Eco Zone: North side of the park
SAGER AHMAD
There’s more than one way to get to Taman Negara. SAGER AHMAD takes the lesser-known route to Kuala Koh
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NOT many people know of an alternative route to Taman Negara that takes one to the new entry point of Kuala Koh in Kelantan. Taman Negara straddles three States — Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
The trip to Kuala Koh from Kota Baru, the capital of Kelantan, is in itself an experience as it passes through a cross section of the State, winding through towns and villages, padi fields and hilly roads in Felda Aring, Gua Musang.
This is oil palm country surrounded by rolling hills. The vast expanse of green is very soothing and three hours later, one arrives at Taman Negara’s Kelantan headquarters with a refreshed feeling.
Jungle Symphony
Part of the buildings at the headquarters in Kuala Koh are built of concrete and there are several wooden chalets set in a garden setting next to the Lebir River.
At the headquarters, a generator supplies electricity to all the units including air-conditioning for the office, computers and telephone lines. It’s a stark contrast to the jungle setting, especially when one knows that this is the world’s oldest rainforest - about 130 million years old.
Nights are cold. Don’t be surprised to be awaken by long hooting sounds in the distance – these are gibbons.
In the evenings, there is a natural “orchestra” performance by insects. You can hear the sounds but not see them. The “music” increases as darkness falls.
The river is where you can enjoy boating, tubing, bathing and fishing. Though the river is murky with water the colour of teh tarik — the result of logging and land clearing — fishes like kelisa and lampam still thrive there.
Jungle trekking, bird watching and visiting the Batek Orang Asli are other activities at the park. If you plan to visit the Batek, do bring along gifts of food and clothes.
The Batek are very primitive and shun urban areas. Although they wear modern clothing, they live in makeshift huts of wood and leaves. The children do not go to school while young adults work as labourers in a nearby land scheme. Otherwise they eke out a living from the forest – gathering herbs for traditional medicine that they sell to outsiders.
Efforts by the Orang Asli Department to resettle them have not been very successful.
Captured On Film
At the headquarters, the presentation and video clip on Taman Negara is an eye-opener. Most people know that visitors are not allowed to destroy trees, shrubs or plants and animals in the park. After the presentation, we learn that it is also an offence to bring in new plants or animal species.
The documentary on Taman Negara, formerly known as King George V National Park before World War II, is the result of painstaking work by the Parks and Wildlife Department and is of the standard as National Geographic.
It shows rare plants and flowers that only bloom at certain times of the year and will be missed if one is not observant or patient.
What To Eat
The canteen at the headquarters serves excellent Kelantanese delicacies for meals throughout the day like nasi berlauk (rice with a selection of dishes).
How To Get There
Kuala Koh is about 90kms from Gua Musang. If you are travelling from Kuala Lumpur or Kota Baru, take the Gua Musang-Kuala Krai road. Follow signboards to Kuala Koh.
For details and tours to Taman Negara via Kuala Koh, contact local travel agents or the Wildlife Department office in Gua Musang. Tel: 09-912 2940.
Menghayati visual alam
TAMAN Negara Kuala Koh (TNKK) merupakan satu lagi destinasi pelancongan negara yang kaya dengan khazanah alam. Keunikannya pasti menggamit pencinta flora dan fauna.
Kawasan hutan simpan kekal di Gua Musang, Kelantan ini masih kaya dengan keindahan semula jadi. Ia sedang giat dipopularkan sebagai produk baru pelancongan di negeri ini.
Terletak kira-kira 96 kilometer dari bandar Gua Musang, kunjungan ke sini tidak sukar kerana adanya rangkaian jalan bertar bermula dari simpang jalan utama Gua Musang menuju ke Felda Sungai Aring.
Dari sini, perjalanan berkenderaan mengambil masa sejam melalui ladang kelapa sawit sejauh 46 kilometer untuk sampai ke Resort TNKK.
Kunjungan penulis ke sini pada bulan lalu bersama Tourism Malaysia Negeri Kelantan (TMNK) mengimbau kembali detik semasa mengikuti ekspedisi berakit bersama rakan-rakan tiga tahun lalu. Bermula dari Sungai Lebir, kami mendayung selama lima hari untuk sampai ke Kuala Besar, Kota Bharu.
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| SEBANYAK enam buah calet dan sebuah asrama dengan 72 katil disediakan untuk penginapan, selain restoran dan surau. |
Selain itu, pengalaman rakit buluh tersangkut di jeram Sungai Nenggiri sukar dilupakan.
TNKK ditadbir urus oleh Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (Perhilitan) Negeri Kelantan, manakala penginapan dikendalikan sebuah syarikat swasta secara kontrak yang menyediakan kemudahan resort bertaraf dua bintang.
