School Holiday activities for my nephews and nieces

Elephant sanctuary in Temerloh , pahang ( 1 hour 20mins drive from KL ).



As was written down on the phamplet, Kuala gandah elephant sanctuary is the base for the elephant relocation team to help locate, subdue and translocate elephants from areas where their habitats were used for plantations or human development.



These elephants who have lost their habitat are moved to other suitable habitats such as taman negara and kuala gandah itself. As areas for their habitat shrinks its hard for them to look for food, as a result these elephants will look for food in converted forests areas such as plantations where they raid crops. To prevent them from being shot by farmers when they 'invade' the land the team at kuala gandah will move them to other suitable habitats

You take their habitat away from them and you kill them when they enter? shesh!


the kids and the adults were all hungry and we cant wait for our packed lunch from home. We found a suitable picninc area, spread our mat and enjoyed our lunch.

with our full belly we are now ready to explore. Our first stop was the video presentation which gives you an idea about this translocation process and some basic idea about elephants . I would suggest anyone who comes to this sanctuary to have sometime to watch this.


While waiting for the video to start

Next we were allowed to get up close and personal with the elephants to pet and feed them during their lunch time. The kids loved this. meanwhile, riding the elephant activity is also available. Mind you, the activities and entrance are limited to 120 person per day thus please make a booking a few days before your intended visit. Bathing the elephant commences right after every everyone's done with the riding and this is straight to the river.



Overall, this sanctuary was great, the kids got to learn a lot about elephants. we asked them to explain the elephants skin, what it uses its trunk for, what they eat etc.



One of the thing that concerned me is seeing elephants chewing on sugar cane without any juice left. im not sure about an elephant's diet so that's just my tiny concern. its was also sad to see them all chained up but i guess its for safety reasons.



Another part which im concerned about and which i realized after watching the whole falling down episode from our video camera is on them using a hook on the elephant's ear to pull the elephant down so those riding the elephant will fall in the water. I know elephants have thick skin but im not sure if that hook on the ear will actually hurt the elephant. I mean, if that hurts you can just remove bathing with the elephant in the activities because seeing the elephant up close is just great by it self.

Entrance fee:- Free but it would be very much appreciated if you would contribute
Activities :- 1.30 pm there is a video show on how these animals were brought here
:- 2.30 pm Fedding the elephant, ride on the elephant and bathing with the elephant
Things to bring :- Food for lunch , spare clothes, towel, soap (if you choose to get wet)
Website: -http://www.wildlife.gov.my
Number to call for reservation:- 09-2790391



Additional information

About 5km before reaching the elephant sanctuary is a Deerland where I was told the deers has a big space for them to roam around freely. I didn't get the chance to stop over the deerland but many said its worth a visit.

Perak - Malaysia

KUL – GUA TEMPURUNG – TELUK BATIK - KUL



I went to Perak recently with friends and my husband where we stayed for 2 days. Truthfully the first day was great but the second day was what I would call a mini disaster.

First day :- Gua Tempurung

The idea to visit perak was a last minute decision made by all of us with the idea of doing a small adventure trip. Anyway, our quest to conquer Gua Tempurung started with a mini search on what Gua Tempurung has to offer… thus I visited this website http://www.guatempurung.com/ which provided a thorough explanation on what to do, what to bring and a contact number to make reservations.



After browsing the website we uniformly agreed to take tour number 4 (The grand tour) which took us at 3 1/2 – 4 hours of adventure in the cave. For adventure crazy people I would suggest you go for this tour because it encompasses everything, the first stage is climb some steps where the guide will show you some rock formations, second as I vaguely can remember is a trail which has water up to your knee, thirdly you need to duck, then you need to crawl, you will also need to slide and finally enter a small hole which will soak you up to your chest.





We went there on a weekend and the crowd is somewhat appealing thus at some stops we had to wait a little longer for another group to clear till we can move over. Nevertheless I think the whole experience was splendid.

