Charm of Kuala Selangor

A trip to Kuala Selangor should not be dictated purely by the obvious tourist attractions; rather, one should savour the hidden experiences. The district - the second largest in Selangor state - is home to several must-sees, including the famed fireflies of kampung Kuantan. But, equally exhilarating adventures await in the form of canoeing, catching eels or observing silvered leaf-monkeys.
Sungai Sireh Homestay is a warm and amiable village folk that have been hosting foreign visitors in its 25 homestay since 1995. Repeat visitors include a group of Koreans who simply cannot get enough of experiences such as river canoeing, jungle trekking, catching and cooking eels and learning about padi and fruit farming. Enjoying Nasi Ambeng is a unique form of socialising whereby as many as eight people eat from one tray - a practice owing to the predominantly Javanese villagers of Sungai Sireh.
A sanctuary of a different kind exists in the Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Managed by the Malaysian Nature Society, the park is home to small mammals, smooth otters, leopard cats, macaques, migratory birds and reptiles.
Glimpses of a degenerating mangrove forest can be viewed in the park where priority is placed on conservation. Bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts form the bulk of visitors. Park officers will draw your attention to the Brackish Lake System where salt water from the Straits of Malacca mixes with fresh water to create a safe nesting haven for birds. Birds that can be spotted at the park include the Barred-Eagle Owl and Black Baza.
The Kuala Selangor Nature Park is also the only place in Malaysia where the silvered leaf-monkey is found. Opportunity to feed these approachable creatures, many clutching orange infants, exist atop Malawati Hill near the park.
The hill which is of historical significance, affords a marvellous view of the Straits of Malacca. Sultan Ibrahim wrested Malawati Hill back from the Dutch in 1785 in one bloody night.
As you enter the Kampung Kuantan, you will encounter a large sighting of fireflies. It is the largest colony of fireflies in the world.

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Proboscis monkey in Labuk Bay Sandakan, Sabah

Probably one of the ugliest and most bizarre-looking primates this side of the equator, the proboscis monkey is a rather interesting creature found only on the island of Borneo, with Sabah hosting the highest population.
With a penchant for devouring poisonous leaves and swinging reckelessly from tree to tree, this clumsy-looking arboreal monkey sporting a signature bulbous nose, rotund pot-belly and peculiar brown coat that gives an impression of a portly Freanchman, definitely warrants attention.
Like many other primates in the animal kingdom, the social structure here favours male dominance with a male proboscis leading a harem of up to 20 females along with his off-spring. Once his male progeny come of age in their fifth year, they quickly become competition. Not permitting them an opportunity to challenge and usurp his authority, he chases them away. These exiled primates usually travel in bachelor groups till they are able to establish their own harem, hijack another's or simply steal a wife or two.
Though it may seem that this chauvinistic system bequeaths power to the male, after learning how a leader may fall from grace perhaps, power isn't all it's cut out to be. easy come, easy go! it just takes a few flirtatious flares of a brazen female nostril, straight and enticing to let another male know of her availability as well as desire to male, and a challenge is issued.
Now, the alpha male must defend his harem or risk losing everything; children, wives and status. He will trash about, embellishing his power by straightening his own pendulous nose and crashing through trees to demonstrate his strength. Choosing dry branches that crack easily, his might is established. Now, it's up to his opponent to either back down or show his mettle. In a dance as old as time, mating rituals and exhibitions of prowess are played out in the buzzing mangrove.
Should his adversary prove to be the more impressive branch-cracker and nose-flarer of the two, the alpha male's reign is over. His harem will not abide his impotence and ego-bruised he will retreat into the jungle, isolated from his family to re-join bachelorhood.
It really is a jungle out there. Territory and property are not to be taken for granted. The perks of bigamy pale in comparison to the continual struggle to defend one's own. And even the legendary 24-hour erection (often dubbed the red chili for obvious reasons) that permits a male proboscis to mate several times a day with an interval of just a few minutes seems a plague.
But life for the proboscis is a lot tougher than this, its internal power struggles are minor when faced with the threat of extinctions. Driven from their mangrove habitat by illegal clearing, logging of bakau wood and overdevelopment of agriculture, they wrestle with their greatest nemesis yet: man. Inhabiting coastal swamps, peat swamps and riverine forests, the proborcis has no where to go. Boarded by the sea on one side and land on the other, their home is rapidly diminishing. Violated and pushed to the brink, they will disappear.
Though not officially elevated to the respected status of 'endangered' species conferred upon their fellow almost-extinct friends such as the Sumatran Rhino, they're plight is no less significant. With a population of a mere 2000 in Sabah, this number is alarming.
Getting there
Labuk Bay is situated 38km from the Sandakan International Airport. Due to uneven gravel roads, the journey into this sanctuary located within a mangrove forest takes approximately an hour. For more information, contact Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary at (+6)089-672133/177

