When your partner suggests a camping trip, naturally all women or wives would either make a face of disbelief or simply get annoyed, angry..you name it! But, for me, I had to try it at least once then we’ll take it from there. So, 2 years ago my family and I embarked on our first camping trip. We camped at the Kem Sg Pauh in Cameron Highlands. It was a bit hard to make a booking though – we called numerous times and there wasn’t an answer so we took the risk and drove up on a weekday. We managed to register ourselves for 2 nights at the office and we were lucky enough there were a couple of people camping too as being our first experience in the jungle-like space, it was a bit nerve wrecking especially with our 3 year old then.
When we arrived at the site, it was pretty empty as it was just after lunch time. The space was huge, the place was clean and I had yet to check out the bathrooms. There were plug points at the gazebo, a surau and sinks at a designated area. We picked our spot and set up our tent. It took us a while to set up our supposedly 2-second-two people tent from Decathlon (first timers, right…). We came pretty much equipped with our food, portable BBQ grill, water and even our camping shower bag! During the setting up of the tent, our son was happily running around with his toys as the space was huge and there wasn’t anyone there at that time. There was even a resident cat there. After the set up, we explored around the camp site as there were 3 levels to the camp site. We noticed 2 tents at the highest level while next to us, the gazebo had hammocks and cooking utensils. I checked out the bathroom and it was okay I guess, not much to complain there but of course with a toddler I was kind of wishing we were home. But, we survived the 2 nights although sleeping with a toddler in a 2 people tent was a bit hard – we didn’t bring enough blankets, thinking it wouldn’t be that cold but IT WAS! And, we were just using sleeping bags but that is another story for another day. And, packing for a 3 year old isn’t easy – diapers, and diapers, milk and milk bottles, soap for his bottles, baby snacks and especially the TOYS! He alone would take a cabin sized luggage!
From that 1st experience, we wanted to try other camping sites and since our son loved camping, we did it again. Our 2nd destination was to Pulau Kapas just before the monsoon season 6 months after our 1st camping trip. So, in October 2018 we upgraded our camping equipment as the husband did more research and we had our 1st experience. Although yes, there was a lot of stuff to bring, the owner of the camp site arranged it pretty well for us.
This time, we had a fan, solar panel, a bigger tent – Ozark Trail 6 person Dome Tent, food, snacks, cutleries, mosquito repellent, USB electronic mosquito killer, USB fan, mosquito killer racket, airbag, sleeping bags, the toddler’s toys and necessities and the whole works. And, this time we brought my mom! The tent of course took us some time to set up, it was much much bigger than the one we had before. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the camp site we stayed at but it was next to the famous LongSha Campsite which was closed due to the upcoming monsoon season. We stayed here for 3 days 2 nights and the owner was helpful as he allowed us to store our frozen food in their freezer. They had a cafe there too however they only served food at a certain period of time. At this camp site, there was a few wooden villas as well. You are allowed to use their outdoor kitchen to cook provided you clean up after you’re done, of course. Many other hotels/resorts and cafes/restaurants were closed as it was pre-monsoon season. When night came, the mosquitoes at this place was no joke! No amount of repellent will save you! So, the best thing to do is to stay in the tent! We loved the fact that there weren’t many people as we got the beach to ourselves the very next morning. It was so calming and the water was crystal clear! We decided to take a walk to the other side of Pulau Kapas and had tea there as there was 1 cafe that was opened.
On the 2nd night, it rained heavily and the wind was so strong that we thought our tent was going to fly off! My husband had to put an additional stake into all corners of our tent. It was a scary experience for me and of course I was worried for my son. But, he was sleeping soundly. The owner’s staff even came out to put a windbreaker in front of our tent. It was a sleepless night for me but thank god, we were saved. All in all, this camp site was really great and the bathroom, I would give an 8/10 for cleanliness. And, ample space for a toddler to run and be free!
The next camping destination we went after this was Cherating in January 2019. We camped at Payung Getaway & Campervan Park. We loved how Cherating is accessible within 3 hours from Kuala Lumpur. We packed our usual stuff and was so spoilt for choice when it came to food as the seafood here was so good and affordable. We had so much fun during our 1st stay here that we came back a few months later. This time, we brought along 2 of our friends (it was their 1st camping trip). As this camp site is situated in between the beach and the river, whoever who chooses to camp here can also choose their view. But, of course we stuck to our beach front view.
At Payung, you are also able to cook your own food and they have pretty strict rules here under the new management which we met during our 3rd trip here. And, most of the time that we came, they always had “toilet issues” which we would assume it should be resolved now, looking at their recent posts on their Facebook page.
However, during our 3rd time here, sand fly bites were crazy! Using mosquito repellent wasn’t a good move and we learned that the hard way. Even the 3rd trip here, sand fly bites got even worse – not sure if it was because the heat was even hotter or just because. (and, this time there was no repellent involved) It was so bad to the point where I rushed to the pharmacy as soon as we got home. However, minus that, we love Cherating a lot as not only is the beach pretty decent, the soft sand in between our toes, watching people surf, seafood is so accessible and the list just goes on. And, if you’re not too lazy to drive out of Cherating to Kemaman, which takes only 30 minutes, you would be able to enjoy even more yummy food! We would always head out to have Nasi Lemak Kukus Ayam Berempah and coconut shake at Raisya Coconut Shake. Not only that, in Kemaman you can find their famous snacks like satar, keropok lekor and others.
All in all, camping makes you realize that you don’t need a lot of “stuff”, you are more in the moment rather than with your gadgets, you get abundant of fresh air and sunshine. And, for us, it makes us appreciate the stuff we have back home ore, our bed, our electricity, kitchen and especially I know to a lot of women – the bathroom is the most important factor when camping. And yes, camping is really child-friendly as they have a lot of space to explore.
So, all in all, camping isn’t that bad if you come prepared not only with your stuff but also mentally and physically. It’s not all that bad and it is definitely something your children would appreciate and it is a great experience. My son had to have his bath with cold water (which isn’t usually the case at home), even had to bathe out in the open (there were showers outdoor at Payung’s campsite) played with sand, sticks, stones, ran around endlessly, had bonfires and the moments just goes on. We’ve made a list of a few other camping sites around Malaysia and we hope to do it soon.