Anyway, back to the start, we woke up at 6am, got our bags packed the night before including our tents and sleeping back for the night, did a final check and started our 2 hours journey to destination. Had a morning stop and had Nasi lemak at R&R Tapah. The idea was to let our tummy digest the food for fear that any of us might need to go to the toilet before entering the cave … there is no toilet in the cave



You have to arrive latest by 9.30am at Gua Tempurung for registration purposes and a brief introduction. Use a plastic bag to wrap your valuables (car keys, camera) and it would be best to bring a water bottle to quench your thirst and PLEASE don’t leave your empty bottles in the cave like what some irresponsible and immature people did.

Anyway, what made the caving exciting was to take it easy, you don’t have to rush in and be the first person inline trying to reach every stop first because at every stop the guide will wait for the last person. So, we were among the last person in the group and because of that we had the chance to take as many pictures as we want along the way….



After our 4 hours of darkness we finally found civilization and came out wet up to our chests. Of course our first destination had to be the cafeteria. Had our shower right after, paid RM1.00 per entry to shower or RM0.40 cents to use the toilet. We brought our own soap and but soap can also be purchased at the toilet for RM0.50 cents. Well, there’s no such thing as free lunch here in Malaysia.

Gua Tempurung – Perak – Malaysia
RM 22 for adults
About 2 hours drive from KL
http://www.guatempurung.com/

Day 2 :- Teluk Batik



All ready for our next adventure, we then continued our journey to Teluk Batik which was about an hour drive from Gua Tempurung, beautiful beach but sad to say its not properly maintained…. How do you expect to attract visitors when rubbish can be seen everywhere, toilets are not properly maintained and empty shop lots are now turned into an unofficial dump site. Oh Malaysians, a simple act of throwing your rubbish in the bin makes a huge different to your surroundings. If only you knew!



Coming back to what happened. We figured to camp at the beach but were perturbed by the whole atmosphere of a big dump site and spotted a fenced camping site where we could bring our car in and make our tent right next to the car… Paid RM8 per head, per night, sounds good but the camping site was a little dirty nevertheless we managed to find a not so bad spot to camp.



It’s a shame that this place is not properly maintained as I see great potential in it. Anyway, We parked our car, found a spot and we build our tent. Everything went lovely till I had to use the toilet… urghhhhhh why didn’t I check on that earlier!! Shower was dirty, one of the toilet had leftover human waste as i can call it since the pump was not working but luckily we found a shower and a toilet that was usable.



When it came for dinner, we brought out our cooker, canister, sardine in the tin, and bread. Although we actually had a choice to buy food at a food stall nearby, we suggested to have a real camping experience… thus our meal was a little dull and my husband’s friend who lived in Perak came and saved our day. He brought in fresh fish, his mom cooked some rice, made some sauce for the fish and because of that the whole toilet incident didn’t bother me until the time came where we had to sleep.



A nearby food stall had a karaoke competition (as it seems) till 1am and right after, there were this group of man noisily accelerating their motorbikes as what we Malaysians call them ‘Mat Rempit’… well that wasn’t all, 3 dogs were spotted on the other side of the fence where one managed to enter through a whole in the fence. I told my husband I do not want to do this kind of stuff at any beach in Malaysia anymore.

Somehow I managed to get my sleep and we woke up in the early morning to perform our Morning prayers. The wind was very strong and not long after it started to rain. My friend and I went in the tent thinking that we were safe from the rain but puddle started to form in the tent so we ran and seek shelter in the car where we actually managed to sleep. Amazingly the guys in the other tent had no problem whatsoever.

After the rain subsided, we packed our stuff, got ready, I vowed not to camp there no more and we headed back to KL with some fruits we bought along the way.

Sabah - Kota Kinabalu

7 enjoyable April days in Sabah from the 21st - 28th.



