CONTENTSJUST WHAT IS IT...?

.................................................................PANGKOR ISLAND

.............................................KUALA GULA BIRD SANCTUARY

......................................PASIR SALAK HISTORICAL COMPLEX

...........................................SUNGAI KLAH HOT SPRING PARK

......................................................LOST WORLD OF TAMBUN

....................................................................KELLIE’S CASTLE

................................................................TEMPURUNG CAVE

.......................................................BELUM FOREST RESERVE

..............................................MEE UDANG KUALA SEPETANG

................................................................MEE REBUS RAMLI

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PANGKORISLAND

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Pangkor, with its charming mix of fish-ing settlements and resorts, is a fascinating and convenient holiday destination. It presents the visitor with a rare chance to live near fishermen and observe their lifestyle and also to simply en-joy the fine beaches and resort amenities.

The fishermen live in scattered settlements on the eastern side, facing the town of Lumut and Teluk Batik. Visitors get a chance to see some of them on the 40-minute ferry ride from Lumut as the ferry stops at the main settlements of Sungai Pinang Kecil and Sungai Pinang Besar before

landing at Pangkor Town.

Pangkor’s two popular beach areas of Pasir Bogak and Teluk Nipah offer sun and sea enthu-siasts activities like scuba-diving, snorkelling, wind-surfing and fishing. While Pasir Bogak is quite developed, Teluk Nipah still retains its kampung or village atmosphere. Teluk Ketapang or Turtle Bay still receives turtles on their egg-laying pilgrimages. Some of the resorts on the island also have excellent golf courses on their property.

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Matang Mangrove Forest is the largest stand of mangrove ecosystems in Penin-sular Malaysia. These ecologi-cally abundant mangrove habi-tats stretch along the west coast tidal mudflats of northern Perak for almost 50km plus another 40km along the shorelines of the sheltered river systems within the reserve’s five estuaries.

During the migration sea-son between August and April every year, more than 200,000 migratory birds representing some 50 species are estimated to

stop over here.

There are also well-equipped and informati on visit or centres where you can get detailed educa-tional programmes and displays, which focus on the importance of safeguarding and preserving the mangrove ecosystems and the large numbers of resident and migrant bird species.

The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary has won the “Best Tourist Attraction (Natural At-traction)” category during the

Malaysia Tourism Awards, a prestigious award presented to agencies and organisations which contribute to the develop-ment of tourism in Malaysia.

KUALA GULABIRD

SANCTUARY

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“August and April every

year, more than 200,000

migratory birds representing

some 50 species are estimat-

ed to stop over here.”

Silver Breasted Broadbill

Lesser Adjutant Stork

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“Located about 70km from Ipoh, the Pasir Salak His-torical Complex pays trib-

ute to warriors such as Dato’ Sagor and Dato’ Ma-

haraja Lela.”

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PASIR SALAK

Located about 70km from Ipoh, the Pa-sir Salak Historical Complex pays tribute to war-riors such as Dato’ Sagor and Dato’ Maharaja Lela. There are memorials erected in their hon-our, in the shape of a sundang (broad sword), a

replica of the type of knife used in the killing of Mr. Birch.The complex pays tribute to warriors such as Dato’ Sagor and Dato’ Maharaja Lela, who led the locals against the forces of the Brit-ish colonial administration.

This is the place where the flames of Ma-lay nationalism had first stirred. When the then British Resident of Perak, J.W.W. Birch was as-sassinated on the bank of Sungai Perak (Perak River), tension between the British colonial ad-ministration and the Malays rose. It escalated into open conflict which eventually led to the country’s declaration of independence.

Other attractions at the complex include the J.W.W. Birch Monument, the grave of Sipun-tum (the alleged assassin), Datuk Maharaja Le-la’s fort, the Lela Rentaka cannons used against the British colonial army, and two Rumah Kutai (Perak traditional house) filled with local histori-cal and cultural artefacts.

HISTORICALCOMPLEX

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“Its unique concept of a specially designed free flowing

Hot Springs Swimming Pool and Therapeutic Park.”

SUNGAI KLAH

Sungai Klah Hot Springs is nestled in the serene and lush forest patches, surrounded by hills and clear cold mountain streams and rivers. All 6.5 hectares enjoy the scenic view of well-tended oil palm plantation and durian orchard amidst a haven of tranquility.

Its unique concept of a specially de-signed free flowing Hot Springs Swimming Pool and Therapeutic Park at the foothill of the Titiwangsa Range 200 feet above sea level is indeed creatively engineered to at-tract visitors who appreciate the wonders of nature. Families visiting the park can try out the family baths and enjoy the privacy of this special treat. Another popular family activity not to miss out on is the hot springs egg-boil-ing experience.

For visitors who are keen to experi-ence the local Malay massage, the park offers one of the finest traditional massage packages to benefit from.

For more adventure, visitors can take on the challenge of the Sungkai River or work off the calories trekking in and around the park as you immerse yourself in the natu-ral wonders that surround the location.

