Tag: Malaysia

Hiking Bukit Gelas Waterfall, Tawau

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

I just came back from a refreshing trip to Tawau, Sabah.

A 12 days school holiday trip with 2 of my kiddos, Azzim (16 yrs) and Arissa (10 yrs old). Instead of the usual eat and sleep trip, I plan to have an adventurous and eye-opening trip for my 2 champs. Keeping in mind that I need to be flexible with my plan as travelling with young teenagers is challenging. Their mood swings could definitely kill my mood to explore the place.

I always love a short walk or a short hike in the jungle and Tawau has a lot of short length hiking tracks. One of the mornings, we decided to go for a short hike to Bukit Gelas Waterfall, Tawau.

Location: Bukit Gelas Waterfall in Tawau, Sabah
How to go: Waze for Taman Bukit Tawau or Tawau Hills Park
Attraction: A zen-like waterfall
Difficulty: Relax and easy hike
Distance go and back: 3.2 km in total
Time spent: Half day trip
Tips: This place is very crowded on weekdays. The best time to enjoy this place is on weekdays.
Leech level: A lot
Entrance Fee: RM3 per person

Bukit Gelas waterfall or Air Terjun Bukit Gelas

Located in Taman Bukit Tawau or Tawau Hills Park, approximately 30 minutes drive or 22 km away from the town. This place is properly maintained and enlisted as one of the Sabah Park (1979). The pristine clear water running through the river, the humid foresty tropical forest and the peaceful sound of the jungle are soothing for any nature lover soul. I always love the smell of the forest.

Azzim, Hafiz and Izan decided to hike with me while Arissa opted out.

The 3 young teenagers looked eager to explore the forest. We plan to trek to the nearby waterfall, the Bukit Gelas waterfall.  The kids were curious and as we stepped into the track, their eyes started to focus on the route and on the hungry leeches. It is interesting to watch their reactions throughout the journey.

We are surrounded by greens and all sorts of nature sounds. Tall giant trees are randomly scattered along the trail, beautiful sight to look at.

The track is well guided with visible road marks every 100 meters and the trail is relaxingly easy to follow. Suits a family with young teenagers day outing, looking for a relaxing light hike. The route follows along the river and as you walk, the sound of running water accompanies your walk, very calming.

Strolling slowly along the track would take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the Bukit Gelas waterfall. A few places along the trail are slippery and muddy, watch your steps.

Checklist for hiking

This hike suits novice or anybody who needs a quick dose of nature. Nonetheless, you always need to be well prepared whenever you are in any jungle. It’s good to be well prepared than be sorry right?

My usual checklist includes:

  • Good hiking shoes. No slipper or sandal, please.
  • Water bottle. Please bring your own water bottle and refills as you go. Empty mineral water goes back into your backpack. Don’t just dispose the rubbish along your trail. I have seen hundreds of empty bottles thrown along my trails in Bohey Dulang a few days ago. Please, please, please do your part to save our earth.
  • Well powered handphone.
  • Food. I always prepare energizing tidbits in my backpack in case I got hungry while trekking. Energy bars, apples, bread or a bar of chocolate, maybe?
  • A hat
  • A small towel
  • A small camera and a GoPro (optional)
  • A small tripod (optional)

The National Park front gate opens from 8 am to 4.30 pm. You might spend around 4 hours on a light track, so plan your journey accordingly.

Start early as morning hike is very therapeutic. If you are early, you could hike to 3 different trails here. I would suggest you start with Bukit Gelas Waterfall. Spend about 30 to 45 minutes for a quick dip then walk down the trail at km 1.5 and hike for another 1.7 km for the Sulfur Hot Springs (total distance 3.2 km from the base). And, on your way back to the base don’t forget to visit the world’s tallest tropical tree (88.32 m) and walla! you are done for the day.

Please be reminded that this place has hungry leeches, crawling quietly for food, lol. I am scared of leeches. Actually, I hate those sucking blood insects but I could not avoid their existence in our Malaysian rainforest. So, I put on extra effort to avoid them.  To minimize your encounter with leeches,  I would suggest that you choose your hiking time properly, those leeches are super active during the rainy season.

Ahh … another thing.

Locals here think that this place is haunted. So, just be extra cautious about your actions and your surroundings while you are here. They said this place is ‘keras’. But I didn’t experience any weird incidents during my visit there, alhamdullilah. Most jungles are naturally haunted, I think. After all we humans are not the only occupants on this earth.

If you happened to visit Tawau, you might want to check out this place with your family. Taman Bukit Tawau is easily accessible and it is worth your time. For those who have been to this place, please share your experience here. Leave your note in the comment section below.

Have you been to Taman Bukit Tawau or Air Terjun Table? How was your experience there?