1st day (21st April)

My husband and I Arrived at 8 in the morning at the KK airport and had my friend picked us up at the airport (thanks Tamimi and She). we then went straight to cik lin's house where we stayed for 2 nights... as im writing this i keep on remembering cik lin's sambal terung and masak lemak udang... the best i have ever tasted... cik lin nak makan sambal terung lagi : )..



moving on, we went for a walk at warisan square to do some last minute shopping for any additional items we might need for our climb the next day.

our second destination was to Dataran Merdeka to make a taxi booking to bring us to Mt Kinabalu. The Driver will pick us up from home at 6am and drive us for 2 hours to Mt Kinabalu for RM150 one way.

2nd and 3rd day (22nd – 23rd)



We arrived, we Climbed and we conquered Mt Kinabalu!!!! YEAYYYYY!!! undeterred by light showers and strong wind in the early morning, we continued on with the climb and we reached the peak! alhamdulillah (all praises and thanks to Allah)



4th day (24th)

Regardless of certain parts of our body that were aching we still planned a short trip to Pulau Manukan. welll what can i say but that i was not amazed by this beach. the journey began with us using cik lin's car ( my friends aunties' car), parked at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and our starting point was at jeselton ferry terminal in search for a boat ride to bring us to the island. The boat ride cost RM25 per person return and an additional RM3 for locals and around RM10 for foreigners to be paid upon arriving at the jetty.



I did plan to go snorkeling but I didn't bring my own snorkel gear and the thought of using a snorkel that has been used by some random strangers is not for me. anyhow, the boat man charged RM10 for a snorkeling mask and an additional RM10 for flippers... BUT when we arrived at the Island, he offered the mask AND the flippers for RM10.... don't fall for their tricks.

after the beach escape, we went to have dinner opposite Le marridien hotel at those stalls i cant remember the name. and this was what we had... the ever so popular sabah's chicken wings







On the 4th day, we checked in a room at Le marridien in KK primarily because the 'famous' shops (Filipino Market and Warisan Square) were just a walking distance away. Filipino market to me was kinda boring because the souvenirs does not show the true sabah identity and instead, I can still find it in KL with around the same price.

My Husband and I ended up looking for stuff at warisan square and found this souvenir shop where we bought a handful of stuff and the sales person gave us a 10% discount on all of he items we purchased.

5th day (25th)

On the 5th day it was rest and relax for us, need to give our body a rest. so we walked over to warisan square and decided to try a foot massage RM40 for 60minutes.

6th, 7th and 8th day (26th – 28th)



Enough wondering around the city we packed our bags and headed to nexus karambunai. styed there for 2 nights and thinking about it now, we should have stayed at nexus from the start since nexus provides loads of activities that will keep you occupied furthermore, it provides a shuttle bus to warisan square if you wish to visit warisan square from there.

below are some activities that the resort offers:-








We had a swim at the beach, spend some time relaxing by the pool and tried batik painting. that was actually a short 2 days at nexus and without realizing it, it was time for us to depart back to KL...





Had our flight very early in the morning and the resort gave us a takeaway breakfast in a box which consists of a sandwich and some fruits.


TOP TIPS:- ... to plan your trip i wouldn't suggest you make the same mistake as what we did, we planned an early flight, so our transport from home on the taxi costs us RM 100 instead of the usual RM75 to the airport. the same thing happened from nexus to KK airport, we had to pay RM112 instead of RM 75 after 6am.

Packing essentials- sunscreen, hat, sunglasses

Mount Kinabalu - Malaysia (Part 2 of 2)

DAY 1 : - 6 KM climb
KOTA KINABALU - KINABALU PARK - LABAN RATA

After 2 ½ hours in a taxi, we arrived Kinabalu park at 8 am, Paid the taxi driver Rm150, Grab our bags and head to the information counter to register ourselves. The name you write on the book will be the name that will be printed on your tag. Paid another RM 100 for our guide, one guide can take a maximum of 6 people and that RM100 should be shared between the 6.

