Balik Pulau Day Trips - Pantai Pasir Panjang, Saanen Diary Goat Farm, Nutmeg Factory

Baby Orange's first longer trip around Penang. Now that he is more manageable in the car, we bring him out more frequently.

First prelude, we went for meals at this Thai food restaurant at Teluk Kumbar (not naming as already super popular). It takes about 30 minutes driving there from our home.

Beach behind the restaurant.
Baby Orange not too pleased with the beach as he is not used to the winds, waves and sand.

Children enjoying at the swings. Can see part of the restaurant's outside seating :)

Children enjoyed paddling, but Baby Orange looks sour at being left on the sand for photo.

The sky! Kind of rainy and cloudy.

Second movement, we went further to Balik Pulau's Bukit Genting Restaurant for lunch. Em.... view is good, surroundings good for photos, but food is really so-so, I would say not to my taste. So no photo of food, just views.

I love the blue sky and white fluffy clouds! The gorgeous view!
So although Baby Orange doesn't look to the camera still put them up.

Look beyond the cliff.... Balik Pulau township, then the coast and the sea... breathtaking.
Too bad  Papa's skills not so good, the sky appeared too bright/overexposure, so I cut it off :P

Nice path leading to Bukit Genting Restaurant. Gorgeous day!

See that bruise on Cherry's arm? Done by Baby Orange :(
She still loves him to bits, forgiving sister.

Didi wanted a photo of him holding Baby Orange,
but Baby Orange seemed to get tired of being in the sun.

Reluctantly being photographed while Papa attempted to snap photo of the sky again.

After lunch, the sky turned gray pula.

Angry clouds.....

Then, more food.... laksa at the kopitiam near Balik Pulau market, putu mayong sold by uncle on motorcycle, and Balik Pulau style steamed buns with brown sugar. My stomach's about to burst, but all so delicious! So lucky just to get a table :P

Cherry tried laksa. As Didi cannot take too spicy, he got putu mayong.
The buns in the plastic bag is steamed brown sugar buns. 

Serious foodie... the nutmeg juice with asam is so good!

We should have stopped Sacred Heart Church as it is quite quaint and looks nice. It is further along the road from the laksa coffee shop. Plan for next visit!

Pantai Pasir Panjang, Balik Pulau

Next "side" of Balik Pulau, we went to explore Pantai Pasir Panjang. It is a secluded beach right beside Kem Bina Negara Balik Pulau. So setting our GPS to look for Kem Bina Negara Balik Pulau, we found it! It is quite uncertain for us as it brought us really away from the bustling fishing pier.

OK, we've reached when we saw this road leading to Kem Bina Negara Balik Pulau with nowhere else to go. Parked our car away from their gate and walked to the red stairs beside their main gate. There was even a stall selling drinks and snacks (we were here during Saturday, and it's a public holiday).

It is not easy access either, we had to climb over some rocks by the staircase. Or some people said hanging staircase, get it? - Mystery of The Red Hanging Staircase hahaha. If it is high tide, probably have to wade through water. Now imagine bringing visitors in heels or skirts... 跌死咯. But we saw a father bringing his boy, both dressed in bathing suits only *salute*....

This is how it looks like outside Kem Bina Negara Balik Pulau, and the staircase to Pantai Pasir Panjang.

View from the staircase, really serene ya....

Have to kind of climb through rocks to get here.
Be very careful after a rainy day as it might get slippery and help the children across!
Might have to wade through water if high tide.
All at your own risk for this view.

There is a picnic group further away. Wow, the view!

The pounding waves.... not sure about high tide/low tide situation,
we came during June and Chinese calendar is 初二 

Enjoying the waves... 

Sour Baby Orange as he didn't like it there. Even when Papa took wefie with him, still sour-faced.
Can see the red staircase and more people climbing to Pantai Pasir Panjang.
For this reason of difficult accessibility, not going to bring visitors here.

