On Chinese New Year 2020, we spontaneously decided to travel to Desaru, a small beach resort area in Malaysia. Normally, you can easily reach it from Singapore by ferry or car. As we were so spontaneous in our decision and everything was booked we were forced to try out a different way to travel in Singapore: We went by bum boat. The usage of the word bum boat is unique for Singaporeans. Other than the small boats used to ferry supplies to ships moored away from the shore, the Singaporean bum boat is used for small water taxis that take tourists on short tours. If you expect an all-inclusive serviced ferry ride, I’m afraid you’re wrong, though. Even though those bumboats work as water taxis, they still appear like small supply boats and are not comfortable or luxurious. Next time, I will certainly make sure to take the ferry instead, though the bum boat costs half the ticket price (approx. 14 SGD/person), so if you are looking for a cheap but efficient way to commute between Singapore and Malaysia, this option could be for you.
To Desaru, it takes around 40 minutes on the bum boat and another 35 minutes by taxi or private car. Located in the middle of nowhere, Desaru was one of the upcoming spots in the 80ies, especially for families. But in all honesty, there is not much left… Besides four (modern) hotels and their restaurants, and a golf course, there is absolutely nothing to discover in Desaru. Hence there aren’t any boutiques, cafés, not even a precinct. Instead, 22 kilometers of a long beach is extraordinarily wide, facing the South China Sea. This means that Desaru is perfect for a quick getaway from the buzzing city of Singapore – if you prefer to hang out at the beach anyway.
I mentioned there are only 4 hotels and funny enough, every hotel seems to have its own target group. So if you are looking for a couples trip over a weekend, I would highly recommend the Anantara Desaru Coast Residences. Their main restaurant, Sea.Fire.Salt. grills seafood and meat to perfection at the beachfront and serves drinks from the bar in a vibrant atmosphere.
Related Posts
Catching Breath in the Austrian countryside | TRAVEL DIARY
For the longest time, I have been dreaming about escaping the city we have been locked up in for over a year. And finally, it was time. Having just landed in Germany and craving nothing else than freedom and fresh air, the first trip after 15 months in Singapore would lead us to Austria’s wine cou
A weekendweekend triptrip to Carmel by the Sea
Oh, Carmel by the Sea, how you always manage to steal my heart! Despite having visited this gem of a town before, I've never had the pleasure of staying overnight... until now! Thanks to a collaboration with Marc & Rose Hospitality, I had the opportunity to experience the epitome of luxury at Hotel
Austin
Our first approach to Texas was Austin, where we spent three days / three nights at before heading to Puerto Rico. The city is known for its outstanding food scene and great live music venues but also for its general weirdness. Read more about my places to stay, my favorite restaurants,
24 hours in Prague | Travel Diary
After spending a few pleasant and relaxing days in Austria's wine country, it was very convenient to have a rental car, as we could literally drive wherever we wanted. That's how instead of going back to Germany, we made a 24-hour pit stop in Prague. The feeling of just passing land bord
Cambodia TravelTravel Diary:Diary: One Country, Many Worlds
Cambodia wasn’t a place I had on my bucket list, but sometimes the best trips are the ones that just fall into place. One of our close friends was getting married on a beach in Koh Rong, and we figured—why not turn it into a full-blown Southeast Asia getaway?
Hội An – City of Lanterns
During our Vietnam trip for New Year's Eve we made a tripto the city of Hoi An, which was warmly recommended to us in advance. And we were not disappointed...
POST COMMENT