Share with me

Cheers

MM

Madu Tualang of Tasik Pedu

Matsuda Mashimaru2 Comments

September 2019:

Haze has been invading my fresh oxygen supply since early last month and it gets worse every single day now. Never a miss for each year during the dry season that we Malaysians have to experience the smoky haze coming from our neighbouring country.

I got most of my asthmatic and flu symptoms during the haze season. I take honey to help soothe my phlegm and sore throat. Malaysia is cynically a 3 season country now. We used to have the dry and monsoon seasons but in the past few years, we kept having the haze season too.

Read More »

The Quietness of the moment in Tasik Pedu

Matsuda Mashimaru2 Comments

I just got back from Pedu Lake, Kedah, Malaysia.

Located up on the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia approximately 5km away from the Malaysia-Thailand border, the lake is easily accessible via a well-maintained road.

The 12km-long lake is part of the dense rainforest of Gunung Fakir Terbang, 6 1/2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur via North-South highway (exit Gurun straight on to Sik then approx 7 km away, turn right to Gulam then left to Durian Burung and proceed to Seri Mahawangsa Pedu Lake jetty).

Surrounded by clean water and serene forest, this is a good place to retreat your soul from the noisy and super busy city life.

I am recommending this place to those who need a short break from the city life.

The only place to stay here in the middle of the lake is at Seri Mahawangsa boathouse, yes on a boathouse parked next to a small island about 15-20 minutes from the jetty.

DSCF9813-Edit-Edit
Seri Mahawangsa boathouse of Tasik Pedu

So, you can choose to sleep on the boathouse or on a treehouse or on a hut or just on a hammock or in a tent, an eco-resort type of stay.

Whatever your choice is the hammock is my best personal choice.

I fancy quietness and this place is easily accessible and quiet.

Tips to enjoy the luxury of lazing around in Tasik Pedu

If you plan to spend your time just lazing around then I want to share a few tips on how to enjoy “the luxury of just lazing around” in Tasik Pedu.

Firstly, listening to the Cicadas orchestra

This group of Cicadas or riang-riang (in Malay) would sing together at some odd times, a few times a day. Their buzzing sound that echoes throughout tree branches in this tiny island in Tasik Pedu (Amir called it the Survival Island) is phenomenal.

Stay quiet.

And you will notice their orchestra performance played as a background song in the island. Their music sounds louder than normal maybe because of the echoes.

Secondly, swimming with the Lampam fish around the boathouse.

Swimming during a hot day is heavenly.

Swimming in a pool or at a river or at a beach is different from swimming in a lake. There is an abundant of fresh clear water around you. Yes, swimming in a deep lake feels different.

During a hot day, the water inside the lake feels colder and warmer at the same time. Very therapeutic.

But please be caution on your safety. I put on my life jacket all the time when I am in the water.

And I was in the water for hours. Canoeing and swimming … just enjoying the sun and the water at the same time.

DCIM100GOPROG0058518.JPG
swimming during mid-day

Thirdly, lazing in your hammock during the mid-day after lunch

Yay! we have a full-time chef at the boathouse. He cooks all the time. Yes! he is a he.

I was well fed all the time. After having my rice with masak lemak ikan baung (fresh water fish in coconut milk) I feel … d r o w s y.

Not much thing to do as it is super hot during mid-day.

Lazing around in my hammock under the tree with all the leaves hanging out is a perfect thing to do. Sleeping … to be precise ☺️.

Embracing the lazy moment without guilt. Wahhh … I am happy.

G0038433.jpg
my quiet moment

Fourthly, watching the movement of the light and the clouds from the boathouse.

After a few boat trips circling the lake and enjoying the vast natural landscape surrounding Pedu Lake, a quiet time while watching the sunset is my next lazing thing to do.

Sitting with your loved one while watching the change of colour on the horizon is romantic. Hmm feeling lazy together with your loved one is classically romantic.

It makes me thinking of the Creator that creates all of these beautiful things around us. A moment to just be connected to the Creator and appreciating His greatness.

Feeling blissful to be able to just sensing His existence through the beauty around us is an amazing feeling. Alhamdullilah.

MMNST03
an article I wrote about capturing ambience light in Tasik Pedu

Fifth, hanging out at one of the treehouses at night

There are a few treehouses that you can choose from. And hanging out in my hammock with my favorite book while listening to the sound of the forest at night is cool and peaceful.

Just me and my own world. I would never get tired of this.

Conclusion: All of us need to have a quiet moment with ourselves. To feel comfortable and peaceful being with ourselves. To feel at peace with ourselves.

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the world ~ Marcus Aurelius

Although I don’t mind being on my own but having a person or two that have the same quiet mind as I am, hanging out with me is always welcome.

