Kenyir Lake

People always talk about going overseas for holidays.... it is a bit sad because many of them do not realise how much they miss within their own lands. Recently went to Kenyir Lake for my graduation trip with my form six friends. Though we went on to do different things in university, we kept in touch and went on this holiday to celebrate the end of one chapter of our lives (for most of us anyway)

Rather than staying in a grounded chalet with swimming pools, spas and full facilities, we opt to stay in a boathouse where electricity is only available between 7pm -7am, water is processed from the lake and the bed is just a mattress on the floor instead. Crazy? That is just what we are ^^ Best part? There was no regrets about the trip ^^

The Jetty

This is the jetty. I love the moment when we get off the car or bus and view the ocean/lake for the first time. Just to stand there, stretch a little and absorb the whole scene in front of you. As you can see from the picture, Kenyir is no small lake.

Lake House

The boathouse has 2 floors with the sleeping quarters on the second floor. Most of the time we hung out on the front deck of the boat. The second floor is very hot and stuffy during the day. But who wants to stay in there when they can enjoy the wind and sights on the deck?? The kitchen and toilets are at the back. Most of the facilities are the basics, just enough to get what needs to be done done.

But the kitchen is surprisingly complete up to a full 3 layer steamer! When we sat down for the first meal, we knew why. Lunch and dinner are meals consisting of 1 fish dish, 1 chicken dish, 1 vegetable dish and 1 tofu or egg dish along with soup, rice and fruits for desserts. Breakfast is more simple with fried rice or noodles, or bread with assorted spreads with sausage and beans. There's also tea-time which is sweet soup such as red or green bean soup. Pretty luxurious for a nature trip. Plus, since the whole houseboat is ours, we get to make requests such as the food not being too spicy.

More awesome than the food is having the food while travelling. If you were staying in a chalet and wanted to visit the different places around the lake, you would probably need to sit in a speed boat to get to the place faster. When you are living on a boat, you get to travel at a leisure speed and enjoy a great many things such as having your meals while watching the scenery change, chatting, napping and even playing games such as twister. Life is a journey that is as much about the travel as the destination.

The Boat Crew

From left: Captain Alward, First Mate Man, Zainal aka Sarjan and Bawi

The friendly crew who takes care of all our needs from meals to travelling to places and ensuring our safety during the whole trip. At first we were surprised that the boat needed so many crew, but turns out everyone of them is indispensable. Feel free to ask them questions about the surroundings as they are quite knowledgeable about the area. If you need help with fishing, they are your men.

Sky Lake

At times, we travel upon deep parts of the lake where the surface would so still that you can enjoy the view of the sky on the lake.

Lake of Shiny Waters

Other times when the waters are not so deep, there would be ripples as the boat moves and you will get to enjoy the sparkly lake. Now I understand how Anne of Green Gables felt when she first viewed Barry's Lake. Just so pretty.

Could not resist the water that was so near, so I dipped my toes into the waters ^^

A panoramic view of the lake. Believe me, it is even more breathtaking when you see it for yourself. The whole place is in good condition. The operators take care of maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the lake.

Then came the part I look forward to the most during trips... Waterfalls!!! In the package we took we visited two waterfalls! Awesome possums ^^ There are certain spots that are safer for swimming than others. The crew would guide you to those. The one in the photo above is more for the sight of water falling tiers after tiers.

This area was where we stayed awhile. Found areas to sit/stand and just let the water wash away your stress and worries. Do note that the water is cold! Lovely ^^ Better still is the hot sweet soup for tea time that awaits on the houseboat after you are done splashing in the icy waters.

Next to the natural jacuzzi is a relatively calm area where you can swim or just float...

Woke up early to take a refreshing dip in the waterfall waters. Ah.................

Besides waterfalls, the package also took us to two caves, Gua Bewa and Gua Taat. Bewa is a dry cave while Taat is a wet one where the entrance is submerged during high tides so it depends on the tide if you are able to enter. The photo above is one from Bewa. Standing there is wonderful as you get to feel the gush of wind from the entrance of the cave. If you are worried about creepy crawlies, it would be advisable to just stand there and enjoy the wind ^^

The second cave is worth entering. It is a wet cave, so you can still see stalactites and stalagmites forming. Best is the mineral rocks that sparkles (photo above). After spending time in the dark the light from the entrance of the cave is always welcomed (photo below). You will be surprised at how much better you can appreciate the light when you have been in the dark for some time (try switching off all your torch lights and just listen to your own heartbeat).

Besides caves and waterfalls, there are forests at all night stops where you can go for night trekking. For a small fee, the crew can also take you out on a boat ride in hopes of catching sights of elephants or leopards drinking from the lake. A small group of us went for a short hike and saw elephant treks and poop. So the chances of sightings are quite good I suppose. No guarantees.

If night walks are not your thing, there is always fishing....taking the small boat out for fishing is part of the package.... not really my cup of tea though.... speaking of tea, there is free flow of coffee and tea through out the trip!

Take time to view the flowers and other floras......

not forgetting the variety of fauna that can be found.... above is a millipede with hard shell. I love its colours.....

And if all else fails, at night you can still watch Astro. Surprisingly it works even when all phones cannot be used unless you want to throw it at an attacking bear...... not sure if that will help either ^^ But seriously? Come on! You can do that at home ^^

But if you want to have a mild nature trip with lots of time to spend with friends and family, beautiful sights and wonderful waterfalls, this is the way to do it. For more information you can give their site a visit. They have a variety of packages to fit your wants and needs. Will tell you more about the things you will need to pack and other trips tips in the next post ^^

*dreaming of waterfalls*