Down the Sepat Highway - Part 2

Returning to Kuantan along the Sepat Highway, I decided to get some information about possible overnight stays.  The only two motels that I could find were 'The Saddle' and the 'Palm Suite Homestay'.

The Saddle looks to be an interesting place.  Advertising itself as a Riding Center, Lodge, Camp Site, and Kelapa (Coconut) Shake, it is situated right beside the Sepat Highway and across from the Sepat beach zone, that strip of land that has coconut palms, penaga laut trees, and Casuarina trees.

Horses at The Saddle

The Palm Suite Homestay is a little ways down a small tar road and consists of a beautiful-looking home sitting amongst a small plantation of oil palms.  Both were closed on this public (and religious) holiday, so I will have to make another trip down south to scout them out later.

Palm Suite Sign

Palm Suite Homestay

Like other areas close to Kuantan, the Sepat area has new housing developments going up seemingly in random places.  Some look abandoned, but perhaps the work is only moving along slowly and not completely stopped.

Lembu Korban and New Housing

Also, there are some interesting looking signs indicating small, home-based businesses.  Again, if this had not been a religious holiday, I might have looked in on what these businesses were doing out in the kampung.  Entrepreneurial activity is being strongly promoted amongst rural people so it is interesting to see what is working for those brave souls who have already taken the leap into self-employment.

Small business, home business, near Sepat.

Still, despite the upgrading of housing (from wood to brick), I love the old-style, wooden kampung houses.  They are beautiful and have larger compounds (halaman) in which the owners often take great care to plant flowers and raise small livestock (goats, chickens).  Lumber is quite expensive relative to brick and concrete, but I would not want to see the wooden houses gone from the countryside, these houses define what a kampung should look like.