cuban8
Senior member
After only just returning from a riding trip in North Thailand 3 weeks ago, we felt that a day trip would be required to top up the riding needs basket. Alvine aka Radio (dont ask why) who rides a WR250X and I decided to take a day trip to Mersing. Its hard to get everyone around with bikes altogether to go riding as schedules do not permit, hence only 2 of us went. Having left my 990 Adventure in Chiang Mai for the last one year, I had no bike to ride, fortunately a very kind friend lent me his KTM990SMR. Very nice bike to say the least, but it could do with an improved range over the current 140km to reserve and a windscreen.
Crossing the causeway from Singapore into Johor was a breeze at 7am because all the traffic seems to be in the opposite direction inbound to Singapore. The weather was looking fine so we took the coastal route from Desaru to Mersing passing Sedili, not before an obligatory stop for breakfast at the famous Kota Tinggi Bak Kut Teh. Bak Kut Teh is pork ribs cooked overnight over a slow heat in a herbal broth that results in very tender meat, often to be had with steamed rice and You Cha Kway (fried dough sticks). A slight back track to join route 95, 99 and 90 took us to Desaru which a seasonal coastal resort town. It was route J173 that took us past idyllic fishing villages with rivers opening up directly into the South China Sea, we rejoined Federal Highway 3 about 45km south of Mersing where the roads were better and slightly twistie.
Looks like a new road is being built direct from the coastal town of Pengarang to Desaru.
Famous Bak Kut Teh in Kota Tinggi
N01 49'39.8" E103 57'30.5"
Desaru's coastline
A little fishing town called Sedili along route J173.
Bridge crosses the Sedili Kechil River.
Fisherman on Sedili river
Lots to explore off the main J173
Mersing, gateway to the resort island of Tioman and also a base to off shore fishing.
Fishermen done for the day.
Mersing is famous for its fresh and reasonalbly priced seafood. Sedap! (Aroy mak in Malay)
Caught in a torrential shower on the way back to Johor
Visibility deteriorated so we took shelter in an abandoned vendors shed
Federal Route 3 took us back to Johor. This road was one of the earliest routes built in Malaysia (previously known as Malaya) dating back to the 1920s. Predominantly used by the British to link their possesions in Malaya. Bunkers suggest that this route used to be heavily guarded.
During WWII this was also the route used by the Japanese Imperial Forces on the attack of Singapore.
There are trails used by 4x4 and dirt bike enthusiasts around this area waiting to be explored.
Blocked up to prevent public access
Peek of the what the inside of the bunker looked like.
Singapore to Mersing via the coastal road overview. 480km door to door.
Crossing the causeway from Singapore into Johor was a breeze at 7am because all the traffic seems to be in the opposite direction inbound to Singapore. The weather was looking fine so we took the coastal route from Desaru to Mersing passing Sedili, not before an obligatory stop for breakfast at the famous Kota Tinggi Bak Kut Teh. Bak Kut Teh is pork ribs cooked overnight over a slow heat in a herbal broth that results in very tender meat, often to be had with steamed rice and You Cha Kway (fried dough sticks). A slight back track to join route 95, 99 and 90 took us to Desaru which a seasonal coastal resort town. It was route J173 that took us past idyllic fishing villages with rivers opening up directly into the South China Sea, we rejoined Federal Highway 3 about 45km south of Mersing where the roads were better and slightly twistie.
Looks like a new road is being built direct from the coastal town of Pengarang to Desaru.
Famous Bak Kut Teh in Kota Tinggi
N01 49'39.8" E103 57'30.5"
Desaru's coastline
A little fishing town called Sedili along route J173.
Bridge crosses the Sedili Kechil River.
Fisherman on Sedili river
Lots to explore off the main J173
Mersing, gateway to the resort island of Tioman and also a base to off shore fishing.
Fishermen done for the day.
Mersing is famous for its fresh and reasonalbly priced seafood. Sedap! (Aroy mak in Malay)
Caught in a torrential shower on the way back to Johor
Visibility deteriorated so we took shelter in an abandoned vendors shed
Federal Route 3 took us back to Johor. This road was one of the earliest routes built in Malaysia (previously known as Malaya) dating back to the 1920s. Predominantly used by the British to link their possesions in Malaya. Bunkers suggest that this route used to be heavily guarded.
During WWII this was also the route used by the Japanese Imperial Forces on the attack of Singapore.
There are trails used by 4x4 and dirt bike enthusiasts around this area waiting to be explored.
Blocked up to prevent public access
Peek of the what the inside of the bunker looked like.
Singapore to Mersing via the coastal road overview. 480km door to door.
