Gua Tempurung, Perak

Gua Tempurung or Tempurung Cave

Located in Gopeng, about 24km south of the capital city of Ipoh in Perak, this limestone cave is one of the largest in Peninsular Malaysia. Though not as big as Niah Cave and Mulu Cave in Sarawak, beginners to caving exploration will be glad to know that this cave is easy to explore. The tunnel of the cave runs from the east to the west covering a distance of about 2km under the limestone hills known as Gunung Tempurung and Gunung Gajah. It is made up of 5 large domes and is believed to have existed since 8,000 B.C., about 10,000 years ago.

The Gunung Tempurung and Gunung Gajah that are visible from the road as you head towards Gua Tempurung in Gopeng, Perak

The interior of the cave which is made up of marble and limestones

There are lighting and platforms that have been built for the initial part of the cave to enable you to walk with ease. If you are more adventures, you can choose to go deeper into the cave depending on which tour package you take. Remember to take your camera and take pictures of the many stalagmites (structure that grows from the ground upwards) and the stalactites (structure that grows from the top of the cave). A subterranean river flows underneath the caves. The water is crystal clear and is still unpolluted in this part of the world.

The operation hours of the cave is from 9:00am to 5:00pm everyday. There are 4 tour packages with different pricing that you can choose in exploring the cave.

Dry Tour 1: Golden Flowstone

This tour takes you approximately 20 minutes to reach to platform 3 known as Golden Flowstone. You will be able to see the limestones that resembles a golden colour at this platform. Take a breather, snap some pictures and head back to the entrance of the cave. Total duration of this tour will take about 40 minutes.

Entrance Fees:

Adult - RM6.00
Children from 6 to 12 years old - RM2.50
Senior Citizen 60 years and above - RM3.00

Tour Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm everyday.

Dry Tour 2: Top Of The World

This tour package needs a minimum of 5 adults that takes you 50 minutes to reach to platform 5 known as Top Of The World. It is named so because this location is the tallest in the entire cave. Total duration of this tour is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Entrance Fees:

Adult - RM9.00
Children from 6 to 12 years old - RM4.50
Senior Citizen 60 years and above - RM3.00

Tour Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm everyday.

The well built metal structure platforms that help you to walk with ease inside the cave

If you are feeling tired, take a break at the Wind Tunnel where you will be able to experience breeze of cold wind that flows on this tunnel due to the difference in pressure in the cave

Wet Tour 3: Top Of The World and Short River Adventure

This tour package needs a minimum of 8 adults that takes you for a journey of about 2.4km. You will cover the Golden Flowstone and Top Of The World after which you will be guided back to the entrance using the underground river. Be prepared to get wet as you walk along the cold and crystal clear river. Total duration needed for the entire tour is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Entrance Fees:

Adult - RM11.00
Children from 6 to 12 years old - RM6.00
Senior Citizen 60 years and above - RM6.00

Tour Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm everyday.

Wet Tour 4: Grand Tour

This tour is the most challenging tour with a total duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete. You will cover a distance of 3.8km from the start at the entrance to completion through the underground river. You will cover all the three tours mentioned above plus going towards the east end of the cave and coming back through the underground river.

Entrance Fees:

Adult - RM22.00
Children from 6 to 12 years old - RM11.00
Senior Citizen 60 years and above - RM6.00

Tour Time: 9:00am to 11:00pm everyday.

Things To Bring

Remember to bring the following items to make your caving exploration a memorable one.

• Sports Shoes
• Torchlight
• Drinking Water
• Clothes to change for those who take the Wet Tour packages
• Camera

Happy Caving...

Getting To Gua Tempurung

If you are driving from Kuala Lumpur or Penang, head for PLUS North South Highway and exit at Gopeng Interchange. Follow the signboard towards Kampar town using the Federal Route 1. After travelling for about 5km, you will see a signage that directs you to Gua Tempurung. Turn left and go straight for about 2km and you will reach Tempurung Cave.

The underground cold river water that you will experience if you take the wet tour package

The location map of Gua Tempurung

Within The Vicinity

Drop by the stalls along Jalan Gopeng and try the famous Tambun Pomeloalong Jalan Gopeng, near the Sam Poh Tong cave. 

Read More

Cherating Beach

Cherating Beach is located 45km north of Kuantan and is one of the most sought after coastal beaches in Peninsular Malaysia. It used to be one of the favourite spots for backpackers before tourism industry pick up in the nearby islands of Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Lang Tengah and Pulau Redang. Although it cannot compared with the crystal clear and white sandy beaches on the islands of Redang and Perhentian, this beach is a popular tourist destination due to the ease of accessibility and the many budget, mid range and high end hotels that abound along this beach.

During the North-Easterly monsoon season from November to March, many surfers come to surf and take advantage of the high waves brought about by the north easterly wind from the South China Sea. The best time to surf is from the month of November to December where the monsoon season will be at the peak. Many tourists stay over at the hotels nearby for a couple of weeks just to catch the waves of the sea, experience the village and carefree living at the coast or simply taking a break from the routine of working life.

