Live a little, love a lot and laze like a lotus-eater at Tanjung Sutera

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Photo by nunui [off

Forget weary Orchard Road as it’s only a bus ride across the Causeway to this magnificent getaway.

If one is on the lookout for a horizon-to-horizon, uninterrupted view of the South China Sea head towards a rustic resort named Tanjung Sutera, off the main road that leads to Mersing.

En route to the east coast of West Malaysia, and about an hour and a half from the ritzy township of Kota Tinggi, stock up on Number One Thumbs-Up peanuts, fruit and chewing gum, just remember to keep a lookout for the magical right turn and you are on your way to inspiration and relaxation.

You are “sold” on the idea of unwinding and rearing to get there? Imagine driving through an avenue of giant oil palms, like a copycat idea of the canvas-worthy French boulevards with their hundred-year-old pines meeting midway to form a welcoming arch.  You have this too on your way in to the Sedili-based resort.

It is no wonder then that Asian painters depict oil palms and coconut trees in a romantic manner that’s similar to the 19th Century European paintings in the French Academic, Realist, Barbizon and Post-Impressionist traditions.  There seems to be a stream of consciousness that artists share without having to communicate by word of mouth, using instead generous brushstrokes.

Let go of yourself and throw caution to the wind and chew gum like you have not done in years, now that you are out of stern and sterile Singapore. You will not be lumbered with a rap on the wrist and a hefty fine for being flagrant.    Make a brief stopover at the Pantai Temala that is within walking distance to the resort so that you can have a dip in the ocean even before you land up at the resort.

Approaching Tanjung Sutera, you will find it tucked away in Sedili Besar, far from the cacophonous sounds of the main road and sitting like a pretty lady guarded by a battalion of coconut palms.  It rests daintily at the edge of a cliff overlooking the calm yet whimsical ocean that can be a slate grey one afternoon and turn a cobalt blue next morning.  Acres upon acres of palm oil plantations and genteel rural life cushion the charming resort and hence it remains the closely guarded secret of nature lovers who do not wish to desecrate its pristine ambience with boisterous MacDonald’s and Kopitiam aficionados.

Once there, order a tall glass of freshly squeezed limejuice from the smiling Indonesian man-for-all-seasons, Kandan, walk a few paces onto the verandah of the sprawling dining room and sip while you savour the view.  Your verdict would be “capital”, if you speak the Queen’s English. Perhaps what Somerset W. Maugham would have pronounced upon arrival at this out-of-this-world destination?

The forever-excitable Italians who descended on Tanjung Sutera, 120 of them in strength, the crew of a romantic tearjerker were kneading their thumb and four digits in the fashion accredited to them. Making a point and miming “bellissimo”, meaning, great.  But of course.

A French gentleman during a recent trip shrugged his shoulders in a Gallic “tres bien” and “tres joli” in rapid succession. He was voicing his appreciation by saying it was beautiful and the French know what beauty is, just look at their women.

Would these exclamations be an exaggeration, a false claim?  Definitely not.  Put your ear to the ground and listen to what those who have visited have to say.

The only music played is by the waves lapping the rocks to the accompaniment of the wind, sometimes gentle, sometimes assertive like a saxophone in crescendo.  It is easy to complement these natural sounds with a montage of Vivaldi violin concertos succeeded by light piano pieces from Beethoven’s repertoire.

This is not all, wait till you hear the forest screech, the loud peeping of insects, the squealing of bats, birds tweeting in the trees, a tree lizard clucking, a mew from one of the resident cats, the ringing whine of cicadas, and a squirrel scampering off shushing the cat with a cheeky swish of its tail.  Some nights, and this is when you get lucky, you will hear the babi hutan (sus scrofa vittatus) on the prowl, foraging roots for its supper.

Close to nature, are you?  Want to know about the accommodation.  One can go rustic, kampong-style in the bamboo framed chalets with thatched roofs, ornate beds with mosquito nets and lazy whirring fans, chicaks waltzing on the walls.  Are you a control freak that cannot exist without the air-conditioning control resting in your palm?   Brick chalets offer comfort to the fastidious and the weary.

Feeling rejuvenated after a leisurely night and waking up to a magnificent view of a pond peppered with fuchsia-hued water lilies, right outside your window?  Just the sight you landed at this place for, blessed by the Greek god Zeus, closely associated with Jupiter.  You are entranced watching dragonflies and bumblebees flit about, gauzy wings reflecting rainbow colours in the morning sun, as they decide to settle on the flowers in the water lily choked pond. And you imagine, even hear in the background, Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous orchestral interlude, “The Flight of the Bumblebee”.

Get ready to demolish a good breakfast, prepared by the owner’s mother who is the resident chef.   A dive into the 25 metre swimming pool and you have guessed right, you enjoy a vantage view of the South China Sea. The landscape is so large it has to be studied in parts, like a mural seen by a child, as everything seems enormous.

