Belum Rainforest Resort, Pulau Banding, Gerik, Perak

2D1N Stay at Belum Rainforest Resort, Pulau Banding, Gerik.



     General Information

• Belum Rainforest Resort  is one of Malaysia's premier ecotourism resort set in the midst of a tropical paradise, Pulau Banding. 
• It is located about 373km from Kuala Lumpur and can be reached via North-South Highway in 4 1/2 to 5 hours drive.
• Situated right next to Temenggor Lake, the largest man-made lake in Perak, it is a great gateway to nature with the Belum-Temenggor Rainforest literally at its doorstep and a perfect getaway destination for nature-lovers.  Visitors get to enjoy stunning view of the lake with lush green tropical rainforest as background.
• Belum-Temenggor Rainforest  which is over 130 million years old and with the size of 300,000 hectares is home to a vast number of species of animals and plants, including 3 species of the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia.
• Rooms are designed with contemporary, nature-inspired décor and equipped with modern facilities to make your stay a comfortable one.
• Other facilities  provided by the resort include lounge area, meeting/conference room, restaurant and a prayer room for Muslim (surau).
• Different packages are available for those who just want to stay and relax in the resort or those who want to explore deeper into the rainforest for wildlife/bird watching, Rafflesia spotting, jungle trekking, camping, visit to Orang Asli settlement, fishing or taking a dip in nearby waterfalls.  Those who are lucky might spot 2 of the rarest species of Hornbill in Malaysia, the Plain-Pouched Hornbill and the Great Hornbill around Belum.
• Other activities to choose from are kayaking, round island cruise which costs RM80 per person and requires minimum 5 persons, walk around a small local herb garden in the resort and a walk through Banding Forest Trail which ends up in an Orang Asli village model by the lakeside.
• Board games and traditional games like "congkak" are available upon request.

 

     Useful Tips/Suggestions

• Prepare comfortable clothing and shoes for a walk through the trail.
• Bring along mosquito or insect repellent.
• The best time for deeper jungle trekking in Peninsula Malaysia is during the dry season from March to October.

 

 

 

 



The pretty wooden building is the main lobby and restaurant area.
The staircase leads to the banding forest trail.



 

 

Open areas with picnic tables and benches.

 



Hotel rooms.



 



Well maintained banding forest trail by the lakeside.

 

 

 



 

 



Enjoy lush greenery scenery along the trail.



 

 



Take a peek into the beauty and tranquility of our rainforest.





It so peaceful here! Listen to the birds chirping happily.



 

 





The jetty for kayaking or canoeing.





Our very own mirror lake!



The stunning view is at the end of banding forest trail at the orang asli village model.



East-West Coast Highway at the background.



Here you get to touch the cold water of Temenggor Lake.



Hidden gem at the end of the trail waiting for us to explore.



Catch a glimpse of a pretty butterfly.



Arrived at orang asli village model.



Sit back and enjoy the view.

 

 

 

Overall Belum Rainforest Resort is a relaxing stay for exhausting body and soul of city folks.

A great short getaway from Kuala Lumpur and a perfect stop for those travelling either from West to East or from North to South or vice versa.

 

 

 

Belum Rainforest Resort

Pulau Banding,

33200 Gerik,

Perak.

Tel:  +605 7916800

Fax:  +605 7917600

Website:  http://belumresort.com/

Email:  info@belumresort.com

 

 

GPS Coordinate

N 5 32.595

E 101 20.454   

 From Kuala Lumpur, take the North-South Highway and heads north towards Ipoh.
Take the Kuala Kangsar Exit and heads towards Gerik, bypassing the town of Lenggong.
This highway will take you straight to Pulau Banding.

 

 

 



GPS Coordinate

N 5 32.595

E 101 20.454

 





Day trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, Lanchang, Pahang

 

 

Day Trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary at Lanchang.

 

 

    General Information               

• Also known as Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary or Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre.
• Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is about 98km from Kuala Lumpur and it can be reached in  1 1/2 hour drive via Lebuhraya Karak.
• The centre is set up to rehabilitate abandoned and injured wild elephants before they are released back to their wild natural habitat.  They also help to relocate wild elephants that come into conflict with village fields and plantations to other safer areas.
• The entrance is free of charge but all visitors are required to register at the Visitor Registration & Information building.  Donation is encouraged for the Elephant Trust Fund.
• It is opened daily from 8.30am-4.30pm except on the first day of Hari Raya Puasa but the scheduled activities only start from 1pm-4.30pm.  So the best time to arrive at the centre is around 12 noon to avoid waste of time.
 

