Sunday, 29 May 2011

Teluk Iskandar Inn

I am sitting at a lovely veranda as I type this entry... enjoying a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast with black coffee, while at the same time taking in a splendid view of the calm South China Sea. The day is bright and not yet warm and a gentle breeze blows. No doubt in a short while it would be hot and humid once the sun reaches its peak. Even so, I don't think that would spoil the peaceful and tranquil setting of this place.

The breakfast veranda

I am presently lodged at Teluk Iskandar Inn in Mersing on the east coast of Johor. We checked in late evening yesterday and plan to attend the wedding reception of our niece later this afternoon.

Teluk Iskandar Inn is a quaint, privately-run establishment owned by an elderly Malay couple, Puan Kamariah and Encik Ibrahim. It is located on a piece of land with sea frontage, not too far away from Mersing town. I have noticed this place many years ago but never had the chance to set foot in it. Mersing is my wife's hometown and it doesn't make sense to `balik kampung' and yet go stay at a hotel. This time around, we are back only for a wedding. The family kampung house has not been occupied for a few months and would need some effort to get cleaned.

I got to know of this inn from online reviews and have been keen to give it a try for quite some time. It doesn't have that many rooms and early booking is recommended. The rooms are set out in a elevated terraced layout that extends from the house proper (where the owners stay). The upper level is where the rooms are located while the area below (what Malays call kolong) have been simply but tastefully decorated as a lepak area. The bedrooms are basic but adequate... no fancy flatscreen satellite TV or the like, which would actually look out of place in such a rustic setting. But online addicts (yours truly included) need not fret... the wi-fi signal here is strong and reliable.

View from the beach side towards the house
Nice place to relax

Foreigners have been coming to Mersing and staying at this inn for many years. Their recommendations have made it even to Lonely Planet. At the rest lounge below the rooms, there is this framed hand-written list prepared by a Matsalleh couple. It lists out all the birds they have seen while staying here. There are 24 species. I'm no bird-watcher, so most of the names escape me... but one did capture my attention, the brahminy kite. This is a type of bird-of-prey that feeds on fish and other marine animals. I kept an eye out for the bird during my early morning walk on the beach to catch the sunrise, but did not spot any.

Lovely place, this Teluk Iskandar Inn... how I wish I can own such a place as this when I retire.

Sunrise on the east-coast

12 comments:

Mamaboyz said...

wow thanks for the review, i love this kind of place, will try to go there someday, it reminds me of Impiana Cherating, ( but cant remember the wi-fi status there)

Pat said...

What a lovely place this is, Fadhil. And it looks so very Malaysian! Not some generic crap that is so often the case.

I hope I get the chance to check it out some day.

Fadhil said...

Dr Wati,

You can try stay at this place if happen to drop by Mersing, cuma be advised that kids may find the place a bit boring.

Fadhil said...

Pat, it's a lovely place to sit back and relax. Read a book or basically doing nothing..

zafi said...

What a day???
Nice place to relax and have fun with family. Nice scenery... Is it possible to get a contact to go there :D

Fadhil said...

Zafi, click on the link in the 2nd paragraph. Will lead you to the Inn's website where you can find the contact number and email.

Nurie said...

Ahh.. I sooo love the pics....they look so serene and peaceful. The perfect place to unwind. Untung you dapat stay tempat camni...

emilayusof said...

cantiknya tempat ni, abg fadhil!! nanti nak pergi, thanks for the review.

Fadhil said...

Noor,

I have a lot more lovely pics of the place and some more pics of the beautiful sunrise. Worth spending time there if you happen to be in Mersing. Beats the normal hotel rooms anytime.

Fadhil said...

Emila,

It is a good place if you love nature. Great place for photo buffs like you and me. I spend the whole morning before breakfast taking sunrise pics and macro shots of flowers.

Yu Seung said...

Hi there, Teluk Iskandar Inn is now for sale....

Fadhil said...

Hi Yu Seung,

Sorry for the late response. This blog has been neglected for too long.

Yes, I heard about this place being up for sale when I when I went back to Mersing at the last raya holidays. Would love to buy if I have the money...