lEISurE mAlAySIA hISTory

NEwS/mAlDIvES

MAClAy IS kNOwN ArOUND THE wOrlD. A MOUNTAIN AND A rIvEr IN NEw GUINEA AND A BAy IN ANTArCTICA ArE NAMED IN HIS HONOr. BUSTS Of THE ANTHrOPOlOGIST HAvE BEEN INSTAllED IN AUSTrAlIA AND INDONESIA.

Possessing an extraordinary talent and thirst for scientific knowledge, he spent more than 15 years conducting ethnographic and anthropological research in Southeast Asia, as well as in all regions of Oceania: Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.

In 1873, the scientist visited the Philippines and Indonesia. During the travels In 1874-1875 around Malacca Peninsula, the tribes greeted the explorer kindly.

He learned their languages, made contact, the friendly attitude allowed him to interact closely with people.

Miklouho -Maclay at that time proved that it is possible to communicate and live with representatives of the indigenous people peacefully.

The geographer Miklouho- Maclay is known around the world. A mountain and a river in New Guinea and a bay in Antarctica are named in his honor. Busts of the anthropologist have been installed in Australia and Indonesia.

He is a Citizen of the world, this title was awarded to him by UNESCO.

JapaMala Jetty at twilight Tioman Island

Tioman

malaysia’s advenTure island

In the 1950s, hollywood dIscovered Pulau tIoman when It was IdentIfIed as a backdroP for the mythIcal Island, balI haI In the musIcal south PacIfIc. the fact that none of the movIe was fIlmed In malaysIa (It was done In hawaII) shouldn’t get In the way of the yarn that tourIsm authorItIes have been sPInnIng for years. all that Is ImPortant Is that the attentIon helPed Put tIoman on the maP and the tourIsm authorItIes are stIll dInIng out on Its celebrIty status desPIte the current generatIon of travellers havIng never heard of the hollywood ProductIon.

BY DAVID BOWDEN

beachfront beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

hotel décor beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

restaurant beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

in the 1950s, hollywood discovered Pulau tioman when it was identified as a backdrop for the mythical island, bali hai in the musical south Pacific. the fact that none of the movie was filmed in malaysia (it was done in hawaii) shouldn’t get in the way of the yarn that tourism authorities have been spinning for years. all that is important is that the attention helped put tioman on the map and the tourism authorities are still dining out on its celebrity status despite the current generation of travellers having never heard of the hollywood production. malaysians regard tioman as one of the country’s better known holiday destinations with its laid back charm, easy access to beaches and mostly modest and affordable accommodation. they travel here because much of the island remains undisturbed with its forests and fringing white coralsand beaches plus a handful of villages scattered around the coast. the term, tioman Island is a little misleading as the main island is actually the largest of some 60 idyllic volcanic islands located off the Pahang coast within the seribuat archipelago. tioman exists in the shadow of other malaysian island destinations like Penang and langkawi but one gets the impression that the locals are happy for it to remain off the radar of mainstream tourism. tioman’s waters are its biggest drawcard but there are many adventures on the land as well. available land is what will always restrict the island’s development, as much of it is rocky, precipitous and forested. these natural assets are what make the island so appealing especially to foreign tourists seeking some respite from the region’s more touristy islands like Phuket, samui and bali.

Kampung Tekek Gateway life on tioman is so laid back it’s almost as if it is stuck in neutral let alone having engaged first gear. from a distance, be it from the air or water, the twin peaks of gunung kajang and bukit nenek semukut loom above the forested island at a little over 1,000m. It was the image of these two islands that impressed the producers of south Pacific. the small settlements on tioman are mostly on the protected northwestern side although there are several chalets at kampung Juara on the east coast. kampung tekek serves as tioman’s main entry point via ferry and air. there were once regular flights to the island but these have been suspended and now only the occasional charter and private planes fly in. there is some discussion about building a new airport out into the south china sea with opponents concerned about its impact upon the fragile marine environment. other facilities available in tekek include a police station, moneychanger, clinic, government offices, mini markets, a few duty-free stories and the island’s administrative offices. all the other villages away from the main settlement are accessible by small boats and scheduled ferry services.

underwater World tioman largely retains its natural environment and provides a habitat for coral and marine life, which is what attracts divers and watersports lovers. for those who like to explore relatively undisturbed natural places, there are several options away from the water as well. tioman’s surrounding waters and adjacent islands are home to cores of species of hard coral and fish. Pulau renggis, just off tekek is the most easily accessible coral with

