Our unforgettable adventure at Royal Belum National Park really began when we left the comforts of the Belum Rainforest Resort (also known as the gateway to Royal Belum) and cruised upon the Temenggor lake waters towards the Sungai Kejar camp where we were to spend the next two nights.  The calm turquoise waters, the rich green landscape and islands that surround us were truly beguiling.  We knew that the 117,500 hectares of land is precious because it was given the Royal status on 31 July 2003 putting it under the protection of the Perak royal family.  The thought of spending the next couple of days exploring the secrets of this highly sheltered and unspoilt virgin rainforest teeming with some of the world’s rarest animals and plants excite us to the core. 

Tuan Haji Silah and Mr. Fad, our seasoned, friendly and informative guides pointed out an assortment of attractions along the way.  We would have missed quite a few captivating moments like the eagle feeding its young perched atop a nest on a tall tree, the female adult tiger running across the plains with its young daughter and the three stork friends that hunt for fish together, had it not been for their experienced and sharp eyes.  They were a veritable fountain of information that heightened our appreciation of what the ancient jungle has to offer.

Salt Licks and Bumbuns

Older than the Amazon forest, the 130-million year old Royal Belum rainforest is a literal playground for some of the most exotic wildlife in the world.  It is one of the remaining places where you can view the animals roaming freely in their natural habitat.  Avid nature lovers can get their fill of wildlife sightings from the two huts called bumbuns stationed near the salt licks located on the north and south part of Sungai Papan.  Salt licks in Royal Belum are natural salt deposits which animals regularly lick to get their much-needed mineral sustenance.  With plenty of elephants, tapirs, deer, rhinoceros, wild boars, bears and about 500 tigers wandering around, the chances are very high that you’ll get to view most of them when you stay overnight at the bumbuns.

Preparation

In the course of getting to these bumbuns or even trekking inside the lush jungle terrains, one would have to do battle with the leeches.  To the fainthearted, leeches are a real dread.  But to hard-core nature lovers, this is good news indeed.  The legions of leeches in Royal Belum rainforest coupled with the profusion of the Strangler fig trees can only mean one thing – the abundance of wildlife contained therein.  Still, it doesn’t mean that trekkers have to give in to them without a fight.  Every morning before trekking, we would begin our ritual of protecting ourselves from the nasty bloodsuckers by coating our feet and arms with insect repellent and drenching our socks with tobacco water.  Some liberally sprayed pesticides like Baygon and Ridsect on their shoes for added protection.  But of course you can forego all that and just get a pair of leech socks.  With suitable waterproof trekking shoes, a poncho in case it rains, comfortable clothing, drinking water and a good guide, you are all set to enjoy your rainforest adventure with nary a worry.

The Elusive Parasite Flower Hunt

Royal Belum rainforest contains 3 out of the 20 known species of the Rafflesia flower.  There really is nothing quite seeing your very first Rafflesia bloom.  Especially when it is made under arduous circumstances.  Firstly, it is difficult to predict when the flower would bloom.  It takes 9 months for the flower to grow to maturity and once it unfurls, it only lasts for about 4 days before it starts to decay.  Rafflesia is at its most glorious on its third day of bloom.  At Royal Belum, there is a weekly check on all ten locations where they reside.  Secondly, only eight of these locations are considered safe for visitors to venture.  Thirdly, there is a permit requirement for all park visitors (4 days for Malaysians and 1 week for foreigners) which makes it difficult to coincide one’s trip with the height of the flowers’ bloom. 

Our first attempt to catch a glimpse of the largest flower in the world was met with disappointment.  We were just shy of a few days before it was scheduled to bloom.  However, our guides did not give up.  On our very last day at the forest, they received report that a Rafflesia Cantleyi was in bloom!  We clawed and crawled our way on the extremely steep and slippery hill where it was located.  Once we feasted our eyes on all 47cm of its third day glory, we heaved a great sigh of satisfaction.  What a priceless moment it was to finally see a rare flower that we have heard of so much about.

Water Frolics

After all that trekking which got us hot and sweaty; a cool dip at the Sungai Ruok waterfalls was just what we needed.  There are 4 waterfalls there filled with plenty of fishes, but one of these waterfalls will be submerged when the water level rises.  According to Fad, waterfalls are favourite tiger hangouts.  They love bathing in the cool running waters and sprawling themselves lazily on the rocks to dry.  The tigers at Royal Belum are well-fed thanks to the plentiful wild boars that they like to feast on.  So, they are not likely to pounce on humans as their food source.  Once, he encountered a tiger sunning itself near the waterfall and it just gave him the once-over before closing back its eyes to sleep.

Rafting was also one of water sports that we indulged in during our stay.  The aborigines made it look so easy, gliding gracefully over the lake waters on their main mode of transportation.  However, when we tried our hands at rafting, we were far from graceful.  There were plenty of shrieks, rip-roaring laughter and frantic rowing instructions of ‘Right, left, right!’ to our teammates as we struggled to balance and coordinate ourselves on the five bamboo shoots tied together that served as our rafts.  It was truly a precarious feat for the uninitiated.

Aboriginal Life

Our Royal Belum experience would not have been complete without a stopover at the Orang Asli (aborigines) village.  We visited the Jahai group from the Negrito tribe at Sungai Kejar.  The gummy smiles of these shorter, dark skinned and curly haired people and their ancient song of welcome done to the rhythmic beats of bamboo shoots (Sewang) warmed our hearts.  The Jahais largely depend upon hunting, fishing and gathering jungle products as their source of livelihood.  Thus the Perak State Park Corporation (PTNP) has prohibited any form of commercial fishing and hunting in the Royal Belum State Park to help these indigenous tribes survive.

After the Sewang performance, two Jahai men gave us a blowpipe demonstration.  For the Orang Asli, it is the single most essential tool for hunting and self-defence.  Some of us tried our luck at popping balloons with the blowpipe.  It wasn’t easy and everyone’s darts fell dismally short from the target.  However, a lady amongst us managed to do so.  How good to know that city folks can do it too!

We were then given a tour around the village that comprised of thatched huts, some vegetation like banana trees and very little else.  Cute little girls clad in colourful sarongs peeped at us shyly from afar.  On sale were handmade products like bangles and wooden combs which some of us bought. By buying local products from the local people whenever possible, we are doing our part in responsible tourism.

Packages

For those who are keen on visiting Belum, there is an array of accommodation and sightseeing packages available.  Belum Rainforest Resort offers comfortable 3-star type deluxe and superior rooms from RM350 per room per night.  They also offer daytrips up to 3 days 2 night adventure packages in the forest area that range from RM30 to RM850 per pax. 

Houseboat services offered by 2 operators in Belum cost from RM1,500 per night.  A houseboat can accommodate a maximum of 20 passengers which works out to be about RM75 per pax per night.  This is a great opportunity to eat, sleep and dine while cruising on the scenic lake and rivers of Belum.  Budget-conscious travellers can shack up at the basic chalets and camp sites available at Pulau Tali Kail for as low as RM5 per night.

Words by Ariel Chew