Secara amnya, Kuala Koh adalah sebahagian daripada kawasan Taman Negara Semenanjung Malaysia. Keluasannya meliputi 4,343 kilometer persegi yang berada di antara sempadan negeri Kelantan, Terengganu dan Pahang.
Pejabat Perhilitan dan Resort TNKK di sini dibina di pinggir Kuala Koh yang mempertemukan dua sungai utama iaitu Sungai Lebir dan Sungai Koh.
Sungai Lebir adalah sungai utama yang bertemu dengan Sungai Galas yang menjadi sebahagian daripada rangkaian Sungai Kelantan bermula di Kuala Krai.
Bertolak dari Kampung Renok Baru, Gua Musang pada pukul 11.45 pagi, kami seramai 38 peserta diketuai Pengarah TMNK, Muhammad Zaki Talib menaiki empat buah van ke sini setelah jalan utama ke Kuala Koh tidak boleh dimasuki bas.
Sebaik tiba di Resort TNKK pada pukul 1.30 petang, kami diberi taklimat ringkas oleh pihak pengurusan sebelum diagih-agihkan bilik hostel yang menjadi kediaman kami selama dua hari di sini.
Enam buah calet dan sebuah asrama dengan 72 katil disediakan untuk penginapan, selain restoran dan surau.
Turut disediakan ialah sebuah bilik mesyuarat yang lengkap dengan kemudahan audio visual. Untuk makluman, bekalan elektrik di sini agak terhad kerana disalurkan selama 10 jam sehari sahaja. Menariknya, capaian telefon bimbit amat jelas kerana adanya pencawang telekomunikasi.
Aktiviti pertama kami bermula sebaik selesai makan tengahari. Kami dibawa bersiar-siar sekitar tiga kilometer persegi di taman negara ini. Diiringi enam jurupandu, langkah bermula dengan melintasi jambatan gantung sejauh 150 meter melintasi Sungai Lebir bagi meneruskan langkah untuk merentas hutan.
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| SEORANG rakan media menunjukkan kedudukan posisi badan di dalam pelampung ketika melakukan aktiviti tubing di Sungai Pertang, Kuala Koh, Kelantan. |
Perjalanan kami terhenti apabila diberitahu, kami akan melalui titian kanopi sepanjang 300 meter untuk ke seberang.
Ia mempunyai lima laluan dengan enam platform hentian bagi membolehkan pengunjung menikmati kehijauan rimba ketika melintasi pucuk-pucuk hutan sambil melemparkan pandangan ke kawasan sekeliling. Laluan yang siap dibina beberapa tahun lalu diselia sepenuhnya pihak Perhilitan.
Seterusnya, kami dibawa menyusuri laluan denai untuk meneruskan aktiviti merentas hutan berbukit sejauh 1.5 kilometer. Perjalanan ini mengambil masa hampir 40 minit untuk disempurnakan.
Namun, ia bukan penamat kerana sebaik tiba di gigi Sungai Pertang, terdapat 38 pelampung (bersaiz tayar lori tiga tan) serta jaket keselamatan siap terdampar di situ. Ia disediakan bagi aktiviti seterusnya iaitu tubing atau menyusuri sungai dengan pelampung. Selesai penerangan daripada jurupandu, masing-masing pantas mencapai jaket keselamatan sebelum membasahkan diri di sungai serta siap duduk di atas pelampung masing-masing.
Aliran Sungai Pertang dekat Jeram Sinar yang mengalir lesu ke Kuala Koh perlahan-lahan membawa kami menyusuri laluannya. Berbanding menaiki kenu atau berakit, tubing memang menyeronokkan apabila anda hanya berbaring di atas pelampung sambil sesekali mengocakkan tangan ke air agar tidak tertolak ke tebing. Sambil merehatkan badan, anda juga boleh melapangkan minda bagi menikmati keindahan hutan hijau di sini serta sesekali terdengar kicauan unggas.
Keseronokan ini bagaimanapun tidak lama apabila kami tiba ke poin penamat iaitu gigi tebing sungai di laluan mendaki ke Resort TNKK, 25 minit kemudian. Oleh kerana perlu segera membersihkan diri, penulis tidak dapat mengikuti beberapa rakan media lain yang juga kaki pancing mencuba nasib memancing ikan kelah di kuala berdekatan. Malangnya nasib tidak menyebelahi mereka apabila pulang hampa dua jam kemudian.
Pengalaman sehari semalam di TNKK bagi penulis serta rakan-rakan media lain cukup untuk memberi gambaran mengenai aktiviti-aktiviti menarik yang ditawarkan kepada pengunjung di Kuala Koh. Perbualan santai bersama Timbalan Penguasa TNKK, Osman Bakar menjelaskan bahawa pembukaan taman negara ini oleh Perhilitan adalah bagi mempelbagaikan lagi pilihan kepada pencinta-pencinta alam.
