Jul
30
2012

City folks, kampung life @ Pulai Desaru Beach Resort

Howdy peeps! How you been doing? We’re finally back after a 3 day hiatus. We went down south to Pulai Desaru for some much needed back to nature retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I did not bring my laptop along with me as I have this one rule of NOT bringing work along on our vacation. But guess what? I max my iPhone usage during the entire trip that I needed to charge it TWICE a day! Epic phail right? I know.. *shame on me*

Anyway, before I share with you the gorgeous pictures of where we stayed, let me start with what we did shortly after arriving. As soon as we checked-into Pulai Desaru Beach Resort, we got out again into the resort van and endured an hour long journey to this serene place called a ‘kampung’. 

Pulai

It’s quite a culture shock for Ethan and the rest of the kids for I doubt they have seen a real kampung house in the city. 

Desaru Johor

Ethan immediately ran to this shelter as something there caught his attention. 

Desaru

Hah! He has never seen a cradle before! Yeah, he did not have a cradle growing up so this is new to him. But what is new to US is the fact that the cradle is left there in the middle of nowhere under this shade! So breezy and cooling, the baby inside must be having the time of her life in dreamland!

But I can’t help thinking what if  ‘this and that’ happens? You know, as we come from the city, a scene like this is IMPOSSIBLE! With the ever increasing crime rate and fear build-up within the city folks, we are paranoid to the max! So having seen this makes us all think twice about what serenity and calm we have been missing from our life, growing up in the city. Are our kids getting the childhood that they rightly deserve? 

jambu air

It was our first time seeing a real jambu air tree with abundant jambus and flowers on it. I asked my friends in FB what jambu air is called in English and they came out with multiple answers. So children, if you are reading this, let it be known to you that jambu air is also known as water apple, rose apple, bell fruit and wax apple.

Ethan doesn’t even know what this is as he has never eaten this before because the mommy is too glamorous eating only Washington red apples :(

kampung tour

We walked up the staircase into this kampung house and the kids got curious at what is beneath those cover. I saw nice tikar (woven mat) on the floor and the wooden house is painted a pleasant green shade. Even this kampung house has caught up with the times a little as their tudung saji (food cover) is made of plastic instead of the traditionally woven ones. 

We took a peek inside the food cover and saw traditional malay dishes.

We had to wash our hands from the water in the pot and not from the tap but Ethan seems like wanting to bathe from it! That boy is sweating from the sweltering afternoon heat so the host said she’ll switch on the ‘aircond’ and we were like, WOW, they have aircond here! But guess what? Their ‘aircond’ means opening wide the windows of this wooden house letting the natural breeze flow in on this hot and humid afternoon… 

Chow time. No forks, no spoons. You wanna eat, you have to use your fingers just like the kampung folks. We are so pampered at home with tables and chairs, we found eating cross-legged on the floor tough! That’s a cue telling us that our tummies are too big as when we bend to reach for the food, the tummies always get in the way! Hmph.. time to start exercisizing!!

After lunch, the kids spent some time playing in the kampung, chasing after chickens! Well, we don’t have chickens in the city do we? 

Lastly before we leave, this cutie pie Samantha showed us how strong and mighty she is by holding up this C.O.C.O.N.U.T!

It was truly an experienced of a life-time for the kids as I doubt they’ll be able to experience any of this in the near future. We are so caught up with technology that simple life like this is almost impossible to comprehend.. 

15 Comments + Add Comment

  • //

    Im so happy reading your post!! it’s like going back to the past..no fork , no spoon, yet everyone still grinning so happily… that’s the ‘get-together’ spirit, kan?^^

  • //

    Very nice. Must be so enjoyable and interesting – totally different from life in the city. Next trip – Sibu…and to Kanowit to get the Iban longhouse experience. You’ll love it here!

  • //

    Frankly..when I saw your fb photos, I felt so much in joining u guys as it was so near to my home. However, family commitments take precedence and I could only see the pics. The kids really had a good time and they do love nature! Once I brought my kids to sg lembing and they enjoy the kampung life so much. As for the jambu air, eat it with plum powder….it’s damn shiok!

  • //

    Love it…love it.

  • //

    Thanks for the photo my dear, my Sam looks like very”proud” of lifting the coconut lol

  • //

    Kids chasing chicken, they must be having fun!! Btw, those jambu air can get from pasar malam :D Eat with asam powderrrr, syiok weh!

  • //

    Love the natural aircond…. Hahaha…. great kampung experience. It has been a while since I last eat nasi padang with hands back in Indonesia….

  • //

    So nice! I missed my kampung life!! We get all the cool and natural breeze!

  • //

    Nice experience to Ethan. I never visit a “long legs” kampung house before.

  • //

    Feel like pinching cutie pie Samantha’s face. I am sure it is a very different experience than facing the four concrete walls in the city. The breeze, the insects, the air, the trees, the fruits, everything about kampong. Except that kampong don’t have pretty chicks. LOL!

  • //

    aww! so relaxing! glad that u guys have fun there! :)

  • //

    I’ve seen jambu air tree with the jambu air fruits on it. My tuition teacher had the tree. We used to simply pluck it and eat it straight from the tree hahah.

  • //

    Yes it’s nice to stay in a kampung and enjoy the kampung life. But only for a short while. Cos I need to have all the modern amenities like air con, laptop and internet!!! Hahaha!

  • //

    Very nice experience for all of you city folks, esp the kids!

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MeHome is where MY heart is.
I am a mother to two boys; Ethan and Ayden and a wife to Darling William. I'm a stay at home mum who blogs to break the monotony of life and to avoid feeling jaded. Would love to get to know all the Super Mommies and Daddies and Babies or Singles out there with the hope that we can learn more from each other. Most of all, I am a happy person, and I hope YOU are too.

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