You can also pay someone to carry your stuff for RM8/kg. you will have to pay I think about RM 3 for a van to drive you to the starting point.

After we registered, they gave us food coupons for 2 days. Our first coupon is packed breakfast consist of an apple, a can of 100plus, a piece of fried chicken and white bread with cheese and mayo spread.

We started the climb as soon as we can because the earlier we reach laban rata the more rest we can get before our second climb. They might sell you a stick for RM3, Its personal choice; I did find it useful especially during my descend. If you happen to get the stick make sure you get a light one.



Some did this 6Km climb in 5 ½ hours, we did it in 6 hours, just follow your pace. Minimize your stops, take plenty of pictures along the way because the scenery is absolutely amazing.


We had a few stops a long the way, you can refill you water bottle too with REAL mountain water at every stop.

LABAN RATA



It was a relief upon reaching Laban Rata. The room has 6 single beds and it was equipped with a heater but somehow we didn’t feel the heater functioning but the blanket provided by the rest house and my snow jacket was sufficient to keep me warm during the night. Tamimi brought along a poncho and we used that as a praying mat in the room.


DAY 2 : - 2.5 Km climb
LABAN RATA - LOWS PEAK - LABAN RATA - KINABALU PARK

Woke up at 2am, got ready, went downstairs for Breakfast and it was raining pretty heavily so the guide said we had to wait till 3am. if the rain doesn’t subside we might have to cancel the climb. fortunately the rain did subside and we began our climb at 3.10am.

after a few minutes of climbing I started to feel some heat since i was wearing 5 layers of cloth, but husband said leave it on, it will get cold on the way. Which was actually true, too many stops to take out a few layers and put it back on is time consuming, and time is all you need to get a nice view of sunrise.



This second part of the climb was a little challenging because at one point we had to climb the rock using a rope. Also There will be a check point at ‘sayat- sayat’ and that will be the final pit stop with a toilet, after that, you will be on your own : ).

I had Tea without sugar that morning so I wont need to go to the toilet : ).
Snapped some pictures a long the way, couldn't take that many because it was freezing cold and i cant take off my gloves for long.

Satisfied with our victory, we took our own sweet time to climb down n reach our cabin. Once there, had something to eat and went to sleep till the room service knocked on our door at 12pm. Bags packed and ready for our 6km descend to kinabalu Park. It took me and my Husband 3 hours to climb down.

used our last coupon for the lunch buffet at Kinabalu park, paid RM10 for our colored certificate and finally found a taxi for rm150 to bring us back to Kota Kinabalu.

p/s - Your Guide will inform you on the time he would like to start the climb as well as the meeting point.

Day 2 Essentials : - Torch, gloves, Rain coat, snow cap, camera, some snacks and 500ml of water.

SUBUH PRAYER (or Fajar prayer)
Since we will be on our way to the peak at the time of fajar prayer, we constantly looked for a place that was rather flat for us to perform our prayer. My suggestion is that along the way if you find a spot just right for prayer don’t hesitate and just perform your prayer there.



This is my friend on their way down after reaching the peak, you will find somewhat a flat surface like this to perform your prayer.

I took ablution using rain water that ran in between two rocks. Took my gloves off, pull my sleeves up and perform ablution the normal way but left my shoes intact. Used my husband’s Qiblah watch and performed our prayer.

With 6 degrees and strong wind the weather was extremely cold, and I think if you could just perform tayamum it should be enough as this is not a normal situation.

TOP TIP !! - "Travel Light"

Mount Kinabalu - Malaysia (Part 1 of 2)

My Mount Kinabalu climb



My desire to climb the tallest mountain in South East Asia for 4 years has proven to be a success. Throughout the years I have been receiving and reading stories of climbers sharing their experiences, some say it’s easy while others didn’t get enough luck. Regardless of what have been heard or read, to me it all depends on the weather conditions and your own determination and willingness to reach the peak.