The stretch of beach in Cherating

Club Med

Club Med here is the first Club Med that was built in Asia. This resort is exclusive in that all the facilities at the hotel are only allowed to be used by the in-house guests though one can still use the beach facing the resort. The resort undergone an extensive refurbishment programme in the year 2005 and is now opened for booking. This resort is one of the high end hotel in this region. The room charges are in the range of RM 665 or USD 205 per person/night. This price is inclusive of all meals and accommodation. Sea sports facilities that are available include catamaran sailing, kayaking and windsurfing.

The Club Med Beach Holiday Villages fronting the beach

If you would like to drop by for a visit to the resort, there are day passes that allow you to go in and use the facilities. The Day Pass is RM230/person from 11am to 6pm. Lunch is priced at RM180/person and dinner at RM280/person. Call up at +6 09 5819 133 for enquiry if you plan to go for day trip as the resort may not allow you to go in during the peak season.

Other Resorts

Other mid range and budget resorts that are located here include:

Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Cherating is a 3-Star hotel with internet booking price starting from RM170/room per night.

Ranting Beach Resort with chalets starting from RM50/night.
Cherating Bay Resort with apartments starting from RM150/night.
Tanjung Inn chalet starting from RM50/night.
Payung Guesthouse with chalets starting from RM30/night.
Riverside with chalets starting from RM35/night.
Maznah's Guest House with chalets/A-frames starting from RM20/night.

Food and Beverages

There are many stalls that provide food and beverages by the beach. Duyong Restaurant serves a wide selection of steaks, poultry, seafood, vegetables and is located at the end of the beach. Deadly Nightshade is opened until late at night with Western food being offered. Seaside Seafood Restaurant has a selection of Chinese and Malay dishes.

Pantai Cherating beach where most other resorts are located with a different entrance from Club Med.

Getting Here

If you are coming from Kuantan, drive towards Kuala Terengganu/Kemaman using Highway route No. 3. This is a scenic route which will enable you to see the coastal villages in Pahang and Terengganu. You will be able to see a signboard Pantai Cherating. If you are going to Club Med, go further up and you will see the signage to Club Med and the Turtle Sanctuary. The Turtle Sanctuary Centre is located just beside the Club Med resort.

Other attraction in the vicinity include the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary Centre.

source: http://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/

Read More

Kuala Selangor Firefly

Firefly, one of the fascinating beetle that abound in Malaysia at one time and is now fast disappearing due to the fast pace of development. Fortunately, there are still firefly to be seen in Kuala Selangor, about 90 minutes or so drive from Kuala Lumpur.
The two locations where visitors can go to are Kampung Kuantan and Kampung Bukit Belimbing in the district of Kuala Selangor. The mangrove trees called "berembang trees" by the local grow along the riverbanks of Kuala Selangor river. These are the trees where the fireflies or "kelip kelip" in the local language stay and feed on its leaves. During the day, they retreat to the grasses near the mangrove trees.

The entrance to Kampung Kuantan Fireflies Park

When night falls, the fireflies will feed on the nectar of the leaves and attract mates with their synchronised flashing green light. The thorax of the insect produces a green grow that flashes at a frequency of 1/3 Hz, or 3 flashes in one second. Each of the berembang tree has different groups of fireflies and each group has flashes that are synchronised.
The fireflies found here is from the "Pteroptye tener" species and is about 6cm in length. They have a lifespan of about 2-3 months.

The picture of a typical firefly found here

Cruising Along The River
The best time to visit the park is after nightfall at approximately 7:30pm to 7:45pm. It is also advisable to go when it is not full moon and not during raining evening. Usually the place is quite packed during the weekends hence try to go during weekdays. One should take note that once the kelip kelip has found its mate, the flashing would stop, usually by 11.00 pm. Make sure that you do not go too late as the park is opened from 7:30pm and closes at 10:30pm.

The non motorised canoe ride

One will have to purchase a ticket costing RM10/person to take a canoe ride along the river. The ticket includes a bottle of drink and a 30 minutes to 45 minutes slow cruise along the river. Life jacket will be provided during the ride.

Berembang Tree
The scientific name of Berembang tree is called "Sonneratia Caselaris" and is a type of mangrove tree that grows wild near the banks of Selangor River where the damp and swampy environment cause it to grow well. Besides being a source of food for the fireflies, it also acts as a filter that filters the dirt and poison from the river that produces clean water for the other living creatures. The living creatures that thrives here are the crabs, fish, birds and prawns.

The Berembang Tree

Take note that you are not allowed to use camera with flash to take pictures during the cruise as this will disturb the habitat of the fireflies. If you need to take camera, bring a night vision camera. A binocular will come in handy during the cruise. If you would like to enjoy the village life for a night, there are chalets where you can stay overnight at Kampung Bukit Belimbing at a reasonable rate. As for me, an educational night trip with my children to this place is good enough to remember for a long time.

Useful Contacts
If you find that the weather is a bit unpredictable and want to be sure, call up the firefly parks that you wish to visit and ask the person in charge whether that night is a good night to go.
Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park
Tel: 03-3289 1439 and 03 3289 7046


Kampung Bukit Belimbing Firefly Park
Tel: 03-9057 2299


Sea Food Restaurants
If you are thinking of eating some special food in the vicinity, go to Pasir Penambang and you will find many sea food restaurants there. It is located just after Malawati Hill in Kuala Selangor. 

source: http://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/

Read More