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 Gunung Janing Barat (1870 feet) is located in the Endau Rompin National Park in the southern state of Johor. I somehow (and barely) made it up this mountain during a trip with the Malaysian Nature Society’s Nature Guide group.
Conquering Gunung Janing Barat (GJB) was not in itself the objective of our visit to Endau Rompin. We were climbing GJB hoping to catch a glimpse of a few tropical jungle marvels. Among them are the ant plants, the fan palms and the pitcher plants.
I honestly struggled up GJB. It was steep and climbing most of the way. I was huffing and puffing all the way, no thanks to my lack of stamina. The trail was very visible but rather narrow. If you were to stop, you’d have to find a suitable place or otherwise you will be blocking other’s path. Some parts of the trail are rocky and hand line has been put up to help climbers.
It’s a long and rather steep way up
Midway up, there is a resting place with a view overlooking jungle canopy for as far as the eye can see.
Malaysian jungle for as far as the eye can see
The trail begins to plateau a bit towards to peak and I suddenly realize that the jungle around me has somewhat changed. I was in a different world!
There were Fan Palms (Livistona endauensis) everywhere! Some of the leaves are really huge. At some parts, the leaves are dense enough to create like an umbrella canopy, shielding sunlight from hitting the jungle floor, resulting in an amazing display of bright green areas above. This is one amazing Malaysian jungle I have not seen before. What’s more, the Livistona endauensis is endemic to Endau Rompin!
Fan palms or Livistona endauensis
We couldn’t find the ant plant but there were a number of pitcher plants that we saw. They came in all shapes and sizes.
One of ‘em pitcher plants we spotted
I almost stepped on these cute ones
The hike up GJB caught me by surprise but I was glad that I did it. The reward is really up there (if you are interested in appreciating Mother Nature). If you do decide to climb this mountain, a few word of advice.
Happy climbing!
I am proud to say that I have personally visited the Kelah sanctuary at Sungai Petang in Tasik Kenyir. I was actually in Tasik Kenyir with a retired army Col to do a recee for a potential adventure based project there. With the permission and support from Ketengah, a Terengganu state government agency, we got the opportunity to enter the well guarded Sungai Petang Kelah sanctuary. Compared to my first encounter with the Kelah which was somewhat more destructive, this visit was more ‘friendly’ so to speak.
The Sungai Petang Kelah sanctuary is located rather deep inside the huge Tasik Kenyir lake. To find out more about my adventures at Tasik Kenyir, click on the Kenyir ‘label’ on the right hand side of the page. From the Pengkalan Gawi jetty, one would have to take a speed boat ride to Sungai Petang. It takes about an hour or more to get there. At the rivermouth (Sungai Petang and the lake), there is a ranger’s floating office where visitors are required to register themselves. Note…if you decide to visit this Kelah sanctuary, you are actually required to obtain written permission from the Ketengah office. Ketengah’s office address and contact numbers can be obtained at the bottom of this entry.
The park ranger’s floating post
The visitor’s log book
After putting your name into the great book of visitors, you will then proceed upstream on a speedboat. Depending on the water level, the boat will stop as soon as the water becomes to shallow for it to go any further. You will then have to walk further upstream to the actual Kelah sanctuary spot. I was lucky that during my visit, the water level was quite high and the boat manages to get quite deep upstream. We only had to walk less than 30 minutes. If the water level is low, treks can often take up to an hour!
Work was on the way to upgrade the walking paths. Some areas were rather narrow and prone to corrosion. So, its good to watch out where you are stepping on.
You can never imagine how exciting and thrilling it is to witness the Sungai Petang Kelah Sanctuary. The moment we arrive at the ‘lubok’, the water was already churning up waves. The guides that brought us in carried with them bags of fish food. With one cast of a handful of fish food, the water immediately turns into a feeding frenzy of thousands of Kelah. And believe me…its by the thousands. The water literally bubbled with the Kelah’s mouth bobbing up and down swallowing gulps of the fish pallets. It’s simply amazing.
The water starts to boil with Kelah
Malaysian Mahseer everywhere! The fishes were so used to human that you can literally pick on up (not too long though) and feed them from your hands. Some of the fish pallets that dropped off from our hands and rolled off the rocks didn’t get the chance to hit the water as there were already some of the Kelah that pushed themselves out from the water trying to get to the pallets! Its simply amazing!
I just couldn’t believe my eyes!
However, I was unable to see the really huge Kelah. The guide informed me that the Kelah are very shy fishes and the big ones tend to dwell a little bit deeper away from the humans. Once the Kelah hits a certain size, they will then make it down stream where they will roam the waters of Tasik Kenyir.
