3rd Day Part II (9th March 2008) in Taman Negara -- Ear Cave

10th Mar 2008 (2)

After lunch, a boat ride was taken to expedite our hike to Ear Cave. I was told by our guide that it got its name as its shaped like a ear...from within the cave at least.

A good 45min walk was required to reach the cave from our boat drop-off point. The hike through the vegetation was so muddy and undulating at certain spots that my track shoes went crocodile. Sandals were a no-no ---esp for the some sliding actions within the cave later--unless your feet have the hide of buttress roots.

Despite the ordeal of moving through the mud, the walk rewarded me with sights of mature Koompassia trees. Koompassia is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family occurring in southeast Asia. They are tall tropical rainforest trees; K. excelsa is one of the tallest tree species in the tropics.

Entrance of the Ear Cave looks ominous enough to hold back quite some visitors. My advice is that one should not enter the cave if he / she suffers from claustrophobia (abnormal tendency to feel terror in closed spaces), or physical impairments that limits one from stretching and squirming within the cave. I remember telling my wife in the cave that I felt like a snake during the maneuvre within the place.

Environs of Ear Cave

It is unthinkable to suffer injuries that immobilizes one within the cave. Due to the tightly enclosed nature of the cave, evacuation of a casualty would be tortuously slow.

Some of the cracks one have to patiently and carefully squeeze through

One usually don't have to worry about mosquitoes within or near the cave. The thousands of bats have taken care of them.

Most of the thousands of bats in the cave are inactive during daytime.

I was told that the bats move in swarms through the limited spaces and small gaps within the cave during nightfall--without bumping into each other.

A few bats in action

This is one of the interesting part of the cave trip...where one need to hold on to the rope (lying on floor) and slide down in a squatting position

This (see pic above) is a part where one has to dextrously step on the almost fully submerged stones -- while in a crouching posture -- or risk wading knee deep in the obscure water. The guide said that he was disappointed that he didn't see any snakes in the cave this time...

My wife climbing out of the cave unaided!

Thank you for viewing our photos / videos! Do visit this website again on our upcoming trips on natural scenery, and get Great Tips for a Great Trip!

3rd Day (9th March 2008) in Taman Negara -- Abai Waterfall

9th March 2008

Morning Hike to Abai Waterfall

After yesterday's encounter with leeches during the hike up Heritage Mountain, Jan was in constant trepidation of the bloodsucking worms with segmented bodies. The hike this morning witnessed her jogging and jumping to evade the crawling and leaping creatures that also lie waiting among the paths.

Part of the journey took us into a pleasant meet-up with a topless male Orang Asli (See picture). Even without stepping out of his hut that lies beside the path, I could sense his health in its excellence via the small ways he conducts himself...the gleam in his eyes, the genuine smile, and his white teeth...He is by far the closest epitome of robust fitness and health of the human species that I've personally encountered!

En route to the waterfall, our guide showed us the drum trees that one can hit to signal for help when in trouble; trees that produce oil for painting; and rocks for natural make-up


Drum playing by pro guide


Drum playing by amateur


Tree that produce oil for painting

Rocks for natural make-up

Abai Waterfall

Abai Waterfall was dissapointingly mini...especially after trekking through leech-infested terrain and several river and stream crossings (actually i enjoy maneuvering across and along the rivers) in a good morning sweat.

Nevertheless, this mini waterfall was more than I could easily handle. The water was frigidly cold even around the 10am sun, and I will be lying to you if I'm not afraid of jumping off from the top of the waterfall.

Please don't rashly imitate my jumps from the Abai Waterfall from what you see in the video unless you've scanned the environment and ascertained the safety precautions. I swam to my expected drop site to check out the depth and scan for danger zones before venturing the first jump.

Environs of Abai Waterfall



Strong current from the waterfall


Scaling the waterfall's side for the jump


I was afraid to jump. So I asked my wife to count to 10



I finally jumped after a couple of min up there!