How do you prefer to spend your quiet moment?

Share with me and leave your comment below.

Cheers

MM

Flying to the mysterious island in Hulu Selangor

Matsuda Mashimaru2 Comments

04.05.2017: They fly and explore various places around Malaysia with their engine powered wings during weekends, public holidays or special events. Being an adventurous spirit, I frequently join them for cross-country (XC) flying trip around Malaysia. Exploring and gliding through the airspace and seeing Malaysian’s landscape from a different perspective.

My alarm went off at 5 am that Sunday morning.

Earlier than usual as I needed to rush to the pre-planned take-off site of my next flying adventure. I had my quick shower, grabbed my camera bag and my flying equipment then drove for an hour to Antara Gapi, Serendah, Hulu Selangor.

Our take-off site was a public area. An open area up on top of a small hill in the middle of Antara Gapi’s town.

Heart of the eagle

A small group this morning, 6 paramotor pilots and me as a tandem passenger to one of them. They seemed to have something in common with me, an explorer spirit and I labeled them as my explorer PPG friends. They glided gracefully through the airspace exploring our Malaysian tropical landscape with their motors neatly tucked behind their back and their wings on top of their heads.

Riding on a paramotor tandem trike is different from riding pillion on a motorbike or on an airplane, as the passenger sits in front while the pilot sits at the back as he needs to control the glider and the throttle. So, passengers have a first-class view of whatever in front of the trike.

We were heading to Sungai Tinggi Dam, Hulu Selangor, 33 km away from our take-off site. It would take approximately 45 minutes of flying hours to reach the place and another 45 minutes to fly back. As usual, I would be riding tandem with PPG pilot Tazza. I tagged along with them whenever they need a photographer to help capture their flying adventure.

Tazza would check on his pre-flight checklist while I would get into my seat; reorganized my cameras and my radio; set my prayers and wait for the clearance to takeoff.

A flock of bird

The clock was pointing at 7:30 am and morning lights started to rise from the horizon, pilots would take their turn to spread their wings, fire their motors and take-off safely from the ground. The air tends to be calmer early in the morning and as the light hiked up higher on the horizon, thermal heat could rock their gliders. So, they need to be fast because the air could be unpredictable.

Our adventure started when every pilot has successfully airborne, as they would glide out of Antara Gapi in one group. We were heading to the Selangor river, approximately 6.3km northwest of Antara Gapi, and we would trail along the river.

We flew above small towns, some housing areas and lingered around hundreds of fishponds along the river bank. Hundreds or maybe thousands of birds loitered around the ponds probably looking for early breakfast and as the pilots glide through the area the birds ran berserk fearing the sound of their engines. It felt so good flying side by side with the birds, you could almost feel that you were part of the flock.

We were cruising along the Selangor river until we reached the North-South Highway and we then headed up to the North, flying parallel along the highway for about 10km. Once we reached near Bukit Tagar, we then crossed over the highway heading northwest to Sungai Tinggi Dam.

The view was way beyond words. I have traveled and witnessed countless beautiful landscapes around the world but I have never expected to experience such rich and mesmerizing views from a place just 1-hour drive from my home.

Such peace and serenity filled the air and the landscape right beneath was such an amazing sight. I could see layers by layers of hills with a sign of thick mist in between the gaps.

Immersed in nature

Hulu Selangor area has a very diversified landscape. The area is relatively unspoiled, surrounded by mountains and secondary tropical forest. Flying with paramotor over the area is another option for the adventurous explorer who wishes to experience a variety of landscapes in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

When you are flying above at a certain height, your brain may get a bit lost on trying to figure out the right direction. It was a free highway up there hanging on the air,  as there were no physical roads and signboards to guide the way. It is critical to be 100% sure on the direction as ppg pilots could not refuel gas while they were on air.  Getting lost was not an option.

So, it is crucial for them to depend heavily on GPS, altimeter and whatever mobile app that could track their flying routes and location.

The mystery island

As the pilots glided forward, I noticed a change in the atmosphere around me, the air felt much colder and windier. And, as I turned my head to my right I saw the mesmerizing view of the Sungai Tinggi dam. Dramatically, at that time the morning light was super golden.

The place felt mysterious. I understand now why the pilots called this place the “Mystery Island”. I had the urged to scream, not that hysterical scream but a delightful scream.

“What is this place? What is all this?” I screamed through the radio and my pilot friends were screaming and cheering at the same time too. What a beautiful moment. Honestly, the view from high above has yet to disappoint me, an amazing experience.

Each cross-country flight that I tagged along was always a unique experience and it never felt the same to me. I blamed it on the character of the air, the moment of the light and the altitude of our location. We spent another five minutes hovering around the dam before the leader decided that it was time to turn back to Antara Gapi.