The key is not to get discourage very easily, if you are not a professional climber, you may face difficulty in breathing on the second day of the climb but keep on thinking that you never know when you will do this again and you have gone this far so you don’t want to give up. Just Take it easy, and take your time your guide will wait for you.

Preparation

My Training basically started somewhere in the end of February till end of March and it had to stop there because I had my wedding to concentrate on. Somewhere during those training period I went to Gunung Angsi with my partner as well as two of our great adventure friend Tamimi and Shifa.

I and my partner did some jogging around Taman Tun area (I would say more or less once a week). In addition to that I also went to the gym, at first it was 3 times a week and somehow towards the end it became once a week …. Yeah! I wasted my money but I did learn a lot (it’s in my gym for dummies entry).

February and March I went searching on the internet to get some insight on what is expected and these two blogs seems to have some worthwhile information.

1) http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/climbing-mount-kinabalu-from-a-muslims-perspective.html
2) http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/


Stuff you may need for the two day climb:-
Basically the stuff that you bring on your first day will be used on the second day too. Of course some can be left at Laban Rata while you do your 2nd day climb.

• Shoes
I bought a Hi-Tec shoe for the climb and tried it on when i did my training at Gunung Angsi. I found it comfortable so that shoe had my approval. My friend used a normal jogging shoe and that worked out well. I also brought my crocs which was useful since I needed a footwear i can use when taking my shower at Laban rata, well a sandal is another alternative

• Socks

• Raincoat
Those emergency ponchos is ok but it's better if you get one that wont get torn easily.

• Energy food
Chocolates would be good ( not ‘cloud 9’ because it will get very hard and you wont be able to chew it), nuts etc

• Drinks
A Liter of water of your choice (500ml 100 plus and 500ml mineral water). We brought 2 liters each and that was more than enough for 2 days, we even had to give our guide on the last day because we didn’t want to bring it down again.



• Hat masks
I would recommend a hat like that picture above, (worn by my friend). It was very windy during our climb and that hat mask will help to prevent the strong wind getting in your nose and mouth. I wish I had one.

• Torch
You will need a torch for your second day because you will start early in the morning, I would suggest you get a head torch which is more convenient than a hand torch. The reason is when you need to climb the rope, both hands can be used rather than using one hand to hold a torch and the other holding a rope. I used a hand torch but I think using a head torch would be better.

• Gloves
Get a proper snow gloves if you can, not those mittens because it can be really cold up there.

• Towel and toiletries
Remember to pack the usual when you got traveling. Toothbrush, soap, facial wash, toothpaste etc , an amount that can last for 2 days. Remember the lighter the better.

• Camera
Have extra protection, wrap it with plastic if you don’t have a waterproof camera just in case it rains really heavily.

• Clothing
I can’t stand cold temperature so I wore 4 layers of cloth underneath and one layer of snow jacket but my husband just had 2 layers of cloth and a snow jacket.

• Medication
I didn’t have to take any but bring some just in case like panadol, headache tablets, plasters if you get blisters, panadol, sun block if you are particular etc...


Getting Ready

Tamimi made the booking for us 3 month prior to the climb. Visit http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my and call the general hotline at +60 88 318 888 for bookings. Once you have confirmed you will have to make your payments. If I’m not mistaken, we had to pay RM300 per person. I think different rate is applicable for non Malaysian residents.

For your additional information, It is better if you can book your accommodation at Laban Rata because of 2 reasons,

a) It’s heated so you don’t need to bring a sleeping bag for extra warmth
b) Food will be served at Laban Rata. Its very tiring if you stay at any other accommodation because you have to walk back and forth to Laban Rata to eat, although it may be a short distance but after walking for 6 hours straight, additional walk is just what you don’t need.

1. Laban Rata – Heated
2. Waras Hut – Non-heated
3. Gunting Lagadan – Non- heated



That's the trail you will have to take to reach 'Lows peak'