Out to Sea: Sekinchan and Kuala Selangor

Great places to wind down a little, get away from the grind of daily life, and experience a laidback trip for a short while!

Located along the Straits of Malacca, both Sekinchan and Kuala Selangor (which are located a moment’s drive away from each other), is a great place to experience traditional fishing villages, vast paddy fields, and a rustic countryside lifestyle. Of course, it is also a great way to go shutter happy!

Sekinchan’s name in Chinese, literally means “a land suited to grow crops”. Many people come here to immerse themselves among its famed paddy field, with some even choosing the best time to shoot wedding photographs there, especially when the crops turn golden yellow. Unfortunately for me, when I went there, all the rice have been harvested so I’m left with a barren stretch of cleared land. There is still a small area where new shoots are being cultivated, and a huge warehouse/factory where the harvested crops are being processed.

Sekinchan also has a fishing village and is famous for its ikan bakar dish. A walk around the village reveals a very quintessential fishing kampung (village in Malay language) scene: wooden houses built using timber strips, the salty smell of sea water, various items from prawn crackers to school shoes lined out to be dried under the sun, colourful storage containers, people riding around in their motorcycles without wearing helmets, and of course, the local produce and seafood sold there!

A short drive down south brings you to Kuala Selangor, which has a similar fishing village setting to Sekinchan but a much bigger town. Many people flock here for its seafood and sometimes many from the city are willing to drive all the way there just for dinner before heading back home! The best way to discover the place is by walking and getting lost, I wandered into a Chinese village and it is really interesting to see the way of life of the residents there.

These two places make for a great weekend combination when you are looking for a short trip away to escape the city. Of course, don’t forget to end the trip with a seafood meal and some local produce!

written by shuttersentinel17 on 2011-09-20 #places #village #malaysia #locations #field #selangor #fishing #seafood #location #rice #kuala #rustic #sekinchan #paddy #escape-from-the-city