Road trip with Malaysian nature guide John Chan: Part I

There are many hidden treasures in Terengganu

I find it hard to say no to nature trips with Nature Guide John Chan. Once strangers, we have come to know each other better. The one thing we have in common is probably the fact that we like to explore the jungle, especially in the more remote and less known places in Malaysia. We have visited quite a number of places together but the road trip to Lake Kenyir, Terengganu turned out to be a very rewarding experience indeed.

First of all, here are some travel tips for those traveling in the state of Terengganu. One… rent a car. Public transport will cost you an arm to get to Terengganu’s hidden treasures. Secondly, throw away that itinerary…there’s just too many things to see! If you are a nature lover with thirst for adventure, this state of Malaysia will astound you many times over.

Also, if you are looking for a nature guide at various locations in Malaysia, try this http://www.offdcouch.com/ website.

We had no plan really. The whole idea of the trip was to see Lake Kenyir. We were to start driving from KL towards Terengganu and once there, just go with the flow. We turned John’s Perodua Myvi into a small camper with fishing rods, tents, backpack & other essentials. The one things that really mattered of course was the cooler box with our cold drinks.

We passed by many small towns on the way. Stopped at a few markets to get some provisions, food stuff mainly. At one particular small town market, I got some of my favorite ‘stink’ fruits…namely the Kerdas. Bush cooking is never complete without one of them stink fruits.

My 'stink' food heaven

There are a few places we have in our mind (or rather, John’s mind). He has never been to Lake Kenyir. I have been there a couple of times and am feeling confident enough to be his guide for a change. I have local contacts and am rather familiar with the place. Other Terengganu attractions, we will leave it up to the sign posts to divert us.