Hat Yai _ Beruas Buddies

The schoolmates of Beruas (Perak) went for a holiday trip in Hat Yai from 27-31 July 2025, after the successful self-drive trip to Betong same time last year. During end July in Betong, there were abundance of durians; to our surprise, there was little durians in Hat Yai.

Generally, food in Thailand (Hat Yai and Betong) is cheaper. With my normal estimates, group funds is with a balance of 4,540 Baht (about RM600). Out of the 5 days, we have 6 meals of eating in Thai restaurants for Thai food - really heavyweight stuff. 

Do CLICK HERE for 318 photos taken by yours truly, KC Leong.

At Jerai Hill Resort

Itinerary:

Day 1 (Sun, 27 July 2025)

- Self-drive; lunch at Sawaddee Thai Eleven Restaurant (Sungai Petani);

- Overnight at Jerai Regency Hill Resort (colourful sunset and sunrise).

Sunset at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 2 (Mon, 28 July 2025)

- Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant; check-in Aura Hotel Songkhla;

- Visit Old Town Songkhla Gate, Hub Ho Hin (Red Rice Mill);

- Visit Samila Beach, Golden Mermaid Statue;

- Dinner at Koh Yor De Lagoon Restaurant for sunset view;

- Overnight at Aura Hotel Songkhla.

Next morning sunrise at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 3 (Tue, 29 July 2025)

- Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant;

- Visit Cable car Hat Yai City Municipal Park and Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple (same location);

- Lunch at Bon Khao Restaurant City View;

- Visit Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol: The Stainless Steel Temple & Pagoda;

- Dinner at Kan Eng Restaurant 甘英餐室 (known for its delicious Southern Thai cuisine);

- shopping at Lee Gardens Night Markets;

- Overnight at Hatyai Midtown Hotel.

Next morning at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 4 (Wed, 30 July 2025)

- Shopping at Kim Yong Market (eat prized Kan Yau Thai durians at a stall by the roadside);

- Visit Mahattamangkalaram Temple (Wat Hat Yai Nai): massive statue of a reclining Buddha;

- Lunch at JJ Chicken Rice Hainam (with air-cond);

- Visit Central Hat Yai (largest shopping mall in Songkhla Province);

- Visit Four Face Buddha Shrine;

- Dinner at Jaelek Thai Restaurant (good Thai cuisine and Chinese food);

- Overnight at Hatyai Midtown Hotel.

Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant

Day 5 (Thu, 31 July 2025)

- Breakfast at Chen Loong Boat Noodle 成龙面条;

- Drive back to Kuala Lumpur;

- Detour to 中華面馆 Zhong Hua Restaurant (Alor Setar Chinatown) for lunch. 

Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant

Team Members (14 persons):
KC Leong (organizer) & Annie; Kee Huat & Le Yoan; Thomas Yau & Loo Kui Hiong; 

Nyoke Khuan & Swee Ho; 

Belinda Chong and Wendy Tan;

Captain Roy; Chen Hock, Chee Liong and Yow Choi.

Visit Old Town Songkhla Gate

Visit Hub Ho Hin (Red Rice Mill)

Visit Samila Beach, Golden Mermaid Statue

Dinner at Koh Yor De Lagoon Restaurant for sunset view

Aura Hotel Songkhla - second hotel that we stay

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple

Visit Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple

Lunch at Bon Khao Restaurant City View

Visit Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol: The Stainless Steel Temple & Pagoda

Shopping at Lee Gardens Night Markets

Midtown Hat Yai Hotel - we stay here for two nights; the adjacent building is Diana Shopping Center

We managed to eat a bit of Thailand's prized Kan Yau durian at New Kim Young morning market @ 100Baht a kilogram

Visit Mahattamangkalaram Temple (Wat Hat Yai Nai): massive statue of a reclining Buddha

Visit Central Hat Yai (largest shopping mall in Songkhla Province)

Do CLICK HERE for photos of Betong_Beruas Buddies holiday trip in July 2024.

Posting by KC Leong

Mini Tahan of Bukit Dinding Hike

Bukit Dinding Hike

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Distance: 10km;

Elevation gain: 721m;

Total time: about 6 hours.

(Data from Strava)

CLICK HERE for WikiLoc trailmap of KL See See and Kazumi Otai trails.

Photos below: click on the image for actual bigger file size display. (Photos courtesy of ChanHN, Helen Khoo).

Group photo at the trailhead

After completing the challenging hike of Mini Tahan trails, the team emerged at a junction of a tar road for refreshment break. This tar road leads one to the peak. After that, we walked to the peak for photos shoot. 

