In the morning, we had hiked to Bukit Indah, and in the afternoon, we continued the walk to the Canopy Walkway which would have taken us 1.5 hours, but because we birdwatched, it took us close to 3 hours. I know. I can hear you gasp too. Along the way, the guide pointed to us a caterpillar inside a flower bud. And since the bud fell, he picked the bud and transferred the caterpillar to another bud so the caterpillar can live. The reason why the caterpillar cannot be transferred to any random plant is because this caterpillar can only feed on this type of flower, and hence, the reason it is there - explanation by my sister as I oohh-ed and ahh-ed.
We were close to the Walkway as we saw the river. Reason is because one can take a speedboat to the entrance of the Walkway. There is a jetty located about 500m from the entrance. I did not want to take the boat because I wanted to enjoy being in the National Park.
And my sister shares some of her shots with fellow trekkers who have similar interest in snapping insects. The trekker is wow-ed by it.
We have reached the steps to the Canopy Walkway. There was a sign that advises anyone who decides to go beyond the point of the steps into the jungle, to hire a guide. First, it is for safety as you are not familiar with the jungle, no matter how experienced you are. Second, the guide can explain to you the flora and fauna and you can appreciate nature better. Basically, those are the 2 main reasons. Anyway, hiring a private guide is expensive. I am not sure if Taman Negara provides guide services at a cheaper price. We were lucky to have one from our resort.
At the Canopy Walkway, there is a sign that states 2.5km to Bukit Indah, from where we came from. After the Canopy Walk, we were going to the Park Headquarters which is located in Kuala Tahan and it is only 1.5km away. There is a proper walkway towards the Headquarters. Not required to walk on the earth.
The Canopy Walkway can only fit a single person. And the distance between 2 persons is 10meter. It was scary as I walked on it, because it is swaying so much. Trivia on the walkway - no nails were used. At the end of the walkway, one has to walk down the steps, and that was shaky too.
After the walk, we had our packed lunch. My sister looks up because she hears a bird call. I just continue my lunch.
We saw a ginger flower. And Peacock Fern that changes colour from blue to green once exposed to the sunlight. Can you see the difference in the colours in the next photo?
Here, we reach the back entrance of Mutiara Resort, the only resort in Taman Negara. It looks very fancy and the price is fancy too.
We went up a hide - a hide is a place where one can see animals from afar. But it is not guaranteed the presence of animals, and hence, one can camp for days in the hide. The next photo is the view from the hide. So green.
My sister sees a fowl along the route. I think it is a fowl, or a species of a bird. And I snapped photos through her camera.
So, we reached the National Park Headquarters at 3pm! Yay for that. It looks empty though. We explored the area for a bit, and went to a swimming pool, which is in the river.
By exiting the Headquarters, one walks through Mutiara Resort to get to the jetty to take the boat to cross over to the other side of the river, where one goes back.
The boat ride from Mutiara Resort to the other side of the river costs RM1 per person. It is very frequent boat rides. At the other side of the river, the guide had the
manager of the resort to pick us by truck because it was faster. And we
were all tired.
Ahh, food! Yummy dinner.
The next day, we took the 8.15am boat ride and were on our way back home. It was definitely a weekend well spent. I will not call this a holiday. In fact, I needed a holiday from this. My leech bites is still around with the mark, and it has been a month plus. Will I come back? Yes, but only to hike Gunung Tahan, if given the opportunity.
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