Taman Negara Kenyir? ZALINA MOHD SOM finds out that this is actually the part of Tasik Kenyir that comes under the Taman Negara authorities.
IS this a new national park? The name Taman Negara Kenyir was definitely unfamiliar. Then, I thought that perhaps Tasik Kenyir had just been gazetted as a national park. After all, I knew that Gua Bewah, Gua Taat and Sungai Petang (places listed in our itinerary) were part of the vast lake in Terengganu.
To add to the confusion, there were two different authorities — the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah) and the Wildlife Department — handling our group of reporters and photographers at different spots. It was only when we pored over a huge map that everything fell into place.
Taman Negara Kenyir is located on the southern part of Tasik Kenyir. It is another gateway to Taman Negara (National Park) that straddles Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
The area within the boundary of Taman Negara Kenyir includes Tasik Kenyir’s attractions like Gua Bewah, Gua Taat, rivers (Petang, Cicir, Perpek and Cacing) and Tanjung Mentong.
The authority responsible for this area is the Wildlife Department, which has its office at Tanjung Mentong. The rest of Tasik Kenyir comes under the purview of Ketengah which has a centre at Pengkalan Gawi.
Our itinerary contained all the standard attractions at Tasik Kenyir but what made this trip different was how Taman Negara was ‘offered’.
Discovering Gua Bewah
Gua Bewah is a show cave. Climbing a “thousand” steps to the entrance, walking along the cement pavement and admiring the limestone formations can be very exciting for first timers.
But the secrets and mysteries of Bewah are far more interesting than what the eyes can see. The cave is said to have historic value with the finding of the skeleton of the Neolithic man and artifacts like utensils and tools.
At an arm of Bukit Bewah, which is shaped like a peninsula, lies a pleasing camp site. It is complete with a huge hall, rest areas (wakaf) with benches, paved footpath and toilets.
Bewah Camp charmed us with a light show as bright sunray spilled through the forest canopy, lighting up the colourful tents and warming the cold forest floor. The silvery reflection of sunlight on the lake added to the allure.
More was waiting to be “discovered”. After a swift ‘check-in’ at our respective tents, we took “a walk in the jungle” at the tame part of Bukit Bewah.
Boats ferried us to the other side where Gua Bewah was located. After we were dropped off, we walked up a slope to the campsite. The two-kilometre trail was interesting, thanks to the rugged terrain stretching almost three quarters of the journey.
It was either dirt track or a sharp limestone path – going up or down or along the slope. The flat part was made exciting by the limestone walls, trickling shallow streams, animal footprints and again the “light show”. Later we were told the animal footprints were those of a young leopard!
There were two ways to reach the campsite. We could cross the deep green lake or walk another 500 metres along the bank. That day, we were made to cross the water!
Looking at Gua Taat
Right opposite the Bewah Camp is a huge sign, which reads Gua Taat. Plans to explore the cave were called off due to the rising water level.
Gua Taat is another show cave with as much historic value as Gua Bewah, if not more. Studies of artifacts and skeletons of Neolithic people unearthed in the area proved that civilisation existed here several thousand years ago.
Both Gua Bewah and Gua Taat are usually packaged together in a day tour of Tasik Kenyir.
No Fishing Please
The Sungai Petang Kelah Sanctuary is quite a new tourist attraction. Anglers don’t come to Sungai Petang though it is the “official’ spot (lubuk) for kelah (Malayan masheer). Here, the policy is “see, no touch” and fishing is definitely out.
The trip there proved interesting, from the boat ride and passing the narrow river mouth to trekking along the river and seeing the beautiful vista of Sungai Petang.
The highlight of the tour was feeding the fish and watching them race each other to get the food pellets that we threw in the water.
Getting To Taman Negara Kenyir
Tasik Kenyir is located about 60km from Kuala Terengganu. Choosing the entry point to Tasik Kenyir depends on where you want to go or stay.
The main (and biggest) jetty is at Pengkalan Gawi which has facilities like a tourist information centre, souvenir shops, booths for boat operators, taxi services and resorts and a food court. Other jetties are located at Tanjung Mentong, Sungai Como and Tembat. For details, call the Tourist Information Centre, Pengkalan Gawi at 09-626 7788 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 09-626 7788 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 666 8498 or Ketengah at 09-822 3100 ext 103.
Article is sourced from http://travel.nst.com.my/
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