We were walking Sox in the bush one weekend when we stumbled upon what looked like wild chestnuts (berangan liar) on the forest floor. I looked up and the trees are all rather tall. Scattered around are the fruits, some still in the pods. I have [...]]]>

Found these while walking in the jungle near KL

We were walking Sox in the bush one weekend when we stumbled upon what looked like wild chestnuts (berangan liar) on the forest floor. I looked up and the trees are all rather tall. Scattered around are the fruits, some still in the pods. I have seen chestnuts fruits in Malaysian jungle before but these ones do not have spiny shells.

Most of the berangan that we collected on the jungle floor are not ripe. But out of curiosity, I brought back as much as I can, just to ‘play’ with them.

The berangan fruits scattered all over the jungle floor

Most of the fruits have been partially eaten by wild animals

The fruit itself is contained inside a shell like pod. Unlike some wild berangan I have seen with needle like shells, the berangan I collected had really hard rough shells.

The rough hard shells

I asked the Orang Asli women I met there (she was collecting bamboo) and she told me they can be eaten. So, at home, I slowly and carefully peel through the hard rough shells to get to the seeds.

After having done all of them, I noticed a few pieces were ripe, displaying a darker brown color.

Some of the berangan are darker brown color

Having boiled them for a good 10 minutes, I then let them cool down and then tried them. True enough, the ‘raw’ ones, while eatable were mostly bitter. The darker color brown pieces were nice to eat.

My task now is to try to identify the name of these wild Berangan/ chest nuts.Any help?

We were out paddling our kayaks and canoes on Perak river when we chance upon an area covered with lotus. It was a rather hidden spot, shallow and mystical. While we saw some of the flowers blooming, many had withered away and some dying.

I have always associated [...]]]>

We paddled through a lagoon covered in lotus

We were out paddling our kayaks and canoes on Perak river when we chance upon an area covered with lotus. It was a rather hidden spot, shallow and mystical. While we saw some of the flowers blooming, many had withered away and some dying.

I have always associated lotus with Lake Chini and I never imagined I’d come across this lagoon of lotus while paddling along Sungai Perak. Just after a river bend, we snaked into this small channel with lotus covering both sides.

Our friend Jim and his family admiring the lotus

Its a thrilling experience. We paddled gently, exploring and coming closer to this beautiful plant.

One of the flowers we managed to get close to

There weren’t many flowers blooming that day. I’d imagine this place would be a paradise if all the flowers were blooming. Everyone was busy taking photos and Meun was simply captivated by its beauty.

Meun stood on her kayak to try take that perfect shot

Nadir too took many pictures I reckon- Pic by Meun

And of course the seed pod of the lotus is good eating. I found one but decided against harvesting them. There weren’t many around, probably eaten by the wild buffaloes or harvested by locals to be sold at nearby markets.

One of the seed pods I manage to photograph

As we were about to continue our paddle along Sungai Perak, my kayak created tiny ripples that swept over some of the lotus . Some leaves went down under while some fought back and revived itself. Water droplets danced on the pads finding its balance to get off the green surface to rejoin the river. I wondered if I can make myself water repellent like so. That would come in handy when the rain pours!

Dancing water?

The lotus lagoon is a special place in my books now. It may not be as magnificant as the one at Lake Chini but it reveals itself in a serene and mysterious way. Its like a hidden place to be discovered only by those who can appreciate its beauty. A beautiful place indeed and we will be back to pay you another visit soon…that’s for sure.

More on our kayak trip to Sungai Perak:

• Yau Kee Chicken at Kampar
• Paddling along Sungai Perak & beyond
• Tasting the fresh water kepah clams
• Wild water buffalo on Sungai Perak

One part of the trek that really stood out [...]]]> There are a lot of interesting jungle plants on the trail to Perlus waterfall. A botanist will surely have a good time exploring this jungle for its entire flora splendor. Nature guide John Chan pointed out several types of Senduduk besides a variety of other useful plants.

One part of the trek that really stood out is this particular area with loads of bamboo. It’s like walking into a world of bamboo…like the scene from the movie ‘Crouching Tiger, ‘Hidden dragon ’. Bamboo everywhere you look.

It’s interesting to find out why the high concentration on bamboo in this area. Perhaps it is because of the soil and the terrain. As we walk further we come upon an opening with bamboos criss-crossing the entire trail.

The bamboo version of ‘Entrapment’?

Bamboo is probably another one of the most useful plant one can find in the jungle. In a survival situation, bamboo can be used to obtain drinking water, build shelter, start fire and even provide food. The shoots of young bamboo plant is a popular local food, known locally as Rebung.

A Rebung

The following are some interesting jungle plants I manage to capture during the trek.

Not a clue what plant this flower belong to

The shoots of a bamboo

Nice flower

A close-up of the flower

This flower looks like something from an alien movie

Ouch…not something you’d want to hang on to

Symbiosis or parasite?

Okay…okay…the photos are not the best. Hey…I am learning. In any case, there’s simply too many things to just stop and photograph. I doubt if I will ever be able to arrive at Perlus waterfall that way. I reckon it would be even more interesting if I can be with John at the front of the walking party to learn as much from him. Throughout, I was behind…taking on the ‘sweeper’ role as a cover-up to my lack of stamina catching-up with the rest.

Next…Tropical jungle animals of Perlus Waterfall

Conquering Gunung Janing Barat (GJB) was not in itself the objective of our visit to Endau [...]]]> 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.

Midway up, there is a resting place with a view overlooking jungle canopy 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!

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.

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!

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 [...]]]> 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.