Some of us during this trip braved to put our feet at the water edge. Some of the Kelah nibbled on our feet, it was ticklish but the scary thought of a big fish giving us a nasty bite was enough to keep some of us well away from the water.
Me and one of them Malaysian Mahseer
It was magnificent…awesome in fact. I would even go as far as describing it more thrilling than fishing actually. The sight (and sound) of thousands of Kelah churning the water for food pallets is simply incredible. I never imagined such a place existed, what more right in the heart of beautiful Tasik Kenyir lake. I applaud the fact that efforts are already in place to ensure the survival of the Malaysian Mahseer. This Sungai Petang Kelah sanctuary can only be described as a must see place for all nature lovers.
NOTE: To read more about my adventures with the Malaysian Mahseer (Kelah), see ‘Malaysian Mahseer’ under ‘LABELS’ on the right side of this page.
Whenever I get to visit the Malaysian jungle, I always prepare myself to see and experience something different. It is a big part of any adventure. Seeing different flora and fauna of different shapes and sizes is all exciting but nothing quite prepared me when I first saw an actual elephant ‘burial’ site in Kelantan.
I would prefer to call in an event rather. I have seen it on TV in far off places like Africa but never thought I’d see it here in Malaysia! It was during a field trip in May 2008 with nature guides John Chan and Yen that I experienced this ‘event’.
None of us planned to see this elephant burial site. The trip was so impromptu that I wasn’t sure if there’s even a plan to begin with. All I know was we are going to some caves in Kelantan and then Taman Negara via the Merapoh entry.
We first arrived in Gua Musang. This is when John got in touch with a local fellow nature guide. After some chatter and over a plate of ‘roti canai’ we were off to Gua Pintu. It is here that we told about the elephant burial site.
The elephant remains near Gua Pintu
This place gives me the goose bumps I lie you not. The sight of these huge bones and other remains is both scary and magnificent at the same time. According to the locals, this particular site has been the burial ground for at least 2 adult elephants.
Most of the remains have either rotted away or being stolen by other animals. The news of this burial ground traveled fast and soon, more and more people came to have a look. As a result, the place gets more ‘intruders’ and some of the elephant remains start to go missing. So, the good local villagers took it upon themselves to protect this special place. They got together, formed a local ‘care taker’ and invested some money in putting up a fence to keep animals (and humans) from disturbing whatever is left of the remains.
A fence was built to stop more of the remains from going missingThis elephant burial site stole the show. I don’t think if there is any other such site in Malaysia that offers this. I related this to the accompanying guide and he told me some parties are suggesting changing the Gua Pintu (Door Cave) name to Gua Gajah Mati (Dead Elephant Cave). The elephant burial site is really awesome but to change a cave’s name just because of that would be rather extreme I reckon.
No one knows exactly how or why the elephants chose that particular place. Perhaps it is the cave. But locals belief that area has long been the chosen place. An ageing jumbo would come to the site when the time is right. It will then lean on one of them trees and slowly slump to its last breath. This was the tree purportedly ‘leaned’ down by the last elephant that lay to rest here.
Can it be that a dying elephant leaned on this tree?I am not sure if the tree part is true or not. But…if I were to describe the place, I would say it’s an eerie place with a peaceful feeling to it. It’s a place that will give you the goose bumps without actually scaring you away. It’s a sad yet magical place for such an astonishingly beautiful land creature to call the resting place.
Kelah or also popularly known as the Malaysian Mahseer is undeniably one of the fishes that tops any Malaysian angler or fish hobbyist’s wish list. This I know because when I was first introduced to fishing, people were already telling me stories of this elusive and prized fish.
The name Kelah commands respect and awe each time it is mentioned. For many years of learning to cast the line and tying the right knot for the hooks and sinkers, I imagined this fish to be found only in some great rivers and lakes, not even close to the fish ponds and small rivers that I was familiar with.
I love fishing. Though many of my friends (even my wife) occasionally highlights my ‘lack of patience’, fishing is still very much part of me. When I was in the primary school, off-school hours were mostly worm digging sessions and fishing. I rarely went home empty handed from any fishing trip. Mom would be beaming with her son’s catch and my brother just can’t wait to enjoy them on the dinner table. Fishes that I usually catch includes Tilapia (The African mouth breathers), Lampam, Sia, Baung and of course the vicious Haruan (Snake Head).
