Payung Guesthouse Cherating

Through with exhausting jungle trekking I'd made my way once more to the east coast for a few relaxing days by the beach before flying on the 11th. Although now passed it's heyday, Cherating was once a favourite stop on the travellers route up the coast, with a long stretch of sand, good accommodation options and a bohemian paced atmosphere people quite often lingered for much longer than anticipated.

I arrived in the village after ...

... We arranged to go turtle hunting that evening. The trip started at 10.00 pm, he said we would see the baby turtles and let them go in the sea. Then we would relaxe for a few hours and wait until a big turtle would come to the beach to lay eggs. So we headed to the turtle sanctuary and the baby turtles where so cute just trying to run everywhere. I tried to upload a video but only a little quick one as the others ...

... trip to Scotland!), the game is quite popular here.

Cherating is the sort of place that up until now has had liitle development and most travellers go there just to stop for a while; for us three days but for many much longer. Characters popped up all over the place like Dieter, the german software guy who contracts now and again and is just travelling the rest of the time ........ but he's got a bit of catching up to do to beat David whose been on the go for 7 years! David ...

... finish IN the pool and well it did...not that the guard was very happy about it ... had a lot of fun and definitely the best way to chill out and start the holidays properly! The next day started not so early...nearly throw the phone by the window (still wondering who asked for an early wake up call), and wake up just on time to enjoy some real breakfast...yami! On that day, we spent most of our time by ...

... whining cat waiting at our door waiting to lead us to the breakfast table to enjoy the waking sun. After breakfast, it was a quick trip to the wooden bridge to giggle at the frisky monkeys and their babies cavorting in the water, swinging from branch to branch and falling off. After the crazy monkey sight seeing, and much to the boys' relentless complaints, we sat down for school lessons. After lunch and more lessons, we ...

... We arrived in Jerantut around 1pm, it was pouring down and we were being hassled for trips to Taman Negara National Park. We'd decided against going there as we've been on quite a few jungle treks in the past few months and don't want to start comparing to them. Plus it was pouring down so the leaches would have been out in force!! So we waited around until a bus was going 4 hours later to Kuantan. Not the prettiest town, and no tourist ...

... du style mais le boatman nous a oublie a l'hotel. Ca me fait vraiment raler de m'etre levee avec Killian pour rien, alors je demande qu'on me rembourse. En discutant avec le gardien de la guesthouse voisine de mes mesaventures, je finis par lui emprunter un velo pour la journee. Comme il est un peu pourri il me le donne pour rien, et puis c'est pas le sien ...

... the guide took us out. We took a little river boat down to our camp site. We headed out as soon as we arrived to a 45 minute hike straght up the mountain. It was really hot, and there wasn't really a path.... Hiking through the jungle was so different that in Canada, because we were surrounded by palm trees. Our guide for the park was 18 years old and raced up the hill in front of us. In the park people are not allowed to roam around on their own, as their is the ...

... which Paul had to point at using a mop from the menu on the wall as they were struggling to understand us!! Very amusing! We'd read great things about a place called Pekan not far from Kuantan so jumped on a bus the next morning but once again the rain was seriously beating down so we had a picnic on a bench, bought an umbrella and gave up, headed back and caught the bus onto KL! Come on sun, where have you gone!!!!