Fox Cave (Gua Musang)

Malaysia's Tasik Kenyir
Malaysia's Tasik Kenyir is famous as the largest man-made lake in south east Asia. Tasik Kenyir is well known as a prime spot for fishing. Located in Hulu Terengganu is the largest man-made lake not only in Malaysia, but also in south east Asia.
When the area was flooded with water between 1978 and 1985, most of the hilltops and highlands remained above water level, thus creating about 340 man-made islands. There are more than 14 waterfalls, numerous rapids and rivers. And caves. read more...

Fox Cave (Gua Musang)
There are two popular stories, and both relate to the huge cave in the hill behind the town. One account says that a group of superstitious hunters were camped out here, when a storm destroyed the hunters’ attap huts. A bolt of lightning struck the hill and almost split it in two. The hunters thought the guardian spirit of the cave was angry and begged for mercy. As they prayed they saw a
pack of civet cats run into the cave, so they lay in wait for them to come out again. However, the animals never reappeared. The hunters then named the hill Bukit Gua Musang and the town, Gua Musang. . read more...

Chini Lake of Pahang
Lake Chini or Tasik Chini, about 100 kilometers from Kuantan, with an area 12,565 acres of lush tropical wilderness, is Malaysia's second largest natural lake. Situated on the right bank of the Pahang river, This magical lake is endowed with an endless and captivating scenic beauty and vast tranquil environment and at the same time conceals a mystery lurking beneath its calm waters.
The enchanting lake, actually a series of 12 inter-connecting water bodies referred to as 'Laut'(sea) by the locals, is a generous treasure trove of nature heritage. The area is richly endowed with biological resources where 138 species of territorial flora and some 300 species of non aquatic vertebrates have been found. The water system is also home to a numerous aquatic vegetation and 144 species of freshwater fish. read more...

Layang Layang Underwater Photo Challenge 2007
This is an excellent opportunity for budding photographers to showcase their underwater shots and eventually,recognition in the field of underwater photography. All winning participants will have their pictures published in the post event write up in Asian Diver
magazine. In addition, they will also stand a chance to win prizes worth US $30 000 from world class sponsors such as Nautica, Nikon, Oceanic, and dive trips to exotic locations. Registrations are being accepted now through email. Categories for entry are Macro and Wide Angle. This will be a digital photography contest. read more...

National Park-Gunung Tahan-Malaysia
Got to experience both frenetic activity and natural serenity during trip to the world’s oldest rainforest as well as luxuriate in the comforts of Mutiara Taman Negara Resort.It’s a three-hour boat ride upstream Sungai Tembeling to the resort in Kuala Tahan, Pahang.The park’s headquarters is also there.
The vast Taman Negara, once known as King George V Park, occupies swathes of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.There are four entry points: from the resort in Kuala Tahan; Merapoh, near Kuala Lipis, Pahang; Kuala Koh, near Gua Musang, Kelantan; and Tanjung Mentong, near Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu. Situated on a six-hectare ground, the resort has various accommodation. Guests can choose from 71 chalets, 14 chalet suites, two bungalows, 16 guesthouses read more...and more pictures

Malaysian Fruits

mangosteen	durian	duku	cempedak
rambutan	ciku	sukun	petai

Tasik Kenyir

Tasik Kenyir is the largest man-made lake in South East Asia. It was constructed between 1978 and 1985. Sultan Mahmud Hydro Electric Power Plant., built in 1985 for generating electricity, this dam holds approximately 23.6 million cubic meters of water and occupies 38000 hectares.
Tasik Kenyir is a showcase of 340 islands. The islands on Tasik Kenyir are the tips of highlands and hilltops which were not submerged during the flooding.
There are 30 rivers feeding the lake, 25 waterfalls and at least 25 known species of fish. Therefore Tasik Kenyir is known as an angler's haven for fishing. For anglers are arranged special trips by private boat operators. They know the best location. Please be informed that a fishing permit is required from the Wildlife Department only when you to enter National Park such as Sungai Cacing & Sungai Terenggan.
Besides that the lake makes a fascinating tourist spot with its offering of a lush tropical forest, home to more than 8000 species
of flowers, 2500 species of plants and trees and 300 species of fugus. Adding to the exotic colours are 800 butterflies, 370 species of orchids, 1000 species of birds and 200 species of other animals. There are also limestone caves and lush tropical rain forests.

