Kukup Getaway (Aug 2013)

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Saturday, 17th August 2013

I was eleven when I first visited Kukup as a kid way back in December 1990. This was also my first overseas trip proper even though I certainly did not catch the travel bug until much later in my twenties. My only recollection of the maiden trip was our delicious seafood lunch on top of a kelong, one of the many floating houses by the sea. Kukup, a peaceful fishing village located along the western end of Johor lies about 100km from Singapore. It was certainly great to be back at the same spot after a good 23 years!

Nine of us assembled on the morning of 17th August 2013 at Choa Chu Kang Station for our weekend getaway. I was looking forward to it given the novelty of staying in a huge chalet by the water. The drive from Singapore across the Causeway was pretty straight forward given the light traffic at both sides of the customs. Within the next 40 minutes, we had arrived at our breakfast stop at Taman Perling, one of the townships in western Johor.

Breakfast was a simple fare for me - light fishball noodles soup with minced pork. This did not deviate from the version we were familiar with back home. After our rest, it was probably another 60 minutes drive before reaching Kukup, part of the Pontian Administrative District along the western coast of Johor.

Our well-equipped chalet by the sea was spacious enough to house nine of us comfortably under one roof. Our 2D1N package came with six complimentary meals and a boat trip to an offshore kelong. There were also mahjong sets and karaoke facilities on site as well. The additional fireworks in the evening and the durians cost a bit extra but the quoted prices were very modest.

The town square itself was small but it provided a safe haven for us to roam about on our own as the village comes to life in the morning. Great foods and great sunsets aside, the short peaceful getaway provided an opportunity for me to catch up with the group, some of whom I had not seen after I left my previous employer.

Thank you Kukup for allowing me to re-live those memories after 23 years. More importantly, the great company from my travel mates for making this trip a memorable one.

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