While most people think of Mersing as just a gateway to the Endau-Rompin National Park or Mersing Marine Park, PEGGY LOH has a wild time in this fishing town

HOLDING on tightly to a leash, the old man barked: “Ambil yang muda! (get the young ones).” At the other end of the leash, a brown baboon scampered lithely up a coconut tree heavy with fruit. It carefully chose a coconut, neatly twisted it loose and threw it down to the old man.
I watched with wonder as it threw down more and more coconuts — all young ones. At the old man’s command, the baboon slithered smoothly down the tree trunk. It ambled close to me, probably knowing that I had been watching and was smugly waiting for a deserving pat for a job well done.
In plantations, fruit picking is being turned over to machines, so it is fascinating to know that this tradition is very much alive in Mersing. I marvelled at the strong bond between man and beast and how this intelligent baboon could be taught to obey his master’s orders so specifically!

While Mersing is renowned as the gateway to the Endau-Rompin National Park and the idyllic islands in the Mersing Marine Park, this fishing town is making its mark as a popular tourist destination on Johor’s east coast. Exploring Kampung Air Papan, I soon discovered that this coconut-picking baboon was just one of the many interesting attractions here.

Owls, Prawns And Turtles
In the bright afternoon sun, the padi fields stood lush and green, swaying gently with the wind. Walking along bunds that divided the field, our group was on an owl hunt. The farmer, armed with a long pole with a net attached, explained that owls were blind in daytime, so this was the best time to catch them.
Actually, farmers consider owls as their best friend. Roosting in nests built on tall poles around the rice fields, these “guard” birds would, at night, keep watchful eyes on rodents that come to steal ripening stalks of padi.
Our first attempt failed. Waiting with bated breath, we sighed as the owl escaped in a swift whirl. Assuring me that the owl would not be harmed, the farmer then skillfully captured another.
Having only seen these mysterious birds in books or in TV documentaries, it was indeed awesome to come face-to-face with the bird and feel its silky feathers. The owl, our celebrity of the hour, posed politely for photos and was then released.
Glad that the owl was free again, we headed for a prawn farm where a great splash was created by air-pumping paddle wheels in the ponds. Standing at the edge of the pond, the farmer cast his net. Then he drew it in and emptied it into a holding pond. Out poured dozens of wriggling tiger prawns, the very sight of which made me drool.
Thus, it was a pleasant surprise when, on our way out, the farmer offered us generous portions of prawns to savour right there by the ponds!
Our bellies warmed by such a satisfying snack, we next stopped at a turtle hatchery owned by the Johor Fisheries Department at Air Papan beach. The woman caretaker would comb the beaches of Mersing and neighbouring islands to rescue newly-laid turtle eggs before they were stolen or destroyed.
These would then be re-buried in the hatchery and dated so that she would know when they would hatch. The hatchlings would be kept for a few days until they were stronger before being released into the sea. I thought that such a meticulous task was clearly a labour of love!
We took turns to re-bury a batch of eggs. Handling the delicate eggs cautiously, each volunteer placed them in a hole dug deep into the sand. Next to that hole, several plots were already buried with eggs and had dates marked on small signs.
As we were gently burying the eggs, a sandy patch nearby “moved” and to our great surprise, something small and dark surfaced. It was a freshly hatched baby turtle! As it squirmed its way out to the surface, I was so charmed by the sight that I even felt a sudden rush of maternal joy!
We all agreed that this rare experience was worth every minute spent at the hatchery. We were still talking about it when we arrived at a beachfront souvenir shop that stocked interesting merchandise, from hats made from fish-skin to hand-painted batik.
We were invited to try drawing batik outlines using a canting, a special instrument that has a small brass bowl at the end of a handle and a tiny spout on the bowl that allowed melted wax to run onto the fabric.
After selecting our souvenirs, it was time for more shopping. There are many shops in Mersing that deal in dried seafood products but two of the more popular outlets have to be Penghasilan Laut Kuantan Mersing Bersatu at Jalan Jemaluang and Perniagaan Keropok Hj Puteh at Jalan Abdullah. Everything looked so fresh and inviting that we came away with huge bags in our hands!

Where To Stay
Homestay packages in Air Papan village are designed for day trips or one, two and three-night stays, packaged with up to 12 agro-tour activities of your choice.
The village can accommodate up to 36 guests in 10 homes. Homestays are an ideal way to experience the way of life in a Malay community and share in their culture, food as well as leisure and commercial activities. Depending on the season, the homestay package may also include fruit farm visits, rice processing and crab catching. For groups, cultural shows like ghazal, zapin and ronggeng dance performances can also be arranged with a kampung-style dinner.
For more details and reservations, contact Village Headman, Mohd Asri Jaafar on Tel: 019-779 9944 or Homestay Co-ordinator, Shamsuddin Razak on Tel: 019-762 4137. Or contact the Mersing District Agricultural Department on Tel: 07-799 1046 and Fax: 07-799 7001.
Alternative accommodation in Kampung Air Papan is available at Fishing Bay Resort, www.fishingbayresort.com, Sri Mersing Resort, www.srimersingresort.com.my, Air Papan Chalet, Tel/Fax: 07-799 2993 or 013-744 7070 and Seri Delima Chalet, Tel: 07-799 1101 or 013-772 2240.

How To Get There
Mersing town is only a two-hour scenic drive from Johor Baru city. Self-drive the 134km comfortable route via Kota Tinggi town or take air-conditioned express coaches that operate daily from the Larkin Terminal in Johor Baru.

Side Attraction
Look out for bunkers that dot the roadsides on the sector between Kota Tinggi and Mersing. These bunkers are Second World War relics of historical significance. The British built these concrete dome-like structures in the 1940s as the final defence against the Japanese invasion. Tombs near the bunkers are a solemn tribute to soldiers who died in combat. Rumour has it that the Allied Forces built underground tunnels from one of the bunkers to Tanjung Pengelih in Kota Tinggi. However, they closed these tunnels before their retreat to Singapore.

The trip to explore and rediscover Mersing’s many interesting attractions was organised by Tourism Malaysia Johor office.


Shop for dried seafood

IF you are after high quality dried seafood in Mersing, just follow your nose. While daily fresh catches are sold to restaurants and lucrative markets in the cities, a portion of its rich harvest from the sea is turned into dried products.
It is clear, from the quality and varieties of salted fish, prawn paste, fish sauce, seafood snacks and troughs piled high with dried prawn and fish crackers, that a visit to Mersing is not complete without stopping to shop for dried seafood products!
One of the more popular products must be keropok lekor — a boiled fish sausage that can be eaten in its chewy form or sliced thinly and deep-fried to crunchy perfection. Both are best enjoyed with a hot chili dip.