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Sea Turtles in Selingan Island Sandakan, Sabah

Sea turtles have roamed tropical waters for over 135 million years. These ancient creatures can live to be older than 100 years. Reflecting on these traits which clearly establish an extraordinaryily long history and propensity for surviving most other creatures, it is wonder that there are still many unanswered questions surrounding them.
Though we know that they migrate thousands of miles across oceans, we still have no conclusive evidence as to why they return faithfully to their own natal beach to nest and where they migrate to after nesting. Also, there are those lost years unaccounted for between hatching and their emergence as adults.
The only thing we know for sure is where we can find them when they return to nest. Selingan Turtle Islands just an hour by speedboat from sandakan town is protected as a santuary for these gentle turtles. Though peak nesting season is observed from May through to September, nesting occurs throughout the year, and Selingan offers tourist and marine enthusiasts a wonderful opportunity to observe this miraculous event up-close.
Activities on the beach are prohibited from 6pm till 6am the nest day for fear of scaring off turtles making their way up. Even the slightest noise or light will send a turtle scurrying back to the sea. But if left undisturbed, she will burrow her nest in the dry sand above the high tide mark and lay up to 120 eggs in a single nesting.
She may return another five to seven times in a season to lay more eggs, each clutch with an interval of two weeks. Though it may seem that turtles produce bounteous eggs ensuring the endurance of the species, in reality one out of 1,000 hatchlings survive the pilgrimage to adulthood out in the open seas. In fact, turtles only begin their three-hour mating ritual when they reach sexual maturity at the ripe age of 30. This long wait coupled with the threat of predators make for an arduous survival.
Fossil evidence proves that more than 30 species of turtle have gone extinct. Today, only seven are left: the leatherback of the dermochelyidae family and the hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead, kemp's ridley, flatback and green turtle of the cheloniidae family.
At Selingan, rangers patrol the 1,200 metre sandy coast waiting for the first sign that a turtle is afoot. Tourists are only allowed near when the turtle has finished digging her body pit and egg chamber; using her hind flipper, this process can take up to two to three hours. Only when she is satisfied with the depth of the chamber will she begin expelling her eggs.
These sticky sperm-covered eggs which are only fertilized in the nest are havested from their original resting place and relocated to the hatchery for safekeeping and incubation. According to the rangers, they have recorded a decline in male offspring. To counter this problem, eggs are incubated according to temperature; cooler temperatures between 25 and 29 degrees celcius offer a higher probability of females, where else warmer temperatures of 30 to 34 degree celcious yield a higher likelihood of males. Thus, the hatchery located in a cool area whre trees provide ample shade.

This article is courtesy of Crystal Quest, whihc organizes transport to Pulau Selingan and operates the only resort on the island.

To Get There; Sandakan is accesible via a 2 hour 45 minute flight from LCC, KLIA. Airasia flies to Sandakan daily from KL.

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Going to Perhentian Island

Thread 1 - 9 Sept 2006

We are planning to travel to Malaysia February 07 (4-5 weeks). Our childrens age: 3and half years and 15 months old. As the children are this small we think the best way is to fly from KL to Kota Baru. Stay there for about 2 days for acclimasation and then head to the Island. Who is experienced to travel with small kids? Where did you stay? What is important to think about? Any good place to stay for small children? Cooking facility? Safe around Bungaloos, shallow water,....ect....We will not make big steps, means we will not travel around much as we don't know how the kids will manage the change of everything.Thanks for any information!

Reply from others..