The most important gateway to Tasik Kenyir is Pengkalan Gawi. It offers the services of a Tourist Information Centre, a parking area, a jetty and various water sports facilities for rental. Its strategic location also makes it the nearest gateway to Malaysia's well known National Park Taman Negara in the neighbouring state of Pahang.

We made a reservation on the Internet www.lakekenyir.com and booked a chalet. It was a “special package”. These special promotions are often seen in Malaysia. ou promotion was a stay for two nights, breakfast for two, 1 night a BBQ for two persons and a “cruise” across the lake. The price of the whole package is about RM 550 (all included).

Tasik Kenyir is merely 65km from Kuala Terengganu's Sultan Mahmud Airport, served daily by flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Cruise leisurely on a 500km drive from Kuala Lumpur or 900km from Singapore via the North-South expressway and roads that run through Malaysian lush tropical rainforests and jungles to the resort. The resort offers it's own own coach transfers which depart from Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu daily to shuttle visitors. Some public taxis also ply these routes. The new name of the resort is: Kenyir Lakeview Resort. The old name was: Tasik Kenyir Golf Resort. Be aware: on the road are still the old signs with the old name on it. Drive right up to the resort and leave your car in a specially designated area. The car park is manned round the clock by stringent security personnel

At the resort you can explore the boundaries of the lake as you travel by boat across this 38,000-hectare man-made wonder. Take in the landscape of submerged hilltops and highlands scattered throughout this vast watery paradise.
You can also strike out and explore the serene lake by canoe. Fishing enthusiasts should try their luck at outsmarting the many fishes that make their home in Tasik Kenyir.
It's also very nice to have a look at the fish farm (see the photo at the left). This fish farm is on the lake.
We have seen at the fish farm very large fish and they all do swim in the lake.

Lasir Waterfall is one of the many spectacular waterfalls within Lake Kenyir. It's a lovely waterfall, that occurred at a boundary between two different rock types. It's a fall from about 500 feet high. The waterfall drops gracefully into multi-tiered levels of boulders forming sprays of water. Ponds of water are available at eash of the 5 levels of Lasir and one can enjoy a cold refreshing bath here. There are large camping area and hiking trail up to its top. The fall is well shaded by the canopy of the surrounding forest.

It was a lovely evening at the resort. We had that special package with the BBQ, but we didn't know, that we were the only ones with that package. Special for the both of us the made the barbeque.
The stars did shine brightly and we were sitting at the enormous balcony of the restaurant. We had a lovely evening with a few glasses of white wine.
The next day we had to leave. Back to our house at the Eastcoast. It was a very special weekend. It was a quiet weekend . There were not so many people at the Kenyir lake and in the resort.

Pengkalan Utama serves as the main gateway to Tasik Kenyir. Here, transfers by boat can be made available to the resorts, chalets and lodges located at various parts of the lake. It's equipped with bigger and better facilities than the old location Gawl. It's also the nearest access point to Taman Negara. Should you decide to head for the park, please: remember to obtain a permit from the park, please remember to obtain a permit from the Wildlife Department at the Tourist Information Center. The rates for the permits are as below: Entrance RM1.00 Camera RM5.00 Fishing RM10.00 Camping RM1 These prices coul dbe changed now.

Lasir Waterfall is one of the many spectacular waterfalls within Lake Kenyir.
It has five levels.

Source: www.malaysiasite.nl

CAVING AT GUA MUSANG

Travel & Adventure
Saturday July 15, 2006

Surprises aplenty caving

By Liz Price

Taman Ethnobotani KM3, Jalan Persiaran Raya Gua Musang, Kelantan Tel: (09) 9126829

There are two popular stories, and both relate to the huge cave in the hill behind the town. One account says that a group of superstitious hunters were camped out here, when a storm destroyed the hunters’ attap huts. A bolt of lightning struck the hill and almost split it in two.

The hunters thought the guardian spirit of the cave was angry and begged for mercy. As they prayed they saw a pack of civet cats run into the cave, so they lay in wait for them to come out again. However, the animals never reappeared. The hunters then named the hill Bukit Gua Musang and the town, Gua Musang.

The second story refers to a rock formation inside the cave, which reportedly resembles a civet cat, hence the name.

Today, this famous cave in Gua Musang, Kelantan is a fairly popular attraction. When we, a group of cave explorers from the Malaysian Karst Society, went up for a weekend recce, we were pretty sure we would see no signs of musang here.

But imagine our surprise when one in our party went into a small passage in the cave and came face to face with a furry creature. At first we assumed it was a civet, but it turned out to be a porcupine. The porcupine was also startled and disappeared into a small dark hole.