"Sejak beroperasi pada tahun 1995, kami telah menambah baik beberapa kemudahan di sini misalnya penginapan, laluan masuk serta capaian sistem perhubungan.
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| MELALUI titian kanopi sepanjang 300 meter untuk ke seberang sungai. |
"Nama Kuala Koh tidak segah Taman Negara Kuala Tahan, tetapi apa yang ada di sini tidak ditawarkan oleh hutan di sana, misalnya terdapat tidak kurang 350 spesies pelbagai jenis unggas di sini.
"Malah, sekitar bulan Mei dan Jun, kehadiran pengunjung naik mendadak dan kebanyakan mereka adalah pencinta burung yang ingin melihat unggas itu di sini termasuklah spesis burung kenyalang.
"Bagi kaki pancing, ada tujuh lubuk memancing iaitu enam menggunakan bot dan satu menggunakan jalan darat untuk mencuba nasib mendaratkan ikan kelah, kejor, sebarau, toman, krai atau tenggalan.
"Berbeza di sini, kehadiran terlalu ramai pengunjung di Kuala Tahan juga menyebabkan suasananya berbeza, lantas Perhilitan membuka Kuala Koh bagi mengimbangi jumlah pelancong.
"Jumlah terhad resort dan calet di sini adalah antara langkah Perhilitan bagi mengawal kehadiran pengunjung agar tidak berlaku kebanjiran," ujarnya.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Taman Negara Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, Kelantan
From the sea off the coast of Terengganu I am taking you next to the lush tropical jungle of Taman Negara Kuala Koh. An unfamiliar name to you? To some yes but to the anglers who had been religiously coming back for more fishing, Taman Negara Kuala Koh is a heaven for them. Ever since it was opened in 1995, the only entry to Taman Negara via Kelantan has been a popular fishing point for the most sought after fish called kelah or by its scientific name of tor tambroides. Known for its figthing spirit as well as delicious flesh, anglers will brave whatever the jungle have in store for them for a go after them for the sheer pleasure of it. A live fry fetches more money by the grams than a dead one by the kilogram. That is how precious they are as an aquarium fish.
Actually I was on a mission to Taman Negara to write something about this 1013 sq kms of jungle which is part of the larger Taman Negara covering a total of 4343 sq kms straddling the corners of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan. Pahang has the lion share of 2477 sq kms and Terengganu the remaining 853 sq kms.
Puan Bariah of Global Media Channel Kota Bharu branch engaged me to do a story of Taman Negara Kuala Koh for a soon to be published magazine to be called Qiadah belonging to the Kelantan State Government. I wonder if I am up to it to do a job which I have never done before.
Leaving my Pasir Mas home early on the morning of 30th August 2007, I did manage to reach Taman Negara Kuala Koh's resort office in time for lunch. A detour through the Felda Aring's oil palm plantations made the distance from my home in Pasr Mas to be 196 km and requires 3 hours of travel due to the poor road condition in the plantation. Anyway we managed to reach the resort in one piece without any mishap.
Ample signages to show the way.Since my days with Kesedar, I have been somehow associated with Taman Negara Kuala Koh. One way of association was for me to bring guests to Taman Negara either for fishing or to enjoy the facilities and the jungle ambience, I have to do this due to the nature of my job as the manager of a travel company belonging to my employer. That was when the resort was newly opened in 1995. So going there again now isn't really something unfamiliar to me.
The Park's officeThe resort has changed so much for the better since the days of old. The change was for the better. It seems to be better maintained and most facilities were in good shape. There seems to be additional buildings in the form of a hall with audio visual facilities, a new guesthouse, the hanging bridge reopened after the last great flood which damaged its structure due to crashes by floating logs, the 300 meters canopy walkway is serviceable again, the trails being upgraded and sufficient wooden boats to cater for the many anglers who prefer to find their own place to cast their rods. That is great changes! A new bridge has replaced the rickety wooden one at its very entrance too.
The first thing you have to do upon arrival is to register at the Park's office. If you are tired you can stand on one leg and rest the other leg rest like this fellow did.Checking into chalet number 4, I found the beds to be of much better quality than previously. The attached restroom has been refurbished too. This is comfortable by any standard especially at a rate of RM50 pernight per chalet.
For those who are interested to visit Taman Negara Kelantan, please contact: Nik Nora Hiryani (Manager)
Resort Taman negara Kelantan
+6012 9654788
http://taman-negara-koh.blogspot.com/
Email: nik.nora@gmail.com
She can arrange transport from Gua Musang if you are not driving to the resort. She has packages for you to select.
Read more here.
