The ocean's bounty

Mersing is known for its abundance of sea food and diversity of marine life.

On a recent trip to the market, I was happy to see that the fish stocks have rebounded. There was plenty of fish and they were of a good size, meaning that the fishermen are not over-fishing.

The fish were really fresh and we bought some to steam that night.

Selamat Hari Raya

To all of Mersing's residents and visitors, we wish you all a happy and safe Eid Mubarak.

Nothing  says Raya like homemade cakes and good food.

Here's Cikgu (teacher) Kiah's famous pineapple tarts. Oh so tasty !

in the kitchen

finished pineapple tarts with homemade jam

Some rendang and ketupat palas. Too yummy to describe.

Hope everyone is enjoying this festive season ! Go visit a friend celebrating Raya, 
chances are you will get to enjoy some of these treats.

Sungai Jemaluang a hidden gem

If you love to fish bring your fishing rods to Sungai Jemaluang. It's a small clean river about 8km south of Mersing. It is not connected to a town and has good fishing according to villagers. If you do visit, be a good citizen and keep the area clean by picking up after your selves.

Organic Farms

Avocado tree at Iskandar Inn

Organic foods are not popular in Malaysia as in other parts of the world, but the change to more organic sustainable farming is coming. It comes from 'demand' and as a consumer you can ask, 'is this organic or pesticide free ?'

Already quite a bit of stuff in Mersing in grown organically which means no pesticides and the ground is free from poison (such as mercury from illegal gold mines) and other commercial chemical fertilizers.

I know its more expensive, but who wants to put chemicals and poisons into our own bodies.

For example, Gucharan our local dairy farmer, rears his cows in a sustainable and hormone free way.

The cows produce milk that is delicious and the tairu (yogurt) is some of the best to be found, as good as the best french yogurt and definitely much better than things like Yoplait.

Then there is the organic farm in Kluang, run by Zenxin, which grows organic fruits and vegetables. There is even a store there that sells their organic produce. Stop by when you drive from KL to Mersing through the Kluang road. Kahang is another town where organic farming is taking place. I have ot nconfirmed it yet but its seems they grow organic rice.

A friend's sister is involved in this positive movement on the Virgin Islands. Maybe we can learn from our distant cousins there, after all its another tropical paradise.

http://growvi.org/

Happy Chinese New Year 2010

We wish all our visitors and residents
Gong Xi Fa Chai.
Happy year of the Tiger. May it bring peace and prosperity to all.

This year, because of the El Nino weather pattern, there are strong winds but not much rain. Enjoy a cooling escape from the
hustle and bustle of the city.

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomcuriosity/)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Everyone here at Mersing.com would like to wish all our visitors, a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year.

Dec, Jan and Feb are great months to come visit.
The town is not too busy, the winds are cool with only occasional rains and
there are no bugs.

Happy Holidays everyone !

[image courtesy a pink flamingo shop]

Horseshoe Crab

Photo was taken at Sekakap, about 7km south of Mersing.

Gold Digging

Rumour has it that Mersing has gold lining its shores, and this is partially true. Local towns people have often found small flecks of gold on the beaches of Mersing. Local visitors can sometimes spot small children on the beach panning for thin flakes of gold using shallow pie tins.

It is one thing for an intrepid treasure hunter to find gold on the beaches of Mersing, but it is another for a commercial enterprise to dig up our beach land, and taint our food supply as a result of illegal gold mining.

Typically, commercial gold mining usually makes use of MERCURY, which very often leaches into our water supply, and therefore into our food supply. Mercury poisoning is insidious, and results in brain damage, deformity, and loss of motor control.

It has come to our attention that a gentleman , En Fitri, from Kuala Lumpur has been mining gold illegally along the coast in Mersing. Unfortunately he has been using mercury, and runoff from his operation has shown mercury levels as high as 16 TIMES the allowable levels.

