Kota Bharu to Terengganu

« Return to Malaysia

Kuala Terengganu, the capital of the Terengganu province, showed more promise. With the help of the local tourist office and a company named Ping Anchorage, I explored Tasik Kenyir, the largest man-made lake in South-East Asia. Twenty years ago, the lake was built for a hydroelectric project, and flooded 260,000 hectares of jungle. The taller trees poke out the water creating a striking vista, and the jungle hills still sit above water in the form of hundreds of islands. Underwater loggers have to cut down old, waterlogged trees that get in the way. Kenyir has been turned into a giant eco-tourism project, and visitors can explore the various islands by boat, or go fishing, camping and jungle trekking. Our speedboat gunned across the water at full throttle, and it felt like I was flying in a secluded world of jungle and water. In Dubai, they’re building their own version of Tasik Kenyir called The World, using reclaimed land and with each island representing a hotel-malled up continent. Here, I imagined how each island could host a nationality in some post-apocalyptic future, trading with each other in dugout canoes. Could be a reality TV show! I also thought how you could have a mega-music festival, with each island a different stage or theme. I wondered what happened to all the bugs and animals when the jungle floor was suddenly turned into a lake. Then I wondered how long the rain would stay away, because I was having a blast standing in the middle of the boat, flying in this dream world with the warm wind through my fingertips.

We arrived on a limestone hill with a huge cave, appropriately called Bewah (as in Beware!) Nobody had been here in some time, and it was dark and damp and reeked of guano. I walked carefully along a slippery boardwalk, listening to the chatter of thousands of bats above my head. “Perfect for Halloween,” I thought, just as I strode through a barrier of thick spider webs. The webs were as tight and sticky as the fake stuff we buy for decorations, and I did the “aah-yuck-get-it-off-me-get-them-off-me!” dance, much to the amusement of my friendly guide, Zaidi. The bats seemed to like my dance too, because their screeching blew up like a standing ovation. I took a little slip and still have some dark red guano stains on my fingers. The spookiness and isolation of Bewah made it one of the best caves I’ve ever explored, despite my less-than-stellar performance.

The next island had a gorgeous waterfall, cascading 500ft into natural jacuzzis and whirlpools. It had started to rain a little, so getting wet was nothing to be afraid of. I stripped off and jumped in, tiny frogs leaping between the smooth boulders and little fishies swimming between my legs. In summer, it’s possible to camp on the island, and I imagined being here with friends, completely isolated with just nature (and maybe a keg) for company. Next we explored Herb Island, with Zaidi pointing out various plants and their healing properties (herbal Viagra anyone?) I almost stood on a giant ant - a gi-ant - who probably would have took hold of my foot and thrown me down the hill. Half the size of a finger, it had antennae that could pick up satellite TV.

Gonzo Gallery for Kota Bharu to Terengganu

view full gallery

Tweet