The cave of Gua Musang is located immediately behind the town’s railway station and is reached by a steep scramble up the hillside. We got some funny looks for our caving helmets and lights, and our muddy clothes.

After a steep climb following the track up the hill, which was slippery from a recent shower, we reached the cliff face and saw a small slot. This is the cave entrance. The main cave chamber is huge, but the entrance passage is a very narrow ascending rift. There is an amazing amount of graffiti adorning the walls of the entrance chamber – it’s a shame that so many were so thoughtless in defacing the cave.

Inside the cave, we found lots of wings belonging to Atlas moths strewn around the floor in some places. Probably the porcupine had eaten the moths, leaving just the wings. We explored all the passages we could find. The chamber goes through the hill to a back entrance and you can climb up to the top of the hill, but we felt it was a bit dangerous to attempt it as the ground was slippery.

The next day we ventured out to Pulai. Pulai, south of Gua Musang, is an old gold mining area. It is said that Pulai was founded in 1425 by two brothers, Lim Pak Yen and Lim Ghee Yee, who fled China.

The brothers came here in search of gold. Once word got out, there was a gold rush and a small settlement was created. As the gold supply slowly diminished, people started planting padi to survive.

Pulai has a temple reputed to be 400-500 years old, reportedly the second oldest temple in the country after the Cheng Hoon Teng temple (1646) in Malacca. The Pulai Swee Nyet Keung Buddhist temple and its surrounding village was burnt down by the Japanese in 1941.

The temple was rebuilt in 1970 and is quite small, but it has an interesting collection of ancient cannon parts.

Across the river from the temple is a limestone hill with a new temple. Bukit Tok Cu is also known as Princess Mountain and a temple is being constructed on top of it. The workers told us that a man had a vision of steps being built up the hill in 1984, but work on the temple only started in 1997.

However, a shrine was already in existence in the upper cave when an archaeological team dug there in 1991. The upper part of the cave is not very extensive but we were able to look straight down some open shafts to the cave chamber back down at ground level. We couldn’t see any obvious way down so we retraced our way down the steps and entered the main chamber at ground level.

Looking around, we found an easy climb up inside the cave and found ourselves back in the new temple again, much to the surprise of the workers.

We had our base in Taman Ethnobotani, where there are rooms and chalets for rent. The park was set up in 1997 for the collection and propagation of medicinal herbs. This recreational and nature park is administered by the Kelantan Selatan Development Authority (Kesedar).

Some 3km from Gua Musang, the park covers 38ha of lush greenery and limestone outcrops. One small hill is located right at the entrance of Taman Ethnobotani, and here we got to watch climbers practise their moves.

The park holds many climbing routes. Apart from climbing, there are other outdoor activities like rope and wooden obstacle courses, and flying fox and abseiling. Visitors can also learn to make traps and pick up jungle survival skills. Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the deer and ostrich farms and the medicinal herb garden.

Gua Musang has three limestone hills that run parallel to the main road leading into town. One was burnt by a fire last year, and its odd appearance with the patchy vegetation growing back made it look like a mangy dog. And that’s what we called it: Mangy Dog Hill.

Most of the Gua Musang limestone hills house caves, but they tend to be quite short. Gua Madu, located on the edge of town, is now in a recreational park. Further away in the Sungai Nenggiri area are the famous archaeological caves like Gua Cha, Gua Peraling and Gua Chawan.


Source: Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd

Tasik Chini of Pahang

Tasik Chini is one of the only two natural lakes in Peninsula Malaysia, both of which are located in the state of Pahang. Located approximately 100km from Kuantan town, the capital of Pahang, Chini is a lake that was formed from the natural damming of a river valley. It is Malaysia's second largest natural lake and is made up of a series of 12 lakes. With its well-known myths, the lake has attracted many visitors from various destinations. Legend has it that a mythical dragon lives in the lake and is the guardian of a lost city of gold, which was once situated at the lake. The Jakun people - an Orang Asli (aboriginal) tribe of Malay origin - who live around the lake also believe that the serpent Naga Seri Gumum (Loch Ness Monster) is the spirit and guardian of the lake. Nevertheless, these legends have enticed numerous archeologists to conduct scientific expeditions in Chini.

Lying majestically among 12,000 acres of lush tropical wilderness, the lake provides such beauty that it is possible to walk for miles without feeling bored. The size of the lake itself is subjective to regular periods of expansion and contractions. It is at its largest size during the monsoon months, which falls from October to January.