We entered the KL See See (for KLCC) trail to return to carpark. We passed by the first view point: City View Look-out Point. The trails are well-marked; we just followed the pink markers.

Mini Tahan trail is with steep uphill and downhill slopes

We arrived at another viewpoint: Setiawangsa Viewpoint. Here, there are tables and chairs for resting or enjoying the nice view of the city skyline. After that, we followed the orange markers for Kazumi Otai trails. Returning to carpark via this trail is challenging: other than the steep descent, there are a few steep ascents. Imagine when one is already tired, one still has to hike up a few steep slopes.

The iconic tree of this Mini Tahan trail

This combination of trails – Mini Tahan, KL See See, Kazumi Otai – is excellent for tough training, even better than Bukit Kiara or Apek Hill. The Mini Tahan trails are not suitable for beginner hikers - tough and technical. There were two mobile drinks stations selling drinks. If the elevation gain is still not sufficient, one can always do another reversed loop. 😀 

Having refreshment break after emerging from the Mini Tahan trail. The tar road leads one to the peak of Bukit Dinding

In high spirit

We enter this trail to return to carpark ... homonyms: KL See See = KLCC Building

The first look-out viewpoint

The second look-out viewpoint - Setiawangsa Viewpoint

Kazumi Otai Trail - with steep slopes

Descending the challenging rock face 

Yeah, we did it !!Compare Blue Trail and the KL See See Trail and Kazumi Otai Trail

When we were hiking Mini Tahan trails, at one point, we would see the convergence with Purple Trail. From the trail map, the Purple Trail starts from the other trail head (where vehicles can follow the tar road to the peak).

Posted by KC Leong

New Zealand Hiking and Sightseeing - Part 4

This is the 4th and final posting of New Zealand (South Island) 16D14N hiking and sightseeing trip from 2-17 March 2025 ... This photo album contains photos for following activities:

(a) Moeraki Boulders Beach;

(b) The Octagon of Dunedin; visit Dunedin Railway Station;

(c) next morning, hike Sandfly Beach and Sandymount Hill Track with diverse scenery of beaches and sand dunes; we ate lunch by the beach just 30 meters from the sun-bathing sea lions (Google Maps: Sandfly Bay).

Do CLICK HERE for photos taken by yours truly, KC Leong, using a Nikon mirrorless camera.

Moeraki Boulders Beach with the unique round boulders

(d) Balwin Street of Dunedin - World's Steepest Street;

(e) Dunedin Botanic Garden;

(f) Check-in to hostel at Te Anau;

(g) Drive to Milford Sound - Mirror Lakes (Milford Sound is 2 hours' drive from Te Anau).

(h) The Routeburn Track;

(i) Lake Marian waterfall;

Otago Daily Times building - on the way to the railway station of Dunedin

(j) Continue journey to Milford Sound cruise terminal (closed at 5pm; we arrived at 5:30pm; last cruise is at 3pm; NZ$160 per pax for cruise);

(k) Vibrant sunrise the next morning at Te Anau;

(l) Hiking Kepler Track at Te Anau (due to lack of time, we end the hike at Brod Bay).

Dunedin Railway Station

We then drove back to Queenstown, have Fergburger each for dinner (no cooking for the final evening); overnight at the same hostel. 

At 5am on 17 March 2025, we drove to Queenstown airport, returned the awesome Kia Carnival, and took the 7:00am flight back to Kuala Lumpur. 

With that, we completed the 16-day memorable hiking and sightseeing journey in South Island of New Zealand. 

Dunedin Railway Station

Hike Sandfly Beach and Sandymount Hill Track

Hike Sandfly Beach and Sandymount Hill Track

We have our lunch at the beach; time is around 1:30pm

Just 30 meters from the sun-bathing sea lions (Google Maps: Sandfly Bay).

Balwin Street of Dunedin - World's Steepest Street

Balwin Street of Dunedin - at the top of the World's Steepest Street

Dunedin Botanic Garden - having our tea with the the jagong that we boiled in the morning

Check-in to hostel at Te Anau - fronting Lake Te Anau

The hostel at Te Anau

Eglinton Valley

Mirror Lakes

The Routeburn Track

Lake Marian waterfall

Vibrant sunrise the next morning at Te Anau

Hiking Kepler Track at Te Anau

Due to lack of time, we end the hike at Brod Bay of Kepler Track

Do CLICK HERE to view Part 1

Do CLICK HERE to view Part 3.

Posted by KC Leong