So you have seen the tropical jungles of Malaysia on TV. And yes you want to enjoy the nights below the tropical star-filled night listening to the chorus of the cicadas.
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Tourists watch a houseboat on the Kenyir Lake |
Well then the houseboat adventure on Malaysia’s Kenyir Lake is for you.
Kenyir Lake in the Malaysian state of Terengganu is Southeast Asia’s biggest man-made lake. It was created in 1983 with the construction of the Sultan Mahmud hydro-electric dam.
It spans an area of 260,000 hectares of tropical forest of which 38,000 hectares were inundated. This resulted in the creation of some 340 artificial islands (which were once hilltops and highlands) and numerous waterfalls, rapids and rivers.
A Tourism Malaysia promotion brochure describes Kenyir as ‘a paradise where nature is at its very best’ and as ‘the best place for an adventure holiday’.
There is no doubt that Kenyir Lake lives up to such billings, said the Malaysian Star newspaper in a recent article that described a houseboat adventure on the lake as the lazy man’s jungle.
The standard version of the lake’s houseboat is basically a passenger vessel with sleeping quarters built on top of what was formerly the roof.
Cooking, meals, bathing, washing and fishing are conducted downstairs while sleeping, card games and the like belong to the ‘living room’ upstairs.
Houseboats sound ponderous, and this impression is usually confirmed upon visual contact. However, while snaking their way up the drowned Petang valley, the houseboats can prove to be surprisingly agile in avoiding rocks and submerged logs.
On its own, Kenyir certainly has much to offer. It has 14 spectacular waterfalls and numerous rapids.
The must visit ones are Lasir, Saok, Tembat and Petang. Picnics and overnight camping packages are available from any of the resorts or chalets.
Kenyir is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, abundant species of freshwater fish and exotic wildlife.
A promotion brochure claimed that ‘during the wet season, when rain falls almost daily, fish can be caught with bare hands.’
Boats, including those with air-conditioned cabins and cable TV service, are available for hire to take anglers to the best fishing spots.
Other activities such as jungle trekking and camping, obstacle courses, wildlife observation and mountaineering are also available.
Kenyir is also a water sports arena. It has the annual Kenyir Regatta while jetskiing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting and shooting rapids are popular activities.
Those who love caving can explore the limestone hill caves at Bewah and Taat hills. Both places contain evidence of an ancient neolithic civilization.
Another place worth visiting is the 16ha herbal garden established in 1995 at Pulau Sah Kecil.
Some 23,933 plants consisting of 106 species are cultivated in the garden.
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