SHORT BREAK: Caves and kelah
Taman Negara Kenyir? ZALINA MOHD SOM finds out that this is actually the part of Tasik Kenyir that comes under the Taman Negara authorities
IS this a new national park? The name Taman Negara Kenyir was definitely unfamiliar. Then, I thought that perhaps Tasik Kenyir had just been gazetted as a national park. After all, I knew that Gua Bewah, Gua Taat and Sungai Petang (places listed in our itinerary) were part of the vast lake in Terengganu.
To add to the confusion, there were two different authorities — the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah) and the Wildlife Department — handling our group of reporters and photographers at different spots. It was only when we pored over a huge map that everything fell into place.
Taman Negara Kenyir is located on the southern part of Tasik Kenyir. It is another gateway to Taman Negara (National Park) that straddles Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
The area within the boundary of Taman Negara Kenyir includes Tasik Kenyir’s attractions like Gua Bewah, Gua Taat, rivers (Petang, Cicir, Perpek and Cacing) and Tanjung Mentong.
The authority responsible for this area is the Wildlife Department, which has its office at Tanjung Mentong. The rest of Tasik Kenyir comes under the purview of Ketengah which has a centre at Pengkalan Gawi.
Our itinerary contained all the standard attractions at Tasik Kenyir but what made this trip different was how Taman Negara was ‘offered’.
Discovering Gua Bewah
Gua Bewah is a show cave. Climbing a “thousand†steps to the entrance, walking along the cement pavement and admiring the limestone formations can be very exciting for first timers.
But the secrets and mysteries of Bewah are far more interesting than what the eyes can see. The cave is said to have historic value with the finding of the skeleton of the Neolithic man and artifacts like utensils and tools.
At an arm of Bukit Bewah, which is shaped like a peninsula, lies a pleasing camp site. It is complete with a huge hall, rest areas (wakaf) with benches, paved footpath and toilets.
Bewah Camp charmed us with a light show as bright sunray spilled through the forest canopy, lighting up the colourful tents and warming the cold forest floor. The silvery reflection of sunlight on the lake added to the allure.
More was waiting to be “discoveredâ€. After a swift ‘check-in’ at our respective tents, we took “a walk in the jungle†at the tame part of Bukit Bewah.
Boats ferried us to the other side where Gua Bewah was located. After we were dropped off, we walked up a slope to the campsite. The two-kilometre trail was interesting, thanks to the rugged terrain stretching almost three quarters of the journey.
It was either dirt track or a sharp limestone path – going up or down or along the slope. The flat part was made exciting by the limestone walls, trickling shallow streams, animal footprints and again the “light showâ€. Later we were told the animal footprints were those of a young leopard!
There were two ways to reach the campsite. We could cross the deep green lake or walk another 500 metres along the bank. That day, we were made to cross the water!
Looking at Gua Taat
Right opposite the Bewah Camp is a huge sign which reads Gua Taat. Plans to explore the cave were called off due to the rising water level.
Gua Taat is another show cave with as much historic value as Gua Bewah, if not more. Studies of artifacts and skeletons of Neolithic people unearthed in the area proved that civilisation existed here several thousand years ago.
Both Gua Bewah and Gua Taat are usually packaged together in a day tour of Tasik Kenyir.
No Fishing Please
The Sungai Petang Kelah Sanctuary is quite a new tourist attraction. Anglers don’t come to Sungai Petang though it is the “official’ spot (lubuk) for kelah (Malayan masheer). Here, the policy is “see, no touch†and fishing is definitely out.
The trip there proved interesting, from the boat ride and passing the narrow river mouth to trekking along the river and seeing the beautiful vista of Sungai Petang.
The highlight of the tour was feeding the fish and watching them race each other to get the food pellets that we threw in the water.
Getting There
Tasik Kenyir is located about 60km from Kuala Terengganu. Choosing the entry point to Tasik Kenyir depends on where you want to go or stay.
The main (and biggest) jetty is at Pengkalan Gawi which has facilities like a tourist information centre, souvenir shops, booths for boat operators, taxi services and resorts and a food court. Other jetties are located at Tanjung Mentong, Sungai Como and Tembat. For details, call the Tourist Information Centre, Pengkalan Gawi at 09-626 7788 or 666 8498 or Ketengah at 09-822 3100 ext 103.
Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/Destinations/20070611152136/Article/
Homestay with a touch of history
Participants of homestay programmes in Kuala Berang can also get to learn about the region’s rich past, writes ALIAS MOHAMED
UNLIKE most homestay programmes where participants experience the local way of life, the Kampung Buloh Homestay programme in Kuala Berang, Terengganu, offers a taste of history instead with tales of merchants from afar who came to Kuala Berang in the 13th or 14th Century.
With prior arrangements, guests will be able to admire artifacts such as ancient coins and crockery that can be traced to countries like West Asia and China.
Most of these items were unearthed when villagers were digging wells or working on their farms.
Hulu Terengganu MP Datuk Tengku Putera Awang, who initiated the project, pointed out that even the dialect spoken by the orang ulu (Hulu Terengganu community) is unique and it should be preserved.
“It’s high time for the people of Kuala Berang and those staying in Hulu Terengganu in general to feel proud of their past and their unique identity,†he said.
For a start, 27 homeowners in Kampung Buloh and Kampung Batu Bersurat are taking part in the programme. Kampung Batu Bersurat is where a stone tablet with jawi inscriptions indicating the beginning of Islam in the country, was found.
Guests will be taken to various historical sites and places of interest in and around Kuala Berang. Besides learning about the past, they can also join in various activities organised by the Kampung Buloh security committee members.
These include canoeing (river safari) some 12 kms downstream along Sungai Berang, watching river turtles lay eggs and visiting a pheasant and peacock mini zoo near Pekan Ajil. There will also be traditional games such as congkak, top-spinning and more.
If guests are lucky, they will be able to see or join the villagers to catch fish using their bare hands or see how the villagers “cure†or process tobacco leaves.
The homestay package also includes visits to interesting places in and around Kuala Berang such as Tasik Kenyir and the nearby aborigine settlement in Sungai Berua.
Homestay
Kampung Buloh is located about four kilometres from Kuala Berang town.
Guest Activities
River safari, visits to peacock and pheasant zoo, tele-matches, watching river turtles laying eggs, demonstrations of tobacco curing and catching fish using bare hands and nets.
Contact Person
Samsureja Ali, Tel: 09-681 3249, 019-936 8096.
How To Get There
From Kuala Terengganu, drive or take a taxi to go to Kuala Berang which is 55kms away. If you are coming from Kuantan, drive to Dungun before turning to Kuala Berang, passing through Bukit Besi which is about 20kms from Dungun.
Source:
http://www.travelhappily.com/travellernews/wp-admin/post-new.php?posted=80
A jig on the South China Sea
A newbie at jigging for squids, ALAN TEH LEAM SENG is quick to learn little tricks with a line and a hook
THE boatman let out a loud bellow and suddenly the outboard motor spluttered into total silence. We had arrived.
Though we weren’t told to, we instinctively moved over to the sides of the boat and lowered our jigs into the South China Sea off Terengganu’s coast for the National Squid Jigging Fiesta. This is the third such competition in Pulau Redang.
This was my first attempt at squid jigging and I merely imitated the actions of the more experienced. Earlier, when we embarked at the Laguna Redang Resort jetty in Pulau Redang, the boatman or tekong advised us to be as quiet as possible for fear of frightening away the squids.
“You can whisper if you really need to ask questions,†he smiled at me reassuringly.
The only sound heard was the gentle lapping of waves against our boat as we rhythmically moved the fishing lines, with hooks attached, up and down to attract the soft cephalopods to hooks attached to our jigs.
Where Are The Squids?
For the first 10 minutes, everyone enthusiastically checked his/her jigs, hoping to be the first to hook something. As the minutes wore on, we started to get restless.
“Where are the squids?†someone whispered. Our hopes were slightly dampened but the day was still young and we had another five hours to go before the contest ended at 11pm.
Suddenly, there was a whoop of delight. We all turned to see who had caught the first squid. It was not big but it really boosted our confidence. Then, another shout and we added one more squid to our holding tank. Then there was another and another and soon everyone had caught a squid. Well, everyone that is, except me!
Lessons In Jigging
I was feeling let down. “What is happening? Am I unlucky? What have I done wrong? Did I break any taboos?†I asked myself. As a traditional squid catching technique, there were bound to be dos and don’ts in jigging. I turned to my neighbour for help.
Well, it seemed that I had not lowered my jig deep enough. The trick is to lower it all the way to the seabed and then lift it up a foot and start jigging.
