A family beach vacation is such a good idea, it was relaxation for the adults (kinda) and free entertainment for the kids, things can't really go wrong. My family and I just came back from a weekend trip to Kuantan.

It wasn't really well planned because my husband came home late night, woke me up and suggested we take this trip. TBH I wasn't sure if he was sober enough to make a decision like that but I put on my thinking hat and started doing research in the middle of the night but no regrets, the trip was really fun for all of us, I just feel so refreshed after coming back from it and I can't wait to plan for a trip to the beach soon.

Kuantan is 3 hours away from Kuala Lumpur and it's surrounded with beautiful beaches, and most importantly, fresh seafood, since we are traveling as a family, we wanted a relaxing spot that's less crowded which is why we opt for Pantai Balok.

TIP: For those who are looking forward to more beach activities do visit Teluk Cempedak or Cherating.



Where to stay?

We stayed at Adena Beach Resort, this is one of the best-kept secrets of the east coast, despite being a 3 star resort, it is perfect for my small family, Adena Beach Resort recently refurbished the place so it was relatively new, there is still construction going on, extending more beach chalets to the resort.





We took the Delux Garden View, it was RM180 per night with complimentary breakfast, the counter staff were really friendly and helpful, making sure we had everything we need another reason I choose the Adena Beach Resort was because of its facilities, it has a private beach with little or no crowd depending on the time of visit and the beach area is clean, there's a beautiful beach bar to chill, sports & recreation area for football & volleyball, swings & hammock tied neatly in the gardens for guest to enjoy and an outdoor pool for adults & kids.



The rooms were pretty spacious and clean, the bathroom is a little bit small, it could hardly fit my daughter and I but overall Adena Beach Resort is value for money, it has everything we need for a pleasant stay during our visit. I'll definitely be coming back again.


Things to do at the beach? 

Beach vacations are great for exposing our kids to mother nature! It was our first time at the beach and Miya just had a first touch of what sand feels like, at first she was quite particular how the sand made her things dirty but slowly she got used to it and enjoyed playing with it. Using her shovel we she started scooping, searching for seashells, learning about the habitat of the small lil crabs that live by the beach and eventually cooling off in the water.


As for mummy? I had a nice sunbathing session by the beach with Mina, she was afraid of the waves so we decided to take it easy. We were just so relaxed, she was lazing on me the entire time, it was a beautiful moment being able to enjoy the breeze, listen to the sound of the waves & laughter from papa & Miya and the smell of the salt water.

Other than hanging out by the beach, we spend most of our time by the Adena Beach Resort poolside, since I don't swim dad was taking care the girls while I had a great time reading a novel and sunbathing.


Where to eat?

Coming during Ramadan month means all traditional Malay stalls were closed for lunch and only opened at night which is a pity anyway I did some searching and I found Pak Su Seafood Restaurant, this is a Chinese restaurant and it's halal, seatings are available on indoor premise (non air-conditioned) or the outdoor area overlooking the breezy sea view, the seafood prices here are reasonable and best of all, they were really fresh and delicious.

Service wise they were a little bit slow and unorganized but nevertheless, I came for the food and the food was excellent and it didn't disappoint me. I also appreciate how open they were about the pricing, there was no hanky panky, priced are stated clearly in their menu, Pak Su serves a diverse range of seafood from fish to prawn and crab cooked in different styles, serving time was also quick, we only waited around 15 minutes.

Here's what we had for dinner on the first day



We also came back the next day for lunch since most restaurants were close and if we wanted Chinese food we'll have to drive into town which will take another 15-20 minutes. Here's what we had for day 2.