A Quick Shake-up

I had been hearing about this famous outlet in Melaka for some time. Coconut shake. Basically blended coconut juice, in thick sweat concoction, had many imitations even in KL. The best one I was told was from Pantai Klebang in Melaka.

We had a quick look on the internet and keyed in the destination onto our phone and just followed the direction. Conveniently it was halfway to our old school in Kem Terendak, about 30 minutes from Bandar Melaka. The name of the outlet? “klebangoriginal” coconut shake.

This way ...Ample parking space

We arrived there just after the lunch crowd had left. Therefore finding a parking spot and the restaurant seat were easy. Apart form the shakes, they had some kueh and nasi lemak which were gorgeous as well.

The shake was actually better than we had in the past. Yes, we didn’t experience that many. Apparently there were more authentic stalls lining Pantai Klebeng that served the same formula, but allegedly more original. But in terms of convenience, and getting everything in one package, you can’t do worse than coming here. And the price was reasonable as well.

Freeport A'Famosa Outlet

First it was the JPO - Johor Premium Outlet. Then came the IT retail park near KLIA called the Mitsui. And now the retail outlet fever had properly hit Malaysia with the recent opening of another one near A'Famosa near the Negri Sembilan-Melaka border right along the PLUS highway heading south. Only about 90 minutes form KL, it certainly worth a look. And that was we did yesterday on our way home from our day trip to Melaka.

It was still brand spanking new - I was sure less than 3 months old. Some of the parts were still closed and the road leading to the outlet was still being built. Getting there was straight forward especially those who had visited the A'Famosa Resort before. It was right by the entrance to the resort. And parking was not a problem. The main issue here was exposure to the elements. The pace was hot!

Camel. Apt. Since the place was scorchingly hot!

Impressed with the architecture though ...Free hugs ....Is it better than the JPO? Unfortunately it was a resounding no. In fact, the JPO is in a different league all together. The absence of many brand names should alert you that retail experience won't be nearly as good. But the facilities was better. In fact, I must say that it was more family-orientated.

Can you get Sacoor? Yes. Can you get Samsonite? Yes. Nike? Yes. But that was about it.

No Tumi. No Burberry. No Armani. No Kate Spade. No Boss. The list goes on! A different place compared to JPO.

Cool watery surroundingNot sure how the windmill fits inYes, you can climb into the windmillMore water sproutsBut I managed to get some good Under Armour garments from one of the sports outlet. Limited choice but the price was OK. Oh! And better look closely at the items as some of them were not as it seemed. I was looking for a Citizen watch but it turned out it was a different brand in the cabinet. Even the drinks outlet could be copycat. They have "Juicee" here instead of "Boost" although the menu looked almost identical. Sneaky!

Keeping it under the shadesOne of Anita's favourite designer, Melinda Ooi also has an outlet hereTime to cool down ...Would I go there again? Maybe after another year or so when the place was more established. I would definitely rather go to JPO than here at the moment ....

Windows of Jonker

I have to admit that there was a certain charm about Jonker Street, at least to photographers. The place is photogenic to the hilt, at so many levels.

I went to photograph it early in the morning to enjoy the golden light against the colourful windows and building facade. You can go in the afternoon to join the crowd and do a bit of street photography. Then there is always the night photography ton different kind of crowd.

Then there is the food - a whole variety of it - and the many watering hole if you're that way inclined. The shopping experience was a revelation as well. Many of the antique and collectable items would've cost a lot more in KL.

But for the walk I had last weekend, I was fascinated by the colours of the rows of shophouses there. Nice contrast, bright and festive. And it went on all year long, not around the Chinese New Year.

Certainly Jonker Street is a photographer's delight. I wished that I had a few friends with me who were familiar with the area as a guide.

More about this trip here.

Almost Time

So, all we were waiting for was for the boys to wake up this morning. Most of the packing had been done except for the tit bits we bought yesterday from Jonker Street. We would just dump those onto the boot of the van I thought.

We would probably set off after lunch. We scrapped the plan to go via Ayer Keroh since my Dad-in-law wasn't very well. He had been nursing a cough since the beginning of the trip. We would likely be driving straight to KL from here.

The boys had another day to go before their school opened on Tuesday. I would still be on leave until Wednesday. Maybe do a bit of shopping tomorrow. We still need to get them their school bags.

I still got some stuff to do at the apartment when I get back. Busy day tomorrow I think.

More on the Melaka trip here.

Muara Sungai Duyung

The original plan was to go to Alai for dinner. They have the more famous ikan bakar restaurants in Melaka up there.

We booked transport for 6 in the evening and just before we set off, we asked the driver where he reckon we should go. He gave us a few choices and by the end of the discussion, we decided for Muara Sungai Duyung.

The queue built up the moment we were done with our orders. Lucky!Proper fresh fish on offer. You just pick the ones you wanted, they would weigh it and you then tell them how you wanted it cooked. Easy!And the otak-otak? That was something else!I thought I had been here once before, many moons back. The place had changed although there were still only one restaurant there. We arrived just after 6.30 but the place was already getting full. It was Saturday night after all.

The fish and crabs there were certainly fresh. The otak-otak was exquisite. We ordered a lot, finished them all. It was that good.

Anita had terubuk all to herself. I had siakap and stingray. No complains. The only drawback was the rice was overcooked of all things.

These tasted so sweet ....We took home some coconut jelly of course ....And it won't be complete without cencalok!Muara Sungai Duyung was located about 8km from City Center. But getting there might be tricky if you were not used to the route. We had a van taking us there, arranged by the hotel.

More stories from this trip here.