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| Klang Convent OGA members in Betong, Thailand |
Have you been to Betong? Many of us have never heard of this place. It
is a city in Yala Province, Thailand, near the border of the Perak state of
Malaysia. Betong, surrounded by
mountains, has beautiful scenes of lake, forest and rubber plantations. It is a popular place for Malaysian tourists.
A few years ago (July 2011) my husband and I joined members of Klang Convent
Old Girls Association (OGA) on a 3D/1N holiday in Betong. The response from members of OGA for this trip was so good
that the organizers had to charter a double-decker bus to take all of us there. The total number of passengers was 38 (members plus spouse/friend).
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| Our comfortable double-decker bus |
We started the journey from Klang at night and reached
Betong early next morning. After a long wait for the town to wake up, we had our passports cleared at the Betong immigration. We headed straight to a restaurant for a hearty breakfast.
In the early morning, the city was quiet, with some eating shops opened for business. I saw some unique features of the city: a tower-like structure with plants growing around it in a small roundabout and a large red postbox in the middle of the road in front of the shops.
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| A unique roundabout |
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| A large postbox in the middle of the road |
First on the list of our itinerary was Winter Flower Garden. We boarded a mini
bus, which was a stark contrast from our big air-conditioned comfortable bus. It had two rows of wooden seats on both sides and we were
crammed inside, facing one another. However,
the beautiful garden with rainbow-coloured flowers in a cool climate, made up for the discomfort.
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| Mini bus from the rear |
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| Smiling faces in spite of the crammed spaces Photo: Mee Lee |
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| Lovely Winter Flower Garden |
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Scenic shot
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Group photo with tour guide (front row, second from left)
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| Cheerful faces in a lovely environment Photo: Mee Lee |
After many memorable photographs amidst the beautiful blooms, we t
ook a long walk up the road and viewed some chalets made of bamboo. They looked so cool and well-built, ideal accommodation for tourists especially newly-weds.
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| A bamboo chalet |
Next, we visited the Piyamit Tunnel.
This tunnel was the Malaya Communists base, for
bombshells and storage of food supplies. Built in 1977, it was 1 km long and 5 to 6 feet wide, with 9 entrance and exit paths.
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| Entrance to Piyamit Tunnel |
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| Description of Piyamit Tunnel |
After walking
through the cool jungle paths in the lush tropical forest, we entered the narrow tunnel and arrived at a clearing. A woman in a blue tee-shirt gave a brief explanation of exhibits displayed in the tunnel.
After the Piramit Tunnel visit, we were pretty tired. Next stop was Betong Hot Spring. Most of us headed straight for the public hot spring. We rolled up our long pants and dipped our feet into the hot water. Ahh! What a wonderful feeling!
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| Hot relaxing therapy Photo: Mee Lee |
A
foot soak soothes muscles, hydrates skin as well as relieves aches and
pains. What a relaxing and therapeutic feeling - just the right remedy
for fatigue feet.
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| A foot soak: soothes muscles, relieves aches and pains |
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| What a feeling! We could hear Irene Cara singing in the background. |
The relaxing dip built
up a good appetite. Relishing food is one of the best part of holidays. Our next itinerary was a durian feast. For a fee, we could eat as much as we liked: the sweet, creamy, buttery, fragrant, finger-licking "king of fruits". As soon as the boss and his workers opened the thorny fruit and passed its shells around, the pulp was quickly savoured and safely tucked in our stomachs.
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| Members enjoying the durian feast |
I was fascinated by the metal durian fruit opener. The thorny fruit was placed below the metal bars and with a quick press of the bars, the fruit was opened. The
worker then priced it open with her hands to expose the delicious seeded pulp inside.
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| The worker held the two bars and pressed down on the thorny durian fruit |
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| She priced open the durian |
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| Yummy durian pulp |
Besides durian, we had delicious meals during the trip. We had birdnest, spicy and tangy Thai, and authentic Chinese food - everyone’s
favourite.
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| Bird-nest dessert |
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Cereal prawn
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| Fish maw |
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| Seaweed soup |
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| Steam chicken |
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Steam spring roll
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| Thai-styled Fried fish |
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| Yin tai: trotter |
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Steam fish
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Our last visit was Wat Phuttathiwat, the largest Buddhist temple in Betong, This temple was located
on a hilltop. It was impressive, from the exterior and interior views, with intricate and well-designed architecture.
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Impressive front view of Temple Phuttathiwat
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Inside the temple: intricate architecture
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Inside the temple: Sitting Buddha
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Outside:Looking down from the temple
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| Outside: White dragon at the front of the temple |
Accommodation was good. We stayed in Sri Betong Hotel, a hotel that satisfied all our needs.
Shopping is a common feature in OGA tours. At various
stops, members shopped for household items, food, herbs etc.
At one of the shopping places, I was enthralled by a worker's handicraft. She was folding
expertly tiny rosettes with the Pandan (Pandanus) leaves.
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| At a herbal shop, with Diana, president of Convent OGA |
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| Household items: lots of choices |
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| Rosettes from Pandan leaves |
On our way back, we stopped in Ipoh to buy the signature biscuits (hiong piah) and salt-baked chicken.
Travelling with members of the OGA is always fun and enjoyable. As we come from the same alma mater (Convent Klang), we got along well with one another and moved as a harmonious group. It was a good opportunity for members to have fellowship with one
another, the young with the senior members.
Betong is a pleasant place for a relaxing holiday. Everyone had great fun, delicious food and strong fellowship.
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