Batu Dam turns out to be a fantastic place to kayak
We recently brought our newly purchased Perception Swings to Batu Dam in Selangor for a paddle. What initially was a drizzling morning turned out to be a superb morning outing.
Batu Dam is located on along the Hulu Yam- Gombak road. The water from the dam is supplied as (later) treated pipe water to houses as well as industries. This dam is open to the public and is a favorite haunt for mountain bikers, anglers, hikers as well as paddlers.
We loaded the kayaks and packed all the necessary gear a day before the trip. We wanted to be able to leave very early the next morning, avoiding the traffic jam and in time to take in the blessings of the morning hour.
We stopped at a few sports along the lake to locate our ‘ideal’ launch site. We finally found a nice gentle slope beach near the Riverstone resort.
We were really excited with the prospect of testing out our kayaks.
Being the typical me, I just had to bring a whole load of gear. It took us a bit of time to prep the kayak. Had to fiddle with the backrest (first time fitting it) and getting all the dry bags strapped down.
Our kayaks all packed up...ready to hit the water
It was a fantastic day out kayaking at Batu dam. We had a blast. The kayaks were gliding effortlessly over the water and we enjoyed every second of it.
I love my kayak
We really enjoyed the beauty of the dam
I did some fishing from the kayak while Meun enjoyed basking in the morning sunlight while reading her book. I didn’t catch anything using bread as bait but the occasional bobbing of fish tells me there’s fish to catch in the area.
With the rod tucked away, we explored more of the dam. Besides birds and green foliage all around, I also manage to spot a freshwater turtle and some monkeys.
Kayaks allowed us to come closer to nature in 'stealth' mode
We will be back!
Our maiden voyage on the kayaks at Batu Dam has been extremely enjoyable and satisfying. Though we spent only a few hours exploring, we know for a fact that we will be back again…pretty soon.
NOTE: If you are looking for good quality sit on top kayaks or any type of kayaks in Malaysia, head on over to Outdoor Gear Malaysia for the best quality gear and certainly the most attractive prices!
Wonderful!
I plugged up the scupper holes (with rubber door stoppers) on the seat to keep my bottom dry!
I also bought the back rest but I hardly ever bother with it after a couple of times.
Looking forward to more kayak adventure stories from both of you!
I want this. I really do. Envy envy envy
Hi, I thought you need licence to kayak in Malaysian Dams, or they will fine you? I actually think of kayaking the Selangor River Dam (Frasers’ Hill) but was warned by a license local tour guide. By the way, do you hae any organised tour for kayaking? This sport is still not popular in this country. And I need kakis (mates) for kayaking here.
Hi Daniel! Thanks for dropping by. Yes, you need to check with the local authorities before you drop your anchor. Yes, the one on the way to Fraser’s is off limits. They don’t even allow fishing.
I don’t organize trips but am always happy to have new company along!
Hi,
I believe your statement “This dam is open to the public…” is not quite true because its a fenced area and the gates are locked. There’s a ‘Kawasan Larangan’ sign at the entrance gate.
Hi En Halim!
Thank you so much for your comment on our blogsite.
Yes, yo are right, there are signs warning people to stay off the waters at the main entrance. During my recent visit, I was even required to ’sign-in’ at the gate to enter the area.
However, when we go paddling, we enter via the Sg Batu road…at one of the rest stops with carparks. Many people can be seen fishing from there, some camping too.
I am not sure but perhaps the authorities were more ‘concerned’ about outsiders getting too close to the ‘dam’ area where the actual water pumping etc are located (for safety risks obviously).
Thanks for putting in a note on this. We appreciate any feedback like this as they are helpful to other readers.
Hi there…this site has given me an insight as to what I can do to paddle back home…thank you for sharing this journey…
Would like to know how I can hook up with all you yakers as I will be on my own when I paddle…so having kakis will help…
I hope to fly over in Dec…and hope that I will be able to paddle with someone as I will be bringing my boat.
PLease feel free to email me so that I am able to contact you.
looking forward to exploring my home.
Sam
Sending an email to you!
i hv a vitara and a yak too. new yak for fishing mainly. wud love to gang up for any outings. maiden trip also to batu dam a few months ago. haven’t been up to much since. am in pj.
Email inbound Neyo!!
hi all…
nice website… nice info & story too…
and i’m extremely excited about kayaking…i’ve started to have a crave for it now…
as a fishing kaki, checking out guys hooking up marlins and stuff on kayaks, is really challenging and has stirred me up to get a kayak… and good to know that there are kaki’s in malaysia whom enjoy this sport..
well, just to ask, looking at perception swing, is it a fishing kayak or just a multipurpose model…? can it be used for fishing sea fishing?
any tips? i’d like to get a sit on top, for sea,lake etc as well…
as what you have said in your blogs, finance and budget, is a big concern, so u’d wanna make a right choice… cheers
Hi Joe!
The Perception Swing is an old but very established sit on top kayak. It is stable, yet quite fast. We bought the kayak because we like to do expedition trips (where we hog along all our gear), it has big hatches with ample storage capacity inside.
Perception has already come out with new models for fishing. So does other brands of kayak. They are however more expensive and with some brands, a bit shorter in length because that will allow you to maneuver around those hard to reach places to fish.
I got a (really) good deal for my kayak. Though it lacks fishing rod holders etc, they can be purchased as accessories and installed as a DIY project.
In summary, for the money I spent on the kayak, I am extremely happy with it. It hoards tonnes of gear, easy to use, I can carry it one person (using straps) and fast enough for my use.
Hey, I was just going about this. I just acquired a interest for kayaking purely because it’s a sport. Do you have any idea where there are clubs in the Selangor region for this sport. Tried Google-ing it but I couldn’t find much information.
Hi Bash…most of the ‘groups’ we know are private groups. Majority are government groups, the Jabatan Belia and such.
Best that you hook up with some friends with the same interest. There is a growing crowd for kayak fishing these days
Hello,
Is your launch site along the trail that goes past the resort? I had a look around today but did not see anywhere “easy” to launch, everywhere i looked seemed a steep drop to the water.
Cheers!
Email coming your way!
May i know is dog allow at the area?
Thanks
Hi Kimi…sorry, dogs are not allowed in the area.
Wow … kayaking at Batu Dam – awesome! Have you kayak at the Semenyih Dam? Can I join you in your coming kayaking expedition? Would love to meet other kayakers too.
Cheers!
Hi Mike, will send you an email.