I tried that. Five minutes later, I felt a pull on my line and I pulled up a six-inch squid. I immediately forgot about the ache in my arms and smiled from ear to ear. “My first squid,†I whispered proudly to my mentor who was busy unhooking one from her own jig.
It was my first time handling a live squid. How beautiful it looked, translucent in the golden rays of the evening sun, hardly like the dead specimens we see at wet markets.
I held on to the squirming body and attempted to unhook it. Suddenly, whoosh, a jet of water soaked a section of my life jacket. The squid was making a final desperate attempt to escape. The spray was supposed to shock the predator while it made its getaway. Shocked I was but I recovered quickly, unhooked it and placed it in the tank. Then it was back to jigging again.
By then, the sun was about to set behind the hills of Pulau Redang. The sky lit up into hues of gold and red.
Squid Everywhere
As it grew dark, our tekong switched on the fluorescent lights hanging over the water. “Now get ready for the real action,†he whispered.
It seems that once darkness falls, the squid, like most marine creatures, is attracted to lights and will move towards it. True enough, there was frenzied action thereafter. Some even snared more than one squid in a single jig.
Then it was quiet again. For 15mins, no one landed anything and the tekong signalled for us to retrieve our lines.
“Are we going home?†I wondered. My neighbour explained that the tekong was moving us to another spot that would offer a more bountiful catch. We moved more than four times until the foghorn sounded to signal the close of the competition.
On the way back, we divided our catch into three categories — largest, most unique and highest quantity. The marshal on board then tagged the bags.
We arrived at the jetty to find a large crowd, comprising mainly the resort’s guests, waiting. It was a sight indeed to have a flotilla of over 30 boats queuing up at the jetty. The participants then made a beeline for the Organiser’s Tent to register their catch, trying hard not to be mobbed by the crowd who impatiently wanted to see the squids, a first for many of them, I believe.
Squid Party
It was indeed heartening to see so many people still up though it was already way past midnight. Even children in pyjamas were wielding torchlights and starring in awe at all those squids hanging in the pale moonlight. Many took turns to touch the squids.
When everything was over, everyone tucked in to a sumptuous supper of barbecued squid while watching fireworks. Even news about Chelsea winning the FA Cup after defeating Manchester United by a solitary goal failed to dampen my sprits. I was having the time of my life!
When it was all over, I wearily dragged myself back to my room, exhausted but glad to have participated in this unique traditional heritage that had brought people from all walks of life and nationalities together.
For reservations and accommodation details, please contact Laguna Redang Island Resort, Pasir Panjang, Pulau Redang, Terengganu. Tel: 09-630 7888 Fax: 09-630 7878 Website: www.lagunaredang.com.my
German amateurs are tops
WHEN childhood friends Dennis Falkenthal and Marko Golub, both 26, won the top prizes in their respective categories, it sure made their day, especially since this was the first time they had gone squid jigging.
Golub admitted to being a bit taken aback to actually catch a live squid.
“It kept wriggling and spitting water. I dared not even touch it at first,†he said. “Later however, I got used to it and it was great fun.â€
Both he and Falkenthal are planning to return next year with more friends to make up a German team.
“It will be great as next year is Visit Terengganu Year and we plan to enjoy it with our friends in Terengganu,†Falkenthal said.
The competition attracted 72 foreign participants. According to Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Terengganu State director Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, this was the first year for foreign participation.
More than 1,000 people turned up for the three-day Squid Jigging Fiesta. Among them were Shanghainese Yuki Chen and her husband Sky Lim, here on their first visit to Malaysia. Yuki said her four-day stay was too short and promised to be back for a longer stay next year.
“It is so beautiful here and I am really enjoying myself,†she said, holding on firmly to a foot-long squid.
This year’s event received overwhelming response from local participants, with more than 500 people taking part. During the launch at Laguna Redang Island Resort, Terengganu State Tourism executive councillor Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera said he was pleased to see that more than 80 per cent of these were visitors from outside Terengganu.
Dahlan Ali, 62, walked away with RM1,000 for being the best tekong while Azmi Muda, 42, received RM3,000 for catching the most squids. Azmi said his secret is to throw his jig as far as possible.
The grand prize of RM5,000 for the biggest catch went to D’Cool, a group from Sirim, Shah Alam. The team members, Raja Nashirin Raja Anis, Tee Eliza Mohamad, Sorizam Mohd Jais and Ahmad Azmi Awang were all first timers.
