery that is located along one of the dusty roads of Kota Tinggi. With such fame locally and in Singapore, it is no wonder that the place is crowded even at 10am when we arrived!

However, I personally thought wasn’t as good as the one we had at Wing Kee, which located further up at Northwest at Rawang. The soup base wasn’t as herbal, and there wasn’t as many side dishes. More importantly, the ambience at Wing Kee Bak Kut Teh is air conditioned and provides a more cooling and comfortable environment for riders like us, who battle the raging heat of the sun when riding in the day.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not being atas (malay meaning for being ‘higher up’, and has the connotation of being snobbish). But which would you prefer? Having your meals in an air-conditioned place, or swatting flies and eating in the sun as beads of perspiration tickle down your forehead?

Kruzers enjoying their first sumptuous meal of the day

If you don’t know already, Kruzers have a big appetite and are passionate about food. Combine that with hunger and the watchful eyes of people who were standing around and waiting for a seat, we quickly finished our breakfast and made our way to our final destination.

What comes after breakfast, is a ride through more trunk roads, followed by a short rest-stop and photo-taking session at this bridge.

Sean, immersing himself to the surreality of the peaceful river

.. and others, who were engaged in (what looks like some serious) conversations

Having had enough rest and photos taken, Isaac signaled for us to move off. And since we were a stone’s throw from the resort, we arrived at our destination in about 15 minutes or so.

The hall that's transformed into a makeshift bike parking-cum-AGM meeting place

Upon arrival, look what greeted us? Neatly arranged tables and chairs for our Annual General Meeting in the afternoon! Kudos to the resort owner for his nice gesture and effort.

Shortly after we parked our bikes and took out our luggages from the bikes, Jocelyne gave out our room keys, and we took no hesitation to go to our rooms, change into our casual beachwear, and head down to the resort’s cafeteria to mingle over our drinks.

By the way, I’m not sure if you can see, but in the picture above, some of us looks like we are having a beer-y blissful moment. Haha!

While the rest were happily chatting, I went to put my camera into good use.

Here’s the splendid sea view from the resort. The calmness and vastness of the waters just adds to the tranquility of the place, and what’s probably missing is a hammock, a book, and a cup of coffee.

The little suite beneath the look-out platform sure does look like a room with a view

The gentle sea breeze puts Richard into sleep

Apart from the stunning sea view, what I like about this place is their pool. It might look like an ordinary pool – perhaps less fancy and smaller in size – but try dipping in this pool and looking out to the sea. That’s just pure relaxation.

That aside, this pool is where Kruzers have helluva fun! From water guns to life buoys, we definitely know how to have a wild wild wet! time.

But before an afternoon of pool fun and drinks begin, Isaac decided to have the Annual General Meeting first.

Seating in a classroom arrangement with our bikes and having our AGM in a foreign land (for the first time), we Kruzers sure know how to rock an AGM meeting!

By the time we ended the meeting, it was lunch time. So we headed back to the cafeteria where a spread of local delights await.

Disconnected from technology and surrounded by nature, leisure activities are limited to sleeping, reading, and swimming. But with more than 10 Kruzers armed with water guns and heading to the pool, you know that we have a different definition of swimming, and that some very serious water battle is going to happen.

Zack, taking some pool action

Boys and toys

Jo, caught in the line of fire. I mean water.

The boys' common target for the day: CY!

Unless you’ve got a waterproof watch, it is hard to tell what time is it, and how long we’ve been in the pool. But our marvelous bodies do know how to drop 1 or 2 signs to get us out of the pool: Shriveled skin and a hungry stomach.

Which is why Jocelyne ordered 30 donuts.

Anyway, these sweet, soft, and delicious balls of dough is (also) one of the things that I like about this resort. SERIOUSLY, THESE DONUTS ARE GOOD.

In a blink of an eye, the afternoon was gone and dinner soon approached. While waiting for our food to be ready, Jocelyne distributed the postcards for us to write.

By the way, I’m not sure if I’ve explained before but if I haven’t, these postcards serve as a memorabilia to those that join Kruzer trips.

Meanwhile, more chatter and banter continued

Alas! The smell of barbecued seafood and grilled meat filled the air at about 7:30pm. Judging from the long queue at the buffet counter, a lot of us must be famished from waiting.

Shortly after dinner, while the rest were having their drinks and busy with conversations, Jocelyne sneaked into the kitchen to prepare a birthday surprise.. with cupcakes!