Hamburger beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

Pad Thai beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

Chef Paulo Il Tempo JapaMala Tioman Island

Sunrise Juara beach Tioman Island

Lobster ravioli Il Tempo JapaMala resort Tioman Island

Man with umbrella Juara beach Tioman Island

Malay cakes JapaMala Tioman Island

a depth of up to 12m and provides an excellent location for those new to diving. cave diving is possible off Pulau chebeh. divers can chalk up an impressive fish-spotting list like angel fish, Parrot fish and barracuda as well as moray eel, turtles and various stingrays. the occasional sighting of black tip reef sharks, deep amongst recesses in the coral, gets many a diver excited. there are several accredited dive centres located at kampung salang and kampung air batang with activities ranging from beginner courses, experienced dive leaders and equipment hire. famous historical shipwrecks such as the Prince of wales, the repulse and varella are located in tioman waters. the most popular scuba diving spots are soyah, ringgis, labas, chebeh, gut, tokong burung, tokong bahara as well as magicienne rock, golden reef, fan canyon, one tree bay, malang rock and tiger reef. salang’s clear waters offer the ideal snorkelling and diving destination. the village’s close proximity to Pulai tulai (coral Island) and monkey bay makes it one of the more preferred spots for avid snorkellers and divers. trips to tulai can be arranged here, and the journey only takes about 15 minutes by speedboat. salang offers facilities such as a mini market, beachfront restaurants and bars, beachside chalets, scuba shops and souvenir shops. the evenings are far from wild but there’s always a quiet location to sip a cool drink and catch up the music of bob marley; it’s that sort of a place. to the south, kampung mukut is a typical malay village, with the school and mosque being the only buildings of note. chalets here provide basic comforts for divers who want to discover the less explored southern waters of the island.

east Coast Hideaway adventurers can trek or be driven across the island to kampung Juara on the eastern coast. Juara is positioned along a long beach facing eastward and the south china sea. If the western side of the island is quiet, Juara looks like a set from the movie cast away.

Juara appeals to visitors who enjoy the slow paced village life, diving and even surfing when favourable winds are blowing. tioman’s longest beach is divided into two sections with a rocky headland between. several chalets along the beach offer comfortable accommodation within metres of the rolling surf. the beach shack is well positioned with immediate beach access and a laid-back 1970s vibe. local and western food is served in the relaxed setting of the restaurant overlooking the expanse of golden sand. there are numerous dive sites just offshore including batu mumbang, Pulau mentawak and karang tohor while guests at the beach shack can learn to surf. the swell is best for surfing from november to february.

the most PoPular scuba dIvIng sPots are soyah, rInggIs, labas, chebeh, gut, tokong burung, tokong bahara as well as magIcIenne rock, golden reef, fan canyon, one tree bay, malang rock and tIger reef.

Palm Genting beach Tioman Island

nearby, Juara sea turtle conservation project has worked closely with the department of fisheries and marine Parks to help protect turtles and their eggs and habitat. It offers a programme where volunteers can stay to assist with patrols and activities. a visitors’ centre provides information on sea turtles and the conservation programme. visitors can occasionally witness the release of recently hatched baby turtles.

Flora and Fauna because of tioman’s relative isolation from the mainland, there is a lot to interest budding naturalists on the land. easy sightings included sea eagles, monitor lizards and longtailed macaques. there are 45 recorded mammal species on the island and include the giant black squirrel, slow loris, brush-tailed Porcupine, common Palm civet and larger mousedeer. the isolation has resulted in scientists identifying many animal subspecies. to date, this list of variants includes seven mammals, eight birds and 20 butterflies. as recently as 1996, scientists discovered a new species of catfish and a terrestrial crab, previously unknown to science. the best opportunity of spotting terrestrial wildlife is on the trail to Juara. the seven-kilometre walk is not too difficult but there are a few steep sections and the humidity can take its toll on the unfit. depending on your fitness level and interests, the walk can take up to three hours.

