Ramesh Anand
Malaysia

Ramesh Anand




A Day in the World's Oldest Tropical Rain Forest - Taman Negara (West Malaysia)
It is the best adventuresome trip I have made until now. Fun started with a boat travel for more than 2 hours in the tembeling River. Both sides of the river were very scenic with floras and faunas. It also gave the opportunity to view the Orang Asli Children, natives of Malaysia, playing at the boundary. Restaurants were of floating types and the accommodation options available inside the forest were timber bungalows, rustic chalets, and dormitory-style. Activities for the adventurers were a mini hiking to Mount Tahan at 2,187 mts. View of the forest from there was dreamlike, scenery with mountains greeting each other and allowing the river to flow in between them. Rapid shooting was energizing, Night Jungle Walk and night safari trips were spine chilling and created disquiet ness. Recognizing Orang Asli’s aliveness and sustenance were memorable. Leader of that community Mr. John (muscleman) was able to speak to reasonable English and communicated, “ My wife is a Mid-wife for our community and rest of the families are out for hunting. Our main food is monkey”. He also demonstrated his hunting skills, traditional fire making technique, Blowpipe and poisonous bow making formula. There were also few pipes of various sizes with bows (non poisonous) for the visitors to buy. He was upset to convey that his community curtailed to less than 1 million people and disintegrated to different parts of West Malaysia. World’s longest canopy walk was built at a height of 40mts above the forest surface. Canopy was very narrow and its vibration creates a slight panic during walking. Walking for 530 mts and viewing of scenery from one end was miraculous. Suspension Canopy was built along the thick tropical trees that are 80 mts high on an average. Foods supplied by the floating restaurants were uniquely delicious, following the preparing pattern of Taman Negara. Taman Negara attracts westerners mostly and seldom experienced or known by Asians. This trip takes us away from the metropolis and reinvigorates our body, mind and soul. Many have recorded no wonder, Taman negara as a lifetime trip. Naturally, I too.