Boats & Waves...

The resort that we stayed in is situated at the top left corner of Kenyir lake. Direction - North West.

To get there from KL, first we flew to Kuantan, and drove 240km to Kuala Terengganu, where we spent a whole evening touring the town. The next day, we travelled to the jetty, another 50 minutes from Kuala T'ganu. 

The journey was long. But, it was a transition from the city to the countryside. Scenes of grey brick buildings, gas stations, house pets  gradually distanced and faded in sight, only to be replaced by green hills, fruit trees, healthy brown cows and merry, little lambs. The best part was the phones lost its coverage, with every step inched towards the lake. By the time we arrived at the riverside, there was totally no coverage at all! Yes! Cut-off from the outside world!

Setting foot on the river banks of the TNB bridge jetty, is like entering a whole new world. Stepping off from the hard, steel metallic floors of the car, and onto the soft, cool mud, with a whiff of fresh, green grass early in the morning, is sufficient to remind one of our natural ecosystem. Mosquitoes buzzing around our heads, crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and swinging monkeys on the trees were a well harmonized orchestra, creating music that resonated through the woods. 

To enhance the experience, a small perahu that could only accomodate 5-6 persons at any one time, was awaiting us by the river. We stepped into the rusty-red laterite soil, and sat in this simplest, most basic form of transportation. For a moment, we were transported into the era before the creation of bridges, roads, speedboats and helicopters. It would have been perfect had the helmsman-the person who steered the boat used a paddle to row the boat, and a long stick to guide its direction. That would have been like sitting on the gondolas in the Vienna Channels. 

The heat was burning into our skins. Fortunately, the guy used an outboard motor, installed at the rear of the boat powered by gasoline. Within minutes, the engine roared and we were skidding across the surface of the river, creating waves. 

From the looks of it, steering the boat seems so easy. All one had to do was power up the engine and move it to the left or right. Yet, we witnessed a group of tourists who decided to rent a boat and 'drive' it out on their own for a fishing trip , without depending on experienced hands. 

As they selected on the spot to fish, the amateur stopped the engine all of a sudden. His passengers lurched forward and sideways, and dropped into the waters. The boat capsized, along with important travel documents of the keen, young fishermen. As a result, they had to return to the same spot  (this time, with their life jackets on their backs) with another boat, dived near the area of the incident, to search for the lost documents.Fortunately for them, they managed to retrieve their bag of important papers, thanks to the help of the locals.

Note: Never underestimate the process of a seemingly easy job, not unless you've been through it.

Mode of Transportation - Sampan/Perahu

High Waves Generated by this Small, Little Sampan