Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 466

MERSING
he small fishing town of MERSING ,
between Kuantan and Johor Bahru, is the
gateway both to Pulau Tioman and to the
Endau-Rompin National Park and, as
such, gets a steady stream of visitors
outside the monsoon season. he town
centre is grouped around two main
streets, Jalan Abu Bakar and Jalan Ismail,
both branching off from the main
roundabout. You'll most likely find
yourself staying here overnight on the
way to the island, as boats are far more
frequent in the mornings.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Both long-distance and local buses arrive at the
bus station not far from the bridge across the river, a
couple of minutes from the roundabout. Mersing is well
connected to a number of destinations. You can also get
to Singapore by taking a bus to Johor Bahru and changing
to one of the frequent connections there.
Destinations Johor Bahru (5 daily; 20hr 30min); Kota
Bharu (2 daily; 10hr); Kota Terrenganu (2 daily; 6hr);
Kuala Lumpur (4 daily; 5hr 30min); Kuantan (2 daily;
3hr); Malacca (daily; 3hr 30min); Singapore (daily at
1.30pm; 3hr).
By ferry The jetty is about 10min walk from the
roundabout along Jln Abu Bakar. The boat companies that
ply the route between Mersing and Tioman have o ces
inside the R&R Plaza near the jetty; in peak season, get
your ticket the day before. Boats for Tioman depart
between 7am and 4.30pm, with far more departures in
the morning; the journey takes 1hr 30min-2hr. Expect to
pay around RM70 for a round trip plus the additional RM5
marine conservation fee. There's very little service during
the monsoon season (Nov-Feb).

Low Yong Moh 32 Jln Tukang Emas. A great local
hangout to refuel with a pork, shrimp or chicken dim sum
(RM2) as you explore the city. Wed-Mon 5.30am-noon.
Nancy's Kitchen 7 Jln Hang Lekir. This little Nyonya
restaurant has been the hottest table in town for quite some
time; it's still going strong - try their signature chicken
candlenut (RM18), which is cooked in a macademia nut
sauce, or the prawns cooked with spices and coconut milk
(RM27). Mon-Thurs & Sun 11.30am-3pm, 4-5.30pm; Fri &
Sat until 9.30pm. Occasionally closed on Tues.
★

6

Pak Putra 56 & 58 Jln Laksamana. This hugely popular
North Indian place with outdoor seating attracts a crowd
for its superb chicken tandoori: spicy, crispy and succulent.
Mains RM7. Tues-Sun 5.30pm-1am.
Selvam 3 Jln Temenggong. This welcoming Indian place
serves excellent banana-leaf curries (RM4), all carefully
prepared at your table. On weekends there are lunch
specials, including tasty biryanis (RM6) and tandoori sets
(RM6). Daily 7am-10pm; closed Tues every fortnight.

SHOPPING
Antiques Malacca is famed for its antiques, and there are
many specialist outlets along Jln Hang Jebat and Jln Tun
Tan Cheng Lock, though they are by no means cheap. If it's
a genuine antique, check that it can be exported legally
and fill in an o cial clearance form. A number of shops
charge RM3 just to browse.
Crafts and souvenirs Wah Aik at 56 Jln Tokong is a
third-generation shoemaker selling bound feet silk shoes,
while Gee's Original on Jln Hang Kasturi has a shopful of
handcrafted wooden clogs. For modern souvenirs, try
Orang Utan, 59 Lorong Hang Jebat - it's the outlet for local
artist Charles Cham's witty cartoon T-shirts and paintings.

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange The most central bank is Public
Bank on Jln Laksamana; HSBC, Jln Hang Tuah, has a 24hr
ATM, as does OCBC bank, in Dataran Pahlawan Megamall.
Moneychangers are often more convenient and offer as
good rates as the banks: there are a few around town,
including on Jonker Street.
Hospital Mahkota Medical Centre, 3 Makhota Malacca,
Jln Merdeka ( T 06 285 2999).
Immigration The Immigration O ce is in the Urban
Transformation Centre (UTC) on Jln Hang Tuah ( T 06 333
3333), for on-the-spot visa renewals.
Internet All accommodation options reviewed offer free
wi-fi; most offer free internet too.
Laundry Clean Clean, Jln Hang Jabat at Jln Kampung Kuli
(Mon-Sat 10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-5.30pm; RM4/kg).
Police The Tourist Police O ce ( T 06 288 3732; open
24hr) is on Jln Kota.
Post o ce On Jln Laksama (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm,
Sat 8.30am-1pm).

INFORMATION
Tourist information The Mersing Tourist Information
Centre along Jln Abu Bakar ( T 07 799 5212) keeps erratic
opening hours, but has some helpful brochures and
photocopied maps of Tioman.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Embassy Hotel 2 Jln Ismail T 09 798 2864. This large
concrete hotel with a central location right near the
roundabout offers spacious clean rooms with a/c and cable
TV. Boat departure times are posted by the reception and
there's wi-fi t hroug hout (though not great on the top
floor). Double RM55
Ee Lo Tepi Jln Dato' Mohd Ali. This no-frills restaurant
serves tasty Chinese dishes, with mains from S$5. Daily
10.30am-3pm & 6.30-10pm.