W5:A day trip in my hometown: KLUANG🦇

 

By Chock Jing Yi                                                                                                                    23 July 2023

Bat Town🦇

Kluang is a transliteration of Keluang from Malay. Keluang, in Malay, means bat. Because of this, Kluang is also known as the Bat Town.

WHY?

  Around the 1910s or some days earlier, due to the decision of the Malay Federal Government and the Sultan of Johor to vigorously develop the Johor North and Johor Central regions, the forest was cut down in large numbers, and the bats that originally lived in the hinterland of the forest were driven out of their "homeland". , looking for new "habitats" everywhere. Kluang then bears the brunt of becoming the "new territory" of these bats, where they prey on flying insects, inhabit and reproduce.

Many local stores are named or logo with bat or make them as our local mascot.

For example:

My Kluang is a chain coffee shop and it start to become famous just like Old town White Coffee shops

there are 2 shops in Kluang that sells delicious food and it not just sell breakfast it also opens till midnight. 

Kluang Mall is the largest mall in Kluang and its mascot Xiao Fu is a bat and Xiao Fu means little bat and also fortune in Chinese!
The mascot also accompany me since I was a child and it plays an important role in my childhood till I grow up. 

Let's start our trip!

First stop：Gunung Lambak / UK Farm

  There are two choices for our first stop for different people.

Pick 1:Gunung Lambak

 If you are a natural lover or a mount climb lover I highly recommended you to choose Gunung Lambak.It is not a hard climb for beginners and its road up the hill is not hard to climb if you according to the signboards or you can just follow the other climber over the road. As it was a day trip I prefer to just climb until the half hill and it does not need long time just 1 and half or to hour. The is a suspension bridge where you can take pictures there. Along the road there a big trees and you can see wild monkeys swinging around. If you are lucky enough you can even spot wild hornbills at the area or other rare wild plant and animals!  

Pick 2:UK farm

   In the other way, if you have your trip with you family or you have younger siblings I recommended you to try the Uk farm trip. All tour packages in Uk Farm are personally led by their knowledgeable guides. Along the way, you can also visit feed processing factories, sheep pens, goat milk processing centers, ostrich parks, primitive villages, orchards, nurseries, mushroom and vegetable planting sites.

Kluang UK Farm is currently the largest sheep and goat farm in Malaysia, so it is undeniable that sheep and goats are the main selling point here!
You can also buy goat milk products as souvenirs for family or friends!

Second stop: Kluang Coffee Factory

  In the early days, the small towns around Kluang, such as Barrow and Jimmy, were important coffee bean production areas.This led to the rise of the coffee industry in Kluang.The ground coffee powder field is also sprouting in this small mountain town.

  Among them, the Kluang TV Brand Coffee Factory, established in 1966, is the most popular. Kluang TV brand coffee is loved by Johor Sultan Ismail. It is also known as "Sultan Coffee"!In addition to attracting media and TV stations from Singapore and Malaysia to interview here .The coffee factory is also open for the public to watch the production process of coffee powder.

Third stop: Railway Coffee

  Founded in 1938, Kluang Rail Coffee has a history of 84 years and has been listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the oldest coffee shop in a railway station in Malaysia. The Lim family has already established this Kluang Railway Station coffee shop, which has won the love of the three families with the classic combination of coffee, toast and boiled eggs. There are also small packets of nasi lemak and mee siam that people talk about, and later added Lontong curry mixed vegetables, Johor spicy sand, etc., all of which are affordable, simple and unpretentious old-fashioned flavors.

Since I was a child I like to choose the place close to the window to see the train pass by, till now I still like to sit close to the side of the train.

Last stop: Kluang mural street

Kluang Mural Street Street Art Kluang has many art murals that tell the story of Kluang. At the same time, some paintings can be captured in different ways to appear 3D in camera. A great place to visit with friends or family  and take many interesting photos!

 

Kluang Cendol Kader 

 However, the main reason I recommended this place is because that the is a legendary food here that you must not miss. One of the food spots to visit if you are in Kluang is none other than this so called legendary Cendol stall. Kluang Cendol Kader has been selling since 1945 and till now has been passed to the 3rd generation. The cendol is rather fragrant and was served in metal bowls. It definite feels good to the body consuming the icy bowl of dessert on a hot sunny day.

Kluang Cendol Kader 

Present Situation

  Although the epidemic has greatly affected the flow of people in the Kluang tourism industry, this situation did not last long. The number of tourists has been slowly picking up in recent months. Many tourists also started to visit especially from Singapore. I believe that the passenger flow will definitely return to the past, because I am very confident in Kluang and the tourism in recent years has also been in a stable state.

Future Vision

  As a Kluang native, I don't expect to change every corner here, nor do I want it to become a bustling city. In my eyes, this is my safe haven. I like the atmosphere here and I don't want to disrupt the lives of people here. An ordinary life is also an option. If you are tired of the big city with people coming and going, it is very suitable for you to come here to rest and relax yourself.

Visualization and Communication

Reflection

 Kluang is really a place suitable for relaxation, people here have a slow pace of life. The tea restaurant is also one of the busiest places in Kluang. I also hope more people know about this interesting place. Not only does it have an interesting historical background, but the people here are warm and proud of their hometown. In short, as a Kluang native, I don't expect this place to become a bustling city. I just hope that the people here can live their ordinary lives. At the same time, I also want to share my hometown with more people. This is really a very suitable place to live and retire.

References

• Kluang Municipal Council, The origin of the opening of Kluang
• Food, Lifestyle, Travel & Photography,Saturday, November 23, 2019.Kluang Cendol Kader
• Tripadvisor. Street Art Kluang
• Nicholas Lim, July 18, 2022.Kluang Rail Coffee Is Malaysia’s Oldest Railway Kopitiam

Mind maps &cover page created using

•  https://www.canva.com/