Kuala Rompin

If you want to get away from the hustling bustling of city life, then Kuala Rompin is the place to be. I was in Kuala Rompin in May 2008 for a holiday.

The journey…

I’ve heard about this place several years before and had always wanted to go there but was hesitant to go alone as I’ve heard that the road to Kuala Rompin was remote and quiet. The advice was to travel in a company of at least 2 cars for support in case of emergency and so I managed to get a group of 3 families traveling in 3 cars.

The journey itself is refreshing and relaxing.

In the 30-minute drive from Senawang to Kuala Pilah (if you are using the Kuala Pilah route), one could see several dragon fruit farms along the way and there are farmers selling the fruit at roadside stalls. The journey after Kuala Pilah is then cutting through the Jengka oil palm plantation land, which is probably the biggest oil palm plantation land in Peninsula Malaysia I would imagine.

The journey to Kuala Rompin took about 5 hours including a lunch stop at a Malay restaurant (the only choice available) in Muadzam Shah.

Alternative routes are:

• Kula Lumpur – Karak – Bandar Tun Razak - Muadzam Shah – Kuala Rompin
• Singapore – Johor Bahru – Kota Tinggi - Mersing – Kuala Romping
• Kuantan – Pekan – Kuala Rompin

The Accommodation …

We stayed in Summerset Colonial Hotel, which is located at Leban Chondong about 15 minutes drive north of Kuala Rompin town. I understand that the hotel was opened in Dec 2000. It is an eco-resort hotel located in the midst of Menchali Forest Reserve, which is apparently (from what I’ve read) one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world dates back to 130 million years. It has a nice quiet sandy beach facing the South China Sea. I was told by the hotel staff that sometimes dolphins can be seen from the beach.

I find that the hotel is generally good except for the maintenance which seems to have been neglected to a certain extent. The room is clean but looks old and at some parts of the hotel wings it look creepy. Anyway I don’t think one would set high expectation in a remote place like this. Overall, I would give it a 3-star rating.

I like the location of the hotel, the natural surrounding, the beach and the recreational activities. Sipping coffee and listening to the sound of cricket during breakfast at the Terrace was to me a great way of relaxing here.

Hotel address:

Lot 2547 Kuala Rompin, 26800 Pahang, Malaysia
Tel: +609 4141 888

http://www.summerset.com.my

Sandy beach at Summerset Hotel
Summerset Hotel main entrance		Quiet evening		Sandy beach
Sunrise in the morning		Catch the morning sun		Playing by the beach in the morning

The number of accommodation available in Kuala Rompin is rather limited. The popular ones are:

1. Serai Di Lanjut Rompin (www.seraidilanjut.com.my) – This is another reputable hotel in Kuala Rompin besides the Summerset Hotel. It has a golf course, which is probably the only one in Kuala Rompin. It is located at Kampong Lanjut, which is nearer to the Kuala Rompin town than the Summerset Hotel.
2. Rompin Beach Resort (www.pahangtourism.com.my/accomodation/rbr.html) – It is located near the town; however, the hotel doesn’t look as impressive as Summerset Hotel and Serai Di Lanjut Rompin.
3. A number of budget hotels / chalets are also available, one of which is the Kuala Rompin River Chalet (www.rompinriverchalet.com), which provides boats for hiring for those who are into sports fishing, a popular activity in Kuala Rompin.

The town, Kuala Rompin …

Kuala Rompin is a small, laid back and quiet town. It is a popular spot for sports fishing and a gateway to Tioman Island as well as the Endau-Rompin State Park.

The town is the first stop in Pahang if you are approaching the state from either Johor Bahru or Singapore. It is about 130km south of Kuantan and 280km from Kuala Lumpur.

If you're a seafood lover, you can indulge throughout the year in a local delicacy, the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenberghii) known as "Udang Galah". They are caught fresh from Rompin River, Nenasi River, Anak Endau River and Endau River.

The fishing village nearby …

There is a fishing village called Nenasi located about 10 minutes drive from the Summerset Hotel driving north towards the Pekan direction. It is a small fishing village where the local folks are mostly friendly. There is one Chinese primary school here although majority of the students are non-Chinese. Recently I read in the news that a whale was found dead at the sea nearby and the carcass was brought back to Nenasi and buried there.

