I did not think much of it when I sent in my slogan for the Legends Resort Facebook contest, but much to my surprise...my slogan won me a 3 days/2 nights stay at the Legends Resort, Cherating. At first I was contemplating whether I would be able to really make it for this holiday as Cherating is so far off from my hometown with no direct bus access to Cherating or Kuantan.
But everything fell nicely into place and I had the best holiday ever at one of Malaysia’s famed beaches on the east coast !!
So here’s me sharing with you my holiday experience ......
Cherating...Here I come !!! \(^-^)/
The car ride by highway took us approximately 4 hours from Subang Jaya . One can also take the SP Bumi Express bus which can drop you off along the mainroad to Kemaman , Terengganu. The Legends Resort is just a 5 mins walking distance away from the main road.
We arrived a little after 3.00pm. Its lush gardens full of greenery greeted us once entering the hotel grounds. There was no fuss about parking as there are plenty of parking space.
We were greeted with smiles and checking in was a breeze..but it was quite a walk to our room and luckily the friendly bellboy was at our side immediately as we arrived.
(The Hotel Lobby)
(The long walk to our room)
Our spacious Deluxe Seaview room was amazing with complete amenities and what we are looking forward most.....a breathtaking view of the ocean. The room came complete with a mini bar, safe, iron board, an umbrella & even a yukata. At once I knew that it would be sheer comfort staying here =)
Tired as we were, we decided not to waste any time . So after unpacking and ‘exploring’ our room, we headed out to where else??....The BEACH !!
I was speechless at the sight that behold me....the fine sand...clear blue sea as far as the eye could see ...I have never seen a more beautiful beach !!...just see for yourself....
It’s the most beautiful beach I have ever been to! We just couldn’t resist the tempting wave beckoning to us and soon we were strolling along the beach knee deep with the waves splashing at our feet....It was a wonderful feeling.
As the sign says “Pool Closed”. Lucky for us there are 2 large pools and a kid’s pool and we were able to take a dip the next day.
For dinner that night, we were contemplating where to have dinner outside or at the hotel. I made enquiries from the friendly hotel receptionist to recommend a good nearby restaurant. She suggested the Peninsular Seafood Restaurant which is just a 5 mins walk outside the hotel. But then considering that everyone was tired from the long drive and being not really familiar with the area, especially as its getting dark, we decided to have dinner at the hotel....and when dinner was served, we knew we made a good choice =)
The Coconut Grove ~ serves the most scrumptious & the most delicious food! The set we ordered for four was enough for a meal for 6 people and each & every dish was cooked to perfection! (Thanks to Chef Soh)
(Spicy dry curried prawns...fruits & Mango pudding)
(Herbal Chicken soup...buttered prawns & veggies)
(Lemon chicken...Sweet corn & crabmeat soup & Fish meat in Lychee sauce)
(View of the Coconut Grove Restaurant)
Luckily we made the right choice of dining in as it started to rain with strong winds soon after we started dinner....which receded soon after .
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It was a restful night. I woke up early the next morning eager to take an early morning walk along the beach before heading up to Kemaman, Terengganu for breakfast and lunch. Mum was already up and about doing her ‘Tai-Chi’ on the balcony =P
The morning sunrise caught my eyes..the sight that greeted me was simply indescribable.....
~ Wow !! ~
(Sunrise as seen from my seaview room balcony)
(The sunrise taken as I was strolling on the beach)
Walking along the beach watching the enchanting sunrise....with the waves splashing at my feet ...the cool morning breeze brushing across my face...gives me feeling of sheer peacefulness & calm...what a wonderful feeling =)
Chukai town, in the district of Kemaman, Terengganu is just about a 45 mins car ride from Legends Resort and your visit would not be complete if you don’t drop by the famous Stuffed Crabs & the Hai Peng Kopitiam. It would be like visiting Penang and not having Char Koey Teow or Laksa.
(Clockwise from top left ~ Toasted buns, nasi dagang, classic coffee, Au Lait & nasi lemak)
(Noticed that ‘Jalan Jalan Cari Makan’ crew was here...lol)
Next....Stuffed Crabs @ Tong Juan Restaurant. Located along Jalan Sulaimani in front of the waterfront at Kemaman River, the restaurant boasts its famous & delicious Stuffed Crabs. Costing RM8.00 each, it is filled with plenty of crabmeat with a combination of minced spring onions, carrots etc & deep fried to perfection.
Our last stop before heading back to the hotel was the Turtle Sanctuary which we saw on the way from Legends Resort to Kemaman. It is located at Cherating, facing the white sands of Chendor Beach. We arrived a little past one,...their lunch hour and had to wait till 2.00pm before its doors would open again. The Turtle Sanctuary is situated just beside the Club Med in Cherating, there was a small path leading to the beach just beside the sanctuary where the turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs. It was cool and breezy and we got to enjoy the beauty of the beach as we waited for the doors of the sanctuary to open again.
There’s a small souvenir shop right behind the sanctuary that was open where we bought some souvenirs while we waited. We noticed there were quite a number of cats that made themselves comfortable on the display shelves & I just couldn’t resist taking some shots =)
The Pahang Turtle Sanctuary is managed by The Malaysian Fisheries Department with the objective to conserve and preserve the dwindling population of the turtles. The Sanctuary also serves as an information centre to all who are interested to know further about turtles. Apart from information on turtles, there are also other exhibits like sea shells and corals in the main exhibition hall. Leaving the exhibition hall we can see live turtles swimming in ponds made especially for them...there are even baby turtles kept in a separate pond. They will be kept there until they are old enough to be released into the sea. If one is interested you can even come watch turtle laying eggs at night during the peak months from April to August.
There are hatcheries located at the beach side where turtle eggs are collected and relocated there..but we did not venture there as we did not know of it then.
Anyway it was a learning experience and we got the chance to come up close to live turtles.
(Some scenes around the turtle sanctuary..notice the preserved double-headed baby turtle)
We made a brief stop at one of the many Keropok Lekor shops that lined the roadside back to the hotel. Bought some freshly fried keropok lekor as well as my favourite...durian cakes to take home...the durian cakes are really cheap RM4.00 each whereas it costs about RM7.00~ RM8.00 back home
Then it was back to another evening splashing time at the pool and beach...we really had a great time..enjoying our last evening at Legends Resort. We spent hours at the pool and beach till we were all tired out.
Some scenes around the hotel
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When morning arrived, we packed our stuff and took our last stroll along the beach before breakfast.
The Coconut Grove serves an excellent breakfast..offering quite a wide variety of choices..from local delicasies, western food, salads and fruits...I simply loved their omelette made to order....and my favourite among them all was their yummy nasi lemak..that was cooked to perfection..aromatic & not too spicy. All in all we had a most satisfying breakfast!
All too soon..it was time to bid goodbye. Sad but yet happy to have had the opportunity to discover this beautiful place and enjoy such a wonderful holiday...thanks to the Legends Resort, Cherating.....
~ Leaving with the fondest memories ~
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\(^-^)/