restful retreats affordable beach chalet accommodation is found in all the villages most of which have retained their rural charm. In some cases, the accommodation is rarely brilliant but then again the prices reflect the simple offerings. waking up and looking out your chalet window at nothing but ocean, sand and coconut palms makes up for any shortcomings in the facilities. there are exceptions with the finest accommodation on the island being Japamala by samadhi located just south of the genting Jetty. visitors can travel from the mainland in the resort’s own launch or catch the public cataferry to genting and then arrange for the resort launch to complete the transfer to Japamala. there are few resorts on the island’s southwest and yet, it is the isolation and solitude that makes this part of tioman so appealing. Japamala is a fashionable rustic boutique eco resort surrounded by lush rainforest that fringes a private beach. with just 15 luxury chalets, Japamala offers tioman’s most refined and private accommodation. guest villas are located within untouched coastal rainforest that also provides shade to complement the blissful beachside cabanas. Travel File How to Get There: There guests can dine in two restaurants; tamarind tioman are regular ferry services to Tioman from Mersing and Il tempio, with thai, and Tanjung Gemok. Indochinese and malay dishes Travelling to Tanjung in the former and creative Gemok and Mersing by bus modern Italian in Il tempio. is the cheapest means of guests can also enjoy afternoon public transport from Kuala teas of locally-made cakes.Lumpur. some of tioman’s Where to Stay: guesthouses and resorts close Japamala (www. down between november japamalaresorts.com), and february when it is wet, beach Shack at Juara (www.beachshackchalet. windy and the seas are rough. com) and Nazri’s Place however, tioman remains at Kampung abC (www. accessible even during off-peak nazrisplace.net). periods but the journey can be a Tips: Don’t remove any little testing. tioman makes a refreshing coral or marine life as change from other tourist the waters of Tioman are protected and the islands in the region. very authorities diligently police little has changed over the past this. Facilities on the island few decades and the natural are limited and items that environment both above and you just can’t do without below the water has mostly should be brought from the mainland. remained intact.

beachfront Japamala Tioman Island

Song tam JapaMala Tioman Island Octopus entrée Il Tempo JapaMala resort Tioman Island

Chalet overlooking sea JapaMala Tioman Island beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

room interior JapaMala Tioman Island

TamaN NeGara

malaysia’s GreaT raiNFOresT aDVeNTure

rainforest Taman Negara

For many visitors, malaysia is best known For its vast expanses oF tropical rainForest. no doubt, many students oF geography learned about malaysia’s tropical lowland dipterocarp Forests in their school lessons. adventurous travellers can now re-visit these childhood memories with a journey into malaysia’s largest protected expanse oF rainForest.

BY DAVID BOWDEN

boatman river Tahan river Taman Negara

Canopy Walk Taman Negara

Wagler’s Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

restaurant beach Shack Juara beach Tioman Island

Being keenly interested in both geography and asian travel it was inevitable that i would make the journey into these rainforests but i was a late starter with taman negara. i quickly made up for this and visited the park several times and even found time to write a guidebook on the park’s features.

river Journey within minutes of heading off on my boat journey along the tahan river for taman negara, i knew this was not going to be a normal holiday. taman negara (which translated means ‘national park’) is one of peninsular malaysia’s most isolated and unusual tourist destinations. the riverboat journey into the park headquarters at kuala tahan is, for some, as exciting as discovering the park itself. be prepared though as the trip could take up well over an hour depending upon the volume of the water flowing in the river. occasionally the boatmen (and obliging passengers) have to push the low sampans over the rocks but this is very unusual. while located in an isolated part of malaysia it is still one of the world’s most accessible yet untouched rainforests. much of the park is remain as it has for the past 130 million years. taman negara was established as a protected area in 1939 to provide adventurous travellers a rainforest experience to match or exceed any other rainforest ecosystem in the world. at 4,343km2, taman negara is by far the largest protected park on peninsular malaysia and one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved rainforests. it is located in the tahan range and includes the highest peak on the peninsula, mount tahan at 2,187m. a seven-day return walk to the mount tahan summit is one of the challenges awaiting really keen jungle trekkers. i’ve never done this but am told it is a very arduous climb that requires the assistance of an experienced local guide. the majority of climbers now use the three-day walk from merapoh on the park’s northwestern border up to the gunung tahan summit. as the park covers sections of pahang, terengganu and kelantan states, there are several access points to taman negara. however, the most visited part is kuala tahan in pahang while kuala koh in kelantan and lake kenyir in terengganu offer mostly wilderness experiences to those who know what they’re doing.

Wildlife sighting taman negara has an impressive number of impressive sights and experiences. the lists of flora and fauna for the whole

Malayan Tiger

at 4,343km2, taman negara is by Far the largest protected park on peninsular malaysia and one oF the world’s oldest and best-preserved rainForests.