Virtually undisturbed for centuries, Tasik Chini itself is a habitat for over 144 species of fishes. The months of November to January is the best time for anglers to try their luck as the monsoon season would have increased the size and depth of the lake.

Earnest bird watchers will be happy to know that over 200 species of birds were recorded. Chini is a premier bird watching destination in Peninsula Malaysia. There are three bird watching trails, which go through different habitats. During the months of October to March, migratory birds come to Chini from the northern parts of Asia to escape the winter.

Chini is also a treasure trove for avid photographers. Imagine this picturesque lake with the majestic Gunung Chini in the backdrop, especially in the early mornings and late evenings. Also, during the months of July to January, the surface of the lake blossoms into a garden of pink and white lotuses, which contrasts brightly against the green lily pads. It is a truly breathtaking sight! River safaris are another way to enjoy the beauty of the lake.

For the more adventurous, Tasik Chini has a number of challenging routes through the jungle and swamps for off-road driving. The routes are only accessible by four-wheel-drives and provide enough excitement and adventure to please even the most demanding thrill-seeker. Another kind of activity is jungle trekking, which is exciting yet educational. One will be able to see an amazing array of flora and fauna here in Chini. It is best to secure a guide in order to fully utilize and appreciate the natural surroundings.

There are a number of wooden chalets and restaurants available, as well as camping spots for those who wish to rough it. Tasik Chini is accessible by road from most parts of Peninsula Malaysia and even Singapore. Daily bus services are also available from Kuantan.

Source: www.marimari.com

Dive Layang Layang

Dive Layang Layang
5D 4N - 9 Dives Fr$988/-

Its name rolls off my tongue like a dream; and seeing it in the midst of the cobalt blue of the South China Sea likens to a beautiful jewel; a precious dream which I open my body, mind & soul to... the journey to my dream begins... Layang Layang Island, a coral atoll that is truly one of nature's best creations. Dubbed “The Jewel of the Borneo Banks”, Layang Layang reveals, to many People’s delight the things dreams are made of... a truly magical marine kingdom of bottomless blue decorated with a kaleidoscope of nature's most lavish seascape. In the middle of ancient South China Sea, 300kms North West off the coast of Sabah, Layang Layang lies like a beautiful emerald kissed by the sun and teased playfully by the winds. Time and tide has linked 13 coral reefs to form a languid lagoon with just a fraction of it breaking the calm surface of the sea. This atoll is also home to one of the most converted diving sites in the world. Layang Layang Island Resort is a modest three-star resort with 76 rooms and 10 suites. Its tropical hardwood structures and the likeness of a traditional Longhouse exudes an unparalleled sense of hospitality and warmth. Rooms are fully air-conditioned and furnished with the best of basis facilities. Guests are impressed with the extensive variety of east meets west cuisine that is spread out at every meal at the in-house restaurant. Each day presents a new exciting array of dishes to ensure you will never get bored with the food. Fresh water for the resort comes from a desalination plant which offers crystal clear water. As you venture further, you'll be greeted by a swimming pool in its full glory. It’s clear water blends with the blue lagoon. Just take a break and let the gentle breeze caress your cares away. Indulge in relaxing body massage and foot reflexology at the massage parlour known as the "Raba-Raba House". The expert masseuse will provide you with the most professional service imaginable. Layang Layang Island Resort also offers conferencing and banqueting facilities which can easily accommodate up to 200 pax. The conference rooms cater for company seminars, meetings, conferences and incentive group functions. Layang Layang is an atoll 14 sq. km. in diameter jutting 2000 metres from the Ocean depths. In 1985, the Malaysian Federal Government began reclamation work, creating a 50-acre island on one part of the reef. Thus, what was once ardently known to East Malaysians as "Terumbu Layang Layang" or "Swallow's Reef" has now become Layang Layang Island.

Where is Layang Layang? Click here!

How to get to Layang Layang Island Resort?

Options:-

From Singapore - You will need to fly to Kota Kinabalu.

Singapore to Kota Kinabalu you may take (Silkair or Malaysia Airlines)

From Johor Bahru to Kota Kinabalu with (Airasia)

We highly recommend that you book a 5 days 4 nights packages for diving at Layang Layang as the minimum. Additional day can be arrange. Drop us a email the date you want and we can work out the best rate for you.

Please email us for the lastest rate. eric@nemotravel.com.sg

Want to see more pictures of Sipadan Water Village:-http://www.layanglayang.com/

Source: www.nemotravel.com