And not just any:that of Tanam Negara Park, in the north of the state, is the oldest in the world (130 million years!). Everywhere else, trees as far as the eye can see from which rise here and there the houses on stilts of the Kampong (traditional villages). Perfect for going green! About twenty kilometers from Kuantan, the capital, the Sungai Pandan waterfalls offer a real bath of freshness in the heart of nature. Many families settle there for the day, between picnics and diving competitions. We go up along the waterfalls by small winding paths and suspension bridges. It climbs steeply but when we arrive on the plateau, we swim in peace.
From the airport, the city center is only 30 minutes by express train (www.kliaekspres.com). We take the opportunity to visit the capital, on arrival or departure. The Petronas Twin Towers, long considered the tallest in the world with their 452 meters and 88 floors, house a shopping center… with international luxury brands. We prefer to hang out in Chinatown and Little India. Absolute change of scenery:it honks, it scolding, it nibbles and it swarms everywhere! Convenient to save time:the Hop-On Hop Off bus which serves the main points of the city (Petronas Towers, Golden Triangle, Chinatown, Central Market, etc.). Single ticket for the day on sale at the station.
Chinese, Indian, Malaysian… Difficult to resist the temptation! Essential, among the local specialities:1/ satay, skewers of meat (chicken, beef or mutton) marinated in spices and peanuts and grilled over charcoal, found on the menu of all restaurants or in the street; 2/ nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut milk, served in a small packet in a banana leaf, 3/ nasi goreng, rice sautéed with meat and vegetables. For dessert, we tested the durian or "king of fruits". The Malays are crazy about it despite its strong smell of stink bomb (most hotels forbid it, that is to say). Surprise, it doesn't really taste good!
It was in Cherating, a small seaside resort for backpackers about forty kilometers north of Kuantan, that the first Club Med in Asia was established in the 1970s. Thirty years later, this club has also become the first eco-village of the group, certified Ecolabel and Green Globe of Bronze. Normal, here we sleep in a bungalow on stilts, as in the Kampong, in the heart of an 80-hectare tropical forest. We tan on 5 km of virgin beach without deckchairs or parasols so as not to interfere with the turtles laying eggs (you can ask to be woken up to watch the show). And we share the place with the local fauna, like this band of macaques that steal the slightest object left unattended. Locking doors and windows mandatory!
We bring back batiks, pandanus fiber basketry (placemats, baskets, small cases, etc.), small blowpipes or palm sugar sold in cylinders. Buy at Kemaman Market, about 30 minutes by bus from Sherating Beach, in Kuantan, the capital of Pahang state, or at the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur.
-Paris-Kuantan, via Kuala Lumpur, with Malaysia Airlines, tel. :0 892 35 08 10, www.malaysiaairlines.com.
-More info:Malaysia Tourist Office, 29, rue des Pyramides, Paris 1er. Phone. :01 42 97 41 71, www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my.