For many citizens of Mersing, we depend on the sea for our food, and we really cannot do anything about mercury poisoning unless we stop these illegal activities. For more information, please go to http://sites.google.com/site/toxicgold/

If you are concerned, please help by contacting land office in Mersing (Pejabat Tanah Daerah), the District Officer and the Department of Health.

Happy New Year 2009

Wishing everyone the best for 2009.

Happy New Year from Mersing !

Time to bundle up

The monsoon is back, and Mersing had its first storm today.
Most people think the monsoon is wet and rainy, but actually most
of the time there are strong north easterly winds. It makes the weather nice and cool, like Cameron Highlands or Genting resort. In fact it is cool enough to wear a light jacket, perfect snuggling weather or cuddle to a good book if thats your cup of tea.

It's amazing to just stand by the sea, and marvel at the powerful waves pounding the shore. Although, you can't go swimming in the open ocean, and snorkling is not recommended, there are several coves in the area, where you can still swim (always check with the locals though to make sure).

The monsoon season, gives nature a chance to regenerate from commercial fishing and other human activities. So celebrate nature's renewal and come enjoy the season !

New look

Thanks to Anip our intern, we have finally completed updating our template. Some of the new features include the bus and ferry schedules and some new widgets.

The photo widget will show the latest "mersing" tagged photos from flickr, so if you have some to share, do upload your photos onto flickr.com and tag them "mersing.

We have also spent some time updating the town map and have some of the major attractions on it.

Comment and let us know what you think.

Videos

Here are some videos to show a glimpse of Mersing.

Ferry ride to Tioman Island from Mersing


Beach at Tioman Island

An original Kopi Tiam - Sri Mersing Cafe

Sri Mersing Cafe is a gem. An original Kopi Tiam (Chinese coffee shop) located in Mersing where fresh coffee and baked goods are served hot, along with the buzz of deals being made and local news being discussed by its patrons. Its frequented by everyone in town; Malay, Chinese and Indian, a truly Malaysian place ! Its clean and has been around for over 25+ years.

The coffee is roasted fresh on the premises, and is served strong. The baked goods are made at the shop and include breads, cakes and local pastries. Try the Kaya toast ( with or without butter , spread on a bun or a slice of thick toast). Have this along with a two soft boiled eggs and it will bring back memories or make new ones.

I'm still getting the hang of ordering the coffee since like most Malaysian restaurants, tea and coffee are served complete with milk and sugar. To have it plain you have to learn how to order it minus the extras.





Kopi = Coffee with sweet condensed milk (on the bottom)
Kopi O = Black with sugar ( the 'O' omits the milk )
Kopi O Kosong = Black without sugar ( the Kosong omits the sugar )
Kopi C Kosong = Coffee with milk but no sugar.

When you're there try taking home a loaf of home baked bread; each slice is almost twice as thick as the ones you get from commercial bakeries and delicious with their Kaya.
Also try their egg tarts and pineapple pie.

About Mersing

The charming town of Mersing on the East coast of Malaysia is an ideal place for peaceful relaxation and adventure. Mersing has great food, friendly people, and the tropical islands of Tioman, Sibu, and Rawa are a hop away.

Mersing town is the main port for ferries to Pulau Tioman and the more than 40 other beautiful islands in the Seribuat Archipelago (see Cool things to do). In the town of Mersing, you'll find a wide assortment of stores, restaurants, traditional coffee shops, banks, and internet services. The town is located near beaches and other mainland scenic attractions rivalling those found on the islands.

At heart, Mersing is a fishing town. From the bridge over Mersing river, one can see rows of brightly coloured boats and a forest of stilts on which rest fishing docks. Although Mersing is a modern town with internet cafés and nine banks, the leisurely pace of life remains.

