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
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 RiverDescent 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!