The State hopes to attract over 3.5 million tourists for Visit Terengganu Year 2008. An additional 10 hotels will be built, including two five-star hotels, one each in Chendering and Kenyir Lake.
For details on events for VTY 2008, contact Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Terengganu Office, 5th Floor, Menara Yayasan Islam Terengganu, Jalan Sultan Omar, 20300 Kuala Terengganu, Terangganu. Tel: 09-622 1433 Fax: 09-622 1791.
Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/FeatureStory/20070611162513/Article/
Fun in Perak, naturally
Hot springs, rapids and the world’s biggest flower added up to three days of fun for a group of schoolchildren from Kuala Lumpur. JOHN TIONG went along for the ride
IT was a school outing with a difference for 37 lower secondary pupils of the Wesley Methodist School in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. They travelled some 400km by bus and truck and spent a few days in some of the most interesting and challenging nature spots in Perak.
They had three objectives — to look for the world’s largest flower, the rafflesia, to help the Semai Orang Asli paint their church and to rubber-tube down a stretch of rapids along Sungai Geroh.
The first stop was the hot springs park at Sungai Klah, Sungkai where the children had a splashing good time. Refreshed, they continued on to Gopeng where they boarded trucks for the Gopeng Nature Resort (now renamed My Gopeng Resort) in the hilly region of Ulu Geroh. This was where their real adventure began.
Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park
The hot springs park, the largest in Malaysia, is spread over 15 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The schoolchildren had a great time running from pool to pool, both small and large, set among oil palm trees, colourful flowering shrubs, giant ferns and herbs such as tongkat ali and misai kuching.
There is an irresistible charm at the hot springs with the Titiwangsa Range in the distance. A boardwalk near the entrance gives one a view of the source of the hot springs and how the water is fed into the various pools.
White vapours rise and curl along the boardwalk around one’s feet. A pavilion serves as an open spa with hot vapour rising between the floor planks.
The park, owned and managed by Plantation Resorts, is popular with not only the locals but also foreign visitors, including those from Japan and Korea.
Its marketing and tour executive, Razali Hassan, fascinated us with a story of supernatural beings taking baths at the hot springs. “Believe it or not, there are staff members who have seen these things here,†he said.
The children’s favourite spot was a large, knee-deep mountain spring pool with refreshingly cool water. Here, a giant, man-made octopus with a slide between its huge tentacles was the main attraction.
There is another large pool where one can relax in hot spring water. The pools have varying temperatures with some running between 40° and 50° Celsius. Some stretches of the natural hot spring are a little more than 100° Celsius and you can even boil eggs here.
There are six family-oriented spas – two superior and four regular – for those who prefer some privacy. The superior spas can accommodate 10 people and cost RM50 an hour. The regular spas (RM25 an hour) can accommodate seven people.
Hot springs are promoted as part of health tourism as the mineral-rich waters are said to help people with skin problems and rheumatism.
The park also has a reflexology walkway with sharp pebbles in hot spring water. Various forms of Malay, Thai and Chinese massages are also available. It’s most relaxing to indulge in a massage, surrounded by singing birds and mountain air.
There is a cafe built over a pool where fish are reared for the menu. Burger stalls can also be found in the park.
Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park is open everyday between 8am and 10pm. Entrance fees are RM3 for children below 12, RM5 for adults (12-59 years old), RM4 for senior citizens and RM1 for the handicapped.
There are five villas for those who want to stay over. Three units have single rooms while the others have double rooms. The best thing is that these have individual hot pools. Plantation Resorts plans to build 64 chalets by August to meet the increasing demand for rooms. For details, log on to www.plantationresorts.com.my
How To Get There: On the North-South Expressway, get off at the Sungkai toll exit and turn left. Just 1km down the trunk road, turn left and follow the signs for 16.5km or 20mins. The park is after the Sungai Klah Felda village.
Ulu Geroh
The lane leading to Gopeng Nature Resort is narrow and on a hilly slope, making it necessary to travel on trucks rather than buses. The 12km stretch can be a nerve-racking experience especially when a vehicle is just inches away from a ravine. But for the schoolchildren and teachers, standing in the back of the trucks was fun and exciting.
The next day, we joined the Semai during service at the Shalom Church. We exchanged presents with them and helped them paint the church which stood by a crystal clear river with plenty of boulders.
Hunt For Rafflesia
After all this fun came the hard part — looking for the rafflesia. The toughest part was the climb up the leech-infested trail of Bukit Kinta Forest Reserve.
