18-November-2006
Believe it or not, my real vacation was when Iwas on a travelling job to the Royal Belum Forest. Last July, leaving my colognes, ties and the stress of my neighbours quarrelling at home, myself along with 27 friends from the Tourism Malaysia offices, travel agents and the media, headed to the Hulu Perak District, about 200km from Ipoh on a rather tight but an enjoyable trip.
Departing Ipoh on the morning with full anticipation, we stopped at the Kuala Kangsar Resthouse for a traditional and delicious lunch. I was glad to see many members within the group starting to get to know each other. We arrived later in the evening at the Banding Island jetty where, I hustled everyone into a group photo. I know that it was rather early in the trip for picture-taking, but I was keen in capturing the excitement portrayed by the members of the expedition.
We transferred from the jetty to Tail Kail Island via speedboats. Several members of the group were even lucky enough to get a ride on a boathouse which is quite literarily a house built on a boat. Even though I was stiff from the longbus ride, the boat ride through Temenggor Lake was refreshing and exhilarating.
After dinner and welcoming formailties, we were briefed on the Royal Belum Forest by Wan Shaharuddin, the General Manager of the Perak State Park Corporation, before adjourning, not to sleep, but to the boats yet again.
The night was lit by the sparkles of a million stars which shone smoothly on the lake’s waters, as we donned out life jackets tightly for a night drifting expedition. I had expected the stillness of the night would make for a silent boat ride, but the forest itself was very much awake with the nocturnal sounds of crickets, frogs and what’s more interesting, the distant sounds of elephants and tigers. The drift took us to the edge of Temenggor Dam and back to Tali Kail Island to retire for the night.
Instead of the roaring sound of kapcai bikes racing, I woke up the next morning to the soothing song of birds. It took us more than an hour boat ride from Tali Kail Island to the Royal Belum Forest. The sun was rising, the waters were gleaming and I could feel the tension and stress from overwork melting away from me. Two hours of jungle trekking later, we arrived at one of the most important areas of the forest: a salt slick. The locals call this place the animal clinic. It is really a small stream flowing through the forest. What makes this stream special is that the water is naturally nourished with salts and minerals, and that the animals frequent this place for their monthly, weekly and sometimes even daily dose of essential nutrients.
We had lunch at Kejar River before making a stop at an Orang Asli village on our way back to Tali Kail Island. That evening, we had a wonderful feast for dinner which truly made me appreciate the abundance of food God has blessed us with. Somehow, food just seemed much tastier in the wilderness. We also organised a small karaoke competition. In the forest, I can sing as loud as I wanted without disturbing my neighbours. We really had fun that night. More importantly, I was glad to see the group bonding and being supportive of each other.
I felt heavy departing Tali Kail Island for the last time the next morning. But with my body and mind fully recharged, our group took our last boat ride to Banding Island jetty and headed to the Lenggong Museum. The visit to the museum was extra special to me because not only did I get the opportunity to see an amazing collection of pre-historic relics, our group was also given the rare permission of viewing the actual remains of the Perak Man. From the museum, the group was guided to the actual cave site where the Perak Man was discovered. Even lunch was special to commemorate the last day of the expedition. It was a traditional lunch and a fruit feast at the same time. We had rambutans, dokongs and durians.
My ‘royal’ trip to the Royal Belum Forest truly made me appreciate the beautiful plants and animals that God has created. This realm of its own was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of city traffic jams. Even if for just a couple of days, I escaped from my boss and punch cards. I could go fishing the whole day if I wanted to. I was able to leave my hand phone in my bag and not worry about it because there was no signal in the jungle. Above it all, I was able, for just a moment, be a kid again. I was with nature, I made new friends and I return to the working world as a responsible adult, a new man.
Though I am a tourism officer and have been traveling quite a lot, this trip is actually a ‘royal vacation’ for me. It truly is all here in Malaysia. Join me and Cuti-Cuti Malaysia.
Source/See more : http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/community/travel_experience/
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