West Malaysia loop ride

Most people get into Selangor purely because they want to get to Kuala Lumpur. To me, Selangor is a very special place, for it is where I was born. Located on the central western coast of the West Malaysia peninsular, south of Perak and north of Negeri Sembilan, Selangor has so much to offer that I have decided it would be our third stop on the West Malaysia loop ride.

This time round, I want to visit a few areas in Selangor that I normally don’t get to visit. First off, Kuala Selangor.

The word Kuala means “estuary” or “confluence”. By definition, this is a body of water where one or more rivers flow into, with a connection to the open sea. This particular spot in Selangor is known for something very unique and special – fireflies! For years, people have visited Kuala Selangor to see the fireflies (or kelip-kelip in Malay). Apparently, there is a boat that you can take that will bring you up the river in the dark of night (around eight in the night) and you get to see these beautifully lit trees (much like christmas lights) that are filled with fireflies. Over the years, the number of fireflies has reduced dramatically. So this may be the last chance to catch them before the disappear completely. What’s more…we may even be able to enjoy the lighthouse if we are early!

Next up, its the town of Klang. Located east of Kuala Lumpur, this town is not often visited by people outside of Selangor. I think it is a waste if you miss this town because this is the birth place of a very special cuisine – Bak Kut Teh! Did you know that Chinese immigrants in Port Klang used to take herbal soup with pork ribs as an energy booster? Well, they did! Curiously though, since this is pork ribs (or bak kut in Hokkien), why did they name it Bak Kut Teh when Teh means “tea”? Well, it seems the person who first served this delicious dish was a man called Lee Boon Teh, and since it was him who served this pork rib dish, they gave him a nick name of “Bak Kut Teh”! The dish simply inherited his nick name! There are many shops in Klang that serves Bak Kut Teh but I have a favourite one that also has sautered onions that goes well with the rice. I can’t wait to taste it again!

No riding trip that passes Selangor is complete without a visit to the world famousSepang International Circuit. This circuit has hosted (and still hosts) one of the Formula One races, as well as the MotoGP races! I am hoping that we will get a chance to have a go at this circuit while we are there in Selangor…it would be SO fantastic!

There are many more things to do, food to eat and places to see in Selangor. What with Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya all cramped within the boundaries of this state, the only problem is the lack of time and stomach space! But there is always another trip to savour the other stuff.

Let me know if you think there is something, or some place in Selangor that I simply must try out!