It was such a popular spot for Singaporeans that the hotel was fully booked for  most of the weekends.  I suppose its proximity is also a draw.  Besides, the novelty of taking a ferry (about 45 minutes) to cross over is also a fun thing. It is a great weekend escape for the stressful souls of Singapore.

The place to take the ferry is the Changi Ferry Terminal(CFT), off Changi Coast Road.  Many people have mistaken it as Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal(TMFT).  CFT is actually quite near to TMFT.  In fact, it is quite a remote area.  There is no public bus plying there unlike TMFT.  If you do not drive like me, the only way to reach CFT is to take a cab.  A little inconvenience, though.  If you are coming out of CFT, you need to call a cab.

The ferry that goes to Tanjung Belungkor can also take vehicles.  So if you are thinking of driving in Johor, there is no problem  except you need to pay extra for the transport of your vehicle.  The upper deck of the ferry is air-conditioned with 2 huge screens.  It can accommodate up to 70 vehicles and 420 passengers.  While we were, they were showing who else but the crazy Mr Bean.  You either like or hate the show.   To while away your time, you can sit down and relax; watch Mr funnybone; buy a cuppa or ice-cream to enjoy.  I was treated with a very nutty ice-cream, courtesy of my wife.

About 45 minutes later, we reached the town(Tanjung Belungkor) where we had to get our passports checked.  Under the scorching sun, we made our way to the immigration office.  Fortunately, the queue was not too long.  Imagine the dreadful waiting at the Johor Bahru causeway checkpoint....
With our passports duly stamped, we were glad to find the Desaru Impian buses waiting to transfer us to the resort.  It was about 20 minutes later that we reached the resort which is situated at Tanjung Penawar.  Nearby  this stretch are the Perdana Resort  and Golden Beach Hotel.

Reaching the resort, it was a long wait to check-in to our room.  This was a peak season.  You can imagine the huge crowd in the resort.  Unless you are not bringing your children, it is better to avoid during school holidays.  With school going children, you do not have much a choice, do you?
We had to wait for more than an hour for our room to be cleaned.  Entering the room, to my surprise, the sleeping area is at the upper level.  The ground floor is the main hall and a small kitchen area.  This is very ideal for a big family.  The room, I reckon, can accommodate for a group of  5 to 8 people - not a bad idea to cut cost. Most of the hotel guests, I noticed, were families.

This resort is different from other beach resorts in its facilities.  It is a good playground for children as well as adults.  Like an amusement park, it has  numerous rides for the children.  As a matter of fact, adults like us also enjoy the rides.  There is no restriction on the number of  rides you are allowed.  It is unlimited.  It is free.  It is within the resort.  What more do you need ?  Tired of the rides ?  There are 2 swimming pools for you to soak in.  Need some thing more natural ?  The beach is nearby.  But beware, the wave was quite strong when we were there.  While swimming in the sea, I was unlucky to be hit by a piece of wood due to the strong wave.  It was not the impact that mattered.  It was the oil slick in the wood that made me looked that I was oiled with the black slur.  Poor me, I had to pour some kerosene to get rid of the oil.  If someone struck a match at that moment, I would become 'barbequed'.  This little unhappy episode did not dampen my holiday moods because with its swaying coconut trees and long stretch of white sandy beach, I like the quiet and rustic ambience.  
For animal lovers, there is a mini zoo there.

The concept of staying this resort, I think, is to enjoy the rides, feel the cool sea breeze and good food.  As always in most Malaysian hotels and resorts, in the breakfast spread, one item will be found - the delectable nasi lemak.  "What! nasi lemak again," you may hear someone screaming. It comprises of  rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves.  Full of fragrant aroma and high in fats too. You eat it with the egg, fish, or anything edible.  Another thing you must have is the chilli.  Eating nasi lemak without chilli is like eating prawn mee without the prawn.  It is a Malaysian national breakfast dish, so to speak.  Forget about your cholesterol level and enjoy this traditional Malay dish, you are on vacation, man.  It is the food for all - the rich and the poor.  A packet in Singapore costs 80 cents.  I believe it is cheaper in Malaysia.  It is the food for all races.  It is a simple and no-frill food.  It is difficult for me to describe the taste - I will simply say it is delicious.  It is very tough to enjoy good food and at the same time to keep watching your health index is in good sign.

Pictures -courtesy of Desaru Impian Resort