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MALAYSIA

Jungle trekking at Taman Negara National Park and the Turtle Sanctuary

by Murli Menon

Landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport is an experience. The polished granite floor, the large number of western tourists waiting for transit flights, and the brightly lit shopping malls. The ride to Kuala Lumpur Central Station from the airport by KLIA Express is smooth. You can change into the LRT at Central station and alights at Pasar Seni station which is a few stops away. The KLIA Express takes all of 30 minutes, whereas the LRT takes you to Pasar Seni in about 15 minutes. Hentian Puduraya Bus Station is a five-minute walk from Pasar Seni LRT Station.

Taman Negara

Puduraya is the nerve centre of bus operations in Malaysia and you can find buses for every destination here. Boarded the non-stop express bus to Penang, which departs every hour. The wide-bodied air-conditioned Volvo Bus with airline seats and a transparent body enables one to enjoy the view as one reclines in comfort. I could see millions of palm trees lining both sides of the expressway as they whiz past your windowless viewing glass. The speed is steady, and the ride smoothes till my neighbour nudges me at Penang bridge, which links Penang to the Malaysian mainland. The bus stops at Sungai Nibong bus station at Penang, which is near the airport.

Taman Negara or Penang National Park is 10 km away from the city centre near Batu Ferringhi beach. You enter your name and nationality at the gate of the National Park and enter the lush tropical rainforests for a three-hour trek to Monkey Beach. Monkey Beach is a quaint, secluded beach that is devoid of tourists owing to its inaccessibility.

The forest cover is so thick that it is pitch dark at noon, as one trek under the canopy of million-yearold giant trees that crave to reach the stars! Every step of one’s trek through thick rainforests is filled with adventure.

Trekking inside Taman Negara 25

Monkey Beach Thousands of dried leaves of all shapes and sizes, in various hues of bronze, lie on the forest floor. I stepped barefoot on the leaves, approaching the Monkey Beach. I walked over bridle paths, forest trails, and rocks. The greenery around is a soothing balm for one’s tired eyes.

This dipterocarp rainforest is home to many species of flora, including palms, bamboos, ferns, nutmeg, beetle-nut, durians, and mangosteens. The view from Monkey Beach is a deeply spiritual experience. Miles and miles of foam soaked and sun-drenched, the silvery beach stretching as far as the eye can see. .

Finally, I reached a pocket of serenity and tranquillity away from the humdrum of daily existence where I can spend a few hours in meditation and in silent communion with nature. I meditated in this sheltered bay to the tune of the roaring water, watching the snow-white clouds suspended above the greyish blue waters.

The white sands are spotlessly clean owing to their inaccessibility and the unwillingness of tourists to trek six hours to discover a paradise that nature hid. The trek back takes all four hours. It is advisable to start your trek at dawn, spend a few hours at the beach, and return to the main gate by dusk. At the end of my walk, I reached a rare meromictic lake, walked along the beach for a bit and found the Penang Turtle Sanctuary.

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Olive Ridley Turtles During the months of April and August, Green Sea Turtles come to the beaches here to lay their eggs. Olive Ridley Turtles also visits this site between September and February.

There are seven types of sea turtles in Malaysia. These include the Green Turtle, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, and Olive Ridley. The Olive Ridley turtles indulge in nesting once a year, on a full moon night at Monkey Beach in Penang. Monkey Beach is one of the few beaches in the world, where Olive Ridley nested.

Olive Ridley turtles emerge from the sea and nest on the beach for two to three days. Only the females come ashore. The males remain in the ocean. Nesting takes place in pitch darkness between 12:00 midnight and 4:00 a.m. The female digs out a deep pit, using her hind flippers to dig the soft sandy soil. She digs a two feet deep pit, lays her eggs into this pit, and covers it with sand with her front flippers. Every female lays about 80 to 100 eggs at a time in a time period of 45 minutes.

Mother turtle returns to the sea and after 45 days, the eggs hatch at dawn. The infant turtle breaks the shell and crawls on its own into the ocean to join his parents. Baby turtle breaks out of the egg and burrows through the sand, reaches the surface and opens its eyes to see the reflection of the stars on the ocean, and moves in that direction to enter the ocean. The sex of the hatchling depends on the temperature. More females are born at higher temperatures and more males are born at lower temperatures.

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Meditating on a bed of dried leaves on the forest floor

One has just returned after a close encounter with nature at Penang Turtle Sanctuary at Monkey Beach. The Olive Ridley turtles are endangered.

How to get there Penang is connected by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Singapore, Bangkok, and Jakarta.

The city centre is approximately 20 km from Penang airport.

