We will celebrating our beloved country’s 58th Independence Day or Merdeka Day next Monday, Aug 31. Some of you may have already planned vacations for this weekend since next Monday is a public holiday.
If you have no idea where to go and how to spend this Merdeka holiday, don’t worry, we have compiled for you some last-minute day trip gateways in Selangor!
1. Sekinchan
Sekinchan is a small town located in Selangor, about 102 km north of Kuala Lumpur and 28 km from Kuala Selangor. Sekinchan is actually a fishing village, but now is more widely recognized as a famous paddy field town.
Sekinchan in Chinese mean “village suitable for plantation’, the land and weather is suitable for farming of rice, fruits and oil palm trees. It is the highest rice production per acre in Malaysia. You can see a wide green paddy field on your right when you arrive in Sekinchan.
You can drive right beside the paddy fields. There are roads connecting the town with the small village located in the center of the paddy fields. Along the way, you will find water path (aqueduct), little bridge, birds and of course the paddy.
There are also factories which allow visits. The staff will brief you on the paddy plantation process, type of rice. Besides rice, you can also get nice mangoes at the stalls along Sekinchan main road. On the other side of the road is the fishing village where you can stop by to have a walk at the jetty, and of course, eating seafood is something can’t be missed too.
2. Pulau Ketam
Pulau Ketam, literally translated, means “crab island”. It is a small island located off the coast of Klang. The island is easily accessible from the Port Klang jetty by ferry. Pulau Ketam is a fascinating island, full of fishing village sceneries. All buildings are built 3-5 feet from the swampland. During high tide, houses look like “floating on the water” giving a wonderful and romantic feeling.
You can spend some time to experience the way of life of the villagers. You may notice the villagers manually peeling the prawns to be made into prawn paste, women repairing the damaged fishing nets and workshop that repairs motors and other equipment. During sunny days, salted fish are being dried by the villages along the walkway. When you are tired, you can head to a seafood restaurant to enjoy a delicious seafood meal!
Fish farm is one of the attractions in Pulau Ketam. It is floating on the sea and takes about 10 minutes journey to reach byboat. Fishes are reared in these fishing farms. It is an interesting experience to stand on a real floating farm on water. It is fun feeding the fish too. Chalets are available. You can stay at fish farm for a night.
3. Kuala Selangor
Kuala Selangor is a small town where the Selangor River meets the sea. Kuala Selangor is a coastal town located about about 70 km from Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Selangor was the old royal capital of Selangor prior to moving to Klang, to Kuala Lumpur, then to Shah Alam.
It is located well off the normal tourism route and hence, still maintains its traditional village atmosphere. The town caters largely to tourists coming this way en route to firefly (Kelip-Kelip) at Kampung Kuantan, the local travellers come for the fresh seafood.
Amongst the attractions at Kuala Selangor include Bukit Melawati, Fireflies, Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Eagle Feeding, Freshwater Fish Park, Fishing Village, Pantai Remis etc.
In Bukit Melawati you can find relics of the past, including the protective walls of the fort, the palace ground, a lighthouse, royal graves, seven walls, a flat stone used for beheading offenders, a 100-step ladder, a poisonous well and several cannons pointed at the moth of the Selangor River. You also can walk around at Pair Penambang fishing village to experience the live and culture of the fisherman in Kuala Selangor. You can buy the fresh seafood here and taste the fresh seafood of the seafood restaurant too.
At night, you can spot the famous fireflies (kelip-kelip) along Selangor River. The fireflies all are found on the mangrove tree species called berembang. It is said that this is one of the biggest firefly colonies in the world.
4. Banting
Banting is a principal town in the district of Kuala Langat. Banting is a very beautiful place. It consists of beaches, hills, forest and farms. Banting is an agricultural hub too. Its main agricultural resources include oil palm plantations, poultry farms, betel leaves and it has a number of industrial areas.
Nature lovers can go jungle-trekking in the forest reserve at Bukit Jugrah. Before reaching the peak, a lighthouse stands guard to guide vessels plying the Straits of Malacca. The view from the peak is breathtaking, so don’t forget to bring along a camera.
Visitors should not miss the prominent Kanchong Darat landmark which is the Sidek residence belonging to Datuk Sidek Abdullah Kamar, the father of the Sidek badminton brothers. The brothers’ eldest sister stays there now, but visitors who wish to see the house are always welcome.
Pantai Kelanang is a new tourist spot in Banting. Unlike Morib beach, which is a hive of activity, it is quite serene here. With a white sandy beach nestled behind mangrove trees, it is a place to relax and enjoy the peace and calm. After watching the beautiful sunset at Morib or Kelanang beach, treat your family to a hearty meal as a whole stretch of stalls selling everything from satay to sotong and ikan bakar comes alive at night.
5. Tanjung Sepat and Sepang Gold Coast
Tanjung Sepat is a small coastal town near Sepang Gold Coast and offers day trippers a choice of food and sightseeing. Among what you can find here are generally food-related. There are many restaurants, a mushroom farm and factory and scenic fishing village lifestyle.
In the evening, you can head to Sepang Gold Coast for the beautiful sunset viewing. This is the ideal time to get the camera and do some photography. After sunset, you can easily have the best local seafood banquet, continental food in romantic atmosphere or even Chinese style steamboat. All the restaurants are within walking distance. You might want to unwind on the beach with some glasses of wine or cocktail.
