November 11, 2023
by JungleBoy
2 Comments
Recently I had an enjoyable hike at the Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam (TBNSA) on a day trip that was organized by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). These days, I don’t jungle trek much, so I welcome any hikes I can get. The hike was billed as a chance to see up close, the “crown shyness” phenomenon of some of the jungle trees. This sounded intriguing, so I promptly signed up. Continue Reading →
March 13, 2022
by JungleBoy
2 Comments
After such a long time, I finally got the chance to step foot into the green shade of the rainforest once again. The past 2 years have been difficult for many, including myself, but then, the call of the wild is still strong as ever. To once more inhale the familiar scent of the forest, and hike the paths underneath the stately trees, invokes feelings of déjà vu that only a kaki hutan (jungle lover) would understand. Continue Reading →
November 11, 2019
by JungleBoy
1 Comment
Recently, I attended the Hutan Kita exhibition at the KL Tower (beside the KL Forest Eco Park). The exhibition was meant to showcase the forest heritage of Malaysia and was opened by the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, on August 23, who at the ceremony also declared the National Tree of Malaysia as the Merbau tree (Intsia palembanica). In his speech, Mahathir also claimed that Malaysia had over 55% forest cover (more on that later). Continue Reading →
July 23, 2019
by JungleBoy
4 Comments
The Berembun Forest Reserve in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, is one of the best wilderness areas nearest to the Klang Valley. Together with the newly gazetted Kenaboi State Park (formerly called Taman Alam Liar Negeri Sembilan), these are two good places in Negeri Sembilan for the intrepid nature lover to explore. While Kenaboi State Park’s main attractions are its geological features including Gunung Besar Hantu and the spectacular Lata Kijang, most people visit Gunung Berembun only to hike up the peak or visit an old WW2 plane crash site. But, there is more to the Berembun forest! Continue Reading →
June 12, 2019
by JungleBoy
3 Comments
As a Malaysian, I feel grateful for living in this country, which has no major disasters, unlike many other countries around the world. Blessed with tropical rainforests, beautiful beaches, a resilient economy, and relative low cost of living, Malaysia has always been promoted as a paradise, and indeed this is still largely true.
However, for a small minority, the indigenous peoples (Orang Asli) of Malaysia, life cannot be said to be great, especially if you happen to rely on the forest for your living and sustenance. Logging and destruction of their ancestral lands, and being marginalized and discriminated against, are sadly very common occurrences in Malaysia unfortunately. And for the case for the Bateq tribes living at the fringes of north Taman Negara (the National Park) in Kelantan, at Kuala Koh, it has turned very tragic. Continue Reading →