Lionel gives Jocelyne a hand, and probably spreading cream cheese icing for the first time

The final product, with rainbow sprinkles sprinkled by yours truly. As to why the cupcakes are irregularly shaped, I’ll leave Jocelyne to give you an animated and amusing explanation. He He!

After all the preparation, we walked out of the kitchen quietly and approached our birthday girl – Racheal. You should have seen her surprised and oh-I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening look! Needless to say, the atmosphere evolved to one that’s filled with the singings of a slightly out-of-tune Happy Birthday song, and lots of clapping. Happy Birthday Racheal!

The night went on till about 11pm thereabouts before we headed back to our rooms.

Summarizing today’s activity in 5 words, it would be: Food, Drinks, Pool, AGM, and Cupcakes.

Oh, and Earwax. But hey, that’s probably for me to know and for you to (probably not) find out.

But in Kruzer’s calendar, these public holidays usually reflect the different kinds of rides.

So during the Good Friday holiday, while some go to church, laze around at home, and meet up their friends, Kruzers head out across the border for a ride.

The motorcycle lane that's guided by the dotted white line and demarcated by the car mirrors

Since it was a public holiday and a long weekend, there were many Singaporean cars that were heading to Malaysia as well. BUMMER!

Without much of a choice, we squeezed through this bad jam of cars from the middle of the causeway, all the way to the Malaysia check point which was about 6km. You bet we reek of perspiration and exhaust when we arrived at GP Esso!

Kruzers waiting for the others to arrive

Just as we were about to leave GP Esso, it started to drizzle, which prompted us to put on our raincoats. Isaac then led us to a small kampong eatery that is located by the sea, for lunch.

But the road leading to our lunch venue was not without some difficulty. With parts of the road filled with gravel and sand, I feared that the rain would add more toil and trouble if the slightly off-road trail became muddy or slippery.

Small eatery on stilts, and in a boat (which is blocked by the Valkyrie)

Fortunately, the bikes were able to get through the slightly rough terrain and incline, and we arrived at our lunch venue safely.

My Mee Goreng. A tad spicy and salty, but still fills the tummy.

The clouds are clearing up

As we ate and fellowshipped over the lunch table, the skies gradually lit up a little, and the rain reduced to a very light drizzle. Regardless, we still put on our rain gear in fear that other parts of Malaysia might still be raining.

The distance to our next destination wasn’t too far. In about 10 to 15 minutes or so, we arrived at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club for tea.

Welcome to Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club

With a view overlooking the luxuriant lanscape, while having our snacks and beverages, this pitstop was truly a relaxing tea-break for us.

Lionel, enjoying his drink and enjoying the benefits of free WIFI.

My double scoop ice-cream - full of flavours, sweetness, and calories.

Aaron & Karen enjoying their afternoon treats

Having spent almost 2 hours in Horizon Hill, it was time to move off to our next food pitstop.. for dinner! As you can tell, eating (followed by beer) is a very crucial activity for Kruzers.

Kruzer giving a WTF (Where's-The-Food) look.

Pork Floss Soft Shell Crab - the highlight of dinner.

Having stuffed ourselves with a sumptuous spread of food, it was time to head home.

Coincidentally, we passed by a bike wash stall which was just a few meters from our dinner venue, and ended up giving our bikes a bath before heading back home.

Bikes having a good bath!

Admittedly, though the rain did dampen (pun intended) our spirits in the morning, our moods were lifted in the afternoon – all thanks to the sun, good food, nice view, and lovely conversations at Horizon Hill and over the dinner table.

Having that said, the bulge on my tummy and the good night sleep was evidence of how much I enjoyed this trip.

Oh! Speaking of bulge, I think a jog is much needed.

This ride will start late Friday night and arriving at the resort about noon. We will stay for 2 nights and head home on Monday. We will take an easy ride back on Monday as Tuesday is a holiday. More details will be available soon.

For now, we need the number of people going so that we can confirm our reservations. So please add your names in as soon as you can. I need to make first confirmation by next Friday.

Trip estimated cost is SGD$150 for 3D/2N twin sharing with breakfast.

Please bear in mind that you will have to take Monday off.