It took an hour to trek through the jungle and another hour to climb a steep slope before we found a brown flower that was about to wither. So, some of the students decided to go further and they finally found a fresh red rafflesia.
The rafflesia blooms for only a few days. When it first opens, it is a bright orange-red in colour and emits a stench similar to that of a rotting carcass to attract insects. There are 20 species of rafflesia in Malaysia and that found in Ulu Geroh is the Rafflesia R cantleyi.
Our Semai guide had a vast knowledge of herbs. He said the Orang Asli women used the rafflesia to help them get back into shape after giving birth. He also had keen eyes for insects and quickly dipping his hands into some leaves, he pulled out a rickety ‘stick’ insect about 1ft long.
To help climbers, ropes are tied from tree to tree but on some stretches, there were no ropes and some of us struggled to find our balance. It was also slippery because of an earlier drizzle. Unlike us city folks though, the young Semai girls seemed to skip along the slopes with ease.
One schoolgirl was in tears but she finally decided to go on, motivated perhaps by the school’s deputy principal, 58-year-old Goh Kai Lian, who picked herself up when she slipped and continued without complaining.
Our disappointment at the fading rafflesia was somewhat dissipated when we came across a host of Rajah Brooke Birdwing butterflies skimming the water near the river. It was a lovely sight indeed.
Sungai Geroh
The most enjoyable part of the trip was the time when the students braved a choppy stretch of Sungai Geroh astride a giant rubber tube. The challenging ride lasted only two minutes before the churning water flowed into a calmer stretch. Sungai Geroh joins Sungai Kampar and some parts are suitable for kayaking and rafting.
Guards were posted along the river just in case the children could not control their ride and got swept into a more treacherous part of the river.
Where the water was calm, some of the students swam while many were content with just a dip. Others played by the riverbank and one boy even buried himself in the sand.
How To Get There: Exit the Gopeng Interchange of the North-South Highway near Ipoh and drive to Gopeng town. Gopeng Nature Resort in Ulu Geroh is about 30 minutes away.
The writer’s trip to Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park and Ulu Geroh was arranged by Grandlotus Travel Agencies Sdn Bhd. Tel: 03-2070 0300 or visit www.airlotus.com
JOHN TIONG
Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/Destinations/20070604145231/Article/
Travel Tips: ‘Pre-flight’ checks on your car
We all want to get somewhere quick and safe. Just a little preparatory work can ensure a safe ride.
TRAVELLING by road is perceived to be a safe mode of travel but really, flying is the safest as there are so many “checks†done on a plane before it is allowed to take off.
The same principle should apply to cars. They should be checked before a journey but how many of us do this?
One can apply the “pre-flight check†principle to the car, which includes checking the engine oil level, battery water, fan belt, water in the radiator and the by-pass tank.
A pilot would do the walk-around the plane before a flight, just to ensure that all is safe. Ground handlers would have done the many checks but the pilot needs to get the feel himself as he will be held accountable if anything goes wrong.
A driver could do the same thing and check the tyre pressure or see if there are nails in the tyres as tubeless tyres do not deflate immediately.
Also check the spare tyre. Most people find it a hassle to open the car booth and reach deep in to do this. But imagine if, when you need it most, you are caught with a half inflated or worse, a flat spare.
Basic repair tools should be IN the car, including a jack and tools for replacing a flat tyre and a red triangle to warn other vehicles that your vehicle is stationary.
The Malay proverb, “sediakan payung sebelum hujan†(get an umbrella before it rains) is indeed useful. We must always be prepared.
Then check all the lights, including the hazard light. It is important that they are in working order.
Fuel is the ‘blood’ that gives life to the engine, so make sure you refuel the night before departure.
One should also take the weather into account. All pilots read the weather report before departure and receive weather updates along the way to ensure a safe flight. You can get this by logging into one of the many websites that give free weather updates like http://wwwa.accuweather.com/world-favorite-ties.asp which not only gives hourly weather condition in major towns anywhere but also a 15-day forecast with amazing accuracy.
For safe driving, one must also make regular stops to rest and recharge. The 966km North-South Expressway has about 20 R&R stops equipped to cater to all travellers’ need.
Part of the travel safe plan is to arm yourself with a good map. Keep one in the car. You never know when you’re going to need it. Remember the saying: “People don’t plan to fail but fail to planâ€. All it takes is conscious, common sense planning.
SAGER AHMAD
Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/TravelTips/20070514130223/Article/
