Tanjong Jara Resort

[Siewss]

How far is the resort from kuantan? Thinking of going if not that far...

 

Back from kenyir 2 weeks ago, took me 8.5 hours drive from Sing by route 3.

 

I think it's about 2 hours from Kuantan, based on my driving speed. It takes me about 3 hours + to reach Kuantan, and about 4 hours to reach Kijal.

[Siewss]

That is a good price, I have checked the website, the promotion has probably ended, it costs more than USD200 per room now. Quite sometime back, they have full board package for 2 adults at RM500+ per night, it was good value for money.

 

Since I'm not on full-board, any recommendation for restaurants that's not too far from the resort? I would have signed up for the full board package like the one you had if it's made available, knowing food places are few and far between.

[Voodooman]

Since I'm not on full-board, any recommendation for restaurants that's not too far from the resort? I would have signed up for the full board package like the one you had if it's made available, knowing food places are few and far between.

 

Can't help you on this one, I remember there is a Chinese seafood restaurant nearby, ie Dungun town, that was briefly blogged on, you can probably google it. I have not tried it so I can't comment. Weather permitting, you might want to drive north to KT for the cheap and fresh seafood. With your driving and the zoom zoom engine you have under the hood, it should not take more than 45 minutes. I can recommend my usual makan stopovers if you are keem but they are the usual places you can find on your garmin.

 

Not sure if Kapas and Gems islands are accessible in early Nov, the resort organises trip to the former during the usual tourist season.

 

Enjoy, the service is impeccable, like taking first class on SQ, staff address you by your name and take care of minute detail.

[Siewss]

Can't help you on this one, I remember there is a Chinese seafood restaurant nearby, ie Dungun town, that was briefly blogged on, you can probably google it. I have not tried it so I can't comment. Weather permitting, you might want to drive north to KT for the cheap and fresh seafood. With your driving and the zoom zoom engine you have under the hood, it should not take more than 45 minutes. I can recommend my usual makan stopovers if you are keem but they are the usual places you can find on your garmin.

 

Not sure if Kapas and Gems islands are accessible in early Nov, the resort organises trip to the former during the usual tourist season.

 

Enjoy, the service is impeccable, like taking first class on SQ, staff address you by your name and take care of minute detail.

 

Thanks. I'll just do some googling or check with the concierge or rely on good old garmin. The tricky part is taking the road to KT - if any flooding is to occur, it's that stretch from Dungun towards KT.

 

I think I'll give island hopping / snorkelling a miss, even if it's available. I really just want to chill out ie. just enjoy the resort's amenities, I'll leave my kids to their own devices.

 

On the way back, I'm stopping over at Awana Kijal for a night, just for the stuffed crab. I bet that'll be anti-climatic, to say the least

[Porker]

Pop over to Dungun for your meals. There's a MacDonald's and KFC and several Chinese kopitiam style zi char. The food is very good. The one I've been to many times is located by the waters edge but I can't remember the name.

 

You have to try Tanjong Jara's Chef Ann's cooking. Its fantastic especially her butter prawns.

[Siewss]

Pop over to Dungun for your meals. There's a MacDonald's and KFC and several Chinese kopitiam style zi char. The food is very good. The one I've been to many times is located by the waters edge but I can't remember the name.

 

You have to try Tanjong Jara's Chef Ann's cooking. Its fantastic especially her butter prawns.

 

Good sharing. Thanks. My kids doesn't appreciate good food, especially prawns. So it's wasted on them. MacDonald's? You can almost see the jetstream forming from the beeline dash.

 

I think my wife and I will tapao Mac's for them while we indulge in some fine dining.

[Siewss]

Finally, the time has come. I'm making the trip tomorrow early morning.

 

I have traditionally been using Route 3 for all my holiday destination which lines the east coast. Some people have tried Karak Highway which cuts from the west to the east to join up at Kuantan.

 

For those who have tried both routes, any difference in time, distance, safety and "MIW presence"?

[Voodooman]

Finally, the time has come. I'm making the trip tomorrow early morning.

 

I have traditionally been using Route 3 for all my holiday destination which lines the east coast. Some people have tried Karak Highway which cuts from the west to the east to join up at Kuantan.

 

For those who have tried both routes, any difference in time, distance, safety and "MIW presence"?

 

I have tried all 3 routes, via Mersing, Segamat and Karak. Karak is a big detour, I usually take 4 to 5 hours via Mersing or Segamat to reach Kuantan, Karak usually adds another 1.5 to 2 hours to the journey and definitely has more MIW presence. I was stopped near one of the rest stops after Genting exit. NS/Karak Highway is definitely safer but takes away the thrills of overtaking on trunk roads, no way. I still prefer Segamat/Kuantan route. Have a safe journey.

[Siewss]

I have tried all 3 routes, via Mersing, Segamat and Karak. Karak is a big detour, I usually take 4 to 5 hours via Mersing or Segamat to reach Kuantan, Karak usually adds another 1.5 to 2 hours to the journey and definitely has more MIW presence. I was stopped near one of the rest stops after Genting exit. NS/Karak Highway is definitely safer but takes away the thrills of overtaking on trunk roads, no way. I still prefer Segamat/Kuantan route. Have a safe journey.

 

Thanks for the sharing and the well wishes. I'll just stick to good old Route 3.

 

If the place is empty, I'll try my "luck" in asking for an upgrade.

[Voodooman]

The trip went well, any upgrade of room? How about a field report, kinda missed those you have written in the past.

 

Any flooding this time round? thinking of heading up to Tasik Kenyir in Dec.

[Siewss]

The trip went well, any upgrade of room? How about a field report, kinda missed those you have written in the past.

 

Any flooding this time round? thinking of heading up to Tasik Kenyir in Dec.