Emergent tree lowland dipterocarp forest

of malaysia is without comparison with an estimated 10,000 flowering plants, 150,000 insects, 25,000 invertebrates, 675 birds, 270 reptiles, 250 freshwater fish and 200 mammals. some of these species are endemic to taman negara and are not found anywhere else. however, visitors need to appreciate that the national park is extensive and the wildlife cab be shy and camouflaged within the setting of the thick rainforest. one of the main functions of national parks like taman negara is to provide an undisturbed habitat for plants and animals and, should visitors be fortunate enough to see any native animals, they should consider this as a bonus. For example, malayan tiger, seladang and mouse deer live in the park, but visitors will need a great deal of luck and patience to locate them. it’s better to go to the park with the expectation that animals are difficult to see and that your chances of such sightings, are very difficult. you can improve your chances by taking a pair of binoculars and spending some time in one of several isolated hides where you may see the animals but they can’t see you. my advice is to go with the hope of sighting some large animals but concentrate more on the macro scale of butterflies, insects, ferns, spiders, mosses and epiphytes and then you will have a fulfilling experience. however, even to this requires some skill and luck but the secret is to slow down and look carefully on places like tree trunks. i was lucky to see a wagler’s pit viper and a very well camouflaged huntsman spider while in the park. i think will go to the zoo to see the larger animals. activities in the park include caving, fishing, shooting rapids, floating down rivers, adventurous night-time safaris, birdwatching, exploring the forest canopy along a suspended walkway and participating in guided walks to more isolated parts of the park. one of the essential activities is to walk on one of the world’s longest suspended canopy walks. the 450m suspension walk is located some 40m above the forest floor. From here, the view is most rewarding and you also have a good chance of seeing small animals like squirrels or shrews scurrying along the branches. the sounds of booming gibbons can usually be heard off in the distance.

Jungle lodges there is a range of accommodation available around the park from near wilderness to comfortable resort-styled facilities adjacent to the park headquarters. most visitors stay at kuala tahan while others opt to stay in a nearby malay villageand appreciate some local hospitality. the facilities at the mutiara taman negara resort perched above the junction of the tembeling and tahan

113FL620 Ginger (Zingiber spectabile) and Peacock Fern (Selaginella wildenowii) Taman Negara.

Mutiara Taman Negara Tahan river buttress root Taman Negara

boating Kuala Tahan Taman Negara

boating Taman Negara

a trip to taman negara can be as relaxed or as energetic as visitors like as diFFerent Facilities cater to their varied needs. taman negara is not For everyone as it requires a little adventure and some discomFort but For those who appreciate and enjoy nature, taman negara is a ‘must-visit’ destination with at least two nights being the minimum stay.

rivers are reasonably considering the isolated location. there is a range of chalet, bungalow dormitory and camping accommodation. while the cooking at the mutiara taman negara resort does not allude to being cordon blue there appears to be few complaints from the many international tourists who devour an extensive array of hearty local and international dishes. the small bar also serves some very refreshing and thirstquenching beverages after a hot day in the steamy forest. there other several simple lodges on the other side of the tembeling river and restaurants including some moored on pontoons floating on the river. several simple hides are located within the park and these have bunks for a reasonable night’s rest. these hides are rustic structures located adjacent to swamps that are rich in minerals. many animals visit these ‘salt licks’ to obtain minerals to supplement their diets and the animals graze unaware that tourists are hiding and watching their every move. the park is also home to the original inhabitants of the area, the orang asli people, some of whom still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of fishing and hunting. they’re the only people allowed to legally hunt and forage in the park. a trip to taman negara can be as relaxed or as energetic as visitors like as different facilities cater to their varied needs. taman negara is not for everyone as it requires a little adventure and some discomfort but for those who appreciate and enjoy nature, taman negara is a ‘must-visit’ destination with at least two nights being the minimum stay.

Travel Tips Where to Stay:

Mutiara Taman Negara resort (www. mutiarahotels.com).

Getting There:

The 230-kilometre road journey from Kuala Lumpur to the Kuala Tembeling Jetty (via Jerantut) takes about four hours. From here, the river journey to park headquarters at Kuala Tahan takes at least one hour and is dependent upon the level of the river. Alternatively, visitors can drive directly to Kuala Tahan via a sealed rural road.