Cape Rachado Lighthouse and Pulau Intan @Tanjung Tuan, PD 5June2011

One of my favourite places to go in PD.

An entrance fee of RM1 per adult is charged at the entrance to the Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve We had actually planned on taking the boys to the Army Museum but turned back when we saw the bumper to bumper traffic. Traffic during the school holidays, especially on weekends can be atrocious in PD.

On the way up to the lighthouse, Han spotted a stick insect.

The kids taking a closer look.
The stick insect assumed varied positions as it tried to conceal itself. Fascinating.

After walking 30 minutes uphill from the carpark, we climbed up a flight of steps to the lighthouse.
The view from the lighthouse gives an unobstructed view of the sea. I still can't spot the whirlpools, supposedly visible from the top.

Trekking down to Pulau Intan

The weekend crowd

It took us about 30mins of hiking down a steep hill to reach this beautiful, untouched beach. By far, the best beach in PD. Definitely crowd free.

By the time we reached the beach, Ean was asleep on my shoulder. Ean has a habit of dozing off on long treks.

Fai and Machika

Interesting coral formations

Beautiful rocks

The beach at low tide.

Nice pondok for a rest. Machika wanted to camp overnight.

We couldn't get enough of the beach. It was very beautiful.

Worth every drop of sweat.

Spotted a striking red crab.

The camera wasn't with me when I saw an electric blue crab and a sea cucumber. The sea was so full of life.

Trekking back up to the lighthouse.

Hordes of termites going about their business.

If you are planning a trip here, remember to bring mosquito repellent, lots of drinking water, snacks and wear a decent pair of walking shoes or sandals. A walking stick would be useful on steep slopes.

FRIM after the tissue culture lab 14April2011

Arapaima pond. Located next to the Information Centre, Block D6. The araipama has been trained to respond to clapping. We headed for the bridge, leaned over and clapped with all our might.

Our guide told us that it eats bread. WL threw in a piece. We waited a while, saw its orange scales as it swam towards us...then.....

....CHOMP! What big jaws it has. The bread had to be dropped right in front of it. We were told that in its native environment, Amazon river, it can leap up to catch infant monkeys. Its tongue is rough and is used by the indigenous people of the Amazons as a shredder. Here in Malaysia, the Orang Asli uses the thorny rattan instead.

After a brief glimpse of the insides of the museum, we started on our jungle tour. The soil was damp and we were attacked by mosquitoes.

Fai sniffing crushed Kulim leaves that smells like pungent raw garlic.

JY took photos of fungi.

I had to excuse myself from the jungle trekking as Han was beside himself with itching as he had an allergic reaction. He was turning red and splotchy. Oh my.

JY stayed on with Fai. So the rest of the trek was relayed to me by them....

Thick vines. Fai climbed onto one.

What a beautiful sight...the canopy of Kapor trees. Leaves from different Kapor trees do not touch, this is known as 'Crown Shyness'. JY told me that crushed Kapor leaves smells like Tiger Balm.

Aaahhh...I missed out on so much.
Fai said he didn't notice the canopy as he was too busy playing.

Huge buttress roots. JY told me it is known as 'The Toilet"

While waiting for the rest of the group, I headed for the waterfalls. Packed a lunch of rice, fried chicken and omelette from a stall and fed my hungry boys.

I was summoned back to the Information Centre when the group completed their jungle trek. After paying for the jungle tour and saying my goodbyes to the other homeschooling families, I scooted off to the waterfalls once more.

I received wonderful feedback about the jungle guide from the homeschooling mothers. Not only was the guide informative, she was also patient and would explain repeatedly when asked. So if you are need of a guide in FRIM, ask for Izwati
She comes highly recommended.

I have to admit, this was my favourite part of the day. Seeing my kids enjoying what mother nature has to offer.

Hands in clear stream water.

Fai noticed a leech on Han's foot. It had latched on and refused to budge. I noticed JY eating cheese snacks and recalled that leeches can be removed when salt is sprinkled on it. The leech immediately released its hold on Han when some crushed salty snack was placed by its mouth area.

So from now on, cheese snacks will be part of our jungle gear.

Rafflesia in Ulu Geroh, Gopeng 9thFeb2011

The first few metres were easy enough starting from Dewan Rafflesia.
Walking on a dirt road. Our guide for the day, Amelia wore flipflops. So the hike must be an easy one.

We walked through an Orang Asli village. It was very scenic. The houses on stilts had a pile of firewood under each house and they had well tended lawns. Not a piece of litter was seen. No unsightly garbage bins either. It must be their way of life - green living. I must spend a night here one day, just to observe their daily life.

Newly built. The wood used is meranti. Chalets for rent?

That's me.
Trying to figure out how to carry my 2 year old through the jungle while avoiding leeches and combating fatigue. Ean didn't want walk and refused to be carried by anyone else.
He also insisted on putting on socks and when he had them one, decided that socks were not a good thing to have on and wanted them off his foot. So while I did his bidding, I amassed a collection of leeches on my feet. Leech therapy was on the house.


This is one giant leech. Our guide said that it was a 'lintah' not a 'pacat' and they go for wild pigs(babi hutan) rather than humans.

Baby durians.
It will be durian season in May/June.

This unusual flower grew from the ground with no leaves.

At last, Rafflesia!

This is its bud.

It was a short walk in. Amelia told us that we were walking through her family's land. No mosquitoes but lots of leeches looking for a meal.

The one on in the middle is beginning to bloom, whereas the one on the left and right are buds. Looked like a red cabbage.

The Rafflesias were all located on one spot, growing at the base of one tree.


This is the blooming flower. I didn't smell any foul odour. Perhaps it only emits its stench when it is in full bloom.

After the trek, the stream looked very inviting. Remember to bring along a change of clothes.

Road to Ulu Geroh, Gopeng 9Feb2011

The trip into Ulu Geroh, Gopeng deserves its on post because it was an adventure in its self.

Our Orang Asli guide, Ngah, instructed us to meet him at the Gopeng roundabout- the only one in town and hard to miss.

He said he needed to 'minum' - have a drink in Malay. So we followed his motorbike to a row of dilapidated shophouses and told us to wait for him. It is a good thing we decided to explore Gopeng town instead because 'minum' was actually 'makan' and 'minum'.

We drove slowly, admired the old shophouses and found our guide choosing yong taufu pieces for his curry mee.

So we joined him for a 'minum'.

The coffee I had in that shop was one of the best I have tasted. Perfectly brewed with just the right amount of milk and came foamy.

The museum in Gopeng was closed, unfortunately. Must be because of Chinese New Year.

Ngah told us the trip in would be about 11km and our car would have no problems but he did warn us about the bumpy road.

It was a very lengthy 11km. The car was badly rattled. The whole journey in my hubby kept talking to me in the 3rd person - "She never makes adequate research. When she wants to go....she just goes. Never checks. "

My hubby: You want MY car to go over THAT!!!!"

Next to the bridge was the site for white water rafting. Excited international school students were all geared up and ready for the wild ride down river.

The Ulu Geroh Rafflesia Conservation centre.

We got our of the car, put on socks and shoes, sprayed ourselves with insect repellent and was ready for our trek into the jungle.