By Alan Teh Leam Seng

HE became a fugitive in his own land. What a change of fate for before the fateful day, he was King of Kedah and all her territories.

His people's patience broke, as his lust for blood grew by the day. According to the historical myth, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, the people rebelled against their ruler when he began attacking them to satisfy his craving for human blood. They drove him from his palace located at the foothills of Gunung Jerai, Kedah's highest peak.

Legend has it that pre-Islamic Kedah was once ruled by Raja Ong Maha Perita Deria who started to crave for human blood when his cook had accidentally cut his finger while rushing to prepare his dinner. The cook's blood was accidentally mixed in the dish.

The monarch, who was incidentally said to be the 5th King of Kedah, found the "tainted" meal to be exceptionally tasteful and decided to find out more about the additional savoury ingredient. After a lengthy interrogation, it was said that the terrified palace courtier finally revealed his mistake. Instead of showing his displeasure, the King then commanded that from that day onwards, his meals would have human blood as the main ingredient. Soon his lust for blood intensified and before long, the people, fearing for their own lives, rebelled by storming the palace.

The King, who by then had developed fangs, was said to have fled to an island in the middle of the Merbok River known as Pulau Tiga. He sought refuge there while trying to elude his pursuers. Today, the people refer to this vampire-like King as "Raja Bersiong" or King with Fangs.

White Crocodile

Pulau Tiga is easily accessible from the Semiling Tourist Jetty near a small town called Merbok. Taking a cruise of the Semiling River will be like taking a step back in time especially when you listen to your boatman telling you the story of Raja Bersiong.

Do remember to ask your boatman to make a detour to another island nearby called Pulau Tok Kunyit which is supposed to be the lair of a legendary white crocodile. Look into the depths of the murky water and if you are lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of this albino reptile swimming away!

The best way to cook shellfish is probably to simply steam them with lemon grass and garlic

Fish or Relax

Apart from these attractions located upstream, the Semiling River has more interesting places for tourists to visit down river. The Semiling floating fish farm complex is a place not to be missed. Managed by the local residents, the farm produces many highly prized seafood products like soft shell crabs, siakap and groupers.

Tourists are welcome to drop by and they can even rent fishing rods to try their hand at landing some fresh fish for dinner!

The best time to cast your line is when the tide is on its way up. It seems that the fish follow the tide upstream when they are busy foraging for food. According to the locals, it is during these times that the probability for the fish to take the bait is higher. However, do not lose heart if you arrive at the farm when the tide is on its way out. There are still many other things to do there.

Fishing crafts can be seen traversing the wide Semiling River

Top on your list is just to simply do nothing at all. Just relax on one of the many comfortable chairs and let the gentle river current and cool breeze rock and caress you to sleep. Other than that, just stand at the edge of the lookout platform and watch the world go by.

The Semiling River estuary is home to a large variety of wildlife ranging from cute small-clawed otters to the majestic white-bellied sea eagles.

Crab Catching

Those who are not too keen on fishing can experience crab catching. Villagers who act as guides for this river adventure are more than willing to take visitors to their favourite crab catching spot located nearby. The preferred bait seems to be decomposed shark meat as the strong stench is supposed to attract the crustaceans better than any other bait. However, do not be disappointed if the net that you haul in is empty. Just look on the bright side, as this will give you another reason to come back here again.

The Semiling River Cruise usually takes about three hours to complete and the best time to embark on this unforgettable tour is around 5pm as you will get to witness the picturesque Semiling sunset on your way back to the tourist jetty.

The tourist jetty is a hive of activity in the evenings. People from surrounding areas such as Sungei Petani, Merbok and Kuala Muda make their way up here to enjoy a relaxing evening. The jetty is also a popular destination for anglers living in the vicinity.

Watch your step as you disembark as some like to sit by the steps to lure fish playing under the jetty!

Shopping and Makan Time

Many visitors visit the make shift stalls located along the busy Semiling- Sungei Petani main road after leaving the jetty area. There, they can buy a large selection of fresh marine produce including green mussels, shellfish, cockles, crabs and prawns.

