Sungai Lembing Mines, Kuantan, Pahang
After visiting Sungai Lembing Museum, I followed my husband and his boss together with the production crew accompanied by an officer from the museum to visit Sungai Lembing Mines. Yassin and I were thrilled because this was our first experience entering a mine! There are actually 3 mines opening there but we were guided through the original mine, the part that has been restored and now open for visitors.
We entered the mine by a tram. It brought us to about halfway inside the original mine and later we have to walk. We were also accompanied by few workers working on the restoration of the mines to ensure our safety. They also tell us a bit of history about the mines and the restoration that have been done to the mine.
The original mine displays various collections of mining paraphernalia. There are mannequins, drilling machines, trams, interactive exhibits, info boards and other extravaganzas.
Chronology of Companies handling the mines. In 1888, Sultan Ahmad Al-Mu’adzamShah of Pahang granted an 80-year tin mining concession, covering 2000 square miles, to the English-controlled Pahang Corporation.
Information board about the pioneers of the mines of how The Pahang Corporation built wharves, warehouses and hospital after their migrant Chinese workers fell victim to beri-beri and intestinal disease.
Mannequins to represent workers working in the mine. Photographs were given as reference to the commissioned mannequins sculptors in India. They were shipped here and placed in the Million Dollar Chamber.
A large scale heist of epic proportions was believed to have happened in this chamber in 1987, shortly after the closure of the mine. It is believed that a band of around 20 unpaid miners took matters in their own hands and illegally mined tin ores under the cover of night. Prospecting RM2,000 to RM3,000 worth of tin ore nightly, over a prolonged period of time, the miners made a total haul at around RM1,000,000. The mined ore was believed to have been crushed manually in their homes before being sol on the black market.
The Million Dollar Chamber.
Yassin got to play with one of the interactive exhibits in the mine: Hit and Measure. He need to use the hammer to hit each ‘rock’ hard and quickly and see what’s his score on the meter. A higher score shows a larger impact. Miners used 10-pound hammer all day to break rocks into smaller sizes. To make work easier, they would always aim for the most impact!
Kerosene lamp on display.
More mannequins at work.
Basically, the exhibits inside the original mines educate visitors about the process of how mining was carried out in the yesteryears as well as discover how tin mining had contributed in the historical path of this country. My son and I had a blast learning about things we never knew before. My husband was busy with his boss discussing about work, so we let them be. We read the information and played along with the interactive exhibits. It was really an educational trip for us. We hope to come back again to see the mine in its full working condition as this visit was actually few weeks prior to its opening on January 1, 2013.
Sungai Lembing Mines, once the deepest and longest tin mines in the world, are preserved in their most natural and original settings. It was operated since 1886 for a period of a century on a big scale thus making Sungai Lembing renowned throughout the world.
Here’s more pictures of Yassin in the mine:
Yassin ‘talking’ to the tired ‘workers’.
Yassin, the little tin miner.
Yassin got his hand on the hand-pump car after getting out from the mine.
The living museum of Sungai Lembing is an award winning tourist attraction (Winner of LivCom award UAE!) that offers a rare experience of exploration and adventure for you and your kids. If you are interested to visit this place, here are some useful information that you need to know:
- Tickets: Adult RM60 (MyKad RM30), Kids RM30 (MyKid RM15). Buy online at Sungai Lembing Mines website to get a discounted price.
- Operating schedule: Open Everyday! Monday to Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm; Friday to Sunday: 10 am – 10 pm
- Please read and understand the mine’s rules and regulations.
- Visit Sungai Lembing Mines website to get more information.
Sungai Lembing Museum, Kuantan, Pahang
My husband got some work to do at Sungai Lembing Museum last December and as he knows that I am very much interested in covering my birth state, Pahang, he said I can tag along. So off we went to Kuantan with our son sleeping at the backseat. It was 7am, he was not ready to wake up just yet. It was school holiday so I was not so strict about it.
We reached Kuantan around 11am with a stop along the highway to get our breakfast.