Reference:

http://www.belumresort.com/hotel.html

Namelist
01. Jocelyne
02. Isaac Chan
03. Phyo Si Thu
04. Kenneth Fok
05. Lionel Chew
06. Grace Leong
07. Teo Soon Guan
08. Karen
09. Aaron Rasmussen

Well, this is not always the case. There are some instances where we miss a month because of big holidays like Christmas etc, or when we try to plan our overnight trips over weekend public holidays i.e. our upcoming overnight trip to Banding in April instead of March.

So back to our day trip in February:

07:30am - 7 Bikes and 13 people arrived at GP Esso. Most seemed to be in good spirits, filled with buzz and anticipation.

About half an hour or so, we moved off from GP Esso and headed to our first “feeding ground”.

Kruzers arrive at Bale Equestrian & Country Club, Leisure Farm Resort

Unlike the breakfast venues I’ve been to, Bale Equestrian & Country Club provides a picturesque view of lush greenery and tranquility. Facing the equestrian field and having a sumptuous breakfast while having the place to ourselves in complete serenity – you can say that it is one of the best breakfast I’ve ever had.

Coffee. Orange Juice. Omelette, Sausages, and Toast. What more can one ask for? Perhaps another plate?

Before we could digest our very hearty breakfast, it was time to move off to our next destination – Malacca.

Kruzers refueling at Pagoh R&R

Continuing with our journey, I decided to take some on-the-go shots to kill some boredom. That’s when I spotted Greg doing the “Look Mum, No Hands!” act. Please kids, don’t try this at home. And fellow riders, don’t “Monkey See, Monkey Do!”

Finally at about 1pm thereabouts, we arrived at Malacca Town. Riding through the congested roads of Malacca is never easy, especially when you are traveling in a big group in the hot sun.

Fortunately, we managed to make our way to our lunch venue without anyone getting lost. The dense cloud over and slight drizzle also made the weather cool for us to ride in.

Kruzers at Sun May Hiong Pork Satay, Jalan Kota Laksamana, Off Jonker Street, Melaka/Malacca

Food on sticks, one of our fave food.

Within an hour or two, the skies finally gave way to showers of rain, leaving us sitting along the corridor of a shophouse to wait.

When the skies started clearing up and the rain evolved into a drizzle, we made our way to Shah’s Beach Resort for tea.

At this point, you must be wondering why the frequent food stops. Well, that’s what R.E.S trips are – Rest, Eat, Slack – in which this sequence can be permutated in various number of sequences before heading home.

Actually, our purpose of having tea at Shah’s Beach Resort was to kill some time before Cliff’s Sunset Retreat opens at 5:30PM.

But arriving at 5:15PM, we were surprised to see that the place was closed. (Usually they open earlier than 5:30PM) Unwavering and determined, we decided to wait until 5:30PM to see if our favorite hangout place in Malacca would open for business.

Our fears turned to joy when one of the staff opened the gate minutes before 5:30PM. After which, we spared no hesitation in making ourselves comfortable.

The calm waters reflecting the colors of the nearing sunset certainly calms the soul, and provide a beautiful and romantic setting for our dinner.

Minutes later, dusk falls..

Apart from dinner, we also threw Kelvin a surprise birthday celebration! (Happy Birthday Kelvin!)

Though we arrived back in Singapore at about midnight, it sure was fun to go on a ride with good company and good food. No doubt, we can Rest, Eat, and Slack in Singapore. But it’s the journey that ultimately soothes the itchy rums of our riders, and the jaunts in a foreign lands that make it ever more exciting.

And having said that, I enjoyed myself today. You know what, my stomach can vouch for that.

To jolt your memory and bring back those lovely reminiscences, we share with you some of the post-trip thoughts and experiences from our fellow Kruzers:

Cost : $80 members/ $120 non-members*
Cost includes twin-sharing accommodation and lunch/BBQ dinner/breakfast

*non-member’s price applies to participants who joined us before in previous rides(over-night trips)

MEMBERS:
01. Jocelyne Yeo
02. Isaac Chan
03. Chow Lean Chew
04. Mabel Wong
05. Gan Teck How
06. Teo Soon Guan
07. Kenneth Fok
08. Paul Cheong
09. Xiaojia Racheal
10. Kenny Phang
11. Chin Yee Siong
12. Zack Lim
13. Cheng Sing
14. Lionel Chew
15. CY
16. Richard Meischke

NON-MEMBERS:
01. Ri’an Tan
02. Grace Magdalene Leong
03. Jo Lee
04. Ling Ong

If you would like to join us, please email Isaac at: isaacchan@ymail.com

Starting at 7.30 where we meet, we will start “feeding” then head to Malacca for more feed and rest .. and more drinks and feeding at dinner before heading back. We should leave Malacca about 8pm so arrival back at GP Esso South Bound abou 11.30pm. It will be a whole day affair and we will try to find a place for us to get some rest in the afternoon. More details soon.

