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Selangor : Scenic Sekinchan Padi Fields Ride
Medium Group Ride - Sekinchan>Pantai Redang>Pasir Panjang>Sg. Nibong>Sekinchan Padi Fields>Rice Factory>Sekinchan
Cycling Distance Covered : 41.20 km.
Time : 8:20 am - 6:30 pm
Time Taken : approx. 10 hrs. 10 mins. (including stops for brunch, dinner, factory visits, admiring padi fields, photos & regrouping)
Route Recommendations :
1. The sunset at the Pantai Redang and Pasir Panjang beaches are beautiful. The sun sets around 7:00 - 7:30 pm.
2. Riding along the earth bund from Pantai Redang to Pasir Panjang is an experience as the sea and rocky coast are beautiful too. If riding here after a rainy day, do be prepared for muddy tracks and puddles.
3. Don't miss the padi fields and irrigation canals. We rode through those at the north-east of Sekinchan town. In a way we were lucky as it rained a couple of days earlier and the skies were bright and blue, thus making the padi fields scenery very panoramic.
4. On a hot sunny day, the padi fields area gets rather hot; do cover up appropriately or apply sun-block lotion. Carry adequate water to re-hyddrate youselves frequently.
5. Along the way (eg. at Bagan Sekinchan), there will be fishing villages where colourful boats will be moored.
6. Do visit the cottage industries and factories that produces Yong Tau Foo, rice products and crackers. Spend some time to see how they make their products.
7. End the ride with dinner at any of the numerous sea-food restaurants and then adjourn to the beaches to watch the sun set gloriously; or vice versa.
Time : 8:20 am - 6:30 pm
Time Taken : approx. 10 hrs. 10 mins. (including stops for brunch, dinner, factory visits, admiring padi fields, photos & regrouping)
Route Recommendations :
1. The sunset at the Pantai Redang and Pasir Panjang beaches are beautiful. The sun sets around 7:00 - 7:30 pm.
2. Riding along the earth bund from Pantai Redang to Pasir Panjang is an experience as the sea and rocky coast are beautiful too. If riding here after a rainy day, do be prepared for muddy tracks and puddles.
3. Don't miss the padi fields and irrigation canals. We rode through those at the north-east of Sekinchan town. In a way we were lucky as it rained a couple of days earlier and the skies were bright and blue, thus making the padi fields scenery very panoramic.
4. On a hot sunny day, the padi fields area gets rather hot; do cover up appropriately or apply sun-block lotion. Carry adequate water to re-hyddrate youselves frequently.
5. Along the way (eg. at Bagan Sekinchan), there will be fishing villages where colourful boats will be moored.
6. Do visit the cottage industries and factories that produces Yong Tau Foo, rice products and crackers. Spend some time to see how they make their products.
7. End the ride with dinner at any of the numerous sea-food restaurants and then adjourn to the beaches to watch the sun set gloriously; or vice versa.
PRELUDE
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| Kite flying at Sekinchan Beach |
Sekinchan is an interesting place. I was introduced to the place when we rode from Kuala Lumpur to this place in early 2013 (... see blog). We spent only one night there, by the time we reached the place it was evening and we left early the following morning. So we did not get to really see the place that much, but that introduction has tickled my fancy.
Earlier this year, we had a group cycling from Sekinchan to Sungai Besar. We cycled along the laterite bunds, into oil palm estates. We returned riding through the padi fields of this area. That nice ride and the beautiful scenery got me hooked on the place, and I was looking towards riding there again.
So when SC Chin invited me for his event on cycling from Sekinchan to Sungai Nibong, I was tickled again. And when he posted the time-table for the ride that included visits to a fishing village, the paddy fields and even some local food industries; I was very keen and ready to join him.
THE RIDE!
View Sekinchan Padi Fields Ride Map (41.2 km) in a larger map
Route: Sekinchan>Pantai Redang>Pasir Panjang>Sg. Nibong>Sekinchan Padi Fields>Rice Factory>Sekinchan
The route will take us from Pantai Redang, cycling along the seaside bunds to Pasir Panjang, with lunch at Sungai Nibong. From there we will head to the padi fields and a rice factory before returning to Sekinchan town to visit some other cottage industries.