The Malaysian Mahseer or Kelah
I encountered my first (from the wild) Kelah during a multiple day trekking trip in Taman Negara. It was sort of like a tour group organized by an adventure company (can’t remember the company name). It was years ago. Eons ago to be exact. Back then I still had my 32 waist and a six packs to show off.
As the group trekked deeper into the tropical rainforest, the jungle suddenly changed. The canopy was so high from the ground and it literally covered the whole sky. The rivers became much narrower, fast flowing but almost crystal clear. It was here that I first come eye to eye with the Malaysian Mahseer.
Yup…our group fished the Malaysian Mahseer out from the Taman Negara rivers that time. I have not a clue that time that what we were doing is illegal. In fact, I didn’t know that there was going to be fishing either. Otherwise I would have brought my rod and reels as well. Though it was not part of the itinerary, obviously some of the guides came prepared with all the necessary baits.
I did not do any fishing (Honest!). In fact I was not even allowed near the river as the presence of humans (as I was told) would scare away the fishes. So, I stood a distance away, waiting to witness the exciting moments. Sure enough, several Malaysian Mahseer Kelah was caught. I can’t help but take picture with one of them fishes. Here’s a scanned picture of me with one of them Kelah.
Yes…it was (and still is) illegal to fish in the National Park but ignorance is blissful I suppose. I believe you are allowed to fish at certain parts of the park only. You’d have to check with park authorities to be sure.
Well, this ‘first’ encounter happened years ago. And since then, I have come to realize how endangered they are and how these fishes remain as part of the Malaysian heritage. These days, I still look out for them when I go fishing but its all catch and release. But more importantly, I have spent some time and effort visiting some of Malaysia’s Kelah sanctuaries to support and also share with people the importance of protecting this magnificent freshwater treasure. I will write more about some of these Kelah sanctuaries soon.
If anyone asked me, I’d say Tioman Island’s jungle has more to offer than its beaches or diving sites. That…plus the fact that I don’t dive
Anyway, this tropical island’s jungle really packs a punch. The first time I visited the island was for business and I flew in by Berjaya Air. To date, only Berjaya Air’s special (small) plans can land and take off from the tiny airstrip on the island.
As the plane approaches the island, I couldn’t help but notice the vast greenery that still carpets the island. Besides well known beaches and dirt cheap beers, Tioman is in fact rather contrasting to Langkawi in terms of development (buildings, malls, roads etc). Tioman in a way is rather under-developed. In my books, this is good news. There is only one main road in the main village of Tekek. There is no proper paved road that connects the many villages on the island. The tallest building on the island probably belongs to some resort. There are no petrol stations. Fuel is sold in recycled mineral water bottles. One can literally count the number of cars on in any particular village. No shopping malls. No cinemas. No bowling alley. This place is amazingly ‘preserved’ considering that its one popular holiday destination.
It was a business trip that visit, so I did not have much time or opportunity to venture into the jungle. However, I did manage to convince one of the resort’s staff to give me a first hand tour of an old abandoned jungle trail. The trail used to be part of the resort’s activities but it has been abandoned for quite a while due to safety reasons.
The trail starts somewhat near the marine center of the resort. A flight of steps that later leads into the bush. The jungle is different. Except for the additional markers of arrows and ropes built in when the trail was operational, the jungle looked really pristine. One thing that really stood out about the jungle is the numerous large stones strewn all over the place
The huge rocks seem to be stacked one on top of the other, creating cave like features that required crawling and some maneuvering to pass through. The ‘caves’ we were told are favorite haunting places for snakes, porcupine and bats. One surprising thing we found out was that Tioman island is actually free from wild boars. For an island with a majority of Malay (Muslim) inhabitants, this is rather surprising.
The trail took us about 1 hour to complete. It was a real eye opener that walk. Tioman jungle can only be described as different and mysterious. Probably mysterious enough to entice me for another visit.
NOTE:Find out more about this tropical island of Tioman by scrolling the ‘Label’ section on the right hand side of this page.
John…my nature guide friend just invited me to join him and a group to a rainforest waterfall this coming Sunday, 26th October 08. Doesn’t seem like a bad idea. It will be the Deepavali weekend so, I still have the day after to recuperate. The waterfall is called Perlus or Jeram (waterfall in Malays) Perlus. Its located in the Hulu Langat area, known also as Pangsoon, just a bit more than an hour’s drive from K.L.
Continue reading Rainforest waterfall Perlus, second visit on 26 Oct 2008
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Gunung Janing Barat (1870 feet) is located in the Endau Rompin National Park in the southern state of Johor. I somehow (and barely) made it up this mountain during a trip with the Malaysian Nature Society’s Nature Guide group. 
