Day 2 - Damai Laut, Lumut

Ok, it’s official. The worst road in Malaysia for riding is Route 5. This is from where it starts in Johor, all the way to Lumut. It might get a bit better after, but I can’t be bothered to find out.

Headed out of Carey Island at about 0830hrs. I forgot that I was located in/in the vicinity of the Klang Valley, and had to actually pass through Klang. An hour later, leaving Klang after battling rush hour traffic, I was a sweaty mess, and the day was just warming up.

Route 5 (the same from my 21-traffic-light gauntlet from two years ago, although I might be exaggerating the number now) is the same down south as it is up north. Too many traffic lights, too many lorries, too many small towns trying to win the traffic light contest and roadworks almost all the way. This made for slow going, not much overtaking opportunity, a lot of lane-splitting coming up to traffic lights and small town dawdlers out for a Sunday drive on a Tuesday morning.

I’d left Google Maps on for quite a bit as the exit out of Carey/Klang was a bit convoluted. So I had to shut it down and stop occasionally to check my bearings. I missed about three turns on separate occasions and had to double back, adding to my frustration. How could someone get lost using Google Maps? Then I realized what I was doing. Like every caged driver, I was relying solely on the map at the current point, not scrolling ahead and remembering the names of towns that I would need to pass through. So if I got the “head straight for 98 kilometers then turn right” instruction wrong - or just plain forgot while trying to pass the next string of 18-wheelers - I ended up with no idea of where I was nor where I should be going.

Lesson learnt for days 3 through 6.

On the bright side, getting lost did allow me to see Teluk Intan, a quaint and picturesque town.

So after adding an hour and almost 60 additional kms to a 4-hour, 390km ride, I had arrived at my destination, Swiss-Garden Beach Resort. The last 20 minutes of the ride was pure pleasure, long curves up and down a hillside which brought me to the property. It consists of a golf club, “residences” and the resort, and the latter looked fairly new. Reception was at the top of a small hill, and the resort was built downwards to a private beach. Room was lovely, although I didn’t pay extra for a sea- or pool-view. I got the geese cackling under my window in the morning instead, which was a nice, new experience.

Seems that some company was having an event here. But although that meant breakfast the next day was crowded, there was no custom at the restaurant until late. The beautiful beach bar had an abandoned feel about it, although it was supposed to be open daily (I found out that it only opens on weekends). The lounge bar had one customer in it (me) having a beer and writing stuff to the accompaniment of strobe lighting and R&B music. The spa was under renovation.

Nevertheless, I spent a pleasant two hours or so working/writing by the pool which was reasonably crowded with families and groups, and another two hours in the lounge bar. They don’t serve drinks by the pool, which was disappointing. And they had three of the “Legoland buckets” that fill up with water then tip over into the pool. Amverton had this as well, must be the latest in thing. I can imagine kids cajoling their parents to go to these resorts simply for the Legoland bucket. 

All in all, probably the worst leg of the trip bike-wise, but a lovely place to stay at the end of a frustrating ride. Tomorrow will definitely be better. 

East-West Highway, here I come!

View from the pathways round the hotel

Close to sunset, poolside

Desired a beer on this deck, watching the sunset. I was thwarted!

The amazingly cool, abandoned bar. Open weekends only - or so they say