 

I've been very busy in recent weeks. In fact, this vacation to Tanjong Jara made me even busier - the backlog of work after I came back from the trip wiped off all the feel-good effects that pervades every Tanjong Jara visitor.

 

The journey up took about 5 hours, while the return journey took 6, with the one hour difference caused by roadworks near Pekan, the rainshower immediately after departure for the stretch between Dungun and Kijal, and the treacherous night driving.

 

As always, I fell in love once again with the windy and wild route 3, inspite of the lousy road surfaces and the littering of dead flattened carcasses, not to mention the multitude of insect bodies plastering and body fluids splattering all over all my car's frontal surface (nothing that cannot be solved by autoglym, but there were some bumper pitting and chipping where the impact was probably too hard). There's the sense of joy whether it's rushing down a straight, overtaking 6~8 cars lined behind a heavily laden truck/tanker at one go, clipping apexes when negotiating S curves, taking tight corners that cause you to slide from side to side on the rear bench, and those mini-bridges whose unsuspecting ramp can lead to pseudo battlestar galatica plunges. Maybe I'm getting better at stirring gear, but keeping the motor spinning at the right speed made overtaking a breeze (one prod and it's over in a jiffy) and provided tremendous control when conquering curves by a balance of maximising traction and utilising engine brake.

 

There was an incident that led to quite a scare. It happened along a stretch somewhere after Kijal, I was following a string of cars slowed down by a produce truck that was chugging along at maybe 70km/h. When it came to a point where I was the 2nd car behind the truck, the car ahead of me decided to make its move, and I peeped ahead and decided to follow suit. No sooner that the first car cleared, and I was alongside the truck when I saw, almost in slow motion, 2 marble-sized pebbles flung towards my windscreen. There was no way to avoid, and they hit my windscreen with 2 resounding smack in very quick succession. The windscreen didn't shatter, thanks to the solar film, but it sounded like the windscreen will have 2 big spiderwebs to show for it. The insect stains and drizzle impeded my assessment of the damage, and I was left with the sinking feeling as I journeyed on that I'll be spending a better part of day at Dr Cermin in JB on the way back home.

 

We arrived at Tanjong Jara in good time, and the kids clambered out with great relief from the boredom of multi-hour drive. The doorman, a kindly old man, sounded the gong and we were all ceremoniously ushered towards the lobby like an emperor with his entourage would. Refreshing perfumed towels and cold drinks came next. What better ways to welcome guests...

 

We had 2 upper level rooms

[Voodooman]

Nice field report, very descriptive, looks like the pleasure you derived from the long drive was not in any way diminished

[Siewss]

I'm still blessed with perfect eyesight, but night driving on route 3 is still a totally different animal to tame. It's as treacherous as those dawn drives I used to make. Thankfully the downpour abated by the time I pass Kijal, and I completed the rest of my night drive unmolested by the weather.

 

My verdict: Daytime driving is far, far safer.

 

I changed my front suspension arm 3 months back, but I think I'd better go for a thorough round of checkup. The landing wasn't jarring but 3 times each way warrants some precautionary inspection. I half expected my chassis and panels to start squeaking after the torturous journey.

 

I was told the zi char stall is named CB Wee, just a 5 mins drive away, but after we were all settled in, driving out for meals somehow came across as a chore. Anyway, what we saved in roomrate, we could afford to splurge on in-house meals. If I can still secure good rates like this again, I'll try to make another cannonball run next monsoon.

 

Has Strawberry Park been recently renovated? The last time I stayed at Strawberry Park, I vowed never to go back again for one of the worst service experience I ever encountered. What they really need is a real elephant-sized dose of customer experience injection. I much prefer Century Pine.

 

In the past 6 months, I have been stopped at road blocks twice, and each time I submitted my driver's license, they waved me through after taking a close look at my family members and checking the boot without issuing me any summon. I better check Rilek to see if I should be RM600 poorer.

 

[Voodooman]

I'm still blessed with perfect eyesight, but night driving on route 3 is still a totally different animal to tame. It's as treacherous as those dawn drives I used to make. Thankfully the downpour abated by the time I pass Kijal, and I completed the rest of my night drive unmolested by the weather.

 

My verdict: Daytime driving is far, far safer.

 

I changed my front suspension arm 3 months back, but I think I'd better go for a thorough round of checkup. The landing wasn't jarring but 3 times each way warrants some precautionary inspection. I half expected my chassis and panels to start squeaking after the torturous journey.

 

I was told the zi char stall is named CB Wee, just a 5 mins drive away, but after we w

ere all settled in, driving out for meals somehow came across as a chore. Anyway, what we saved in roomrate, we could afford to splurge on in-house meals. If I can still secure good rates like this again, I'll try to make another cannonball run next monsoon.

 

Has Strawberry Park been recently renovated? The last time I stayed at Strawberry Park, I vowed never to go back again for one of the worst service experience I ever encountered. What they really need is a real elephant-sized dose of customer experience injection. I much prefer Century Pine.

 

In the past 6 months, I have been stopped at road blocks twice, and each time I submitted my driver's license, they waved me through after taking a close look at my family members and checking the boot without issuing me any summon. I better check Rilek to see if I should be RM600 poorer.

 

Strawberry Park had just completed renovations for all room types, except the 3-bedroom apartments. I read about recent glowing reviews on tripadvisor and decided to try it out. Compared to my usual Century Pines's deluxe room, where tariff has risen a mind boggling 50% since my last visit, Strawberry's Tioga suite priced at RM 90 more was quite a bargain. Service was acceptable as we reached there during non peak hours and managed to check-in in 5 mins. I kinda like the place as it is very secluded and it seems to get more rains than other places in Cameron Highlands, bringing down the "coolness" by a few notches.