June 21, 2012
by JungleBoy
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The alternative entry point to Taman Negara in Pahang besides Kuala Tahan, is Sungai Relau. This relatively obscure gateway to Taman Negara is situated near to the small town of Merapoh, near the Pahang-Kelantan border. It is also called Taman Negara Merapoh, or Taman Negara Sungai Relau, but is basically just an entry point into the greater Taman Negara area, which sprawls over three states. Continue Reading →
November 20, 2011
by JungleBoy
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The hill dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia is quite unique to it, in the sense that you don’t have such a similar formation elsewhere, on the island of Borneo for example, even though both are the centers for mixed dipterocarp biodiversity. The dipterocarp forest on elevations of 300 – 800 meters ASL in Peninsular Malaysia is often classified as hill dipterocarp forest, and there are certain characteristics of it that I’m going to point out. Continue Reading →
October 20, 2011
by JungleBoy
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Background
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Kenyir Lake in Terengganu, for the first time in my life. Kenyir Lake is a manmade dam in the interior of Terengganu, which was formed when the headwaters of the Terengganu, Lepar, Kenyir, Petang, Lawit, and many other rivers were impounded to form a vast hydroelectric dam, covering some 36,000 hectares of what was once lush lowland rainforest.
Today, it is the biggest dam in South East Asia. The southern zones of the lake extend into the Terengganu portion of Taman Negara. Numerous waterfalls dot the landscape, and all the “islands” (there are over 300 “islands” there) are actually hilltops, previously. Continue Reading →
July 27, 2011
by JungleBoy
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The Koompassia excelsa tree is among the tallest trees in the world, and also one of the most prominent trees in the tropical rainforests of the Sunda Shelf. It is found in Sumatra, Borneo, South Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia. The grey, whitish bark of the tree, large bole, and often handsome crown makes it stand out amongst the other trees (usually). It is known by different names in different regions – Mengaris in Brunei and Sabah, Tualang in Peninsular Malaysia, Sialang in Indonesia, and Tapang in Sarawak. The name tualang comes from the Malay words of tua – old, and helang – eagle. Continue Reading →
March 5, 2011
by JungleBoy
2 Comments
Taman Negara Merapoh or also called Taman Negara Sungai Relau is one of the entry points into Taman Negara and another route to climb Gunung Tahan. Recently, I was there with a group of volunteers who were monitoring the wildlife and land-use activity in the nearby Sungai Yu Forest Reserve. Note – Sungai is Malay for River.
Sungai Yu Forest Reserve (SYFR) is a large forest reserve under the Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) of Peninsular Malaysia that is a mixture of secondary and primary forest, and is largely intact for the moment, although there are many logging roads and illegal hunting activities going on there, as I found out myself. Continue Reading →