That building behind is Kem Bina Negara

Beautiful blue sky.. and picnickers aplenty.

Baby Orange keep pointing to go now! Go now! He didn't like the waves pounding...

We then tried some kampung laksa. Do not know the name of the place, I think it is Pulau Betong? We did passed by a school called SJK (C) Pulau Betong and a Chinese temple. And there is a belacan "factory" opposite it. The kampung laksa stall is only operational during weekends they said, and until sold out only (definitely try to catch it way before 5pm). Not sure about public holidays. So try your luck and try it out. It is very good! The drinks sold by the auntie is good too, and affordable. If my memory did not fail, the Pulau Betong fishing village is right at the end of the road.

Drinks, and mouth-watering kampung laksa

Got some dodol from this auntie who is making it, she let the children watch and tried some. Quite good :)
The smiley sticker to protect auntie's privacy :P

Saanen Dairy Goat Farm (莎能牧羊场）

Another trip brings us to this farm that many visitors promoted. Quite fun for a day outdoors for kids, keep them away from screens and conventional shopping malls you know :) Just tiring and hot for us pampered adults. Remember to slather on mozzie protection as it is quite remote ya....

Parking is not easy here as it was a Hari Raya holiday and weekend. Imagine traffic jam leading to the farm as the road is narrow (Very!) and somehow there were people driving out. It should have been a one-way! There was nobody manning the narrow road (it's a small farm we understand). Anyway, finally found parking.

It's free entrance (as of when we visited), so there were plenty of folks visiting too. We queued to get the leaves to feed goats (one bundle per person only). We queued to visit the pens (?), as limited number of visitors allowed in at the same time to prevent er.... crowdedness? Or to prevent the structure from collapsing, it is after all a wooden pen/s. Well, it is roofed where we went, so is it still called a pen? The goats were housed in pretty nice-sized pens.

Baby Orange protest about being at unfamiliar territory,
while older children enjoying themselves

Older children: Busy, busy, busy trying to coax goats to eat leaves from their hands
Baby Orange: Trying to hide....

Feeding, feeding, feeding... you know those goats don't eat the leaves already half eaten by another goat.
No idea why...

OK, feeding you guys so much, photo bomb time :)

姐姐: You gotta let me take a photo, goatie...

Pet, pet, nice goatie :)
Still learning how to protect others' privacy, do bear with me.

Baby Orange: No, no! I'm scared of this white animal!

See Baby Orange finally pet a nice goat.

Saanen Diary Goat Farm 莎能牧羊场
Don't blame me for unsightly hangings as they stuck laundry outside, visible from where the big signpost is located.

Trying out goat milk ice-cream, and goat milk. Yummy and fresh! Forgot the price but quite affordable.
Only got original flavour ice-cream as chocolate was sold out this busy day.

Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory (義合荳蔻厂/南天门)

Last stop for us is Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory. We just happened to see a sign-post and followed it out of curiousity :) It's near to Saanen Dairy Goat Farm, about 5-10 minutes? We only spent about 20 minutes here as Baby Orange is getting tired.

They sell various products made of nutmeg. We bought the pickled nutmeg in syrup, it was so crunchy, yummy and sour! Probably not for those with weak stomachs or gastric prone though. We bought some nutmeg sweets for sharing with Cherry's buddy. The saleslady mentioned do not let the kids take if they have cough.

Looks like this is where they plant the nutmeg trees? 

Uncle giving explanation on nutmeg.
He uses hokkien as there are other visitors, so the children don't understand at all, too bad.

Outside, nutmeg trees,

Nutmegs in various forms being dried/aired.

南天门, there is a temple here too, Papa brought the children for courtesy pai-pai.

Up close, nutmegs on nutmeg tree.
They had never seen nutmegs before, these kids :P
OK, neither have I, lagi ignorant middle-aged auntie.

That's the end of our day trips to Balik Pulau. We spread the visit over a few places and a few days so that Baby Orange won't be too tired. And for more food!