River Rides & Activities
An activity not to be missed is a boat ride or a trek to the Lata Berkoh cascades. It is one of my favourite as the boat ride along the Tahan River is one of the most scenic. Be sure to bring your camera to snap photos of the archway of trees overhanging the river. The boat journey takes about half an hour one way through the shallow, pebbly river to reach the cascades. The boatman normally makes a short stop at Lubuk Tenor (swimming hole), a dedicated sanctuary for the endangered Ikan Kelah (Malaysian Mahseer). Our stop at Lubuk Tenor gave us a chance to feed the fishes with pellets given to us by the fish keepers.
Other fishes that can be found here are the greenish gray Ikan Jelawat and also the red tailed Ikan Lampam.
Upon reaching the pebbly bank at Lata Berkoh we had to take a 20 minute walk through the forest to reach the cascades. We found a great spot on one of the rocks and spent some time relaxing and wading our feet in the cool waters of the river. Most visitors come to Lata Berkoh to picnic and take a plunge into the tannin-coloured water. Be warned that the currents can be strong and the rocks are slippery as well.
Jungle Hide (Bumbun)
All sorts of fungus sp. can be found along the trek to the bumbun |
This was probably one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. My friend and travel mate (also the owner of journeymalaysia.com) suggested that we spend a night at one of the jungle hides. It was truly an exciting adventure for three city girls as we hoped to catch sight of some wild animals in the middle of the jungle at night!
We chose one of the closer hides, Bumbun Tabing which is about 3km from Kuala Tahan/Park HQ. We opted to take a 15 minute boat ride up the Tahan River on a rainy evening. We were dropped off at a jetty and then continued our journey on foot to the hide. Luckily the trek was a short one and it took us about half an hour to reach Bumbun Tabing. It was not a very tall hide but it was situated on top of a hillock overlooking a man-made salt lick. The hide was basic and rustically furnished with eight wooden bunks beds and a long bench facing the viewing window. There was also a toilet with water supply from a nearby spring. However we felt rather vulnerable, as the hide had no door. We could not help but imagine some wild animal making its way in to feast on us in the middle of the night!
don't expect a comfy stay at the bumbun! |
We ate our packed dinners early and sat by the bench looking into the rainy forest. In the middle of our meal we saw our first animal. It was a wild boar. We were truly thrilled and hoped for more to come. We turned in early to reserve our energy for later sightings during the night and the dawning hours. Bumbun tabing is known for sightings of wild boars, barking deers and tapirs.
The next morning after a rather unsuccessful night of animal sightings we made our way back to Kuala Tahan. The hike back is fairly easy with the exceptions of some steep slippery slopes at certain parts. To make up for the less successful night before we came across two wild boars foraging for food along our trail back. The journey back took us under two hours to Kuala Tahan/Park HQ and brought back some a few jungle friends with us - leeches. If you wish to spend a night at any one of the six hides in Taman Negara, you must register yourself at the Customer Service Centre and pay a small fee for your stay. Be sure to bring a powerful torch or you can rent one from the Customer Service Centre.
http://www.wcsmalaysia.org/MIKE_elephants.htm
The Orang Asli Settlement
a batek girl clad in her mother's sarong |
A trip to Taman Negara would not be complete without a visit to the Orang Asli Settlement. The Orang Asli found in the Taman Negara area is the nomadic Batek people. They live in small groups from 10 to 40 family members and it is quite easy to locate them as they normally settle near rivers. They lead a very simple life getting all their provisions from the jungle.
The men hunt and gather food from the jungle using their blowpipes to shoot down monkeys, birds and other mammals while the women prepares the food and care for their young. They live in small shelters, which are made from wood and woven palm leaves.
Should you want to visit any of the Batek community you must go with a recognized guide. During my visit I got to see a traditional fire-making demonstration using only bamboo shoot and wood, and our guide also explained the process and production of a the blowpipe and its darts.
What captivated me the most was a cute creature that the Batek people kept as pet.
There was baby Binturong (Bear Cat) and also a two-month old Rhinoceros Hornbill.
the adorable baby binturong |
The Binturong is a nocturnal mammal (of the civet cat family) with short limbs and black wiry fur, and it can grow up to four feet in length. We tried to play with the little Binturong but it was obvious that its only interest was sleep as he kept walking off to find a spot to snooze. Many a time after the hunters would take in the offspring of their prize catch as pets and later sell them off to the zoo.
article written by Melissa Lim; 4th October 2004
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