As everyone eagerly sits out the pandemic, we thought of going on a short local getaway during whatever brief holiday the kids might have. I've always wondered about this place which has captivated me for some time after seeing numerous postings of it on social media - Sky Mirror. So i thought, heck, why not jump onto the bandwagon.
After planning out my usual very ambitious itinerary, we set out first to Sekinchan which is only about an hour's drive from KL. Sekinchan's a small town, so you can easily touch base with all its popular attractions in a day. Every place is just within minutes away. Just as long as you STICK TO THE ITINERARY.
This is Ah Ma House, probably how our grandma or great grandma's house looked like last time.
The younger the generation, the more explanation and description of items you need to feed them.
I felt young whenever I spot an unrelatable or unknown item in the house. LOL.
The only items that got the kids excited.
OK, now THIS is something really old that's new to me. Japanese government-issued dollars used in Malaya between 1942 and 1945.
This sewing machine i've seen before, just not the box that came with it.
Mini windmill outside this very small cosy wooden house.
People come here to get the famous kuih kapit (which i thought was slightly undercooked over the charcoal fire, perhaps due to its need to produce in high volume).
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a little cotton candy stall
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Our next stop was the Paddy Gallery where for RM5 entrance fee, you get a short video and tour of the process from paddy to rice. Oh, and a small pack of Sekinchan-grown rice to bring home.
It also houses some of the traditional tools such as this array of antique irons.
The writings on the wall says it all, doesn't it?
I also managed to grab some sweet juicy local corn which was going at only RM 7 for 10!
It was time for lunch and Restoran Guan Hwat came highly recommended by staff members of the Paddy Gallery, and also from my own survey. One thing to note is most restaurants here close around 2 or 3 after lunchtime, so remember to grab your lunch on time.
The locals here highly recommend their guava juice and boy oh boy, it tasted so healthy and refreshing!
Sekinchan is all about meal after meal of seafood that's affordable and fresh!
For tea (which was immediately after lunch ahahha), we dropped by the N16 Cafe which was actually a refurbished old bus.
Check out the interior of the bus/ cafe.
Preparing our drinks in the tiniest of space.
Till today, i still miss my takeaway Salted Caramel Cheesecake which i didn't manage to taste after i left it on the roof of the car before driving off. bummer.
It was finally time to check into our container hotel, Farmville Homestay.
Ours was a long container with 2 huge king sized beds. No TV though.
Around the vicinity...
The highest point overlooks the vast paddy fields. It was the Merdeka weekend, hence the patriotism flying in the air.
That evening, we just had to stroll down the beaches of Pantai Redang. On it, the infamous Wishing Tree with tons of wishes dangling from it.
We found a nice stall by the beach to enjoy a refreshing drink of coconut and a plate of gastronomically succulent cockles - just briefly blanched in hot water and eaten with cili padi soy sauce..
Back to the beach
First experience of kite-flying.
For dinner, i made reservations at Wai Jia Restaurant, a well-known Japanese restaurant. Yes, Japanese cuisine is another way to enjoy the freshness of seafood.
I totally recommend a visit to this place if you happened to be in Sekinchan.
Very generous with their seafood portion.
Supper of la la omelette
We went to bed early that night in order to start our 6am Sky Mirror tour from the Kuala Selangor jetty (about half hour drive from Sekinchan). To get to Sky Mirror, you have to pre book the tour from an agency.
The kids' first trip on a speedboat lasted about 30 minutes right into the middle of the Straits of Malacca.
The Sky Mirror is a huge sandbank with shallow ankle-deep waters which creates an almost flawless reflection as the water recedes.
It was certainly more astonishing than i had imagined. So relaxing and serene with perfect weather. I had no fear whatsoever of my toes getting all pruney since we were gonna spend about 2 hours dipped in water.
One can walk as far as the eye can see, just to show you how wide this sandbank is.
Our tour guide cum photographer worked hard to help capture the best shots for us.
We were able to practise our poses or seek the help and props brought by the guide.
Ta-daah....here're the fruits of our labour!
Around 9.30 am we headed back, totally worn out. But so worth it.
We drove back to Sekinchan to check out and headed to another popular restaurant, Cha Po Tion.
Amazing dishes, as expected.
Stuffed from lunch, we could handle only one order of Mango King
Picture tells it all - deliciously good!
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| with a topping of asam boi bits |
After heading back to Kuala Selangor, we waited till evening to continue with our Eagle feeding tour. Once again we took the speedboat out from the same jetty.
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| not much to wow at, this part of the tour can be given a miss |
Another nice couple from KL whom we made friends with during the boat trip.
During the night, we went on the Firefly and Blue Tears tour. I did not manage to capture any photos using only my mobile phone but we were lucky enough to witness an abundance of fireflies that night.
Blue Tears tour allowed us to gaze at blue phosphorescence lighting up the pitch black waters (while sitting in the boat). I was told it was due to a certain plankton living in the sea.
After everything ended close to 9pm, a steamboat dinner wrapped up our tour package of the day (RM 185/ adult, RM 150/child)
We were given a serving for 4 but alas, the kids were too sleepy and tired to eat
They even served us side snacks.
To me, definitely a value-for-money tour package with professional service, a helpful guide and a hearty dinner thrown in. Choose a Sky Mirror agency that's reputable, like Sky Mirror Travels & Tour Sdn Bhd.
That night, we booked our accommodation at De Palma Kuala Selangor but it was a pretty bad experience. To be precise, i wasn't at all happy with the leftover Starbucks drink i found in the fridge, lack of toilet rolls, spoilt telephone line, thinned-out linens and below par breakfast spread. LOL, maybe i was better off staying at a boutique hotel. Or perhaps i was asking too much from a 20+ year old resort.
The following day before heading back to KL, we stopped by the much-talked about Auntie Foo's Cafe to check out the hype.
Despite its cosy ambience, the food's not much to shout about.
Guess they are well-known for their local trinkets and souvenirs on sale.
Only for tourists.
And that ends my monkeying around Sekinchan and Kuala Selangor for 3D2N.
Love to be back for their seafood. And corn.
I fancied its interior of a quintessential traditional coffee shop decor with its old-styled flooring and wall tiles. An array of herbal drinks, their infamous black soy milk, cakes and fresh dim sum displayed out front shouts 'pick me! pick me!' to customers walking in.