Sungai Lembing Museum is one great looking museum. Being a fan of architecture, I thought this building is very interesting as it has the British verticular colonial architecture features. The uniqueness of this museum lies in the fact that it used to be a residency of mine officer working with The Pahang Corporation Limited (1887-1906) and Pahang Consolidated Company Corporation Limited also known as PCCL (1906-1986).
The Sungai Lembing Museum was built to re-live the glorious days of Sungai Lembing as Pahang’s richest manufacturer of tin. Once, this city was even dubbed the Malay States’ very own El-Dorado as it was here that a special settlement for British officers was located. The town was built in the 1880s when the Pahang Consolidated Company Limited was given a 77-year lease to mine the area. In the 1940s, about 1,400 people worked in the mine. The tin mine were closed in 1986 due to high operational costs and low yields.
We went inside the museum and as the ground floor is still under renovation, we went up to the first floor gallery to see the collection. The gallery is divided into 7 segments; Tin Mining History, Geology and Geomorphology, Mining Arcade, Mining Memoir, Mining Economy and Tin Mining Method and Tools/Clothing. The arrangement of this museum is according to historical chronology so that visitor will understand the history better.
Let’s go through some of the exhibits I captured from the gallery:
A poster that shows (from top) a factory building at Sungai Lembing, V.B.C. Baker, the General Manager of PCCL and his sister Nona Baker and a row of senior officers and their wives, 1941.
Information about tin mining history.
My son reading about mines before I call him to pose for the camera.
Trays made of wood used to pan ore.
From top; iron chisel, oxygen tank and tin ore barrel.
Manual typewriter at the PCCL administration office, circa 1940s – 1950s.
Tunnel lamp.
These and many more at the first floor gallery. I am hoping that you take your children here to learn more about Sungai Lembing history. And I also hope that by the time you visit, the ground floor is ready to greet its visitors.
Here are some useful information you need to know before planning your visit here:
Visiting Hours: 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Admission: Free
Address: The Headquarters of The Department of Museums Malaysia (East Coast Region), Sungai Lembing, 26200 Pahang
Contact: Tel : +609 541 2377 / 2378, Fax : +609 541 2377
Take the chance to visit nearby attractions like Pelangi Waterfall and Gua Charas after the visit to the museum. Or….if you are up to it, visit the actual Sungai Lembing Mines and experience the living museum. I’ll cover the latter soon. Didn’t get to visit waterfall and cave though. Some other time perhaps. Cuti-cuti Malaysia lagi nanti.
Yassin on mini mox. This mini mox was the main vehicle to carry four people at a time from the office building to the mine area.
Temerloh Esplanade, Pahang
I re-visited Temerloh town after such a long time. The last time was when I was a little girl visiting my sick Aki at Temerloh Hospital. Both my father and late grandfather was born in Kg Awah, Temerloh. I haven’t been here for such a long time mostly because my parents got divorced and my siblings and I were left in the custody of my mother.
Temerloh has been going under a lot of development. One of it includes Esplanade Temerloh situated by the Pahang River, Temerloh. My family and I dropped by the waterfront to check out the longest river (459 km in length) in Peninsular Malaysia, Pahang River.
The esplanade platform is nicely cemented and is equipped with orange-shaped seats for visitors to enjoy the river view. There is also a shaded area with seats. I think the platform floor looks quite interesting with Patin-shaped tiles. Patin is synonymous with Temerloh as Temerloh has been rebranded as Bandar Ikan Patin, which literally means Patin Fish Town. Patin ( Pangasius sp.) is a type of freshwater catfish found in the Pahang River. Patin is said to have juicy taste and is popular as local food; especially gulai tempoyak. I, however, do not like eating this fish. I tried but I just couldn’t get it down my throat.
In the vicinity of esplanade, there is also a food court as well as food stalls along the road. There is also a suspension bridge across the river.
The suspension bridge is named Kuala Semantan Suspension Bridge (Jambatan Gantung Kuala Semantan). Built in February 2011, this bridge connects the esplanade (Tower A) with Patin Square (Tower B) and 5 people are allowed at one go. The bridge measures at 86m in length and 40.22m above sea level.
