Balik Kampung Diaries

 By Awliya

After Subuh, we immediately got ready, showered and packed all our stuff into the car. The morning honestly felt really calm and peaceful the weather was still cold, the roads were not too busy yet and everyone looked sleepy but excited at the same time because we were finally going back to kampung. We started our journey around 8.00 a.m with my family, and of course the roadtrip playlist had to be on because it just makes the whole balik kampung vibe feel even better.

Around 10 a.m, we stopped for breakfast before continuing our journey again. For this trip, I was the one driving all the way until Gurun R&R Northbound. Since we used the WCE highway, most of the views along the road were filled with forests, hills and long highways. The weather was also really nice that day cloudy and slightly gloomy in a comforting way, which made the drive feel more relaxing. Even though we spent hours in the car, it didn’t really feel tiring because everyone was talking randomly, listening to music and occasionally falling asleep for a while. Family roadtrips will always have that comforting feeling no matter how long the journey is.

Once we arrived at Gurun R&R Northbound, we stopped to eat and rest for a while. I had bihun sup keting & daging and honestly it was so good. If you ever come to the northern side of Malaysia especially Penang or Kedah, bihun sup is definitely something you need to try. The soup itself was already flavorful enough that it didn’t even need sambal kicap to make it taste better. While we were there, I also bought ayam gunting and sweet corn to share together. Somehow food at R&R during long roadtrips just hits differently, especially after sitting in the car for hours.

After we finished eating, my father took over the driving until we finally reached our destination. Surprisingly, the traffic yesterday wasn’t that bad. There were some parts where the cars slowed down a little, but everything was still moving smoothly. Compared to the terrible traffic during Hari Raya Aidilfitri recently, this trip felt much more comfortable and less stressful.

We arrived at kampung around 3 p.m. Once we got home, we rested for a while and prayed jamak before getting ready again later in the evening. Honestly, after spending so many hours on the road, finally arriving at kampung gave such a comforting feeling. The atmosphere there felt so peaceful and calming, like my mind could finally rest for a bit.

Later in the evening, we got ready to visit my aunty at the hospital before heading out for dinner together. We left the house around 5.30 p.m and arrived at the hospital around 6.15 p.m. We spent some time talking, checking up on her and catching up for a while. Visiting hours ended at 7 p.m, so after that we immediately headed out for dinner.

We had dinner at an Arabic restaurant called Restoran 3 Adik Beradik. We ordered the lambshack talam set together with iced lemon tea and kunafa cheese. Honestly, I was genuinely shocked by how delicious everything tasted. The rice was full of spices and flavors that really reminded me of authentic Arabic food. The lambshack was super soft and tender, really easy to chew, while the soup tasted rich and comforting like a really good sup tulang.

After finishing our main meal, we finally ate the kunafa cheese and honestly… this was probably the best kunafa I have ever tasted in my life so far. The sweetness level was perfectly balanced and the cheese made it taste creamy without being too overwhelming. Everything about it was honestly perfect. Until today I still can’t stop thinking about it because even the kunafa I had before in Makkah and Madinah still couldn’t beat this one for me personally. Even my mom, who usually doesn’t even like kunafa, kept saying how delicious it was.

After dinner, we went to Aman Central because my parents wanted to look for batik outfits for their upcoming events. Surprisingly, even though the mall was almost closing and we arrived around

 8.45 p.m, the parking area was still completely full and there were still so many people entering the mall. It honestly took us around 15 minutes just to find a parking spot.

Once we finally parked, we quickly headed up to Level 3 to find the batik shop. The moment I entered the store, I was honestly so shocked because the atmosphere felt like walking into a store somewhere in Indonesia. The batik clothes were arranged beautifully everywhere with so many colorful patterns and designs. After trying on a few outfits, my parents finally decided to choose a black batik with soft yellow patterns as their final choice. Once everything was paid for, we immediately headed back home.

Since the journey from Alor Setar to Pendang takes around an hour, we finally arrived home around 10.15 p.m. By the time we got back, everyone was already exhausted. We showered and immediately went to sleep after such a long day. It was definitely tiring, but moments like this will always remind me why balik kampung trips feel so special and comforting.