Time to hit the ground

We followed a different and shorter route on our way back, as we needed to save on our fuel.

The flight back was as smooth as I could remember like a breeze. We were all in a joyful mood as we have once again achieved our target for the day. Once we reached Antara Gapi safely, we flew a few rounds above Antara Gapi’s town and successfully landed back on the take-off site. To be able to experience flying especially via paramotor is a true blessing, a privilege and addictive too.

Flying cross-country requires detail planning on both the route and the safety of the journey. Of course, they have to comply with certain rules and regulations before they could start their trips. Proper NOTAM needs to be requested from the authority and if the rules stipulated that they could not fly exceeding a certain height, then they need to adhere to the rules.

For those who yearn to experience a different way to explore the surrounding of Hulu Selangor, Malaysia you can always try a tandem flight via paramotor from this group of explorer PPG pilots. They can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/janjifly.janjifly.

Thank you for spending your time reading my experience and journey. Till we meet again.

Cheers

MM

The jewel of Semporna Sabah

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

DSCF1667-Edit-Edit
keep your head up boys and survive the best way you could

For months I tried to find the excuse to re-visit my childhood hometown. Being born and raised during my teenage life in Tawau, Sabah, this place has a soft spot in my heart. I miss the food … I miss my old childhood friends and I miss talking in the Sabahan dialect too.

This time around, my excuse is … I am re-visiting islands around Semporna for the second time. Had a good deal return ticket from KL to Tawau and spent a few days hanging out in Tawau with my childhood friends while enjoying the weekends at the islands surrounding Semporna, hunting the light with some new friends.

DSCF1954-Edit-Edit
the sea gypsies of islands surrounding Semporna, Sabah

I miss the salty air and the beautiful endless open sky. As we were speeding off to Selakan Island from Semporna jetty, I can’t help reminiscing the old sweet years when I used to spend my weekend doing island hopping with my compact camera. Carefree years … when my camera was just so light and the years where I carried my flippers more than my camera.

I am feeling old … only old people reminiscing their old sweet memories.

My second visit to this beautiful place. The first time in 2015 when I was still fresh in this photography world, at that time everything looked new and exciting to me. Guess what … the second trip is as excited as before, I am born to do this … to wander around my surrounding and just fall deeper into my own world while doing … the THINKING, lol (so much to think about).

_SMM8195-Edit-Edit
gypsy girls swinging carefreely

Timbun Mata, Bodgaya, Maiga, Selakan, Gusungan, Ormadal and a lot more surrounding islands that we can explore. The setting of each island looks damn good during sunset and sunrise. And, I noticed something different this time around with my new travel mates … they play with the drones more than their cameras.

A new way of enjoying our beautiful surrounding which is aerial photography. Now everybody can fly … me? I think I would just stick to my paramotor addiction. Flying with a group of motivated adventurous paramotor pilots and enjoying the raw aerial view with my own eyes, self-satisfaction. I get to feel the fear of the unknown circumstances while flying … while the drone players fear that they would lose their drone signal and later would lose the drone.

_SMM7454
a girl drying fish at the beach in Maiga Island

What makes a place interesting?

For me … it’s the people that reside in the place that makes the place compelling. In here the sea gypsies people are well blended with their nature. Life is simple.

But for a thinker … you’ll get worried just by looking at the children paddling here and there aimlessly. I always believe that every child needs to go to school, at least to learn reading, writing, calculating and reading the Quran.

_SMM7853
Zainab and her lunch for today

By giving that basic skill to our children we fulfilled at least the very minimal responsibility as a parent to them. Giving them the skills will help them make a better choice in life. It is up to the parents though. I saw a few schools here in some islands. Maybe they just choose not to send their children to school.

Ahh well … enough worrying, at least they are happy with their choice of life. As I said earlier … it’s a simple life, no ruffles.

DSCF0854
sunrise in Maiga island

I always want to say this at the end of my writing … that I want to visit the same place again and again. 3 days 2 night is not enough … it was cloudy during the 3 days that we were there and on the second day, we were chased by the storm during sunset at Bodgaya Island. I think a week would be good.

The cloudy stormy sky is the best time to capture time-lapse as the clouds would move rapidly. Sharing my time-lapse video here for y’alls. Amazing moment captured using my small gopro6.

And last but not least, belanja a picture of me under the stormy cloud for my fan out there (perasan … lol am being cynical here) and for those people who are not so my fan, please underestimate me, that’ll be fun. Annyeong …

_SMM8074-Edit-Edit
Underestimate me please, that’ll be fun

 

Cheers

MM

ps: if life gave you lemon, make lemonade.