 

    Things To Do

• Watch their 30-min video presentation on "The Plight of The Homeless Elephant".  There are a few scheduled video presentation starting from 1pm.
• Learn more facts about elephants from the display at the exhibition hall.
• Get up close with the wild elephants by feeding them bananas and peanuts sold at the stall.
• Have a short ride on the wild elephants.  Number of riders is limited to about 100 pax per day on first come first serve basis.  So need to register at the Visitor Registration  for ride ticket.
• Splash yourself in the nearby river and experience the thrill of bathing the wild elephants in the river under supervision of the elephants' skilled trainers.   The bathing activity might be cancelled if the water level of the river is high.
• There will be a short show showing simple tricks done by the elephants.

 

 

    Useful Tips/Suggestions

• Dress casually and comfortably because it can get very hot in the afternoon.  Don't forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, hat and plenty of water.  There are a few big trees and wooden huts for shade.
• You can bring your own food and drinks because there is not much choice in the sanctuary.  There is a small café inside and some little stalls selling drinks.  You can find a few warongs outside the sanctuary entrance.
• The elephant sanctuary is very popular during weekend and school holidays.  So for those who wish to avoid the crowd, they better plan for a weekday trip.
• Bring a change of clothes and towel (full set) because you will get wet in the bathing activity.  Proper restrooms are available for shower and change.
• Stop by at  Deerland next to the elephant sanctuary to see wild animals like deers, sunbear, snake, hedgehog, peacocks etc.  Open Sat-Thurs 10.30am-5.30pm.  Entrance fees are RM10 for adult and RM5 for children.

 

 

 

 



Elephant Skull.

Comparing size of Asian elephant with mammoth.

Fascinating exhibits in the exhibition hall




Young wild elephants roaming freely in open field with fence.

 

Friends greeting each other :)



 

Say cheese....



Come and feed me :)



They love bananas!



Special experience for kids.



Wild elephants with their respective trainers.



Getting ready for show.

 

Yummy papaya!  Feeding time after the show.



Overall Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is a fun and educational family outing.  Kids enjoyed the activities very much and treasured the opportunity to get up close with wild elephants. 

 

Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary
Kuala Gandah,
28500 Lanchang,
Pahang.
Tel: +609-2790391
Website: http://www.myelephants.org/


GPS coordinate : 3˚ 35’34.4”N and 102˚ 08’37.7”E

From Kuala Lumpur proceed to the Karak Highway and then to the East Coast Highway.
Take Exit 816 to Lanchang.
Follow the signboard to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary at the T-junction.





Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort, Raub, Pahang

2D1N Stay at Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort, Raub.

 

 

    General Information

• Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya in Raub is an eco-resort set in a natural environment surrounded by tropical rainforest and adjacent to clear flowing river.  Here, one gets to experience a tranquil stay in deep jungle without giving up modern comfort.
• The eco-resort is about 85km from Kuala Lumpur (KL) and it is only about 1 1/2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur via Lebuhraya Karak.
• Perfect getaway for adventure seeker, nature lover, yoga practitioner, lovebirds, family outing and corporate function or team building.
• 3 types of accommodation are provided - camping tent with bed, modern and well decorated dormitory and chalet.  Camping tent comes in different size and modern washrooms are provided.
• It is only accessible via 10-minutes off road ride by 4WD jeep to travel deeper into the jungle where the eco-resort is located.  Visitors will be picked up from the parking lot at the bottom of the hill to go up to the resort which is about 1700m above sea level.
• Rates are on per head basis.  Children below 2 years old stay for free.  2D1N Stay Package includes 4 meals (buffet lunch, buffet tea time, BBQ dinner & breakfast), guided jungle trekking to the waterfall, guided night walk and morning walk up to the mountain.  Check in and check out time is 12pm.  Day trip Package costs RM100 flat rate (Children below 2 years old free) and starts from 11am - 6pm.  It includes 2 meals (lunch & evening tea) and guided jungle trekking to the waterfall.  Jungle trekking activity is weather dependent.
• Karaoke, ping pong, carom and board games are available upon request.
• 2D1N itinerary is as follow:

           Day 1: 12.00pm - Check in.

                       12.30pm - Lunch.