My subsequent jumps were more confident ;)

Waterfalll giving me a good powerful watery body scrub

Continue to the next part of our trip here!

2nd Day (8th March Noon onwards) in Taman Negara

9th March 2008 (Noon)

Our dining area in Nusa Camp overlooks the local roaring Tembeling River. The river is a majestic companion during our mealtimes, despite its mud-yellowish appearance

After rest from morning hill climbing + lunch, we took a boat to reach a treetop walk within Taman Negara.

Unlike the HSBC treetop walk in MacRitchie reservoir of s'pore, this treetop walk in Pahang is a more adventurous swaying bridge (a safety distance of a few meters need to be observed between 2 people on the bridge). Another reason for a more naturalistic authentic feel to balance and move on the bridge is that thick buttressed trees are used to support the infrastructure.

However, its a shame + pity that some sections of the bridge were under maintenance when we were there :(

Continue to check out the next part of our journey here

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1st Day + 2nd Day (7-8th Mar 2008) Taman Negara 2008, West Malaysia

TNT! = Taman Negara Travel :)

My wife will freak out about this: Most information I had prior to embarking on this trip to Taman Negara were based on website information. I have to take the journey one step at a time...orientate myself at that point...and do this several times at major journey crossroads, and hopefully arrive at the place without much mishap.

Somewhere deep within the recesses of my heart is a gnawing feeling that I'm leading a tour for two of us into a labyrinth of travel transfers in a land of foreign languages. If only she knew about this fear and this keen "sense of adventure" within me, she may not have agreed to venture with me into the unknown... I called this travel TNT= Taman Negara Travel :)

7th March 2008


Johor Bahru

I convinced my wife to board the train from JB to Jerantut instead from Singapore's Tanjong Pagar train station, as paying in ringget is still cheaper than singapore currency.


Before boarding our train, we had our dinner at a backalley just within 1km from the Malaysia immigration checkpoint! I've heard of food being served in backalleys, but this is my first time experiencing it! The whole idea was so relishing that I beseeched my wife to take a photo of me with the glorious-looking backalley food.









Makan at JB small lane on 7th Mar 2008



However, the fried oyster from one stall didn't taste as good as it looks. The oyster had a rotten taste...if its in Singapore NEA would probably have known about it



Train from JB station to Jerantut

Boarding the train to Jerantut was my first experience of a S'pore-Malaysia train whereby there are standing passengers! We boarded our train at about 8.30pm Malaysia time.

Owing partly to my outspoken wife and a few kind passengers, we managed to find our seats that I had booked over the internet--to find that they were occupied by a plump malay lady and her young daughter (presumably) of around 8-years-old. The malay lady quickly apologized and surrendered the seats to the 2 awkward s'porean young couple. It seems that ktm railways sell train tickets for standing passengers too...

Though my wife and I repeatedly offered our seats to the 8-years-old girl with gestures and simple English, she rejected our offers almost tearfully with the pride of some children. That family alighted after standing for about an hour on the sardine-packed train.

8th March 2008
Jerantut

Reached Jerantut train station at about 6am Malaysia time. Driven by a Chinese taxi-cab driver with the least travel-worthy car I've ever compacted myself into, we were charged RM25 for the 20 min ride from Jerantut train station to Kuala Tembeling Jetty. On hindsight, I figured out that such price was not reasonable even for Singapore's standard...considering the travel-worthiness of the vehicle and comfort of the holey and possibly heavily pest-infested cushion seat...

Kuala Tembeling Jetty, Jerantut

9am at the jetty witnessed us booking a 4D3N NUSA Taman Negara package costing RM495 per person. Our package dealer who identified himself as Mr Black (a dark-skinned plump and perpetually-sweating man) claimed that this was the only package left (which incidentally happened to be the most expensive one available) that was suitable for us.



Setting off Kuala Tembeling Jetty, Jerantut

Boatride upstream a river to reach our residence at Taman Negara sounds rustic. But wait till one experiences one watery drift that is 3hr long...the motorised sampan is not fitted with toilets.