If you would like to join us, please email Isaac at: isaacchan@ymail.com

Breathing the fresh air, thinking about breakfast, enjoy the quietness and loving the tranquility at Fraser’s, I woke up feeling rejuvenated, revitalized, and mostly – hungry.

The morning mist at Fraser's Hill

So braving the morning fog and chilly weather, my partner and I headed to the resort’s cafeteria for breakfast. Isn’t it beautiful how the morning fog sits on the quiet town of Fraser’s Hill?

Breakfast amongst the clouds

Arriving at 8:30am, we were surprised to see that most of the Kruzers were in the midst of having their breakfast. Glancing at the leftovers at the buffet table, I concluded that the early bird really catches the worm!

A tranquil sight greets us at our rooms..

After which, we headed back to our rooms to pack our belongings before leaving the resort. Couldn’t help but notice the misty clouds outside our balcony. It’s truly a tranquil sight; one we don’t get to see back in Singapore.

Goodbye Fraser's Hill!

And like how all good things don’t last long, we moved off from Fraser’s Hill at approximately 1:30pm. Goodbye cool weather and fresh air!

Passing through a misty bridge, as if traveling to a destination unknown..

While twisting down the new route from Fraser’s Hill, we passed by this bridge which made me recall the lyrics of Misty Morning, Albert Bridge:

Regrouping at a popular spot on Fraser's Hill..

Arriving at the famous Fraser’s Hill signboard which was also our regroup location, the group waited for the other riders like yours truly, who detoured to another part of Fraser’s Town to post our Kruzer Postcards.

Kruzers stopping by the bridge

After several loops and bends, we stopped by another scenic spot at Bukit Frasers to regroup and catch a breather.

Enjoying the last bit of nice scenery and cool air before heading down Fraser's

Kruzers twisting down Fraser's

Led by our hunger and eagerness for some delicious Bak Kut Teh, we continued our journey to the lunch venue.

Our lunch destination - Wing Kee Bak Kut Teh

After an hour, and several minor traffic built-ups, we finally arrived at our lunch venue; one which I personally favour because of their tasty Wet Bak Kut Teh. 

The sumptuous spread of food tantalizes

So as usual, the folks in my table agreed to order a set which comprises of several dishes like Steamed Fish, Chicken drumlets, Stir-fried beansprouts,Dry Bak Kut Teh, Wet Bak Kut Teh, and other delicious dishes. I bet you must be salivating at the pictures now!

Kruzers riding into the sunset

By the time we finished our late lunch, it was almost dusk. Suffice to say, we had a glimpse of the poetic sunset en route home.

Phyo waves to the camera

Along the way, I decided to keep myself awake by practicing some road photography. Check out my subject – Phyo – who waves hello to the camera.

Our second last fuel stop at Pagoh

By the time we reached Pagoh R&R – our second last fuel stop – it was about about 8pm. Here, a poll was done to find out who wanted to have dinner first before going back, or who wanted to head home directly. As you can see from the picture above, it seemed like a very serious discussion. But trust me, that’s what the Black & White effect does to your photographs – make things look serious.

The night falls upon our journey home

Before we went our separate ways, we regrouped at the road shoulder of the highway after our turnoff towards second link Tuas.

Ginormous portion of dinner!

While most of the group headed straight home, a group of us rode to our current favorite Friday hangout for dinner.

Chow gobbles up the leftovers

You might think that we’d be tired after traveling 400 over kilometers. But check out our friend Chow, who smiles cheekily at the camera while wiping out the rest of the noodles. Tired? I let out a soft chuckle.

I’m kidding. Well, after traveling 400km+, we are bound to get some saddle sores, let out a few contagious yawns, and inherit a sluggish disposition. But having conquered the winding roads of Fraser’s Hill while noticing a drop in temperatures, a beer or two while engaging in a lively conversation with fellow Kruzers, breakfast amidst the clouds – it’s totally worth it.

Till then folks!

PS: The next long trip will be on the 28th March.

PPS: If shorter trips are of your preference, the upcoming trip to Malacca on the 18th February might interest you.