                         2.30pm - Trek to Fountain of Youth waterfall & Leap of Faith platform jump  

                                         (optional : river trekking on the way back, need to inform staff/guide)

                                         There are 3 private waterfalls to choose from depending on type and age of

                                         the group participating.  No outsider except visitors and resort guide since

                                         these are private waterfalls.

                         4.30pm - Tea time.

                         7.30pm - BBQ dinner.

                         9.00pm - Save Our Rainforest talk.  All visitors will be given a surprise after the talk 

                                         :).  Guided night walk up to the top of the hill.

                         9.30pm - Movie/Indoor games (carom, board games, ping pong etc).

 

          Day 2 :   7.00am - Peak into Paradise (morning walk up to the top of the hill).

                         7.30am - Breakfast.

                         9.30am - Flying fox (RM20 per person).

                        12.00pm - Depart.

 

 

 

 

    Memorable Experience From The Trip

• The 10-minutes off road ride on their 4WD jeep itself is an adventure.  My kids get really excited about it.
• Trekking to Fountain of Youth waterfall where at one point we need to cross the waist deep river by either holding onto a rope or riding on tyre tubes and guided by the guides to cross.
• Doing Leap of Faith which is a free jump from 15 feet high platform into the green emerald water of the waterfall.  My hubby and my 7-year old son who did it said it was awesome!
• Star gazing from top of the hill.  Night walk to the top of the hill is a must go.  The sight of dark sky full of stars is just too wonderful to miss.  
• Flying fox, first try for my hubby and my 7-year old son.

    What We Have Missed/Not Done

• River trekking back to the resort from the waterfall.  We did not opt for it because we have young kids age 4 & 7 trekking with us.  This should be fun.
• Peak into Paradise morning walk to the top of the same hill from previous night walk.  So we missed out the magnificent morning view.

    Useful Tips/Suggestions

• Do bring extra lock for your vehicle because the parking lot is at the bottom of the hill.
• A pair of good grip sandals will be needed for jungle trekking to the waterfall where you will definitely get wet.
• Torch light or head lamp will be helpful for night walk.
• Mosquito or insect repellent because you will be staying in the jungle.
• Bring your light jacket because it can get quite cold at night.
• After checking out the next day, you can drop by at Tanah Aina Azareena which is a seafood steamboat restaurant for lunch.  The restaurant will be on your right on your way back to Kuala Lumpur from Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya, about 17km or 25-minutes drive away from Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort.  Operating hours is from 11.30am to 10.30pm, closed on Wednesday.  Address: Lot 4753, Jalan Tras, Bentong, Pahang.  The restaurant is built by riverside in a park with some durian trees.

     

Lush greenery view on the way to Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort.
 

Car Park at bottom of the hill.  The steep road leads to Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort.
Visitors will be picked up by resort's 4WD jeep from here.
 

Reception area by riverside.





Welcome drinks for visitors.



Restaurant by riverside where 4 meals will be served.

 

                          

Camp site next to the restaurant.

 

Imagine sleeping in the tent while listening to the sound of insects and river flowing.

A few swings are built at the eco-resort for you to relax and enjoy the greenery view.







All dormitories and chalets are across the river.

 

 

 



Enjoy your breakfast by sitting on the stairs leading to the river.



 



Kids will be excited to see pool of fish swimming in the water.

 



Take a dip in the cold clear water and wash away all the stress.

 

 



Spacious and beautifully decorated chalet room.
 





Washroom is clean but detached, just a few staircase up behind the chalet.



 

Our neighboring chalet.  Some chalets are by riverside with staircase leading to the river for a dip.

 

Spacious balcony for relaxing and enjoying the sound of jungle and river.

Our own 'private pool' is just a few staircase away :).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying fox.

Fountain of Youth waterfall.

The stairs lead to the jumping platform for Leap Of Faith.

Overall stay at Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort is a fun, exciting and adventurous trip to get closer to mother nature.  Good exposure for kids from city especially.

A great short getaway from hustle and bustle of big city like Kuala Lumpur.

 

Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort
8, Jalan Tras,
27600, Raub,
Pahang, Malaysia.

Tel: Juliet +6016 6090493,  Neni +6010 2265815
Website:  http://www.tanah-aina.com
Email:  booking@tanah-aina.com

GPS coordinate: 3.680459,101.832640

From Kuala Lumpur proceed to the Karak Highway.
Take exit 808 to Bentong Barat.
Follow the rest of the direction as shown on Tanah Aina website.
.