Back to Desaru

In a serendipitous moment, we planned a vacation several months ago with another family here, not knowing that by the time we went, they would have made the decision to move away in June. So our four days in Desaru, Malaysia, were especially precious as our days with the Hausman family are numbered.

We took the 10 a.m. ferry on Sunday which put us in Malaysia at about 10:30 (you can actually swim to Malaysia if you want to, but we were going a little further north). A van took us to our resort, the Pulai Desaru, where we immediately donned swimsuits and jumped in the pool while they finished making up our rooms. Our fun in the sun lasted so long that all of us were much more red than we should be. The kids even blistered on their noses. For those of you who don't know, I am the Sunscreen Nazi, so the fact that I forgot to reapply filled me with remorse for the rest of the trip. They are now quarantined inside the house until it is completely gone.

But back to our trip. Erik and I went to this resort last year during monsoon season. We thought that was why it was basically deserted. Turns out it's always deserted, except on the weekend! So our two families had the run of the place. We enjoyed the beach, the pools, the "kid's club" indoor play area, and a nighttime firefly tour on the river.

One highlight for me though was a Kampong tour. We drove 1/2 hour to a traditional Malay village and our guide showed us the various indigenous trees they harvest, including rubber, starfruit, mangosteen, curry, and coffee. He graciously gave the kids samples of each, which they clutched in their little hands like treasures. Megan made the mistake of poking her bit of rubber through the grates of the chicken coop, where a curious chick took it from her. Ethan was kind enough to share some of his stash with his distraught little sister.

After looking at the trees, we had lunch with a Malay family in their house, which is 100 years old! Up on short stilts, it had low ceilings and an open feeling to let the breezes through. They entertained us after lunch with a traditional drum song.

Another reason Erik and I wanted to return to this resort was because last time we ate the best food ever there. Unfortunately, they seem to have changed cooks. The food was ok - I stepped out of my comfort zone and ate Malay food like Mee Goreng and something else I can't remember. The kids had so much junk food that we are doing two days of detox with lots of fruits and veggies.

All in all though, very relaxing and enjoyable.