Here are some pictures from the bridge:
Apart from the bridge, activities here include boating. I am not sure of the rate as we did not take the ride. We wanted to but the boat operator said he had wrapped for the day and was heading home.
I love it here for the old big trees along the road. Yay tree!
Here’s a Google map of Temerloh Esplanade.
Click to enlarge. Or search Google maps Malaysia for Temerloh Esplanade.
*Gulai tempoyak – a gravy made from fermented durian.
Suria Cherating Beach Resort
What is the best way to enjoy Cherating beach? To me, it is certainly walking along the shore and combing the beach to see and photograph things that have been washed ashore with the tide, while letting the gentle breeze kiss the face.
And where is the best place to stay after the excursion along the beach? Certainly going back to my choice of resort—Suria Cherating Beach Resort (Suria Cherating); the perfect spot to kick up my feet and continue to feel the breeze. I love it here.
Suria Cherating is renowned for its Bali-inspired accommodations that spell comfort in style. Its 114 cozy guest rooms are decorated with stylish teak furniture with a touch of Balinese art. The room during my stay here was a two-bedded Superior room with a garden view. Choice of accommodations at Suria Cherating ranges from a variety of rooms with garden or sea view and amenities include TV with selected satellite channels, coffee/tea-making facilities, refrigerator, IDD telephone, ironing board upon request, wireless Internet connectivity in the room, safety box and more. Room rates are ranging from RM175 to RM345 (excluding tax), depending on type of room and time of year (normal day, school holiday, national holiday).
I love the corridor area where I got to view beautiful canvas paintings painted by local artist. At the end of the corridor there is an elevator and a gift shop and further down the steps is the swimming pool area, which overlooked by the Bunga Padi Restaurant. Right before the beach, there are dedicated areas for team-building obstacle course, mini playground, beach telematch and beach volleyball.
Buffet breakfast at Bunga Padi Restaurant was okay. There’s cereal with milk, toasted bread with jams or butter, sausages, baked beans, scrambled eggs, rice porridge, fruits and heavier food like fried rice and fried kuew teow. Alternatively, there will be nasi lemak or fried vermicelli or mee. Drinks include coffee, tea and orange juice. Breakfast is free for 2 persons. The rate is RM20 for adult, Rm13 for a kid. A-la carte is available for lunch and dinner and room service starts from 11am to 10pm. On arrival, all guests will be given a welcoming drink.
Overall, my stay here was great. My son enjoyed playing at the beach, the swimming pool and the playground area. And as for me, I mostly enjoyed walking along the beach and sitting outside the restaurant watching kids playing while taking pictures. I wanted to draw but I left my pencil somewhere and was not much in the mood to draw.
Because I enjoyed the stay so much, I want one of my lucky readers to have the chance to stay here too. Suria Resorts & Hotels management has kindly agreed to sponsor a 2D and 1N stay in a Superior room!!
To stand a chance to win, you need to:
- leave a comment why you deserve this stay,
- share this entry on social media,
- share Suria Resorts & Hotels website http://www.suriaresorts.com on your Facebook or Twitter,
- follow Suria Resorts & Hotels on FB.
Easy 4 steps! The lucky winner will be selected based on the most creative comment. Judging will be done by Suria Resorts management. Closing date is 11 September 2012, 11.59pm.
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About Suria Resorts & Hotels:
Suria Resorts & Hotels is a Malaysian – based resort and hotel operator and management company founded in 2003. Suria Resorts & Hotels presently managing a chain of hotels in Merang, Terengganu; Cherating, Pahang; Johor Bahru, Johor; Janda Baik, Pahang and Cambridge, London.
For more information, please visit: http://www.suriaresorts.com or visit Suria Resorts & Hotels on FB.
For inquiries, please contact 03-7806 4752 or e-mail: sales@suriaresorts.com.
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Cherating holiday
I am currently here at Suria Cherating Beach Resort, enjoying the magnificent view. Writing about it soon and please stay tuned; I have something in store for emilayusof—dot—com readers.
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