Sekinchan Recce - 2 Jan 2015

Our 1st trip to Sekinchan, an 11th hour day trip to a paddy field and fishing village in Selangor, over 100 km north of KL. We had wanted to go so many times. It's not that far from KL, thus we kept putting it in the sideline for other priorities. The biggest challenge making this trip - on a new year - was rising early. We have to condition our body again to get up early after the long school holidays. It sure felt like a good start to a new year.

The golden crop has just been harvested in December. It didn't matter cos every season there's something to see here.

The sky after a long season of rain. The sun shined on and off again - a promise of a new season, one filled with lotsa sunshine.

Golden crop - the rice-bowl of Selangor.

Driving along the scenic Jalan Tali Air to see the paddy fields. Shoebox houses to attract swiftlets are common sight.

Tractor working to prepare the land for the next planting season whilst birds - little egrets, cattle egrets and intermediate egrets were feasting on the field.

Another field after harvesting.

Remnant paddies sprouting after harvesting. These paddies will be cleared before the next planting.

Chance of a lifetime for the boys spotting an injured white-throated kingfisher on the roadside. We lifted it to a safe place. When we came back in the late afternoon, it was gone. And we have 3 disappointed Samaritans!

Sekinchan is also a well-known fishing village in the coastal areas of Selangor. Other villages include Tg Karang, Sg Besar and Kuala Selangor. Unfortunately, same dirty, murky water, unsightly rubbish and overwhelming number of boats.

Thousands of baby catfishs thriving in the dirty, polluted water.

Pantai Redang beach for the public. Stalls of food, drinks and games were set up to draw the tourists. Wish they will think of cleanliness as a way of attraction instead.

Cute mudskippers taking a breather during the high tide.

Such captivating weeds and wildflowers.

Clusters of eggs of the apple snails were seen everywhere. They were bright reddish and attractive, but tis were major threats to paddy fields and orchards. 

 

Contrast of golden and green fields.

Soothing green fields.

Not sure if this is the Cerbera Manghas / Cerbera Odollam - also known as sea mango, suicide tree or pong pong. Every part of the tree is poisonous and it's banned in some countries. It's commonly found in coastal areas, the fruit looked like apples and used as dried ornaments. 

Question is : Why are these trees planted along the paddy fields in Sekinchan? And so close to the waterways?

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN SEKINCHAN

A visit to rice factory at Jalan Tali Air 5. The entrance fee includes a guide, briefing us on the highly mechanised paddy farming in Sekinchan.

Visiting Bagan, the fishermen's village to see or buy fresh seafood from the boats. 

Playing with bubbles at Pantai Redang.

Birdwatching, picking up seashells, observing nature. 

This was our recce to Sekinchan cos there're still so much things to do and to be discovered in this town. The changing colours in the paddy fields are paradise for photographers. For us, this place is rich in nature - plants to birds to fishes, frogs, insects, etc. It's effortless to spot so many creatures and plants and colours everywhere you go here.