Living in a village that is only accessible by boat, the people of the Orang Asli tribe are strangers to electricity and technology. Meeting them is a humbling experience for Vanessa Azzopardi.
With over 24 million tourists visiting Malaysia each year, the search for the off the beaten track has become ever more difficult, especially now that the Visit Malaysia 2014 campaign is in full swing. Overrun by tourists, families and school children, most parts of Malaysia have become a very beaten track. Luckily, my partner and I meet a local woman who introduces us to the unknown magical world of Belum.
The Belum Temengor Forest Reserve is located in the northern part of Perak, meaning that the forest actually crosses over the border between Malaysia and southern Thailand. The forest is the largest continuous rainforest in peninsular Malaysia and also rumoured to be one of the oldest rainforests, dating back over 100 million years, making it even older than the Amazon.
The forest is actually divided into two areas: the northern part called the Royal Belum State Park, and the southern part called Temengor Forest Reserve. However, both areas are usually simply referred to as Belum.
The village is set on flattened ground at the edge of the water and consists of about six bamboo huts
The forest is only accessible by boat as a portion of the forest was inundated in the 1970s when a dam was built to generate electricity in the area. This created a 15, 200 hectare lake right in the centre of the forest - the hills became little islands jotted around the lake. The northern part of the park was reserved as a state park in 2007, mainly to protect the forest and its flora and fauna. In fact, although tourists are encouraged to visit the area, anyone entering this part of the forest requires special government permission and needs to be accompanied by a guide. This keeps both the forest safe by limiting the number of people entering it, as well as the tourists safe from any potential threat from wildlife.
The wildlife here can actually be a threat. Malaysian tigers, Sumatran rhinoceros, tapirs, wild boars, elephants, pythons and cobras all roam freely. Our guide’s advice to us, in case of an encounter with a tiger was simply to “run faster than your friends”. The forest is home to around 14 animals that are on the world’s most endangered lists. Sightings of rare, dangerous animals is quite unlikely, but your chances of seeing such animals does increase the longer you stay and the deeper you go in the forest.
Our trip starts off on a houseboat, which is a floating wooden house. This takes us down the lake where we stop for a short trek to see the rafflesia flower, the largest flower in the world.
Three species of this flower can be found in Belum and these are just three of the 300 species of flora found all over the forest. In fact, our guide tells us that just 35 acres of Belum has more tree species than the whole of the USA. We cruise further down the lake and stop for the evening at a small village of one of the indigenous tribes in Malaysia. The people are called the Orang Asli, which translated means ‘original people’. The village is set on flattened ground at the edge of the water and consists of about six bamboo huts and a central open air bamboo platform. There is no electricity or any other form of technology.
Meeting the Orang Asli and witnessing their simple yet happy way of life is a humbling experience. I’m even lucky enough to speak to the head of the village, with the help of an interpreter.
After a delicious dinner cooked on board the houseboat, we take some mats and lay down by the water on the edge of the village. As we gaze up, we enjoy one of the most breathtaking sights we’ve ever seen. The sky is lit up with thousands of bright stars. We spend hours basking in the magical light, pointing out the different constellations and marvelling at the shooting stars.
What makes the night even more spectacular is the sound of branches breaking across the water, most likely elephants in the distance crossing through the forest. Some of us sleep under the stars, while others set up a tent or retire to the houseboat.
The following day we stop to trek up a river to a waterfall. There is nothing better than doing a long hard trek and then jumping in the cool refreshing water beneath a waterfall. Simply perfect. There are several waterfalls around Belum so you will definitely be spoilt for choice. After lunch on the boat we head back to the village and spend the afternoon swimming, fishing and bamboo rafting. After dinner we build a fire and enjoy a bottle of wine while again gazing up at the endless amount of stars in the sky.
On the final day, five of us hop onto a smaller boat and speed off up the lake. This time we do a short but very steep trek up to a salt lick, which is where many wild animals, most notably elephants, get their nutrients.
If you go with a small group very early in the morning, you might be lucky enough to see the elephants. Afterwards, a trek to a small stream nearby for a final swim before returning back to the jetty.
The best thing about Belum is that it caters for all types of travellers. Those who want a relaxing, luxurious, quiet getaway can stay at the Belum Eco Resort, which is a five-star resort located on one of the islands in the lake.
Houseboats are great for group tours who want to spend their time relaxing, trekking as well as experiencing the local culture.
For the even more adventurous, private expeditions can be organised deeper into the forest. For days, or even weeks, visitors can test their survival skills while increasing their chances of meeting the wild and dangerous animals roaming around.
With a total of over 300,000 hectares of forest, Belum has a lot to explore and we feel as though our trip is just an introduction to this magical place.
We promise ourselves that we will revisit in the near future for a longer journey deep into this mysterious forest.