Bask in the sunshine, laze in the wooden deck chairs, read your favourite author, sip a fruit drink and munch on those peanuts you bought on your way in, as a distant rumble commences in the pit of your stomach when mysterious aromas start wafting out of the kitchen where the matriarch is putting her skills to work, creating a sumptuous lunch for the guests.

A two and a half kilometer Dinasaur Trail where crows rasp into the empty wilderness, leads to a prehistoric-looking, chiseled rock formation that resembles the Nandi Bull on the Chamundi Hill in mystical Mysore in southern India.  Where the connection lies is a topic worth debating with Arthur C. Clarke types.  And you, a nature fiend are alone on this trail with an eye for lunch before a shuteye.  Catching a catnap is easy, as the din; the music of city life and screaming fire engines is not part of the scenario in these parts.

So you are into bird watching of the feathered kind?  Want to bring your binoculars along to get up front and personal without paying an arm and a leg to observe them in their natural habitat?

The parade of beautiful plumage is unimaginably breathtaking with white-throated and collared kingfishers, common migrant kingfishers, yellow-vented bulbuls, common loras, black-naped orioles, Pacific swallows taking a rest at the resort on their way Down Under, lesser coucals, spotted and peaceful doves, large tailed nightjars, white-breasted water hens, olive-backed sunbirds, ashy tailor birds, pied thrillers, white-bellied sea eagles and mighty Brahminy kites strutting their stuff in broad daylight for your pleasure.  Bring on the music fit for a catwalk and let it softly play via a pair of headphones, so that the birds remain undisturbed.

Game for more of the back-to-nature experience and want a hands-on feel of authentic kampong life as this offers even more trees, more birds and more space?  Chat up the Indonesian staff, as they are knowledgeable about the ways and means of the kampong folk.  The trusted language of smiles and generous arm and hand movements will get your message across if you are not spot-on with your language skills.

One tends to evaluate places according to their habitability, whether one can live in them, when one passes through an idyllic glade and this is when one knows one is home.  Perhaps your escapist fantasies inspired by secluded places come into play and yet you are only two hours away from Singapore’s choked Orchard Road and Johore Bahru’s Kota Raya.

People who thrive on watching sunsets usually shelve a series of pictures in the back of their minds of the sun disengaging from a cirrus cloud, suddenly brightening, becoming a dazzling orange of hot lava, then a low yellow dome touching the South China Sea, disappearing slowly.  Watching mesmerized as the diminishing dome turns a pink, almost a blush reflecting on the grey sea.  The two merge to a smear of salmon pink and these people turn away, backpack ready dreaming of a quick return to witness firsthand the rising sun at this magical place.

It is but human to look for an ideal place to live in, the great good place we all seek.  The lovely landscape of Tanjung Sutera, if one is able to paint oneself into it, become a lotus-eater, and then surely it is lovelier than most other places in the universe.

Background of the Sedili Wetlands

Those of you who are keen on the Sedili wetlands would be happy to learn that they represent a rare and unique wetland type in South East Asia; the freshwater swamp forest. A freshwater swamp forest is one of the most endangered wetland types in South East Asia since much of it has been converted to other land uses.

The extent of freshwater swamp forest in and around Sedili Kecil and Sedili Besar has reduced agriculture and village settlements. What is remaining in both these areas, are the riverine habitats and some small pockets of freshwater swamp forests. This is the only intact area of freshwater swamp forest within the Panti Forest Reserve of an area of approximately 300hectacres in Sungai Sedili Besar. The riverine vegetation is in a good condition with distinct gradation vegetation zones in both Sungai Sedili Besar and Sungai Sedili Kecil (i.e. mangrove belt – nypa belt – Barringtonia conoidea belt – pandanus belt to freshwater tidal belt.

This gradation of vegetation types along the river’s of Sungai Sedili Besar and Kecil are extremely rare now in South East Asia. Therefore the project area is to be conserved and protected to reduce further losses of this unique type of wetland habitat. Both Sungai Sedili Besar and Sedili Kecil Rivers and its associated wetlands qualify to be protected under the Ramsar Convention since it fulfils 62.5% of the criteria to be listed as Wetlands of International Importance.

The floral and general biodiversity of the Sedili swamps is high. Forty-nine bird species, seven species of mammals, twenty-one species of fish, four species of reptiles and five species of amphibians are recorded at the project sites.

A total of forty-two and thirty-four true mangrove and mangrove-associated species have been recorded, respectively at Sungai Sedili Besar and Sedili Kecil.

There are sixteen dominant species of freshwater swamp forest trees at the site, which makes it very interesting from the point of the gradation from true mangroves into different freshwater vegetation belts.

It is probable that such a distinct gradation of riverine vegetation in freshwater ecosystems exists nowhere else in Malaysia. Both Sungai Sedili Besar and Sungai Sedili Kecil have ecotourism potential, as the boat rides along the river are extremely pleasant and have both aesthetic and recreational value.

