I’m meeting up with Geoff and Mel (who flew in from Thailand yesterday for this kayaking trip) later in the city and we’ll be driving from Kuala Lumpur in Geoff’s car straight after work to Lake Kenyir (55km from Kuala Terengganu) in the State of Terengganu about 7 hours drive away. As there’s no accommodation, we’ll be camping out when we get there and will begin our kayaking adventure at first light on Saturday morning. Nice. But before we become part of the foot chain or get trampled on in the middle of the night we would be setting off fire crackers and or light a fire as despite the encroaching development this is still very much tigers and elephants country. Chances are slim that we’ll spot these wild animals anyway but it makes for a good story and I enjoy my fantasy.
Tasik Kenyir while not as big as Lake Toba, it is still the largest man-made lake in South East Asia and it’s twice as big as Singapore even though it is not that big in spite of the fact that some of the ignorant residents there behave and think that it is the center of the world! Lake Kenyir is Malaysia’s largest rock-filled hydroelectric dam.
Geoff being the consummate professional and thorough person that he is has even prepared these trip notes which I have copied and pasted here verbatim: -
Expedition dates - Saturday 17th to Tuesday 20th May 08
Objectives:
1. Enjoy a great environ by kayak with good company
2. Explore the southern and western parts of the lake
3. Explore the caves at Taat and Bewah
4. Explore and possibly climb Gunung Ceragu or Gunung Raung
All of the above are as time, energy and inclination permit.
The plan at this stage is:
Depart KL by car on the evening of Friday 16th May and drive to the hydroelectric dam at Kenyir for the launch point. Note that this is different from the usual starting point for most activities at Kenyir (which is Pengkalan Gawi). If someone is driving up from Singapore via the east coast, we can arrange to meet either at the launch site, or somewhere along the way as necessary.
I have chosen to launch from the hydro electric dam as it is about 25 km south of Pengkalan Gawi and gives us access to the southern and western parts of the lake.
You will be required to camp out on the Friday night after arrival as there is no accommodation.
This will be a camping trip, bring tents, sleeping mat, food and water. Francis will have a water filter which should be effective, and I will also take water purifying tablets. If you have a hammock, bring it as it is often difficult to find flat land to sleep on, but there are plenty of trees.
Proposed route is
Day 1 - paddle to the caves at Bewah/Taat. About 30-35km. There is a campsite somewhere there or bush camp. This will possibly be our longest paddle.
Day 2 Explore caves in morning then paddle along the western shores of the lake as time permits. Bush camp.
Day 3 - head N-E towards the multiple islands in the mid northern section of the lake - explore and camp overnight.
Day 4 - early start to be back at the dam by early/mid afternoon. Drive back to KL in time for flights etc.
If time permits and if people are interested, we can include a climb of Gunnung Ceragu in the centre island on day 2 or 3 but I’m not sure of the logistics of that exercise.
The western parts of the lake are out of phone range. I will have a satellite phone for emergencies. If anyone has 2 way radio sets, they would be most useful. I have topo maps and GPS.
The usual food/equipment/medical issues apply. Be responsible for your own first aid gear.
If uncertain of what to bring, have a look at Huey’s website for some idea. http://www.kayakasia.org/Resources/kayakequipmentchecklist.htm
Bring something to carry your rubbish in.
Potential hazards:
1. Heat - it can be very hot on the lake, particularly in the middle of the day. We should aim to depart early each morning, and find some shady rest in the middle of the day. Protective clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses.
2. Storms/lightning. Keep a good look out (behind as well as in front - as I found out the hard way one time on Kenyir) for potential storm activity. Head for the nearest shore if there is any risk of a storm.
3. Animals - this is tiger country as well as elephants, leopards, and other beasties. While I would regard ourselves to be very lucky to see one, we need to be aware of the potential risk. Light fires at night, if I can find out where to get some firecrackers we can let some off at night also. We will be in the north-eastern section of Taman Negara.
4. Navigation can be tricky in amongst all the nooks, crannies and islands. It is very difficult to lose your orientation so do not rely just on one person to navigate. Bring a compass. Familiarize yourselves with the general shape of the lake beforehand - have a look at Google Earth. I will copy some map sections to distribute.
5. I will contact the Tasik Kenyir Development Authority and notify them of our proposed route and timings.
