Sata! nom nom

Sata or Satah is probably one of Terengganu's best kept secret. I had been to Terengganu four times and wonder why I had never heard or seen sata until now? It is simply the most delicious snack Terengganu has to offer. There are two variations. One is the conical shape one as seen above which I bought along the road leading to Merang. If you are going to Redang Island, you are bound to see these stalls lining the roadside.

The grilled sata which is selling for only RM2 per stick with four packets. Inside, there is the most flavourful and fragrant packet of fish paste mixed with onion, ginger and cut red chillies. These conical shape ones are not spicy and my children love them.

Meanwhile, another version which I bought from Seberang Takir near Kuala Terengganu has a different shape. This packet is very spicy and taste really nice. These are all freshly out of the charcoal grill and hence smell soooo good.

I did a google for Sata and am so glad that I found the basic recipe. It is made of blended paste of fish, onion, ginger, coconut, chillies and tumeric leave. Now, I can experiment making my own sata without driving 475 KM to Kuala Terengganu for them haha.

A look into how Sata is made . These were taken at Kampung Teluk Pasu, Manir, in Kuala Terengganu

Turtle Sighting Part 2! Teluk Mak Nik , Kemaman

As the throngs of tourist left, my friends and I stayed on, and guess what! We got to see the whole process of a mama turtle digging a whole in the sand, and laying her eggs! I also managed to touch the eggs! AMAAAZZZINNNGGG! I LOVE TERENGGANU!



before hand, we managed to catch a mama turtle who has just layed her eggs and was in the process of burying them. I got tonnes of info on the process and a little history on these turtles and their visits to this beach. Catch it all on the video! You cant miss it!



I believe that even locals rarely get to experience this! I feel truly blessed and am constantly amazed by what Terengganu has to offer. You'll just never know what's in store for you!

some stills for you :)

Turtle Sighting at Monica Bay!

The best part of my trip, I have to say was being able to witness turtles at Teluk Mak Nik or Monica Bay.

It was absolutely the most amazing thing to be able to watch a mother turtle lay her eggs, bury her eggs oh and dig a hole too! Pregnant turtles only come to lay their eggs on the beach in the dead of night, so we were very lucky to be around the beach at that time driving back from the firefly sanctuary!

When we got to the beach, it so happened that we were in time for some scientist-like work of releasing baby turtles back into the sea! The little turtles were the cutest things and would follow the light shone by the torchlights when released on the sand, to scramble back into the sea. Watch the video below!

Crystal Mosque

As we were crusing up the river, we were greeted by the spectacula Crystal Mosque or Masjid Kristal located at Islamic Heritage Park ( Taman Tamadun Islam ) on the island of Wan Man. Constructed between 2006 and 2008, the mosque was officially opened on 8 February 2008 by 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu.

Like the Floating Mosque, the Crystal Mosque can also hold thousands of people and is popular destination during the fasting month for Tarawikh prayers.

here's some pictures I got, one when I was crusing down the river, and one taken on a brighter day with better skies!

Taman Tamadun Islam!

Taman Tamadun Islam is a monument park that contains replicas of mosques from all over the world. There are 21 timeless monuments altogether and its all set in the beautiful natural setting of the city of Kuala Terengganu.



I decided to wear funny glasses for this video! hehe

With multimedia touch screen at the galleries, video screening at the interactive monuments and amphitheatre shows, you're sure to be educated about Islamic art, history and culture.


walking down the jetty





There's trams and buggies for you to embark on your own little journey across the park. Bicycles are available too! There's restaurants and retail outlets .




Other activities include canoeing and going for the river cruise which I did!

For the monument park its

RM 25 for adults
RM 15 for senior citizens
RM 15 for kids aged 7 to 12
and free for kids aged 6 and below

the river cruise is RM 10 a seat and its for an hour.

Operating hours are from 9 am to 7pm on public holidays and weekends whereas its
10 am to 7 pm on weekdays except for Friday where its from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30 pm till 7pm.

Kuala Terengganu's Floating Mosque

okay okay, I'm a sucker for this song! haha

Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque also known as Masjid Terapung is a unique design which is built on a floating platform. The mosque is built on the estuary of Terengganu River by one of the prince in Terengganu state. Combining both modern and Moorish architecture design, the mosque symbolizes the innovation and modernisation in the state. ( wiki! )

the Floating Mosque, is known as one of the icons of Islam in the state of Terengganu. Built from an idea birthed by the late Sultan of Terengganu, Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, this mosque was named after his mother, Tuanku Intan Zaharah binti Almarhum Tengku Seri Setia Raja. Constructed between 1993 and 1995, the mosque was officially opened in July 1995 by Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, the late Sultan of Terengganu.

The ideal time to visit this mosque is in the evening, when the evening sun shines on the mosque, turning the building into a beautiful amber shade. Plus the floating affect of the mosque looks even more interesting as the mosque will be brightly lighted and you can see its reflection on the water, as seen in the video above!


The mosque is located in Teluk Ibai, just over 4km away from Kuala Terengganu town centre. The white structure of the mosque gorunds covers and area of roughly 5 acres

The beauty of its architecture and serenity of its surrounding landscape, also draws a great number of visitors to Terengganu who take the opportunity to perform their prayers and take a breather from their journey at this mosque. The design of the mosque reflects a subtle Islamic influence combined with local features, incorporating the use of marble, ceramics, mosaic works and bomanite paving.It is large enough to accommodate between 800 to 1,000 people at once - and the minaret stands 125 feet tall. With the South China Sea as its backdrop, this mosque is undoubtedly an irresistable attraction to visitors in Terengganu and from across the peninsular.

A side note, as usual proper attires are required especially if you plan to have a look inside the mosque - dress conservatively, no shorts, mini skirts or sleeveless. Avoid also visit during prayer times especially on Friday afternoons from noon till 3.00pm.

Sungai Yak Yah fireflies!

Located about half an hour drive from the town of Chukai in Kemaman, Yak Yah River or 'Sungai Yak Yah', the biggest fire sanctuary in Malaysia

As the sky darkens into nightfall, twinkling fireflies can be found throughout the 13-km long river, with the best sights at spots around 5km from the jetty. Some trees along the river bank may harbour over a thousand fireflies, making it look like christmas trees!

it was a spectacular sight, one I shall never forget. Nothing beats being surrounded by darknes in hushed surroundings with thousands of little lights blinking and twinkling around you as you crusise gently down the river.

The best time to go here for firefly observation activities is from July to September, which is the mating season for the firefly. That said, it is a year round activity, except from the months of October to January.

You can get there by boat by arranging with a local tour operators to take you to Sungai Yakyah in Kampung Ibok, about 15km from Kijal.

its very hard to get a shot! But I did manage one with a hint of a firefly!

tada!



there are signboards to indicate direction from Chukai town to Sungai Yak Yah, so dont worry. For those who can't find their way to the place, they can always call the operator to fetch them from Chukai town.

The firefly river cruising hours is from 8pm to 12pm. If you wish to check out the place, please contact:

Che Ghani Che Mohd Nor
Tel : +6019 917 4012 or +6019 917 4012

Fees:
Adult - RM25
Children - RM12.50

For more information you can contact :
Tourist Information Centre Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin, 20000 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman Telephone No: 609-622 1553 Fax No: 609-622 1957