The stalls are very popular among the locals and people living in surrounding areas.

They open for business from around three in the afternoon and if you arrive later than 7pm, there may be nothing left to choose from. Shoppers have the option of buying and taking them home to cook or to take their purchases to one of the many restaurants conveniently located across the road.

Just hand the items to the proprietor and do not worry if you do not know how to have them cooked, as the restaurant cooks know exactly what to do to bring out the best in the food. All you have to do is choose the best table and order a nice glass of icy cold "nira nipah". This drink derived from the juice of the palm flower frond tastes sweet and will go well with your seafood dinner.

The restaurant's speciality is steamed shellfish with garlic, chillies and lemon grass. Do not let the simple ingredients used deceive you, as the final result is an aromatic yet sweet sauce that truly compliments the freshness of the dish. Another cooking technique to sample green mussels cooked in spicy Thai sauce.

You will be surprised to learn that the dishes served do not even bear the slightest hint of muddy taste that so often accompany shellfish harvested from the river. The secret is that the restaurant's chef painstakingly soaks the live invertebrates up to half an hour and changes the water up to five times during that duration. So do not fret if you are asked to take a short walk before dinner is served!

After the satisfying meal washed down with pure nira, many guests are tempted to visit the stalls again and hope that there are some more "goodies" left for them to pack home for another round of delicious Semiling seafood, which in my opinion, is likely to taste much better than what the fugitive King had desired more than a thousand years ago!

The Semiling-Sungei Petani main road is always bustling with traffic

How To Get There

Those who drive can turn off at the Sungei Petani Utara Toll exit point of the North-South Expressway. Follow the road signs towards Semiling. Just look out for a road sign that says Galeri Hutan Paya Laut Merbok. The Semiling Tourist Jetty is located some 80m from the Semiling-Sungei Petani main road.

Over the past decade, with the opening of the Semiling Bridge, this road has become a major throughfare linking the smaller towns like Merbok, Tanjong Dawai and Semiling to the North-South Expressway. So, expect heavy vehicles and drive with care.

Things To Do

Nothing much to do at the tourist jetty as the Mangrove Forest Gallery has yet to open. The real action starts when the boat ride begins. Go upstream first towards Pulau Tiga and Pulau Tok Kunyit. Along the way, you will get a close up look at the Semiling Bridge. Legend has it that the fugitive King even built a home on the island. So, while you are there, keep your eyes peeled for a palace and a white crocodile.

Then, venture downstream. Along the way you will surely meet the local fishermen going about their work. They are very friendly. Wave to them and smile!

Stop by at the fish farm and try a spot of fishing and crab catching. Do not worry about bringing bait and accessories as everything is available there. Also, do not forget to look out for the local wildlife.

Once back on dry land, stop by at the stalls for some fresh seafood and get them cooked to your own liking at one of the restaurants across the road. Try out the thirst quenching nira too!

Where To Stay

Semiling is still a relatively small town so there are no hotels or rest houses nearby. As a result, most tourists make daytrips to the Semiling River and stay either at Bedong, Sungei Petani or Alor Star.

Those who plan to play golf should opt for Harvard Suasana Hotel. Its golf course is much talked about among the local golfing fraternity. It is also one the nearest available places to stay to the Semiling River.

Contacts:

- Star City Hotel (3-star), Alor Star; Tel: 04-735 5888

- Harvard Suasana Hotel (3-star); Harvard Golf and Country Club, Bedong. Tel: 04-458 8888

- Swiss Inn Sungai Petani (3-star), Sungai Petani; Tel: 04-422 3333

Good Eats

Most tourists like going to Restaurant D'Jetty 8 Beradik which is managed by eight siblings and also Restaurant D'Dilla. The latter is the top pick for those who like their seafood cooked the spicy Thai style. Prices charged to cook shellfish, crabs and prawns which you bring along are cheap. A good rule of the thumb is to budget between RM6-10 per dish. Try out the Southern Thailand fried meehoon which complements the seafood dishes very well.