Mount Ophir (Mountain)

Mount Ophir

Shrouded in mystical legends and folklore, Gunung Ledang continues to charm and intrigue locals and visitors alike. According to the legend of the Princess of Gunung Ledang, the Sultan of Melaka wanted the Princess' hand in marriage and she, not wanting to marry him, demanded that the Sultan present her with seven jars of women's tears, seven trays of mosquitoes' hearts and seven bowls of the Sultan's son's blood. After he was unable to meet these impossible requests, she fled to the mountain and continues to live in a hidden cave, to this day.

The mountain is ideal for a myriad of outdoor activities with challenging mountain trails, icy waterfalls, and exotic flora and fauna, including many species of birds. At the relatively flat summit, which is 1,276m above sea level, a panoramic view of the Straits of Melaka and even the Sumatran coastline can been seen on a clear day. Also, Sagil Waterfall is a popular picnic spot at the base of the mountain.

How to get here

By Car or Taxi
From the North-South Expressway, the turn-off point is 25km after Ayer Keroh. Head towards Tangkak. Proceed along the pastoral Route 23 for another 6km, past Sagil town, before turning left onto a road in a rubber plantation and proceed another 1km. From here, the route to the foot of Gunung Ledang or Mount Ophir should be visible.

By Bus
A bus service is available to Gunung Ledang from Tangkak, about 16km away. Taxis can also be hired from Tangkak.

Who to contact
Johor Tourist Information Centre (JOTIC)
Phone: +607-224 2000

http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/places/states-of-malaysia/johor/Gunung-Ledang-Mount-Ophir

Cameron highlands ( Mountain)

CAMERON HIGHLANDS

Cameron Highlands situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, the “Camerons” is approximately 90 kilometers (56 mi) from Ipoh or about 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Kuala Lumpur. There are many things to see and do in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia's largest highland resort. Walks through lovely little villages, visits to the butterfly, strawberry, honey bee farms and sprawling tea plantations or meals at the delightful Tudor-styled country inns, are all pleasurable and relaxing activities to be experienced here. What's more, you can't beat the weather up here and it' is easy to get to. Cameron Highlands lies less than an hour off the main North-South Highway, and is a pleasant, easy 3.5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

One other popular activity in Cameron Highlands, actually more of a tradition, is to have tea and scones. This very English tradition dates back to the days when English colonial officers used this hilly location as a cool getaway from the heat of the lowlands. Bird-watching and trekking are also popular activities here.Developed in the 1930s, the natural attraction is one of the oldest tourist spots inMalaysia. Apart from its tea estates, the plateau is also noted for its cool weather, orchards, nurseries, farmlands, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, wildlife, mossy forest, hotels, bungalows, Land Rovers, museum and its aborigines.

Situated 1,500 metres above sea level, Cameron Highlands comprises a series of little townships that include Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja. Being a primarily agricultural domain, you will find an abundance of vegetables and fruits farms dotted all over the highlands. Cameron Highlands is also the leading producer of flowers and tea in Malaysia. Be prepared for a lovely sight of tea plantations and beautiful flowers you won’t see flourishing elsewhere in Malaysia.Tanah Rata is the heart of Cameron Highlands is indeed its administrative township which is highly popular among local and foreign tourists. Tourists often choose to explore the surrounding sub-mountain forest here as there are numerous jungle trails with varying lengths and difficulties conveniently accessed from town.

Meanwhile, Brinchang is the highest and second largest township of Cameron Highlands that has a popular night market during weekends and public holidays which attracts local tourists with its highland produce, local street food, soft toys and fruits. Many vegetable farms, flower nurseries and fruit orchards are located close to this town and some popular tourist spots here include Cactus Valley and the Big Red Strawberry Farm. Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla&Kampung Rajaare beyond Brinchang, the road leads to all the way to Blue Valley. This is where you will find the markets, vegetable farms, flower gardens, bee gardens and butterfly gardens.

