The durian season is officially here, and most of us would be willing to do anything to sink our teeth into these fruits. Literally going the extra mile for fresh durians won’t be a big ask for fans in Singapore, especially now that there’s a tour to Raub, Pahang, in Malaysia.
The location is apparently home to the freshest Musang King or Mao Shan Wang (MSW) durians.
Those who’d like to try them straight from their source may want to keep a lookout for such tours, which could bring travellers to Pahang daily in buses of up to 30 people per day.
Speaking to China Press, a tour guide named Tan Jianguo revealed that the tours to Raub in Pahang, Malaysia began last Friday (16 June).
Source: China Press
Known as the hometown of Musang King durians, Raub has welcomed at least one bus filled with 30 Singaporean tourists daily since 16 June.
A tour guide for more than three decades, Tan has conducted these tours for over 15 years.
However, he was unable to do so throughout the pandemic, resulting in overwhelming demand from Singaporeans this year.
Ji Chuzhen, another tour guide, spoke with China Press as well.
She shared that she has been conducting the tours in Raub for five to six years, bringing four to five tour groups annually.
Source: Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
During her tours, tourists would have the opportunity to have breakfast at Tian Loong Food Court.
They would then visit a tofu factory in Bukit Koman, a peanut factory, and an eatery selling tea and hakka kueh.
Ji would proceed to bring them to Bentong, a town in Pahang to taste the durians.
Source: China Press
Afterwards, they would go on to Bukit Tinggi for lunch, following which she would bring them back to Singapore.
Another similar tour started at 6am, with visitors having breakfast at Bukit Tinggi before going to Raub for a durian feast.
They would then have dinner at a local restaurant.
For the two-day, one-night tours, each tourist would have to pay S$198.
This would entitle them to four lunches and dinners, one durian meal and breakfast, in addition to hotel accommodation and transportation in an air-conditioned bus.
Speaking to 8world News, Ms Xie Yanping shared that she wasn’t a fan of durians herself. As such, she went on one of the tours with the intention of travelling Raub with her mother.
To her surprise, though, she ended up gaining an appreciation for the fruits, describing them as “delicious”.
Ms Xie’s mother, Ms Huang Xiuhua, said that most of the tourists were elderly with the youngest being her 45-year-old son.
She added that the distance from Singapore to Raub was very long, with a traffic jam on the way back as well.
According to Ms Huang, they eventually reached home at 1am.
However, Ms Huang didn’t mind the long journey, saying, “Although it was tiring, it was worth it.”
For those who love the king of fruits, this might be your chance for a short trip across the causeway.
Apart from sampling durians from the source, visitors can also take the opportunity to explore a part of Pahang.
Since the tour is conducted by freelance guides, you may want to search online for contacts or verified agents. We’re sure with such high interest, there’ll be plenty of options — just be wary that their programmes are legitimate.
Happy travelling and feasting on the king of fruits!
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and China Press.
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