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Monday, June 4, 2012

Off to Crab Island!





It is school holidays  for Joshua here in K.L. and we are having fun being full time grandparents! Yesterday we planned to go off to  Pulua Ketam or Crab Island in English. It is very easy to get there, starting with a train trip to Port Klang and then waiting for the ferry boat.  Joshua is passionate about trains and was thrilled to see "points"  "flatbeds""buffers" and all things train - related which I confess I do not know too much about.
 Arriving at Port Klang we purchased our ferry tickets and then enjoyed the sights from the jetty.


The ferry boat is shaped a little like a bullet and is rather claustrophobic inside! While we waited in an orderly fashion for the ferry to arrive, it was a bit of a bun fight getting on board!!
We did learn that one can hire private ferries for a few more Ringitts if you want to do the trip in style!!





 Unfortunately, the plastic window covers do not allow for good photo taking and I was unable to get many really good pics of the "floating fishing villages  en route.


All the houses and shops are built on 10 metee high stilts to cope with the tides.


 This little fishing village is aptly named as the mud below the jetty on arrival was "littered" with crabs!!




 and these are caught and kept for tourists to enjoy as a delicious meal, cooked in many different ways!!
Prawns and a wide variety of line fish are also offered on the menu. Being mainly a community of Chinese Malaysians all sorts of Chinese delicacies are on offer too.



 This little village trades in all things fishy and as Joshua noticed has a rather "fishy" smell about it.
 

















 What would islanders be without their durians. These were brought over from the mainland and the locals were lined up to be able to purchase their traditional delight.






This charming village has no motorised vehicles and everyone either walks or cycles around the island. Bikes can be hired for MR5 which is around Twelve Rand for the day. To visit the fishing villages,  one can cycle or hire little boats to take you around. I would have loved to have done more exploring but Joshua wanted to go back to "Malaysia" asap!!

The village has a long history and has had to face many disasters such as fires and floods however it is charming in its present day form. All roads lead to the lovely Buddhist Temple called Hock Leng Keng Temple.
There is a lovely green crab on the roof of the temple but my pics don't show it too well.








 


The island is a favorite venue for Buddhist weddings has a special bridge for honeymooners to depart from. The beautiful Temple also hosts musical concerts and the community fill the village centre to enjoy this treat.






 Should I ever have the opportunity to return here and to spend the day exploring I would certainly do it again! Crab Island is easy and cheap to access and enjoy!Don't miss it, should you come this way!