Seems like I was not the only one keen. Chin's route and points of interest attracted others too; in all 54 of us turned up for the ride. Chin's meticulous planning and good posting of photos at his FaceBook event page brings confidence to participants; just like the one which he and Liliana organized to the Serendah Waterfalls (... see ride blog) where 57 took part.
Kicking off, our first destination was the Dong Xin Yong Tau Foo Factory. Well, actually this is a cottage industry housed in a single storey timber building partly sitting on stilts next to the river. Here we observed and learned how Yong Tau Foo is made.
The fish paste used to make the Yong Tau Foo looks so fresh and delicious that we were tempted to buy some there and then. But Chin advised us that we will be back here again in the late afternoon at the end of our ride. In his event page, he had also advised us to bring ice boxes to store any fresh food purchased! (... see blog on Sekinchan Yong Tau Foo).
Just round the corner at another street and we were at the fishing village at Bagan Sekinchan. The colourful trawler boats with their reflections on the calm river mouth always make for a good photo.
(click here to see a video of colourful fishing boats)
Riding on stilted concrete walkways over the river, we headed further towards the river mouth...
... where the fishermen were returning with their catch of fish and prawns.
At Pantai Redang, I noticed that where previously there was one little tree house, now there were a few and much larger ones too. It's just slightly more than a year since my first visit here and how things have changed! Tourists must be visiting Sekinchan in throngs, best to go there before the idyllic lifestyle is no more.
Couple-friends took turns to have their photos taken at this new "I love Sekinchan" signboard.
To one side of the beach is a wishing tree. People wanting their wishes to come true, write it on a red cloth and then throw it up to be snagged on one of its branches. Many couple, hoping for more, do this after taking their loving photo at that "I Love Sekinchan" sign.
(click here to see video of Pantai Redang)
Time for some serious cycling, time to ride from Pantai Redang to Sungai Nibong on the seaside laterite bund track. It was a pleasant day to cycle as we were triple blessed today:
Blessed by nice blue skies.
Blessed by a pause in the rainy weather, thus making the bund laterite tracks dry and not muddy.
Blessed by a low tide that exposed the rocky shores along the way, making the scenery even better.
A short distance away is the Pasir Panjang beach; time for a short break here to enjoy the breezy sea air and have some fun...
Jumping with joy at the beach.
I was wrong to say that we are thrice blessed; we are actually four-times blessed!
The most important blessing of all - good friends to share our lives with.
One of Anne's jump shot was photo-shopped by KT Wong; and she ended up looking like a cyclist witch.
Yes, we have fun during our rides AND we have fun after the rides too - poking fun of photos of ourselves.
Ahead the track moved away from the beach and narrowed to the point where we had to ride single-file and with care as to one side is a slope.
12.00 noon - Time for lunch, best eat now as we will be hitting the padi fields area later on and it won't be easy to find a place to feed so may of us there. We stopped at a stall called Mee Udang King Original at 23rd Mile Sungai Nibong. Some of us had this Mee Bandung Udang.
While others had this Mee Goreng Udang. The food here was not too bad; but I had tasted better at Mee Udang Mak Jah in Kuala Sepetang.
The afternoons are a good time to see the padi fields as in the bright sunlight the colours of the padi and sky becomes very vivid. It gets quite hot too, so do protect yourself from the sun.
Taking in the heat was worth it as the Padi Fields Of Sekinchan is panoramic and scenic. We were there towards the tail end of planting season; the padi was maturing turning dark green and then golden yellow.
(... see video of padi fields)
In the wide shadeless expanse were pockets of shady areas with nice kampong houses.
(... see another video of padi fields).
Irrigation canals criss-cross the fields and add to the beautiful landscape.
The picturesque scenery was enthralling and fascinating; drawing most of us to stop frequently to take photos of the paddies, the canals and even of the flowers and fruits. In our captivation, a few of us lost track of time.
