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 |
Campsites and Trekking routes:
Campsite: Kuala Jasin ~ Easy trek
animals often come down to the river to hunt. |
Kuala Jasin is the confluence of Sungai Jasin and Sungai Marong. This is the docking point for sampans carrying visitors from Kampung Peta. During dry periods when the water level is low, visitors are dropped off at sandbanks a little distance from the docking point, so be prepared to get a little soaked - a pleasant welcome after the heat and the dust from the lengthy drive earlier. The amenities are basic but there is running water and there are a few A-huts available with fire pits set up. Be prepared with mosquito repellent 24hours a day otherwise the ubiquitous mosquitoes will descend on you like kids to a tuck shop during lunch break!
Walk eastwards upriver. It is safe to bathe at the higher level of the river but be wary of the current drag towards the middle of the river funnelling into the cascades. Nasty accidents have occurred here.
Kuala Jasin is the take-off point for the gazetted trekking territories. But more importantly, it is the start of what the park has to offer. Taking a cool, refreshing bath in the river, after an entire day's trek within the enclosure of the rainforest canopy is certainly more refreshing than sipping a glass of cold lemonade in the heat of an Indian summer.
Wedged yourself comfortably between the little cascades, allowing the rush of sparkling cold water massage those weary muscles. As the burning sun sheds its evening colours into the river's shimmering surface below, the eerie twilight begins to play tricks on you - the whispers in the leaves, the buzzing of the cicadas and the flapping of bats above - prepare to unravel secrets, mystery and beauty of the tropical rainforest jungle.
Campsite: Kuala Marong ~ Easy trek
Time: 2hours from base camp
tasik biru |
Take a trail behind the Kuala Jasin campsite, which leads to Kuala Marong on 2hours of easy trek. The curtain of trees and foliage draws open to a hut, which faces what the 1985-86 MNS Scientific Expedition report indicated as the cleanest, clearest riverine water in Peninsular Malaysia. Kuala Marong is a perfect campsite for trekkers who believe in back-to-nature facilities. Bathroom, toilet, recreation, you name it - out in the open. In the darker, sluggish parts of this private pool, various freshwater fish nurseries can be found. The protected Kelah (Tor douronesis) is seen swimming close to the water's edge and the Sebarau (Hampala macrolepidota) willingly cleans the scraps off dinner plates left in the shallow waters. 'Tasik Air Biru' is located about 50m upriver and is known as the blue lagoon. As the water gushes downriver it is trapped momentarily in this crook of the river creating a perfect deep pool for swimming.
Camping can be a little unnerving especially when the fruit-bearing trees in the area are in season. The ripened fruits to the ground attract many animals and a frequent visitor is the wild boar or if you're lucky - a family of them. These animals turn up under the cover of the night. The bearded boar is also a resident in the Endau area. The adult male dons a handsome Bismarck-styled moustache and is fiercely protective of its harem of pigs. If you do hear them outside your hut, be wary of them as they are of you. Any sudden movements may cause them to stampede - in your direction, if you're unlucky!
Many visitors find their visit to the jungles usually disappointing. The local brochures that have cajoled them into buying a holiday to the 'world's oldest rainforest', paint pretty pictures of the fauna and flora that are found in the area and most times than not, trekkers come out feeling cheated for not having seen a single thing the brochure so lavishly embellished. It would be most unlikely that you will come face to face with large mammals like the tiger, sun bear, elephant or the rhino for instance but one can still get to see much beauty in the surroundings. A great variety of birds come close to waterholes and streams to feed and wash themselves; large groups of butterflies linger around the banks of the river sipping on slivers of salt residue; the croaking and wheezing of an orchestra of frogs and toads flows out from the cover of the trees into the darkness of a moonless night; deer tiptoeing across the gullies - leaving their footprints in shallow, muddy pools; the porcupine curled up in the cosy den at the end of its long, convoluted tunnel deep underground; skinks and snakes slithering away at the slightest disturbance and monkeys shaking the leaves off a tree high above our heads. This comes with much patience. And leave the deodorant and perfume bottles at home! Sweat works better out in the jungle - if you really want to soak into the environment, wear 3day old sweat laden clothing. And you have to be extremely quiet. Silence brings about lots of surprises. Most of us are so familiar with the noises in the city 24-7, that the sudden awakening of silence can be deafening! On our last visit, we witnessed a green tree snake spring out from its hiding place to catch a fleeing tree frog. The action was caught in mid air and just as we thought that the snake was about to fall into our pot of boiling water, it skilfully recoiled into the leafy cover of the tree.