Penang is also connected by rail from Kuala Lumpur. The overnight train journey makes it convenient for foreign tourists arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Penang Bus Station is a 9 km drive from the airport.

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Murli Menon ZeNLP ZeNLP- learning through stories

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am writing this from the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The nearest international airport to reach Kota Kinabalu is Hong Kong. Kota Kinabalu is also connected to Singapore by direct flights. However, the cheapest option for tourists to reach Kota Kinabalu is to fly to Kuala Lumpur and board the Air Asia flight to Kota Kinabalu which leaves at 7:00 am. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu takes 150 minutes. Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, one of the two East Malaysian States on the island of Borneo adjacent to the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. One of the most fascinating aspects of the state of Sabah is its greenery and most of the state is covered with a thick tropical rainforest. It must be admitted that though timber logging over the years has wiped away a lot of Borneo's virgin rainforest, a few patch-

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es of green continue to exist due to their remote location and inaccessibility.

One such patch of green is at Kampung Bantu!. Nestled on the upper echelon of the Kalimantan Hills, Kampung Bantu! is a longhouse that houses 200 Muruts, one of the indigenous tribes of Borneo. The community way of living has been their way of life for centuries and several generations have lived together as a single family over the years. A longhouse is a long wooden house built on stilts that can house about 200 residents. Small partitions separate the individual units but common areas are provided for bathing, cooking and recreation. There is no electricity and most Muruts prefer to bathe in the river that flows between the several kampungs that dot this higWand rainforest.

The flora and fauna that surround Kampung Bantu! is spectacular. You sight hundreds of birds of colourful hues singing their flowery tunes at the break of dawn. As the sun rises, butterflies begin their beauty parade on the river bank.

At nightfall, fireflies light up the mangrove swamps that stretch across the river. Mother Nature continues her magic throughout the night when one can sight mouse-deer, wild boar, monkeys and rabbits that come out of their hibernation in the cover of darkness. A canoe ride in the wee hours of the morning over the mighty mountain extremely soothing and pleasant.

stream is

The view from the longhouse at Kampung Bantu! is nothing short of majestic. A thick tropical forest surrounds this picturesque hill nestled in a canopy of green and you can fmd a several small beaches by the side of the river and relax to the tune of nature while lying on a soft bed of dried leaves. This is one of the most powerful tools for relaxation and harmonising your energy in tune with the universe. One of the most soothing ways to relax and communicate with nature is to take a long cruise on the Logongon river which winds its way through the verdant hills.

You wake up before dawn and make your way carefully in the semi-darkness to the banks of the river. The wooden canoe is a boon for the Muruts being the lifeline that con-

A giant tree in the troPicalforest

In Borneo the picturesque hills are nestled in a canopy of green and you can find a several small beaches by the side of the river to relax to the tune of nature while lying on a soft bed of dried leaves. By MURLI nects them to the mainland. It is interesting to note that each and everything in the longhouse was either built there or transported to it by canoes or 'boats. As petrol-powered boats are beyond the reach of a majority of Muruts, the canoe is the equivalent of a bicycle. One canoe can hold two passengers - each with a paddle - comfortably. Paddling in the gushing mountain stream is the equivalent of river rafting. The canoe swirls, bobs up and down and is guided by . the gushmg waters. All one has to do is guide the canoe away from the numerous boulders and rocks strewn across the river. Paddling upstream is a different cup of tea altogether.

One has to depend on the Murut navigator's muscle power as he overpowers the current with swift strokes of the paddle as you try to keep pace with him.

Progress across the swii:ling waters is like a snail crawling to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Hours of paddling could come to naught if caught in the path of a strong wave. One can hear the chirping of the birds as the sky begins to brighten and the lush greenery surrounding the hills is uncovered by the morning light. The hilltops are covered by snowy clouds and the sounds of the rainforest hang

MENON

The Writer with a Mumt woman

You have to trek through various shades of green, mountain-streams, thick highland rainforest and mangrove swamps along the trekking route. One experiences the thrill of passing through verdant undulating terrain and varied tropical landscape at every step of this adventure. One gets· to observe tropical flora, insects, birds and butterflies at close quarters during this jungle walk. The most soul-stirring part of the trek is watching the butterflies while crashing through the jungle.

This is an unforgettable experience as one can observe hundreds of species of butterflies in various shapes and colours. You should be careful to plan the trek so that you return to your base kampung by nightfall, as night trekking is bound to be difficult if not impossible.