HOW TO GET HERE

By Car

Cameron Highlands is accessible via Tapah or the new highway at SimpangPulai. If you are driving up from Kuala Lumpur, the SimpangPulai exit takes an additional 45 minutes to reach the north of Tapah using the North-South Expressway. The ascent along this route is much smoother and less precarious than the route from Tapah.

By Bus or Taxi

Bus and Taxi services are available from the Puduraya Terminal in Kuala Lumpur and the journey will take you to Tanah Rata. Alternatively, take a train to Tapah and then continue your journey in a taxi or a bus.

WHO TO CONTACT

Cameron Highlands District Council

Phone: +605-4911455 / 49120

URL:http://www.cameronhighlandsinfo.com/

Bukit Larut (Mountain)

BUKIT LARUT

Bukit Larut, formerly known as Maxwell Hill, is a popular highland destination in Malaysia. Perched at 1250m above sea level, it is the wettest place in Malaysia, with an annual rainfall of over 500cm. Temperature here hovers around 15 degrees centigrade in the early morning and late afternoon, dipping to 10 degrees centigrade at night. Bukit Larut is home to the oldest hill station in Malaysia, built by William Edward Maxwell, a British Assistant Resident in Perak, in 1884 to provide a cool retreat for the colonial officials.

With daily temperatures of 10 to 25 degrees Celsius, Bukit Larut is indeed an ideal destination for those wanting to escape from the heat and humidity of Malaysia’s lowlands. Bukit Larut is not nearly as developed as the more celebrated hill resorts of Cameron or Genting Highlands. However, it preserves much more of the atmosphere of a colonial hill station and offers a natural peaceful and quiet sanctuary for weary souls. There are no swanky or five-star hotels available; accommodation is modest but nonetheless comfortable and cozy with a number of welcoming bungalows and rest houses, some of which were built almost a century ago.

The Tea Garden House, situated mid-way up the hill, was once the office of a tea plantation. However, when their tea plants did not grow very well here, the British shifted their agricultural endeavour to the Cameron Highlands, where the Boh Tea Plantation is now. All types of Malaysian flowers including the rare giant fishtail palm thrive here. The golden sunflowers grown here are the largest in the country. 

The many nature trails available at the hill resort provide the opportunity to discover Bukit Larut’sunspoilt natural beauty and a close observation of the hill’s various species of flora and fauna such as gibbons and squirrels, wild orchids, Mountain Giant Fishtail Palm and many species of bracken-like ferns. Another popular tourist activity is bird watching especially along the GunungHijau Trail which circles GunungHijau leading towards the summit.

Private vehicles are not allowed up Bukit Larut. Instead, the resort provides Land Rovers at the foot of the hill for transportation. The Land Rover operational hours are from 8am to 5pm daily and transportation charges are RM5 for adults and RM3 for children. When visiting Bukit Larut, make your trip even more worthwhile by dropping by the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari and the Taiping Lake Gardens, two other popular attractions, located at the foot of the popular hill resort.

HOW TO GET THERE

By Road

On the North-South Highway, take the Taiping exit. Follow the signs leading to Taiping after the toll and from Taiping town head towards the lake gardens. There are signs showing the way to Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill).

WHO TO CONTACT

Bukit Larut Office

Phone: +605-807 7241/ 7243

URL: http://www.vmy2014.com/see-and-do/places-to-visit/other-places-to-visit/maxwell-hill-bukit-larut

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Gunung Mulu National Park (National Park, Mountain)

Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung (Mountain) Mulu National Park is a lush tropical jungle home to longest network of caves and magnificent pinnacles situated in Mulu, on the island of Borneo, the State of Sarawak, Malaysia. The park was granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2000 because of its biological significance and limestone karst features.The park is also dominated by three mountains, Gunung Mulu 2,376m, Gunung Api 1,750m, Gunung Benarat 1,585m where more experienced cavers can arrange for challenging caving activities here

Getting to Gunung Mulu National Park

Because of its geographical location, the only practical way of getting to Mulu is by air. MASwings, a subsidiary company of Malaysian Airline Services operates direct flight to Mulu from Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Miri flying on ATR72-500 aircraft. If you really love nature and can’t depart from it, you may choose the much longer route through the river from Miri, which will take 10 to 12 hours of boat ride, where as the plane takes only 30 minutes.

