Sungai Besar Fishing Town

Fishing Boat At Sungai Besar

Big River Enclave

About 120km north of Kuala Lumpur along the west coast of Selangor lies Sungai Besar, which means Big River in Malay. It is also known as 'Tua Kang' or 'big river' in Hokkien.

The town is a one-street sleepy hollow which branches off into the riverine fishing villages dominated mostly by Teo Chew fishermen. There is nothing really exciting in this quaint township except maybe the fishing boats that line both sides of the river.

Haisan Association Building

Among locals, this fish landing area offers choice pickings of fresh produce from the sea. In the mid mornings and evenings, when the fishing boats come in, the place is abuzz with activity fish lovers from all over congregate to look for bargains in fish and other marine catches.

Making Fishballs.

In town, seafood restaurants that operate from noon till early night offer delectable dishes at reasonble prices.

Getting there:
From Kuala Lumpur, head for the Sungai Buloh-Kuala Selangor old trunk road. You may access this via the North South Expressway and exit via the Sungai Buloh Toll and head for the Kuala Selangor Road. Just follow the signboards and the mainstream traffic and it should take you to Kuala Selangor junction.

Turn right and head north towards the Kuala Selangor town. When in Kuala Selangor Town, take the right branch of the main road to bypass the town, cross a bridge and head towards Pasir Penambang, then Tanjung Karang and Sekinchan.

Continue straight beyond Sekinchan and you will find Sungai Besar.

Main town area.

(If you like to visit the Kuala Selangor town, just take the left turn into the town. Parking may be a problem on working days.)

Note: When driving along this coastal road, do not drive too fast. Villagers use this road to move from one village to the other. Domestic animals, although rare, may emerge unannounced. Fish transport lorries are also plentiful. Most of the stretches are straight and may encourage speeding. A comfortable speed would be between 70kph to 90kph.

Attractions:
Fishing villages offer plenty of photography opportunities. gain an insight into the lifestyle of west coast fishermen here.