The longhousestands surrounded Irynature

in the air. One spots a few stray mouse deer and wild boars as one is pushed towards the banks of the river. It is a tough task maintaining your balance on the canoe as it is pushed by the waters at all times. One has to have nerves of steel and the confidence of a blindfolded tightrope walker to face the powerful forces of nature.

The canoe ride takes you through several picturesque kampungs along the way. We inch our way up to the nearest kampung named Kampung Saliman. Here it is time for some rice porridge (bubur) with red chilly paste (lada) that is the staple food of these humble Murut tribals who co-exist with nature in Borneo's verdant rainforest. After a quick rest on the banks of the river that resembles a mini-beach, one begins to trek through the forest for spotting wildlife. The trek is exciting except for the leeches that cling to your feet at every step and the incessant rain that disappears as unexpectedly as it appears. Getting drenched is the only option while trekking in the forest, as everything gets wet during the canoe ride anyway. The experience of rain in a rainforest is incredible. One leaves one's footprints on the wet and muddy forest floor, but carries home memories to last one a life'time. The downpour is virtual simulation of being under a waterfall - every pore of one's body gets drenched in a few minutes. You seek refuge under the thick bamboo grove that offers some respite from the fury of nature. But the rain is like a rainbow and stops as suddenly as it started.

tay her Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Beach Resort is a comfortable place to stay. Located off a private beach, it offers a spectacular view of the setting sun.

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You start the motor boat ride to the next kampung of Selungai, where a village market or tamu is in progress. You can purchase wooden masks, bamboo baskets with traditional tribal motifs, bamboo shoots, tapioca and wild fruit at this weekly market. Men and women clad in traditional Murut costumes beat the gong and enjoy this weekly community gathering where residents of the neighbouring kampungs converge. After Selungai, the currents get stronger and it takes almost an hour to get to kampung Pagalungan.

Here, the Malaysian immigration authorities, army and police have their camps. Murut families who are divided between Malaysia and Indonesia get permits here to visit The watetfal£ the uniqueflora andfauna, is a feast to the ryes

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Kota Kinabalu has small restaurants Indian and Chinese cuisine.

• You get freshly steamed vegetables with soya and boiled rice at Chinese vegetarian near Wisma Medreka. The Kwa Temv (flat rice noodles) with yegetables is delicious.

• Jothy's Restaurant is good value for money for Indian vegetarian food.

• Swiss Chef Beat Endedy at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru resort can whip up traditional Malay vegan delicacies and vegetable rice at short notice.

• Fresh fruits are available at the local market near Centre Point.

Rare flowers of theforest

each other at Pagalungan. A few minutes by boat divides the local villages across two different countries.

Salong, which is the last kampung on the journey, is connected to Sapulut by a forest road. The boat journey from Pagalungan to Salong takes about forty minutes. After reaching Salong, you hop on to a shared four-wheel jeep for a bumpy journey to Sapulut where you meet the smooth expressway to Nawaban. The distance from Salong to Sapulut is approximately 30 km; and Nawaban is 40 km. away from Sapulut and one passes the town of Sook at the 22 km. mark. Keningau, which is a larger town, is 20 km.

away from Nawaban. You can cruise at 100 km per hour once you reach Sapulut and the drive from Sapulut to Keningau (61 km) should take longer than 40 minutes on the deserted expressway. The return journey from Keningau to Kota Kinabalu (131 km.) takes all of three hours and you reach the cool confInes of your hotel room in the late hours of the night.

Kota Kinabalu is connected by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong besides internal flights from other Malaysian cities. The city centre is approximately 10 km from Kota Kinabalu airport. The transfer from the airport to the city centre costs RM 20. Prepaid air-conditioned cabs are available on arrival.

From Kota Kinabalu, one needs to proceed to Keningau, which is approximately 131 km away by shared mini-bus.

From Keningau, you need to take another mini-bus to Sapulut which is at a distance of 60 km. The bus fare should not exceed R1\1140. You have to wait for a shared four-wheel drive jeep going to Kampung Salong at Sapulut. For RM 10, these jeeps will drop you till the boat jetty at Salong where the motorable road ends. Then, you have to charter a boat at RM 500 or pay RN1 50 to other chartered boats to drop you till Kampung Bantul. Kampung Bantul is the last settlement on the Malaysian border. The next Kampung after Bantul is in Indonesia. The Indonesian state of Kalimantan borders Sabah. It takes approximately six hours to drive from Kota Kinabalu to Salong. The boat ride from Kampung Salong to Kampung Bantul could take about two hours depending on the current and water level. Only motor boats can cross the swirling waters. An expert boatman and navigator are required to guide the boat over the river while avoiding the rocks and the mangrove swamps th·at line the riverbanks.

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