Reply 1 - I dont think there will be a big difference between Kota Bahru/KL/Perhentians. Perhaps Perhentians is more similar to KL than Kota Bahru.If u are going to redang instead, u can actually fly! redang

Reply 2 - The main consideration about the Perhentian and small kids is that if you are still using a buggy, the terrain is not conducive.For instance Long Beach, Kecil, is literally a long beach with jungle behind and accomodation and restaurants between thus making buggy use all but impossible. However there are some resorts which are more accomodating. The other issue is that the boat ride from Kuala Besut is over an hour long and I must admit I personally found it a little harrowing in places (probably because I'm a big whimp!).Also I was unaware of any cooking facilities, however I could be wrong. The water is quite shallow (between knee and thigh height) to quite far out and South China Sea is extremely bouyant.The mosqito situation on the Perhentians is extreme, I got bitten there more than Thailand, Penisula Malaysia or Indonesia.

Reply 3 - Hi there, be aware that you may find yourself in the midst the rainy season on the east coast. It can sometimes stretch to March and at its worst you are likely to find many bungalow places closed, and no ferry service. We travelled to Malaysia, including Sabah, with a 6 year old and it was great fun. The Perhentians are wonderful, but as i say you may have to rethink/avoid the east coast at this time. Contact me for more info if you wish. Paul

Reply 4 - agreed with #3. look out for the rainy season from nov-feb. march is usually a better month (if the weather is good) and this is when the islands start to become lively again cos of the better weather.

Reply 5 - Yeap.. it's still rainy season and the monsoon is not over yet... so, all the resorts in those island are practically off.... the better month to these islands is from April onwards.. which May is the best season and peak seson due to school holiday..Well, for children, i think it's a bit of problem cause from the jetty to those island, it takes min 45 minutes (depends on what kind of boat you are taking...) speed boat, as you can imagine, it's uncover and you really have to sit still otherwise, you will be fly out from the boat.. :)In Kota Baru, there is no interesting places to visit and it is a Muslim state which they are kind of conservative in all means, this is including clothing.... and they will give you a funny look if you are wearing a short with spagetthi... so, i think to put a night in Kota Baru is not necessary... probably you may want to stay over in KL and from KL take domestic (cheap... you may book now, having promotional price) flight, check : www.airasia.com.my .... Or you may go through some local agent for the package as it is a very common package and the price is quite reasonable... the package will normally inclusive of return flights, accomodation, foods and snorkelling trip..... There will be no cooking utilities in the island... basically, it is some sort of chelats or resorts which they will provide food (inclusive in your package)...

Reply 6 - Kota Bharu is not a good place for kids. The traffic can be chaotic, the streets and markets are not very clean, there's not much to do for kids, and because it's not a major tourist spot e.g. the restaurants serving western food are scarce, as are e.g. shopping malls. I think it's more interesting than KL, but if I was travelling with kids, I'd probably spend a few days in the capital (where you can get all the western-style services/goods/food you might want) rather than in Kota Bharu. If you decide to go to the Perhentians despite the rainy season, the big island (Besar) is probably more family-friendly with more upmarket resorts that have good services, paved path etc. I saw lots of families there, although not many with very small children. Check Perhentian Island Resort - it's the most expensive and probably the best, with a great location.

Reply 7 - Thanks all for your replies!Who has really be there with own children at this age? Remark: We all are used to aisan food. We carry our chidren on our body (We are not a bugy-travelling family) We know how to travel (clothing) in muslim and asian regions. Used to live in a asian country. We don't want to find the european lifestile there....of course with children it must be little more confortable/clean as we are used when traveling without kids. That is why now I ask again: Who has stayed there with their children? Tank you for your reply. Bye

Reply 8 - Hi, I haven't travelled with young kids, but lived on Perhentian for 6 months, it was a while ago and some things have changed.Firstly though if you can organsie to gt yourself out to the islands straight away rather than stay in Kota Bahru I would do that, it is far more humid and hot in Kota Bahru than on the islands.Long beach on Kecil has the better beach for the kids, it is shallow and last time i was there it had a net on it, mostly for the boats - not any other reason.As far as I know there are no self-cater facilities on either of the islands, although food is quite cheap. There is also a couple of shops and you can get a taxi/boat around to the villiage (Kampung) to stock up on bottled water etc.Moonlight, Matahari and chempacca (sp) were the best places to stay but again things can change, all have rooms with or without private facilities. Moonlight is close to the rocks though so could be a problem.February will be very quiet on the island as most people are only just returning after Monsoon and cleaning up, The crossing may be a little bi rougher than normal, you may want to look at going a bit later. Take heaps of RID for the mossquito's and maybe some antiseptic soap and wipes as the fishing boats clean there catch in the waters not far from the island and the water (ocean) has a fair bit of bacteria due to the temperature enabling things to grow.