Where to eat and sleep

There are 3 types of accommodations to choose from if you start your activities from the park Headquarters (HQ). Royal Mulu Resort offers 3-star resort accommodation sits in the middle of rainforest only 5 minutes drive to the park. This place is suitable for honeymoon treat, family vacation and travelers travelling on higher budget seeking for resort activities, nature and comfort. Buffet breakfast and dinner are usually included in the package. A la carte menu is only available during lunchtime. There’s also one small privately run restaurant outside the resort.

National Park HQ provides accommodations within the park area as well. This is the most convenient way of exploring the park without any transportation arrangement and you need to pay park entrance fee RM10 (USD3) one time only on the first day. Re-entry fee is chargeable on daily basis to those who stay outside the park.  Foods are easily available at Cafe Mulu which owned by the park.

There are upcoming privately run lodges outside the park area. Mulu River Lodge is one of them, literally a stone throw away from the park entrance is offering RM35 per bed inclusive of breakfast. It has long house concept with a role of single bed arranged against the wall and certain sections have curtains served as partitions. Next to the lodge is Sweetwater Restaurant runs by the same owner serving local food, local rice wine and beer. Currently bookings are only available via the phone or walk-in.

Best time to visit

Mulu National Park is open all year round. You can’t possibly avoid the rain because it is sitting in the tropical rainforest and it rains almost 280 days per year in Mulu.  So there is no perfect timing to visit except to coincide with the blossoming season in June-September (can be considered the driest months), where you’ll see more birds and animals around. Do bear in mind of the great influx of tourists and booking ahead is necessary for guides and accommodations especially for independent travelers.

·         Experiencing UNESCO World Heritage Site

Caves: Mulu National Park is famous for its four show caves (Deer, Langs, Clearwater and Wind). Each caves are unique and has its own beauty. Deer Cave is the largest cave in the world and home to over millions of bats and swiftlets. If the weather permits, visitors may witness bat exodus at bat observatory outside Deer Cave in the evening. During my visit, the bats didn’t come out for 2 days and only managed to see it on the 3rd day. As the name suggests- “show caves”, the normal route leading to the caves are accessible by the convenience of concrete pathway and wooden plank walkway. Very tourists-friendly and I mean extremely tourists-friendly despite the flight of stairs you have to climb. If you’re up for squeezing between rocks and getting yourself dirty, you MUST go for adventure caving ranging from introduction, intermediate and advanced level to avoid extreme disappointment.

Nature Walk: There are few sites cater for short day trips out from Park HQ. Discover the world’s longest canopy walk (480meters), night walk along Kerangas and Lowland Riverine Forest, medicine plant trail, Paku waterfall and trekking through the Camp 1 trail. If you pay closer attention to your surroundings, you’ll find these living organism around you (as shown above).

Boat Ride: You may experience the longboat ride going to the Clearwater and Wind Caves. The boat stops at Batu Bungan Village, a Penan longhouse settlement and a small handicraft market is open everyday except Sunday. Besides that, make a trip down to Long Langsat stream and enjoy the crystal clear river and a swim.

Challenging Treks, Trails and Climbs: There are 3 challenging overnight trekking activities to choose from,The Pinnacles, The Headhunter’s Trail, Gunung Mulu Summit Trek. An alternative to climbing can be replaced by Kerangas Forest Walk or Melinau Gorge from Camp 5.

·         Arranging your trip

You may arrange your trip with tour operators or directly arrange with the Park HQ. Bookings are necessary to avoid disappointment as some of the activities must be accompanied by guides. If you’re on a budget, independent tour (booking directly with the park) is possible and can be done at a much lower price.  If you plan to stay with Royal Mulu Resort and looking for convenience, the resort will take care of that through their activities tour packages.