I have always wanted to take the KLM train from Singapore to Malaysia. I've taken trains around the world, but not the KLM, how can? So after some "research", Kluang seemed like a suitable destination, however, booking train tickets online baffled me, and I think they were out of tickets on the said route, so we had to drive instead. At least that meant that we didn't have to worry about how to get around Kluang itself. #roadtrip
One driver, one car, three passengers, two days, one night. The girls were saying they wouldn't come all the way out to Kluang again anytime soon, but.... I kind of enjoyed the laidback small town vibe - it's a good escape from the city and not that touristy (yet).
Our first stop was Zenxin Organic Park. There are many activities available, so if you want to stretch your visit, with children especially, it can take half to one day if you take things slow, preferably start in the morning before it gets hot.
Here are my reasons for visiting:
1. Location
It's enroute to Kluang, so why not?
If you leave Singapore in the morning, you will reach just in time for brunch (see point 2 below).
No worries about getting there (there were signs along the way), and parking is not an issue (when is it ever in Malaysia?).
2. There's something to eat.
For a start, we had breakfast (our second or third for the day). I think the curry puffs were delish.
We also had drinks, using the RM5 voucher that came with our tickets (see point 3 below).
3. Price
Admissions is RM10/adult, with a RM5 voucher (we used it for drinks at the cafe). Unlike us, if you buy tickets before you have breakfast, you could use the voucher for breakfast. Effectively, it's RM5 per adult, don't get me started on how much it is for children (I don't know but I'm guessing, cheaper?). For these many things to see and do (see points above and below), it's a bargain!
I always only remember to take snaps of the guide at the end of a visit, hence it's always very tattered (and sometimes, torn).
Here's the entrance. If you are lucky, you can get greeted by a t-shirt wearing baby monkey (he must have outgrown that shirt by now). It's heartening to see the staff taking pride in their work and making the place all cheery and welcoming.
4. There's something for the plant lover.
I'm only featuring the pretty or the weird, according to my dictionary.
Dragonfruit is weird...
Wah the leaf is huge, quick, use something to compare!
5. There's something for the fungi lover (I know my plant from fungi).
6. There's something for the animal lover.
(Free range snail)
7. There's something for the activity lover.
Do check what activities/shows are available at the start of your visit and plan accordingly. We only managed to make it for mulberry picking. The first time I've seen mulberry bushes (They don't qualify as trees or shrubs I'm guessing) which I only knew before as food for silk... worms. Picking mulberry is very much like picking coffee cherries (read more about it here), the redder the better.
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Evidence that we were really hard at work, although our results leave more to desired. (You get to take back what you picked and who likes eating sour unripe mulberry!)
The fruits of our labour (four labourers, to be exact)
We also went up a tree house/ watch tower of sorts for a demonstration (and tasting) after our mulberry picking session. But I got distracted.
8. There is something for the sale lover.
Following the demos and food tasting, I guess it naturally proceeds to shopping. Come by for a wide range of organic goods (mostly should come from the farm itself, I presume), just before you depart from the farm. We might have gotten something if we were enroute home and not at the start of our road trip.
And... that concludes one part of our Kluang road trip!
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