I got home at 1 AM on the day we had to leave at 6 AM for Kukup. The day before, I had groomsmen duties for a good friend and had only managed 3 hours of sleep the previous night. It felt like the perfect time for a restful trip.
This was one of those trips where I had no expectations. I packed minimally—just some clothes for sleeping, a camera, a book, a power bank, and my eyebags. Before I knew it, we were on the road.
After clearing customs, we drove for 30 minutes and found ourselves at a temple nestled beside a quiet village. We lit some firecrackers and went on our way to our accommodations.
We left our belongings at the accommodation and went on to explore the village. Surrounded by water, the village carried a fishy smell that lingers in my memory even today. It was a small, charming place that could be fully explored on foot in just 30 minutes. As we wandered through, we visited local shops selling all sorts of knick-knacks, clothing, food, drinks, toys, and even bubble tea. I picked up some nostalgic pop pops, the little fireworks that make a satisfying sound when thrown onto the ground.
After checking into our accommodations, we spent the rest of the day resting. With 12 people, the space suited us perfectly—a spacious living room, two large bedrooms with plenty of beds, karaoke machines, a table tennis table, and dart machines. We had everything we needed to spend the day however we wanted—and we did.
I found a quiet moment to rest while the sounds of my mum and her sisters singing filled the living room.
That night, we had a dinner prepared especially for us in the accommodations. Every spread was always filled with seafood. After dinner, we had some fun lighting fireworks and firecrackers. Those moments weren't captured in photos, but they'll always remain in my memory.
The next day, my partner and I slept in, waking up much later than everyone else in the room. The first thing I did was open the curtains so my grandma could see and move about freely. I was captivated by the view outside the window—morning light sparkling off rippling water, houses perched on wooden planks floating above the surface. Acting on intuition, I opened the window, only to be greeted by the fishy smell of the village. I closed it as quickly as I could.
The next day, my partner and I slept in, waking up much later than everyone else in the room. The first thing I did was open the curtains so my grandma could see and move about freely. I was captivated by the view outside the window—morning light sparkling off rippling water, houses perched on wooden planks floating above the surface. Acting on intuition, I opened the window, only to be greeted by the fishy smell of the village. I closed it as quickly as I could.
We checked out that morning after breakfast. Although we had planned to head home right away, the family decided to extend our trip a little longer to spend the rest of the day in Johor Bahru. We drove back to central Johor, making a few quick pit stops along the way. We visited a local snack store, stopped to satisfy my family's durian cravings, and explored a factory that crafted products from incense. We ended the trip with an afternoon at a mall in Johor. I left Malaysia feeling well-rested and wondering when the next trip like this would come—one that felt truly restful, with the right company that allowed me to simply be.
All images on this post is photographed on Leica Q3 43, kindly loaned to me by the Leica Singapore team.