Reply 9 - You can stopover in Kota Bharu Town to see the beautiful temples ( one of the largest reclining buddha in south east asia at Wat Pothivihan .,the largest sitting Buddha in Malaysia Guiness Book of Record at Wat Pothivihan, the standing Buddha and the dragon Boat Temples at Wat SuwanKhiri..You can also visit the cottage industries to see the skilled workers drawing a beautiful designed clothing at the Batik factory or your kid can alos visit the kite making shops.others historical place to visits are the war memorial Museum ( to see the collections and history of the Japanese Invasion during the scond world war,Istana Jahar ( Royal Museum),Istana Batu ,Market place to seee the curtural of the Malaysia waman traders doing their businsess in the central market Siti Khadijah. If you need the comfortable place to stay in Kota Bharu Town:Lee Guesthouse is highly recommended.please check the following link: http://www.leeguesthouse.8m.com/ the guesthouse is very suitable for a family travellers:please read the comment by other travellers in trip advisor:-http://www.leeguesthouse.8m.com/whats_new.htmlN.B.I have no relationship with the owner of Lee Guesthouse,I got to know the place from surfing the internet Trip Advisor.My family has stayed there for 2 nights and it is clean ,friendly ,comfortable and enjoyable.

Reply 10 - I have not travelled to Perhentian with small children, but since I am planning a trip with quite a few of the kind (age 7 mnd to 6 years), I have done some research. Here is what I found after staying twice on Perhentian Besar, talking to families with children basicly the same age as yours;- Food is bougth, not cooked. Cheap and most of the resturants even make special food (even for you this would not be a requirement) for the children. As always in south-east Asia, children are treated like a treat, not a nuicance. - Water is shallow, and some of the families we talked with, were staying at Mama's place (haven't stayed there myself, but think it it is basic, clean and with some rooms with A/C, some with a fan. They do have familiy bungalows and a nice resturante. Paradise Island resort next door is sligthly more expencive, caters mostly to divers but has a truly exellent dinner-resturant), because the beach here is very shallow and you have to walk a LONG ways before it gets any deeper. This beach is not that nice, but only 200 m away there are a much better beach that made wonderful "familiy outings" when the parents wanted to. There are also nice corals out from this other beach, and I watched children down to about 2 years of age "snorkel" with just a mask, screaming "Mama, look at the little Nemos!" The water here is only about 30-50 cm deep when you can see tropical fish.- the trip out there is not always a pleasure, but as long as you have some travelling-experience, I can not see this as a big problem. Children react as their parents, and non of the parents I talked with(think I had longer conversations with three couples with smaller children, chatted briefly with two more) mentioned the trip as a problem. This was in late March, but WE as grown-ups found the trip out a little bit on the rougth side. ;->- All the parents mentioned the degree of safety they felt on the island, with few really dangerouse stuff their children could get into. There are no trafic, few animales (yes, there are snakes, there are scorpions living in little holes under stones and stuff in the jungel, but I gess you are not thinking of sending your children there unattended :-) ) Only real danger is some of the sea-animales, but they are in the sea in the whole region.-I intend to take "my" children to live at Coral View Resort, but that is just because for a lot of these people this will be their first trip to south-east Asia, and I want them to have a good time. And I have choosen Besar because I have absoloutly not desire to end up with people partying all around me (have done my share, and seem to vagely recall that taking parents with children into consideration late at nigth was NOT something I wanted to do), and even if it is not that bad, I think Besar would be best for the familiy scene. If going to Kecil, I would choose one of the more remote places. But that is ME, and not anything near the only thruth. I would have gone, but done the stop in Kota Bharu on the way in from the island. Always more fun with towns when you already are acclamatised...

Threads 2 - 25 November 2006

Hey, I was thinking of heading down to Malaysia in early December. Does anyone know if the Perhentian Islands have closed yet? I know they close for monsoon season, but I'm not sure when that begins...

Reply from others..

Reply 1 - I don't think the islands 'close'! But they will be very quiet. Some (if not all) diving operations do close, however, usually October.

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