Mersing can easily be accessed from Singapore, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and the major northern Malaysian town of Kuantan by car, bus, taxi or coaches.

www.flickr.com

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Facts about Mersing:

Population	22 800
Languages Spoken	Bahasa Malayu (national language), English, several Chinese and Indian dialects
Currency	Malaysian Ringgit (exchange rates)

Large cities nearby:

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	250.7 km / 155.8 miles
Singapore	126.8 km / 78.8 miles

Where to Stay

Teluk Iskandar Inn

Teluk Iskandar Inn is a charming bed and breakfast situated on the east coast of Malaysia, facing the South China Sea. In a natural garden setting, Teluk Iskandar Inn is the perfect place to stay for peaceful rest and relaxation. A short drive will take you to the town of Mersing. The islands of Tioman, Sibu, and Rawa are nearby.

Reservations
tel. +6 07 799 6037
mp. +6 019 704 8624
email. mersing_duo@yahoo.com

For more information visit: www.iskandarinn.com

Hotel Havanita
web. www.hotelhavanita.com.my
tel. + 6 07 799 8666
fax. + 6 07 799 8178
admin@hotelhavanita.com.my

Omar's Backpacker Hostel
tel. +6 09 779 5096
fax. +6 07 799 4434
web. www.journeymalaysia.com/citymersingomar.htm

Raja Villa & Resort
tel. +6 07 799 5589
web. www.rajavilla.com

Hotel Seri Malaysia
tel. +6 07 799 1876
web. www.serimalaysia.com.my

Hotel Timotel
tel. +6 07 799 5888
fax. +6 07 799 5333
email. inquiry@timotel.com.my
web. www.timotel.com.my

Transportation Schedule

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Boats

Ex-Mersing Ferry Terminal

Mersing to Tioman

Speed Ferry (1 hour 30 minutes)

One way Adult - RM 35.00
Child - RM 30.00

Two way Adult - RM 70.00
Child - RM 60.00

Speed Boat (1 hour)

One way Adult - RM 45.00
Child - RM 40.00

Two way Adult - RM 90.00
Child - RM 60.00

*The ferry timing subject to water tide/weather condition.
*Child age is between 3 to 12


For more information

Myoutdoor.com Sdn. Bhd
Unit L1-09, Level 1 – Bangunan JOTIC NO. 2,
Jalan Ayer Molek,80000 JOHOR BAHRU, JOHOR

Fax: (+607) 227 2907

Email:inquiry@myoutdoor.com



Bluewater (Speed boat & Ferry)

Ferry

Cost: RM40 one way

Speed boat

Cost : RM45 one way


For more info :

Tel: +60-7-799-2535 / +60-7-799-2612 (Eric or Jim)



Auto Mersing

Ferry (about 2 hours or so)

Adult : RM35.00
Child : RM30.00

Unit No.1 Tourist Centre,
Jalan Abu Bakar, 86800 Mersing, Johor
Tel : 07-799 6019
07 799 3123
Fax : 07-7995118

Transportation Schedule

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Bus

Transnational

From Kuala Lumpur to Mersing

Time : 9:00am, 12:30pm, 6.00pm,11:00pm,11:30pm

Fare (Adult) : RM 22.90
Fare (Children) : RM 11.50


For more information :

website : http://www.nadi.com.my/
Phone : +603 - 20703300
+603 - 20705044
Fax : +603 - 20705044

Free wireless provided by WiredSpot

WiredSpot has set up a free wireless access point at Al Hamid Cendol (opposite Mersing Hotel) for residents and visitors to Mersing. Surf the net while enjoying an ice cold cendol or ABC!

Macam-macam goreng

Translation: things fried, or fried things.

One of my favourite places in and around Mersing is Penyabong, which is a small town centred around a jetty. A fishing town, you can purchase fresh fish straight from the boat at 4pm. The best part of going to Penyabong is the fresh macam-macam goreng. There's a small stall situated across the jetty owned by a boisterous Malay woman, who serves up a fried storm: fried crabs (ketam goreng), fried prawns on a skewer (head included, udang goreng), fried banana (pisang goreng), and fried fish cake (keropok lekor). You can purchase her dried keropok, and chilli sauce in a bottle.

Penyabong is located north of Mersing. The directions are convoluted, so ask for directions along the way. Penyabong is approximately 30 minutes drive away.