Romping around Taman Negara Endau-Rompin
July 2009
4 Days 3 Nights Camping Adventure ~ | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 & 4 |
Other Info ~ | Endau Treks | Endau Rompin National Park | Useful Tips for trip to the park |
Day 3...
After a good night's rest, we were up for another trek to the Upeh Guling Waterfalls. Much shorter than the previous walk, we trekked with greater ease and was much more laid-back.
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Legend* has it that Upeh, an Orang Asli settler, was a chicken farmer who lived by the banks of the waterfall. One day when he was walking and wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, he slipped and fell down the waterfall. Villagers tried to look for him but he was never found. Hence, the waterfall was named after him – Upeh Guling (rolled/fell). The villagers only managed to find a chicken in the end.
Apparently, during the Full Moon many have heard the sounds of the chicken clucking but with no chicken in sight. So, if you are there during the full moon, be sure to listen out for the chicken!
Comparatively, this trek was much simpler and less intense than to Buaya Sangkut, but the scenery was nothing short of beautiful and of total serenity, We enjoyed the sounds of the falls and watched the flow of the waters till we lost track of time.
*For full details of the legend, make sure you ask your Orang Asli Guide to tell you more.
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Upeh Guling waterfalls |
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On the way back from Upeh Guling, we stopped by a small island in the river called, Pulau Jasin. Pulau Jasin was actually part of the “mainland” of the forest until the flooding of the river led to soil erosion. The Orang Asli settlers believe that this island is magical and holds plants which have many healing properties.
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Kuala Jasin Campsite
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View of Sungai Jasin from the campsite |
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Our upgrade for the night – from the ground to the gazebo |
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The Kuala Jasin Campsite is the most well equipped campsite as it has electricity, chalets as well as a direct road to the site. We didn’t really like this campsite as it was too modern and it didn’t feel like we were out in the great outdoors anymore. Having said, we were relieved to find out that since we were the only ones staying there that night and we picked the camping option, the generator would be switched off for the night.
As dusk came upon us, we were looking forwardto (plus slightly apprehensive about)our night trek. It was pretty dark as it was only the crescent moon shining for us that night. Unfortunately, the trek was pretty uneventful, minus the fact that our guide thought he saw a mousedeer but it was a tiger cub instead. You can probably see a whole lot more when you move with the speed and grace of a gazelle, opposed to that of a retired chain smoking professional wrestler. As the cub’s mother would be watching, we decided to leave the cub alone and continue our walk.
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The only active wildlife we saw that night – the infamous leech! |
Day 4...
After a night at our classy gazebo, it was time for us to bid goodbye to the forest. Part of our trip included an introduction to the Orang Asli traps and blow pipe which we got to try and play around with. Thankfully, no one got hurt and it was pretty fun!
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Alas, all good things must come to an end. After spending 4 days together, it was sad to say goodbye to our Guide, Nabo. Although young and with limited English, Nabo did try his best to make our trip comfortable and was never shy to share stories and history about his Orang Asli culture. However, Nabo was more comfortable speaking in Malay as Shuk could understand and speak it. Hence, if you can’t speak Malay, be sure to ask for an English-speaking Guide when booking your trip.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised that this trip was more relaxing than we initially expected. When it was time to pack up and go, we were wishing we could stay on a few more days to just relax amidst the lush greenery, taking in the sounds of nature’s orchestra and just walking wherever the path takes us.
In short, we would definitely return to Taman Negara Endau Rompin one day..
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Saying Goodbye to our Guide, Nabo |
If a camping trip ever crossed your mind but you were too scared of what the great outdoors might offer – push those worries aside and just embrace the beauty and serenity that it offers. Here are some things we learned during our trip:
1. Don’t spend excessively on expensive camping gear
• If you are not a regular/avid camper and won’t probably be camping again, don’t waste hard earned cash on expensive sleeping bags, backpacks, etc.
• We bought two foam pads @ RM14 each and the tent is provided in the package. But your guide can provide these, if requested.
• Don’t worry, if you don’t know how to pitch a tent, your Guide will help you. (But come on kids, it’s not really that hard)
• If you book this trip via Journeymalaysia, the Guide will prepare all your meals as well – Bonus! Simple yet tasty!
2. Prepare some scroggin/trail mix!
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• As the trip is mostly based on trekking and lots of sweating, you will tend to crave for sweet/salty treats. Prepare some scroggin to keep you going!
• The name scroggin contains sultana grapes, chocolate, raisins, orange peel, ginger, glucose(sugar/sweets), improvisation/imagination (i.e., the chef is supposed to add a favorite ingredient), and nuts.
• The combination of dried fruit, grains, nuts, and sometimes chocolate, developed as a snack food to be taken along on outdoor hikes
• We prepared ours with lots of roasted peanuts, honey roasted peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, milk & chocolates. We were thankful we carried it along our hikes as they were good energy boosters!
3. Keeping the pesky insects and slimy leeches at bay!
• Bring enough mosquito repellent (apparently it keeps the tigers away as well)
• Pre-mix some salt+water+oil into a spray bottle to keep the pesky leeches away (they tend to reside in dark and wet areas)
4. Water, water, water
• Remember to keep hydrating yourself with water
• Prepare at least 2 bottles of water: Your guide will boil water during meals so refill those bottles and remember to ask your guide about drinking the river/waterfall water as they know best (i.e. fill your bottle from a moving source)
5. Get to know your Guide
• As your Guide will be an Orang Asli, they are the best to learn from about the vegetation, wildlife, legends, folklores and myths in the forest
• Sometimes they tend to be a bit shy if their English is not fluent but once you start talking to them, the stories will flow.
• As they are not fully trained professionals, they tell you what they know about the forest, which is passed down by their ancestors from generation to generation. Better than any formal training...
6. Treat the forest like your home
• Respect and treat the home of the wildlife and vegetation as you would with your own
• As the sign says: Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints
Article written by: shuk yin and elliot ; july 2009
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