The Sedili swamps are very important areas for bird watching, recreational fishing and wetland interpretation.

Moreover, the rivers and their associated floodplains are probably very important as flood water storage areas, especially the Sedili Kecil basin. The Sedili wetlands are an important refuge for wild life and have high conservation and biodiversity values.

It would be a great move by the Johore State Parks Corporation if it were to designate both Sedili Besar and Sedili Kecil as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and manage them as two separate sites.

As an integrated approach to management of both the sites it is important to include ecological dimension as well as the human and social dimensions. Local communities depend on and use the resources from the wetlands and they are an important element in the management and decision making process with regard to the resource use.

The two river basins of Sedili Kecil and Besar sustain inshore fisheries for local communities whilst providing supplementary income through recreation activities such as boat-rides; home stay opportunities and angling facilities.

(Source: Rapid Ecological Assessment of the Sungai Sedili Besar and Sungai Sedili Kecil Wetlands and Associated Ecosystems in Johor, Malaysia. From: Wetlands International, Malaysia.)

Bird Watchers Paradise in the Sedili Swamp and Mangrove Areas

Several bird species nest in the Sedili’s swampy, mangrove areas.  Ardent bird watchers have reported sightings of well over half a hundred species some of which are native and some migratory.

It is a natural bird park that allows birds freedom of passage minus the ruckus humans are capable of.

Barging into their territory is a big no-no as the natural sanctuary boasts of birds such as the white-throated and collared kingfisher, common migrant kingfisher, yellow-vented bulbul, common lora, black-naped oriole, the Pacific swallow taking a rest at the resort and wetlands on its way Down Under, lesser coucal, spotted and peaceful dove, large tailed nightjar, white-breasted water hen, olive-backed sunbird, ashy tailor bird, pied thriller, white-bellied sea eagle, the mighty Brahminy kite, buffy fish owl, spotted wood owl, blue-tailed bee-eater, blue-throated bee-eater, laced woodpecker, common flame-back woodpecker. Oriental magpie, Oriental pied hornbill, scaly-breasted and chestnut munia, golden-bellied gerygone, little heron, house crow, hill myna, pink-necked green pigeon, crested serpent eagle, Richard’s pipit, dollar bird, black hornbill, plaintive cuckoo, red-wattled lapwing, zitting cristicola, common and Javan myna, the Asian glossy starling, black and red broadbill, house swift, long-tailed parakeet, pied fantail, yellow and common bittern, cattle and intermediate egret, the migratory pond heron from China and the purple heron.

(Source: A checklist of birds at Tanjung Sutera Resort and along Sedili Besar River and Greenery Catchment)

The Mystery behind Tanjung Sutera’s Dinosaur Trail

One of the highlights of a trip to Tanjung Sutera is the 2.5 kilometre, Dinosaur Trail, a stretch of rocky coastline that shelters half a dozen sandy coves.  It is perhaps the resting place of the sailing ships of yesteryear including merchant ships in recent years.  The waters are so treacherous that they have remained untouched by man, unexplored and unexploited for possibly over 65 million years.

This is what geologist Nick Baker, co-author of “Wild Animals of Singapore” said when he experienced the dramatic terrain and examined the rock formations at Tanjung Sedili.

Baker goes on to say that dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago before their sudden disappearance in a cataclysmic happening and their remains have been found in temperate zones with tropical plants still in their mouths.  This section of Johore on the East Coast was part of a land-bridge connecting Asia with Australia.

The Jurassic age, the age of the dinosaurs, looking at the amazing volcanic agglomerate rock formations in Sedili, Baker says dates  back to a time even before the Jurassic, referring to the Triassic Age.  Baker concludes, “ The Sedili volcanic phase was mainly of the explosive type.”

Seeing folds of these ancient rocks, predominently of ignimbrite, with subordinate lava flows, lithic tuff, agglomerate and volcanic ash, one can easily imagine oneself going back to a time when this area was jungle-clad and had many live volcanoes.

Scrambling over the barnacle-encrusted jagged rocks, exploring every clear rock pool, one sees not just an astounding variety of rock formations but a rainbow of colours as they range from jet black and dark grey of shale, to the rose pink and amber of sandstone.  Larger crystals of clear quartz and pink feldspar can be seen in the seams of the outcrops, while the beaches are strewn with egg-shaped and round pebbles tossed and polished by the waves for thousands of years.

It is of course a matter of conjecture that dinosaurs once roamed here as no one, no scientific team, has combed this ancient land.  This is what makes this place so specially secluded. It is a well-kept secret because the forbidding rocks, stretching far out to sea, thus protecting it from exploitative man.

But we know that, in excavations in lands deforested and built upon, for example California, they have uncovered skeletons of the once great beasts that roamed Planet Earth. And we in Malaysia are so fortunate that we still have places that are virtually untouched and unspoiled for millions of years.

For more refer to Geology of the Malay Peninsular – West Malaysia & Singapore by D J Gobbett & C S Hutchison.