Apart from holding in my bladders, the river ride proves to be most fruitful with lots of natural sights to take in!


Locals (or Orang Aslis?) seen from boat ride

When a European tourist and I could take it no longer, the kind young boatman dropped us off at a sandy beach to give the local plants some "water parade" during our 3hr boat ride to the Taman Negara village.

Water-relief for both plants and mammal

Our nature-observant young boatman would slow down at times to point out animal curios along the watery ride, of which one that fascinates me was the following monitor lizard-like creature. It was of a bright banding pattern unlike those grayish ones commonly seen in s'pore.



Monitor lizard-like creature was of a bright banding pattern

After about 3 hr of sceneric yet backside-squashing (even though I truly appreciate the beauty of the boatride scenery, the Book of Proverbs still goes that too much honey can also become too repulsive to one) boatride, we were thrilled to see signs of civilization and the thought of setting foot on firm land again! Our boat alighted its passengers at Kuala Tahan Local Village.



Our boat alighted its passengers at Kuala Tahan Local Village.

A regret that I had was not giving the boatman a small token of appreciation (it happened that the passengers were told to alight at the front of the boat, while the boatman was positioned in steering the boat from the rear). I admired and respected his enthusiasm in highlighting nuggets of amazing nature even along the journey towards the village, and of course, his benevolence in giving some of us a much-needed water break along the way.

I probably spoke too fast about satisfying my relish on stepping on terrestrial area. The welcome place-cum-restaurant was part of a long row of about 10 establishments that floated on the river. I understand the floating mechanism of the establishments to be a way to adapt to the rising and ebbing water levels of Tembeling River due to at least monsoon fluctuations. My guide told me that the water levels can fluctuate by more than 5 m.

All the passengers received some briefing before we split up to our respective residential area. My wife and I were "floating around" at that establishment before we took another motorised sampan to our residence at NUSA camp


Transiting to our residence; 2 s'poreans experiencing rapids for the first time


Transiting to our residence; nusa camp as seen fr the boat


NUSA Camp


Our residence--the management call it malay hut






Our malay hut overlooks the rushing Tembeling River



Descent into the river by our residence



Taking stairs down to residential river


Soaking feet in the frigid and clear river waters beside NUSA camp













Probably the most attractive part of NUSA camp is soaking my best is still playing in the clear abd cold waters of the river by NUSA

Trying my hands at some fishing...the wild fishes are fast!

9th March 2008
Mount Warisan Trek

The next morning witnessed us trekking up Warisan Hill. Warisan refers to heritage in Malay.

My wife and I were the only participants for our tour guide, Mr Yak, to host. The resort seems very quiet with very few tourists as I was told we are in malaysia's election period.

Trek up Mount Warisan


Our very experienced guide, Yak. He said that he had served as a guide for treks to Mount Tahan for about 8 years, before serving as a guide for the smaller hills and mountains such as Mt Warisan

Plant that produces energy-boosting chemicals for hikers!? [See Video]

During the hill trek, Yak pointed out the famous plant Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack), from which the extracts are believed by some to be useful as aphrodesiacs.

Tongkat Ali is a flowering plant in the family Simaroubaceae, native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
It is a small evergreen tree growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall, with spirally arranged, pinnate leaves 20-40 cm (8-16 inches) long with 13-41 leaflets. The flowers are dioecious, with male and female flowers on different trees; they are produced in large panicles, each flower with 5-6 very small petals. The fruit is green ripening dark red, 1-2 cm long and 0.5-1 cm broad.

Some athletes and body builders now use Tongkat Ali extract in the hope that it will act as a testosterone-booster, to improve muscle size, strength, and performance without drugs.

Some parts of the trek can be along steep slopes





View from Mt Warisan

It is still a wonder what possessed my wife and I to climb this rock face near top of Mt Warisan...without safety devices...

I can challenge myself to the final penny that my mom-in-law will not allow her daughter to climb and descend the rock face [See pic above + video below] if she were there!

Continue to check out the next part of our journey here!