Amidst the acres and acres of paddies a white building stands out. This is the PLS Marketing rice factory where we popped in for an educational visit. Yes, it's another learning experience. See, we don't just cycle we learn too!
Thank goodness that the showroom inside was air-conditioned, it was a relief for us sweaty cyclists!
Here one can shop for rice and many rice-related items. They do conduct educational tours too; call them at +603-3243 6558 / +016-205 6558 to arrange for one.
(Click here to see blog on this factory)
Leaving the factory, we took a short ride back to Sekinchan, dropping by at the Yong Tau Foo Factory, this time to do some shopping. Then it was an early sea-food dinner at Restoran Bagan Sekinchan; amongst the good food we had this delicious Crab Fried Mee Hoon.
Even after dinner our ride had not ended yet. Some of us rode over to the PTP Sekinchan Prawn Cracker factory nearby. It's a cottage industry run by family members.
In the evening sun, the raw prawn crackers were still out drying in the sun. So was Harry in his make-shift hula skirt of packets of prawn crackers.
Our bicycles full of shopping stuff (fruits, Yong Tau Foo, rice, crackers, etc.), we headed back to our start point. Time to call an end to a long but interesting day; one that had been rewarding in good sceneries, some learning, delicious food and lots of shopping.
But just before that...
... a view of the lovely sunset at Pantai Redang. I could just lie back and absorb this warm sunset for as long as it lasts.
Many thanks to the organizer SC Chin, the ride leaders, marshals and sweepers.
Till we ride together again;
RIDE WELL & RIDE SAFE.
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| Group Photo in front of the Masjid Nurul Alariah (Photo by Norman) |
(click here to see a video of colourful fishing boats)
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| (Photo by Kim) |
(click here to see video of Pantai Redang)
Blessed by nice blue skies.
Blessed by a pause in the rainy weather, thus making the bund laterite tracks dry and not muddy.
Blessed by a low tide that exposed the rocky shores along the way, making the scenery even better.
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| (Photo by Sherine) |
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| (Photo by Sherine) |
I was wrong to say that we are thrice blessed; we are actually four-times blessed!
The most important blessing of all - good friends to share our lives with.
 |
| (Photo by Sherine) |
Yes, we have fun during our rides AND we have fun after the rides too - poking fun of photos of ourselves.
(... see video of padi fields)
(... see another video of padi fields).
Here one can shop for rice and many rice-related items. They do conduct educational tours too; call them at +603-3243 6558 / +016-205 6558 to arrange for one.
(Click here to see blog on this factory)
In the evening sun, the raw prawn crackers were still out drying in the sun. So was Harry in his make-shift hula skirt of packets of prawn crackers.
But just before that...
Many thanks to the organizer SC Chin, the ride leaders, marshals and sweepers.
Till we ride together again;
RIDE WELL & RIDE SAFE.
You may also like :
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| Gallery - Scenic Sekinchan Padi Fields Sekinchan, Selangor : May 2014 |
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| Yong Tau Foo Factory @ Bagan Sekinchan Sekinchan, Selangor : May 2014 Want to see you Yong Tau Foo is made in a commercial way, visit this factory then! |
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| Rice Factory @ Sekinchan : May 2014 First time to a rice factory, and it was an interesting learning experience. |
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Jo, Thanks for sharing the blog, very good and informative, very good partnership SC Chin. SC do the planning (before) & u do the write up (after). SC to make more trips and events like this. Thank you so much SC & Jo.
ReplyDeleteSherine
You are most welcomed, Sherine.
DeleteIt was a good ride with good friends.
And of course Cikgu Chin did a fantastic job in planning.
The beauty of the padi fields in blue sky...
ReplyDeletelured much interests of Sekinchan from my office friends !
They wante to go too...
Yes, Winson. It was very beautiful.
DeleteAs I mentioned we were blessed with a pause in the rainy days, beautiful skies and low tide rocky shores.
And of year is rainy days, padi will be beautiful green though. Pray to be blessed again.