Gopeng - Gua Tempurung

First timers and those with young kids chose to go on either Levels 1 or 2.

Fai having been in the cave before opted to go along with his sister and father for Level 4. We had with us head lamps and were wearing either sandals or sport shoes. Fai's feet ended up badly blistered by his sandals, so proper shoes are advisable. Keep your hands free as you will need to crawl and grab.

More info on tours available in Gua Tempurung here

Han and Ean were not keen, so I played by the stream with them

We were joined by those who completed their quick tour of the wonderful cave.

There were lots of fish but were very difficult to catch.

After 4 hours, JY finally emerged from the underground stream. First thing she did was to wash her shoes.

The rest strolled out with clean shoes as they had used the gushing water to wash their footwear before coming out from the cave.

Fai said he had a great time.

They had to crawl through narrow crevices, slide 20 feet down huge boulders, got to see a secret garden and much more.

Here's what DH wrote in FB:

" I encourage all families to go for it, the young ones will like it too. A bit scary, a bit dark, dangerous to some, let some imagination run wild, feel the fresh cold water, wet, dry, muddy, sandy and rocky earth with your bare hands, legs ...and soaked body. Its 4 hours of fun and thrills! Ask for the new extended route also. The feeling of danger is so invigorating. If your life is too safe its time to face some danger for a change. Experiencing team work with strangers and making new friends in the group is a bonus. "

There was a large crowd as it was a national holiday. There were at least 50 in their group and most of them had torches, so it was well lit - like a party in the caverns. Although only one guide was with them, the tour went smoothly with many willing to lend a helping hand.

I was most impressed with a young man who made it through Level 3 minus one leg and using crutches. Salute!

Gopeng - whitewater rafting, playing with fire, henna art

Sungai Kampar - Perfect for whitewater rafting

All aboard!

The lorry that took the group from Earth Camp to Ulu Geroh for the Rafflesia Trail. It was a first for all on board and was very thrilling - especially at steep slopes.

While waiting for the trekkers, the rest of us relaxed by Sungai Kampar.

The boys making sandcastles

Another group with their rafts

Life vests are tricky to put on.

After lunch, JY and Cora started off with water safety tips.

If you fall overboard, stay away from the raft. Kick or push yourself away!

Hang on to my precious equipment. Don't let it float away!

Carrying the raft to the river.

The man with the blue helmet and light blue canoe is the safety marshal that followed them throughout.

JY and Cora body floated down the rapids to a sandy bank around the bend. photo by Amrita

Lie down feet first and let the current carry you away

Catch a rope that is barely visible in the water and haul yourself up.

JY didn't need the rope, all she did was reach out and she was by the bank. The advantage of having long limbs.

How to throw up?

More safety procedure followed

a few more pointers...

And they were off!

After settling in in our respective treehouses, we whiled the time away by the river located next to the Dining Hall. Dinner was a 2 hour wait, so the girls did some Henna art

Han dipped his toes into the cool water

The fathers started a fire to chase the mosquitoes away

Father on left could relive his scouting days.

Cora tried to skip stones.

The fire - mosquito deterrent but attracts children

Multilegged pet from Ulu Geroh

Gua Tempurung revisited 8thfeb2011

We were too late for everything but the Level 1 tour. I had gone it the previous year but decided to go for another round of it because I absolutely loved the majestic beauty of the cave and wanted to share it with my hubby.

The moment we entered the cave, the air instantly felt cooler. What a nice respite from the blistering afternoon heat

towering stalagmite

As before, the guide would point out shapes such as "Mona Lisa', 'Monkey driving a car', 'Elephant's head', 'Squating woman washing her long hair' and even 'Osama bin Laden'

Marble.

We were advised to come back during the rainy season to witness the waterfalls in the caves. All wet tours in the cave commence between 9 to 11am.

Being the last group in the cave, we managed to have a long chat with our guide, Mustafa, who has explored most caves in Malaysia and warned me against visiting a cave I had planned on exploring next - it is a crystal cave. He said that particular cave was so thick with dust that when you clap your vision is impaired. It was also full of guano and thus had high nitrogen content in its atmosphere. So my plan was aborted.

Mustafa asked us to wait for him, as he wanted to show us his kampung.

He said "I am sure you have never seen a house on a tree!"

He managed to pique our interest.

So we waited a while and the beauty of the area around Gua Tempurung was revealed to us......

Gua Tempurung, Gopeng 9th jan 2011

From Gunung Lang, we headed for Gua Tempurung in Gopeng.
My first visit to this cave was in January 2010 with S and her girls on our first road trip and I was very taken by its natural beauty and splendour. I had made a mental note to stop by this place again whenever I was in its vicinity.

We stopped by a roadside stall for a very late lunch enroute to the caves.

Our lunch.
Thirst quenching coconut and delicious durian.

We arrived at the entrance of the cave at 4.30pm and were told that we were too late as they closed at 4pm.

A group of guides were seated by the entrance and when they saw how dejected we were, they allowed us in for a quick peek.

Beautiful stalactite formations.

The guide told us that they were waiting for a few groups of visitors who had yet to emerge from within.

When asked if there were any bats around. He said that bats only came into the caves to nest. He added that when bats were around, it is advisable to stay away from caves as the bite from the bat's fleas is more toxic than a scorpion's.

Marble rocks have a greenish hue.

Since we couldn't go caving, we settled for the stream that originates from the cave.

The water was cold and refreshing.

Lovely layered rocks.

It was a lesson on geology for the kids.


Fai and Han made a house.

Fai showed me how the water would flow in, form a small whirlpool in the centre and flow out through another opening between the rocks.

Ean's stone bridge.

We will be back Gua Tempurung. This time at 9am and all set for your exciting and challenging tour.

Open daily. Closed once a year - 1st day of Hari Raya.

Last Day in Ipoh

After a wonderfully hurried and harried kopitiam breakfast of wantan mee, hongkong chee cheong fun and Ipoh Coffee with WL's mom, we said our goodbyes, thanked Aunty Popo profusely for putting up with us for 5 days and headed for home.

With time on our hands, we decided to make one last stop, Gua Tempurung located in Gopeng.


This was the view as we approached Gua Tempurung. It was still misty at 10am. The air was crisp and fresh.







The ticketing counter. We paid $6/adult and $2.50 for a guided tour. It was worth every cent.

Our guide, Encik Halim.

He either held Han's hands or carried Han for most of the way. A patient man.

En Halim led us into the cave holding his torchlight. We were the only ones there. It was great having everything to ourselves.

The walkways were tastefully done and did not mar the natural beauty of the place.

En Halim pointing out rock formations that resembled animals such as elephant, dolphin, turtle,lion, duck...too numerous for me to recall. Fai was especially good at imagining the forms. I couldn't get what he wanted me to see most of the time. There was even a portrait of Mona Lisa due to the stains on the rock surface.

The car was etched onto the rock by the communists that used the cave as a hideout.

The stairs leading into the cave. Staclatites and staclamites to the left and right. There was a huge jellyfish like staclatite.

The only group photo we took.

2 mothers and 6 beautiful kids.

The entrance of the cave.

There is an underground stream on my right.

Back in the car, we were sardined once again.

A tangle of limbs.....

We had a bite to eat in IKEA once we reached PJ.

Kent and Shannon exchanged cars and we said our goodbyes in the loading bay.

Of all the caves we visited in Ipoh, Gua Tempurung was certainly my favourite. Mother Nature at her best. It is just a short drive away from Ipoh. Go visit. Don't forget to take me along.