After caffeine-ing it up to the max in the Cameron Highlands, Matt and I headed to Taman Negara for some jungle fun. This is Malaysia's largest and most important National Park and is home to rainforest that dates back 130 million years. Crikey beans. Needless to say, there are all sorts of exotic creatures prowling, crawling and jumping around in the forest's depths. We decided to do a bit of wildlife spotting in the hope of seeing these mighty beasts in their natural habitat. After stocking up on supplies we hit the tracks for three days of jungle walking. I can honestly say,
I have never sweated so much in my life so we arrived at the animal hide (where we slept) covered in sweat, mud and patches of blood from leech bites. Nice. Seriously though, the jungle was awesome, complete with buttress roots, hanging creepers and patches of muddy water for us to negotiate. In the late afternoons and evenings we sat quietly in the hide, watching patiently for animals and listening to the incredible jungle sounds. The tigers and rhinos remained elusive, as did the elephants, but we did see a troop of monkeys moving through the area. We also found elephant dung and bear prints so I was altogether happy with our tracking skills.
Three buses, two boats and a train ride later, we found ourselves surrounded by very different scenery. We ended our time in Malaysia with a visit to Pulau Perhentian Kecil, a small east coast island which is famed for its white sand beaches and turquoise water. After our exertion in the jungle, it was great to swim, relax and let our feet mend themselves for a few days. On the second day we went on a snorkelling trip where we saw rays, a small shark and plenty of 'everycolour' fish. Unfortunately, much of the coral in the area has been destroyed so it didn't match up to the reefs of Australia or Lombok but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
We have now crossed the border into the kingdom of Thaliand. Time to learn a new language again- I'd best get stuck in to my phrasebook!
1 comment:
Glad to hear you're still having fun; not sure about the leeches though! Not sure where you are heading in Thailand but we are thinking Krabiwould be good for our spell of beach at the end. If you do go that way let us know what you think. It is hard to work out how best to avoid the monsoons, seems to be all down to wind direction!! After the summer we've had we really need some sun. Take care, see you soonish. Love Mum xxx
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