Nice and quiet Kampung life in Nenasi
Nenasi fishing village		Chinese restaurant in Nenasi		Peace and quiet
Riding a bicycle in Kampung		Nenasi beach front		Standing on a road

What to do here….

1. Sports fishing is a popular activity here but since I am not into fishing so I didn’t do fishing here
2. Canoeing and Kayaking in a Lotus pond at Summerset Hotel
3. Nature walking in a small forest and peat swam at Summerset Hotel
4. Off-road Buggy riding through a small forest nearby at the Summerset Hotel
5. Mountain biking at the Summerset Hotel
6. Golf at Serai Di Lanjut
7. Fire-flies at Rompin River or rivers nearby; however, to me nothing beats the Kampung Kuantan fireflies at Kuala Selangor 10 years ago
8. Watch sun rises and sunset
9. Relaxing by the beach
10. Do nothing – drink coffee and enjoy the quiet and laid-back Kampung life
11. Enjoy fresh seafood

Beautiful Lotus		The family		My wife and mother-in-law
Kayaking on Lotus pond				Canoeing at wetland
Me and my daughters before Buggy ride		Nature walking		Somebody fishing by the beach

Where to eat and what is good ….

1. Seafood dinner at the following restaurants:

• Chinese seafood restaurant (can’t remember the name of the restaurant). The food is good and cheap but the cooking is a bit slow; however, it’s worth the waiting.

Location: I didn’t take down the address. It is located at the sea-side of Pantai Hiburan (!? I think). I was told there is only one Chinese restaurant in town so the local people will be able to help with the direction if you ask around.

• Rompin River Seafood at Rompin River Chalet. The food is good but slightly pricy compared to the one at Pantai Hiburan.

Address: Kampung Kelebur, Depan Rumah Murah Sg Puteri, 26800 Kuala Rompin, Pahang. Tel: 609-412 0259. www.rompinriverchalet.com

2. Nasi Lemak with Udang Galah for breakfast

Location: Medan Selera next to a T-junction at Leban Chondong, which is located between Kuala Rompin and Summerset Hotel. If you come from Muadzam Shah, you will see the Medan Selera on the left hand side of the T-Junction at Leban Chondong. There are several stalls at the Medan Selera and most of them sell the same type of food i.e. Nasi Lemak, fried noodle, fried meehon etc. The Udang Galah are of different sizes and so the price goes according to the size.

3. Home-cook meal at Nenasi fishing village. There is only one Chinese restaurant (a house-cum-restaurant) in Nenasi. The lady owner is friendly and she cooks nice home-cook food. The waiting time can be quite long so it is best to get the contact number of the restaurant and makes prior reservation. We have two lunches at this place.

HOLIDAY ITINERARY

Day 1	Meet at Senawang Toll - 10:300am Take the Senawang-Kuala Pilah-Muadzam Shah route to Kuala Rompin - enjoy the serenity of the country view, fruit farms and oil palm plantation along the way Lunch at a Malay restaurant in Muadzam Shah Check in at Summerset Hotel (ETA 2:30pm) Team activity and games at the beach - 5pm Sea-food dinner at a local Chinese restaurant in Kuala Rompin Watch the glittering lights of fireflies at the Rompin River Have a good night sleep
Day 2	Watch the sun rises and enjoy a relaxing morning by the beach – 6:30am Breakfast Canoeing and Kayaking at a Lotus pond in the hotel compound Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant in Nenasi fishing village Drive around Kampung and fishing village Off-road Buggy riding through a small forest at Summerset Hotel Return to hotel and enjoy sunset by the beach Sea-food dinner at Rompin River Seafood restaurant Children activity Have a good night sleep
Day 3	Watch the sun rises and enjoy a relaxing morning by the beach – 6:30am Breakfast Nature walking in a small forest in the hotel compound Check-out of Hotel Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant in Nenasi fishing village Drive home using the Kuala Rompin - Pekan – Kuantan – Kuala Lumpur route

Accommodation at Summerset Colonial Hotel @ RM240 per night per room inclusive of breakfast for 2 persons