I first came to know about this place some 4 years back when a group of us from church decided to find some not too far away beach for a simple retreat. Back then, all we were looking for was a place to just rest, relax and interact. It was a package by the hotel, and as such, all our meals were provided and we only made one trip to the beach to walk around.
It was only about a year after that my sister mentioned wanting to check out this place for it’s sun set, after which I also discovered that it is also well known for it’s fresh and cheap seafood – mainly “ikan bakar” (barbecued fish).
Anyway, I didn’t get to savour either until recently when I made a trip there with Lydia. The journey takes about an hour from KL (we were at Woh Fatt earlier in the day). I don’t think it’s that hard to find – but since I used GPS to get there, I didn’t really pay that much attention to the landmarks on the way there. But basically, it’s not too far away from KLIA and Sepang F1 Circuit.
We managed to reach Bagan Lalang around 5pm to bask in the sun a little, while waiting for the sun to set. It was a beautiful sight (as all sun sets are). However, the waters aren’t pristine, with much debris to be found.
While we were enjoying the sun set, we start to smell the aroma of fresh fish being barbecued – leading us to roam the beach front in search of the eatery with the best smell! There are at least 5 large eateries along that strip. All serve Malay Cuisine, mostly majoring in “ikan bakar”. We soon decided on where we wanted to eat and were pretty lucky to find a place to seat, considering that it was around 8pm during the fasting month. Ordering food was pretty simple. Just walk up to the fresh produce counter, pick out what you want, tell them how you want it down and head back over to your seat to enjoy some fresh coconuts while waiting for the food to be done.
All in, we had 3 squids, 2 pieces of cuttle fish, 1 Tenggiri fish (Mackerel, I think) and one serving of mixed vegetables. We basically ordered more than enough for the both of us. Could have easily fed another person. But the surprise was when we paid for our food. I was thinking that it would cost around RM50 or so. To my astonishment, the cashier said “Dua Puluh Sembilan Ringgit, Sembilan Puluh Sen”. I obviously didn’t argue with him, paid up and left a satisfied customer.
In summary, if “ikan bakar” is what you’re looking for, Bagan Lalang’s the place to go. Fresh, cheap and with yummy coconuts to go with it. Be warned though, your journey home could be a dangerous one… as was mine. Due to the amount of food intake, I actually started to fall asleep at the wheel. Lydia eventually drove back most of the journey. Heh.
Well, I’ll leave you guys with a a simple map showing the whereabouts of Bagan Lalang (indicated by Hotel Seri Malaysia’s logo) with some major landmarks indicated.