For those fascinated with frogs and toads, it is possible to ask the guide for a little after-dinner frog-spotting trip. Torchlight and a herpetologist's guidebook to reptiles in Peninsular Malaysia are essential and let's not forget that notebook. The eyes of frogs and toads reflect yellow, red and green on the shine of the torch. More commonly to be seen would be the Malayan giant frog (Rana blythi); straight-ridged toad (Bufo parvus) and the more ellusive; the tree frogs i.e. forest bush frog (Polypedates macrotis) and, Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) with exceptionally large webbed feet, ideal for parachute landings.
Campsite: Batu Hampar ~ moderate trek
Time: 4 hours from base camp
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Batu Hampar is the place to rest before making an ascent to the Buaya Sangkut waterfall. Purely a stopover area with a derelict hut nearby, where there is a little shelter from the rain.
A little along the way from Batu Hampar roars Upeh Guling waterfall. Discover the natural swirl holes or nicknamed 'guling-guling' carved into the sides of the bank. It is believed that millions of years ago pebbles lodged in crevices of the bank created these holes. With the help of floods and river torrents, the continuous scouring action of the pebbles in these crevices carved holes, as wide as 2metres.
Waterfall: Buaya Sangkut ~ difficult trek
Time: 6 to 10 hours from base camp
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The 2.2km signage at Batu Hampar should not be sniffed at. This is a tough, tough, tough 2 and 1/2 hour trek. The journey begins with a 1/2-hour meander through gentle grounds with large umbrella palms (Johannesteysmannia altifrons) fanning and shading the way. Then we reach the base of Bukit Segongong (765m). The climb has a 60-degree incline and this is maintained all the way. It can get slippery after a downpour so hang on to the ropes for support. Bring lots of drinking water and a bag of nuts for added energy.
All the trekking is made worthwhile upon reaching Buaya Sangkut. (Read about the Folklore of Buaya Sangkut). The fall is situated 300m above sea level on Sungai Jasin and is 40m high, 30m wide with about 80cu metres of water (about 17,000 gallons) pouring down every second. Millions of years ago, volcanic activity was believed to be high in the Endau-Rompin area. The movements of the land had probably caused the igneous rocks like granite to fracture due to the crushing action against each other. The faults and cracks crossing each other at 60-degree angles represent the facade of Buaya Sangkut .
At the top of the fall, where shallow water gently caresses flat sheets of rock, can be found transparent tadpoles with a red patch on its head complete with a single golden spot dressing its forehead. Along the river's edge and in quieter spots, translucent green prawns (Atyopsis moluccensis) of 2cm in length dart from under pebbles in search of food.
Endau Rompin's accommodation:
1. Kampung Peta. The park is at its early stages of building facilities for visitors. However, there are basic A-huts available at Kampung Peta's staging point. Running water and flushing toilets are available at the headquarters itself and a provision shop is opened during the day, which sells packets of noodles and snacks.
2. NERC In 1999, MNS (Malaysian Nature Society), Malaysia's oldest conservation society and the Danish Corporation for Environment and Education set up a Nature Education and Research Centre at Kampung Peta. Although the project has now been handed over to the park to manage as stated in their agreement, a number of staff have been retained to continue the conservation efforts as intended. Lodging and food is provided and guided educational tours are also included in the 4days/3nights experience living in the jungle, with the jungle. The package costs RM340.00 for Malaysians and RM500.00 for foreigners with 25% discounts for students (A minimum of 10 people applies for the package). However, the hitch is that transportation is only provided from the point of Kahang Town to the Park's staging point. For visitors with own transportation, it is strongly advised that 4WD vehicles be considered. This should not deter the intrepid explorer from experiencing an education of a lifetime. With researchers and experts at your beck and call, it's worth all the experience!
Any other inquiries contact: NERC, Endau -Rompin Project Management Team c/o The Malaysian Nature Society, JKR 641 Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: (6)03 2287 9422 Fax: (6)03 2287 8773 e-mail: natsoc@po.jaring.my
3. Kuala Jasin Basic A-huts and campsite available, toilet and piped water
4. Kuala Marong Basic thatched hut available and campsite
For enquiries on these accommodation and transportation, write to jnpc@johorpark.com or call at +6 07 223 7471 / +6 07 224 2525 Fax: +6 07 223 7472. website: www.johorparks.com
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