The Surf on the South China Sea.

Our second mini-break for the year had Eddy and I heading to the East Coast of Malaysia – back to Cherating. We were discussing sea options, since the last break we had was both in the forests and the hillside (read the blog post on Fraser’s Hill here).

We thought maybe Port Dickson (it’s close to the capital), but then Eddy said if it is the beach, he would prefer the East Coast (which faces the South Chine Sea, rather than the West Coast that faces the Straits of Malacca).

It has been six years since we were in Cherating, and I really wanted to be in a chalet that opens up right on to the beach. And there aren’t that many of them. So we chose Ranting Resort again.

Was it as quiet and restful as our time on Fraser’s Hill?

Read on:

First second impressions.

The journey up is nothing to shout about after Karak (the town). I have to admit, even after having taken the highway up so many times, the portion of the trip from the Gombak toll all the way to Bentong is quite breathtaking and also quite scary at times – especially the steep drive down after the Genting tunnel.

We reached Cherating within reasonable time, and settled into our chalet. The resort had been spruced up; the chalets themselves were not sandy, the shower / toilets were much cleaner, I think the flooring was re-done entirely.

Later, I discovered by chatting with workers around the chalet that the entire place was done up during the lockdown of 2020. Not just Ranting Resort, but eateries nearby sprung up, new restaurants, and certain chalets, resorts and the road itself!

There was even a new public car park, with a row of food stalls / shops, and a public toilet / shower nearby. New trees had been planted, and a big fat “Cherating” sign had been erected. Some parts of this refurbishment was nice, while others were cheesy.

But seriously, it was way hot when we were there. A pleasant, cool, non-scorching walk on the beach was only possible before 0730 AM or after 0730 PM.

And Cherating is seriously only one street. There isn’t much to see or explore unless you drive out. So in terms of a quiet, mindful retreat, like what we had in Fraser’s Hill, that only took place in our chalet or out on our verandah.

New friends!

In our 2017 trip, there were loads of beach dogs all over the place. This time, even though there were some, there were far more beach cats and kittens!

They were all super friendly, and I am guessing, both starving for company and food. In the mornings, I would sit on the verandah with my Tarot and Lenormand cards, and watch the kittens hopping and playing in the grass in-between my chalet and the beach / sea.

A few kittens sat dolefully outside our chalet on the verandah, calling Eddy to come out. This poor girl got reiki from me two mornings in a row, because she really wanted to be friends with Eddy. Another tuxedo kitten followed me from the beach all the way back to the chalet. And one friendly guy (or girl) joined us for dinner at a restaurant.

So, dogs and cats, monkeys and chickens… The chickens were interesting. The mother hens would move around with their chicks, and they were fiercely competitive for territory. The chicks woke me up with their chirping the first morning, they were that loud!

But the worst critter on Cherating beach was the …

Sandflies!

Much as I love animals, I really do not like sandflies. I collected my first sandfly bite the very first night as we walked to a beach restaurant for dinner (or possibly on the way back).

By the second day, I had four bites, one on each limb. You may think I am being a little bit OCD about counting and knowing how many sandfly bites I collected and when, but I have sensitive skin and sometimes my sandfly bites can become so angry and inflamed that they wake me up at night!

I used dōTERRA’s OnGuard essential oil blend and that worked wonders. I knew Cherating has sandflies: I suffered them the first time round! But during that trip, I hadn’t yet discovered essential oils, and this time, essential oils were a lifesaver.

Eddy and I dutifully applied OnGuard on a daily basis and when we reached home, we used frankincense and myrrh as well. Myrrh I feel was a game-changer! Within one application, the bites dried up and by the second application, they had practically scabbed over!

Kemaman.

On the second day, we ventured north to Kemaman, probably the closest township to Cherating (even though in the next state). Kemaman surprised us, because it wasn’t a town that was growing out of being a village, it was thriving!

I think it probably is because the beaches here are also quite special, and perhaps because of the commercialisation of Cherating and surrounding beaches, Kemaman got the overspill, as well as those people who wanted something less touristy.

Kuantan.

Because of our familiarity of the place, we decided to spend one morning in Kuantan – which is. a closer drive than from Desaru to Johore Bahru, by the way.

Kuantan truly surprised me. I think I haven’t been back since I was a child, and Kuantan – unlike many other capitals of the country – has maintained its old world charm. And it’s SO CLEAN!

Eddy and I parked near the Kuantan 188 Tower, and did the tourist photos in front of the river. Then we decided to go up the tower. Is it a tourist trap? Yes and no. You do get a good view of the river and the shoreline, but it wasn’t well maintained.

Cherating charm.

Cherating is undoubtedly charming, and one of the nicest beaches I have been to on the Malaysian peninsula (although I am sure there are many I haven’t discovered yet).

Still, both Eddy and I are not really that keen to head back any time soon – unlike the last time we were here when things were more provincial and even more charming than they are now.

I’m not sure what has changed for me. At the end of the day, I am a different person than I was before.

But if you haven’t:

1. been to Cherating before, or
2. are a surfing aficionado,

then you need to head to Cherating to check it out (during monsoon season if you are a surfer).

In the meantime, check out the sounds of the surf from Cherating in the audio below!