SPRING PARKHOT

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“You‟re seeking, take it all in as you journey through the attractions

of the Lost World of Tambun”

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LOST WORLD

TAMBUNOF

So many worlds packed into one, the Lost World of Tam-bun, is an action-packed, excit-ing adventure with the most thrilling rides and attractions in Ipoh, Malaysia. The 60 million Ringgit theme park is located in the historic town of Ipoh, in the middle of the North-South cor-ridor in Perak; and is set in the natural landscapes of Ipoh, sur-rounded by exquisitely breath-taking limestone features. Whether it‟s a weekend of may-hem oozing with family fun or a burst of eco-adventure that you‟re seeking, take it all in as you journey through the attrac-tions of the Lost World of Tam-bun. Five main elements make up this world of adventure – the

Water Park, the Amusement Park, Lost World Hot Springs, the Tiger Valley and the Lost World Petting Zoo.At the River & Beach garden, you can find a perfectly land-scaped beach, surrounded by 20 feet twin waterfalls with two rivers flowing into the pool. A crystal-white sandy beach, complemented with lush tropi-cal gardens and majestic rock formations is a perfect mood-setter to start off your journey in the Lost World of Tambun. While you‟re at the Waterfall Beach Garden, make sure you hit the waves at Malaysia‟s big-gest wave pool, where waves can swell up to 3 feet high, at the Jungle Wave Bay. Refresh with

a musical shower at the Musi-cal Body Wash before heading to the Sandy Bay for an intense game of volleyball with friends and family or perhaps, for a re-laxing soak in the sun.

Designed for more-thrill seek-ing adults and teenagers, the Cliff Racer injects a boost of adrenaline when your mine cart flies, Indiana Jones style – straight down the speed-coaster at maximum speed! Just when you think you will stop and fly through the jungle canopy, the day is saved and your tube rocks gently down to earth with the flowing water and strategically rises at the end of the slide.

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KELLIE’SCASTLE

Kellie’s Castle was meant to be a home away from home for Scottish Planter, William Kellie Smith in the 20th century. Being far away from home, Kellie desired his new residence to be reminiscent of his home back in Scotland. The castle is perched on top of a hill in what used to be a rubber estate.

William Kellie Smith was an interest-ing man who was popular with his South Indian

workers. Kind at heart, he erected a Hindu shrine for his workers on the castle premises. As a to-ken of appreciation, his workers erected a statue of Kellie complete with a white suit and hat.

Construction of this unique castle began in 1915. However, it came to an abrupt halt with Kellie’s sudden death in 1926. The solitary cas-tle, looks almost surreal in these wild plantations of Perak, it projects a strong personality and an aura of mystery.

Recently, efforts have been made by the Perak State Government to rescue this mag-nificent structure from the encroaching foliage. Besides being haunted, the castle is believed to have hidden rooms and secret underground tun-nels.

The road that leads to Kellie’s Castle follows the contours of the land in a dizzying, maze-like fashion, adding to the mystery and ro-mance of the place

“Construction of this unique castle began in 1915.”

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Gua Tempurung is a cave in Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia. It is popular among spelunk-ers, or caving enthusiasts. More than 3 km long, it is one of the longest caves in Peninsula Ma-laysia. Part of it has been developed as a show cave with electric lighting and walkways and there are a range of tours of different lengths and difficulty.

A fine river cave, the river passage runs about 1.6 km through the hill. There are three very large chambers and some spectacular sta-lactites and stalagmites.

There are plans to develop the surround-ing area. By the end of 2006 a go kart centre and a horse riding area had opened.

Located in the vicinity of Gopeng, 24km south of Ipoh, the cave is approximately 1.5km long.

Made up of five huge domes which ceil-ings resemble coconut shells, each dome has different formations of stalagmites and stalac-

tites.

The domes also differ from one another in terms of temperature, water level, content of limestone and marble.

TEMPURUNGCAVE

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“Northern parts of Lake Temenggor, in northern

Peninsula Malaysia (Per-ak state), lies a vast area

of virgin jungle known as the Belum Forest Re-

serve.”

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Belum-Temengor is the largest continuous forest com-plex in Peninsular Malaysia. Specifically, it is located in the Malaysian state of Perak and crosses into Southern Thailand. Belum-Temengor is divided into two sections. Belum is lo-cated at up north right by the Malaysia-Thailand border while Temengor is south of Belum. The Royal Belum State Park is entirely contained within the forest complex. Belum-Temengor is be-lieved to have been in existence for over 130 million years mak-ing it one of the world’s oldest rainforests, older than both the Amazon and the Congo. In the heart of the forest lies the man-made lake of Tasik Temenggor, covering 15,200 Hectares which is dotted with hundreds of is-lands. The area has been identi-fied as an Environmentally Sen-sitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 under the Malaysian National Physical Plan and recognized by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area. The Malaysian fed-

