The Old Days: Day trip to Kulai, Ayer Hitam and Yong Peng

Making a self driving day trip to Malaysia (from Singapore) is not as simple as "lets go"like the old days.

Apart from usual check-list of making sure that our passports are valid for at least 6 months, we have to make sure that we have a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) ready and activated (by Road Transport Department of Malaysia), and Touch N Go Card (pre-loaded with Malaysian RM 25 at least - to make payment at immigration counter upon entering Malaysia border).

VEP ready... noticed the faint reflection on the light shield on passenger side

I tried applying for VEP several times over 6 months ago - but the application was rejected because the information I entered on detail of my vehicle failed to tally with what was stated in my Certificate of Entitlement (COE); it was only after I was finally alerted by the Road Transport Department of Malaysia that my car was grouped under Jeep (instead of regular car) that I realised what my error was!!! After the necessary correction was amended, the application was finally approved mid-Feb 2023, and the sticky label for VEP arrived by speedpost within one week or so! (Got it activated after sticking the label on the car as instructed).

Then, I have to quickly purchase a preload Touch N Go Card from Shopee. The card finally arrived on 1 March 2023, one day before my trip to Malaysia.Phew! What a relief!

My wife and I were supposed to go for a one week holiday with CJ to Japan, during his one week term break (from 25th Feb - 5 March). But CJ had last minute interview on 27th Feb, and day trip to JB with his friends on 2 March. Hence, my wife and I decided to go for a short trip to south Johor (visiting Kulai, Ayer Hitam, Kluang and possibly Muar).

To our dismay, the weather changed drastically on 1 March. The seasonal monsoon brought in sudden downpour of heavy rain, starting from 1 March, and expected to last through the week. The downpour was so heavy and " persistent" that the temperature dipped to 21'C in parts of Singapore. Flood alerts were also put up in southern Johor for the coming days. Since I am already on leave from work, my wife and I ventured on with our road trip on 2 March 2023.

DAY 1

We departed ~ 7am on 2 March, cleared both customs at the causeway (without much problem or long jam), and drove along non-toll (aka non-highway) road to our planned destinations.

First stop - Morning Congee 早安粥品 in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah 皇后花园 @ Skudai.

The stall selling the sumptous congee is hidden inconspicuously in a very old and run down food court (consists of a row of fewer than 10 small stalls - only a handful (3-4 stalls) was opened for business when we were there). But don't be deceived by the appearance. The congee was indeed delicious and cheap!

The row of food stalls on the left... looks like some make-shift shelter

Akin to a small hawker center

The Congee stall

Our 鸳鸯粥（皮蛋与普通蛋）

As we drove on to our next destination (Kulai), we chanced upon a stall selling noodles 珍记 about 5 minutes away - the stall was located among a row of shop-houses, and appeared crowded with customers.

The noodle stall was teeming with customers... so we stopped to give it a try!

We decided to park our car in nearby estate - ordered a bowl of curry noodles 咖喱叻沙面 (slightly above average taste) from 珍记。We also tried Appam (印度煎饼）which came with coconut juice / sprinkles of brown sugar - quite delicious!

Curry laksa noodles

Indian Appam

Chanced upon a shop next to the noodle stall, selling paper joss sticks and bags of paper money (金银纸) for the ancestors.

There was a shop selling fresh eggs wholesale - we bought 60 eggs at RM 30 (a steal compared to the price in Singapore)!

Make a brief stop at a stall to buy local delicacies..锦华茶餐厅was a place known for its coffee and bread/ local dishes (eg. laksa, economic noodles, nasi lemak). But when we reached there around 10 am, the shop looks rather deserted. Only pastry section was opened. The make-shift stall outside the restaurant sells local pastries which were supposed to be quite delicious... we bought some, but didn't quite like them.

锦华茶餐室(on the way from JB to Kulai)

Then we drove on to our next destination - Putuo Village 普陀村 @ Kulai.

Park our car along the road side.

The road leads to the temple further down...

Entrance to the Bamboo Garden

Within the confine of the village, there are a small bamboo garden decorated with some instagramable items, a Guanyin Temple with adjacent Wishing Tree, and an old age home. Entrance to the bamboo garden is RM5 per person - to pay for maintenance of the forest.

The bamboo garden is an interesting place to cool down, and snap some photos.

Full of Happiness, indeed

Giant panda in the Bamboo Garden

There is a walk-way to the adjacent temple (or you may drive there)...

The Wishing Tree with dangling brightly coloured ribbons of well wishes hanging down from the branches was eye-catching!

And of course, the temple will not be complete without the following items:

Lights of offering

Joss sticks

转经轮

Turtle

We drove to a 满庭芳客家菜饭 Hakka Food Stall for lunch after visiting Putuo Village. Took some Hakka food there. My wife gave many Thumbs up for its 擂茶。(but I am not a great fan of 擂茶）

Park out car outside Hakka Food Stall

Then we checked-into Country Inn - a small boutique hotel that we sourced out last minute via Booking.com. We drove past some alleys that resemble European village.

It was drizzling outside

We checked into a standard Queen bed room for 2 (no window), which cost us RM 80s. There were quite a number of food stalls nearby.

After short break, we drove off to visit a waterfall @ Gunung Pulai ( but the gate leading to the waterfall was closed), and 花果山。

The 花果山 was indeed a pleasant surprise - it is a mini garden with steps / arches/ balcony calved out from rocks, and some monkeys loitering around. It is located next to a Buddhist temple, and free entrance.

Three monkeys

The place will not be complete without the monkeys!

The intricate carvings of the rock

the view of the main road from the rock formation

Buddhist temple next to 花果山

Drove back to our hotel... took a break... then walked to coffee shop nearby for dinner.

Dinner at coffee shop nearby - yellow stand for Clayport Chicken Rice, pink stand for mixed pork soup, and number 5 stand for Rojak...

Night view from street parking outside our hotel.

Read from local newspaper that certain places in southern Johor (Kluang, Ayer Hitam) were affected by severe flooding...And weather forecast predicted heavy rain the next few days (in fact it was 80-90% of heavy rain in Kluang, Ayer Hitam the next day)! It would be challenging to go for sightseeing in such weather, hence, decided to cut short our journey (i.e. returned back to Singapore after visiting Ayer Hitam/Yong Peng the next day).

DAY 2

It drizzled in the morning. Went to 莫稿牛肉面。Small portion, tender beef... The stall was hidden inside small alleys. Only familiar customers visit the place. (Apparently the beef noodles are very popular with locals, it runs out quite fast by 10-11am, only left pork noodles).

The food stall is located further down the alley (where the car came from).

Dry beef noodle with soup

Bought some home-made Hakka kueh (韭菜饺子，沙葛饺子) from 秀花菜饭@Kulai. Delicious with tender skin... and cheap... we bought a total of 90 pieces home!

Drove slightly over 1 hour to Sawah Sagil, to visit the paddy field. Drove past some palm oil plantation; some low lying areas were flooded.

Took some photos at Sawah Sagil in the rain.

some of the paddy was submerged under water

Drove to Yong Peng to visit 转运祥龙 Fortune Dragon Yong Peng. Paid RM10 per person. This is a small park akin to that of Singapore 虎豹别墅。We were the only visitors there for the day!

supposedly when a person enters the dragon mouth, and walks along the entire length of dragon, and comes out at the rear, all bad luck will be "flushed" away!