Sematan escapade

Sematan Palm Beach resort

 The Hari Raya celebration is almost over which started on the 8th of August.  To cap it all we took a one night stay at Sematan Palm Beach Resort some 110 km away from Kuching city.  The resort is easily reached by car in approximately one hour and a half hours journey, through a countryside of rolling hills, greenery and pleasant rural village landscape.  The beaches at Sematan are long and gradually slopes into the South China Sea. It is very popular among Kuching nites who flock there to enjoy its beaches, sun and scenery during holidays and more often at weekends.

Stretches of wide beaches at Sematan

 There is a swimming pool that is located a few yards  in front of the chalets and fronting the beach.  From the pool you can see the Turtle islands of Talang-Talang and Satang.  What is interesting about the place is its serenity.  There are no sound of cars on roads nearby and instead visitors and guests hear the sounds of birds, wind, waves, laughter and occasionally rain.

Turtle islands of Talang-Talang and Satang in the distance..

The resort is well-maintained, well-landscaped and the room charges and food moderately priced.

View from inside Saffron chalet, where we put up for the night.

Satisfied guests...

Fun time in the swimming pool...

Happy with the goats

 We visited a lovely lady at Samarahan during the Hari Raya holidays, where we were treated to lunch and a tour of her goat farm.  The farm is well maintained and the 70 heads of goats looked healthy and well-fed.  Most of the fodder are obtained from the site where the various fodder crop like napier and mulberry  are planted in rows for easy harvesting.  So far the goats are reared and bred for meat and majority are of the boer species though much inter-breeding is tolerated.

Fodder crop - napier seen as tall grass in the background

Feeding time - twice a day..

 There is much technical and management skills required to operate a successful goat farm.  Demand is high for the supply of goat's meat in Sarawak but has never been met satisfactorily due to the difficulties in rearing and breeding them, not to mention the myriad of support services required to expand the farm like financial accessibility, veterinarian expertise, mechanisation practices and skilled labour.   Mok's success in keeping her stable of goats is exemplary and there is much to be learned from her success for aspiring entrepreneurs.

"Mok", proud owner of the goat farm

2013 Hari Raya Aidilfitri family gathering

Hj. Yussop and wife seated at the center , with their children, grand children, and great grand children..

Hj. Yussop and wife with their children.

 This year Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering held on the first day of Syawal (10th month of Muslim calender) has been merry and memorable.  This year my father will be 91 years old come 22 September and my mother will be 88 years old on 22nd October.  We took the opportunity to take a group photo of our big family, as it is not often that we can meet at one place and time like on the first  day of Syawal when we see our parents and other family members  to  celebrate the successful completion of the month-long fasting during the month of Ramadhan.  For many years now we always arrange this annual big family re-union at my parents place in Bintulu.  Here's more pics taken during the occasion.

The men in the family with their spouses

Grandsons and their spouses

My sisters with their husbands

Conversation over Raya delicacies, food and drinks...