eral government has labelled the area as a whole as an essential water catchment area and part of Central Forest Spine and plans to protect the forest under the Malaysian National Forestry Act. Despite that, between the two, only part of Belum For-est Reserve has been gazette as a State Park while the rest are production forest open for de-velopment. Temenggor in par-ticular is facing considerable deforestation due to logging. Environmental organizations such as Malaysian Nature Soci-ety and the World Wildlife Fund have been lobbying both the state and the federal government to gazette the area as a park. The state government of Perak however has resisted the effort citing that logging provides the state with more than RM 30 mil-lion in revenue. Nevertheless, the state government gazetted 1,175 square kilometres, part of the Belum forest reserve as state park on May 3 2007. There is a plan to convert natural forest to plantation forest

along the East-West Highway.Belum-Temenggor’s relatively untouched forest is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna including 14 of world’s most threatened mammals including the Malaysian tiger, Asiatic el-ephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, white handed gibbon, Malay-sian sunbear and tapir. Other animals that also roam freely in-clude seladang, wild boars, nu-merous species of deer, pythons and cobras. Belum Temengor is ideal for bird watcher with over 300 avian species including the hornbill. It is the only existing forest where you can spot all 10 species of hornbill that in-habit Malaysia consisting of the white-crowned hornbill, bushy-crested hornbill, wrinkled horn-bill, wreathed hornbill, plain-pouched hornbill, black hornbill, Oriental pied hornbill, rhinoc-eros hornbill, great hornbill and helmeted hornbill.In the forest you can also find 3,000 species of flowering plants, including 3 species of Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

BELUMFOREST

RESERVE

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In the forest you can also find 3,000 species of flowering plants, includ-

ing 3 species of Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

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The Rafflesia is a strange plant…. the fact that when it is in bloom, it stinks to high heaven, gives enough weight. Unlike other plants, there are no leaves to process carbon di-oxide and sunshine into sugar and oxygen.

There are no roots to soak up water and minerals from the earth to manufacture into proteins. What is found are long strands of tis-sue-like filaments that penetrate the vines of the host plant. Host plant? Well, yes…. Rafflesia is a parasite which means that it doesn’t need to make its own nutrients. It just sucks the nutrient out of its host which is, another plant. The large fleshy flower is what we usually notice. This is the flower’s sexual organ, sometimes found sit-ting on an overhead vine or usually languish-ing in the damp forest floor below. The reddish

brown colour of the petals, sprinkled with white freckles exudes a most unpleasant stench, simi-lar to rotting flesh or carrion. Some believe that the stench attracts flies and other insects which help disperse its seeds. Others believe that large animals could be agents for this seed dispersal. In order for the seed to germinate, it was found that the vine of the host plant must be damaged in some way so that the filaments of the seed may infiltrate successfully. The damage to the host vines could be made by trampling hoofs of large animals. The seeds adhere to the passing animals’ hoofs and are transported to other plac-es where they can find host plants to attach to. This cannot be disproved or proved. However, it is found that the flowers most often occur in big game areas and less in other areas.

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MEE UDANGKUALA SEPETANG

Kuala Sepetang is a coastal town located in Perak, Malaysia. The town was formerly known as Port Weld after a former Governor, Frederick Weld. It is a thriving fishing village, and the main jumping-off point to the river mouth community of Kuala Sangga, which is a Chinese fishing com-munity at the river mouth which specializes in fish breeding in cages.

The Port Weld railway station was located at the centre of town. The whole railway line from here to Taiping, which was the first railway line in the Peninsular, is now dismantled, and now only the ticketing booth and the Port Weld railway signboard remain. The ticketing booth is now a Chinese coffee shop, and the shopowner has been maintaining the railway signboard.

Kuala Sepetang has excellent seafoods

and it has a famous restaurant situated on the up-per floor of a shop lot overlooking the river. Kua-la Sepetang is also well known for its mangrove swamp reserve park which is open to the public daily. It has a boardwalk built over the swamp for tourists, and chalets in which tourists can rent to stay the night on the riverfront.

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MEE REBUS RAMLI

Mi rebus or Mee rebus (Malaysian and Singaporean spelling), (literally boiled noodles in English) is a noodle dish popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The dish is made of yellow egg noodles, which are also used in Hokkien mee, with a spicy slightly sweet curry-like gravy. The gravy is made from potatoes, curry powder, water, salted soybeans, dried shrimps, and peanuts. The dish is garnished with a hard boiled egg, calamansi limes, spring onions, Chinese celery, green chil-lies, fried firm tofu (tau kwa), fried shallots and bean sprouts. Some eateries serve it with beef, though rarely found in hawker centres, or add dark soy sauce to the noodles when served. The dish also goes well with satay.

In the past, mi rebus was sold by mobile

hawkers who carried two baskets over a pole. One basket contained a stove and a pot of boiling water, and the other the ingredients for the dish.

In certain area, due to the local situation, a similar variety of this Mi Rebus is called Mee Jawa, Mi Jawa or Bakmi Jawa, although this is a popular misnomer, since Javanese bakmi Jawa is different than Mi Rebus. A dish similar to Mi Rebus in Indonesia is called Mie Celor, and it is popular in Palembang.

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