 | Negeri Selangor Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 21 |  |
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Miscellaneous Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (21) Take the Kerinchi Link from Mont Kiara or Bandar Utama and get onto the Federal Highway. Just near MidValley (on your left) are various underpasses.
Look for underpass (exit E2) to Seremban, Cheras and Kajang. Keep on the right lane towards Cheras and Kajang. There will be a toll just ahead. After the toll, continue along this road (housing estates on both sides of the road and past Plaza Phoenix), till you get to the Batu 9 Cheras Toll (also known as the Grand Saga Highway Tollgate). Immediately after paying the toll, keep left and look out for the Green & White road signs that say Ulu Langat & Air-Terjun (it means Waterfall). Leave a Comment |
This tip continues from the previous one.
After paying the toll at the Batu 9 Cheras Toll Gate, take the left exit. Reset your speedometer to zero. From this toll to the Sg. Congkak turnoff is about 22 km.
You will drive past a market (lots of activity in the mornings) and some shops. The next landmark is the Batu 9 Police Station (on your right). Here the road has a "Y" junction, take the left fork and continue along this road towards Ulu Langat.
You may see a green and white sign that says "Air Panas 10 and Air Terjun 21". Along this single-lane road, there are numerous durian & rambutan stalls, a few stand alone bungalows, and some shops and tiny towns. The next major kampung is Pekan Batu 18, with a large mosque at the centre of town. Continue along the same road which will become a bit windy. From Pekan Batu 18, it is about 3 km to the turnoff to Sg Congkak Forest Reserve (Hutan Lipur Sg Congkak), which is on your left.
Drive through a small road through what looks like the back of some people's backyards and you will also be able to see the river on your left. Dotted along the river are make-shift huts, stalls and eco-camps.
Continue along this road till you get to the privately run car park (see picture). You can park your car here for RM2.00 per day. You can also park overnight - just inform the guy who minds the place. He'll keep an eye out for your car.
A word on handphones: Once you get into the park, handphone coverage is practically nil for both 012 (MAXIS) and 016 (DIGI). Leave a Comment |
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It was my son's first visit to a "jungle" and he was delighted! He was in high spirits, and jumped & skipped instead of walking.
There are several very basic chalets and campsites at Sg. Congkak. I have trekked as far as Campsite No 6. During my previous two trips, we had made camp at Campsite No. 5. I have written a couple of tips on it, under accomodation.
However, during this trip with the kids, as we were not planning an overnight stay, we just continued walking from the main gate till we found a shady spot by the river where there was no one around. And now, on to the next tip. Leave a Comment |
One of the best kept secrets in the state of Selangor is the Forest Reserve of Sungei Congkak ("Hutan Lipur Sungei Congkak"). I have visited it three times in the past few years with the most recent time being on 18 June 2005, a day before Father's Day.
The picture posted here was taken in 2003, when my daughters and I went camping there with some friends.
If you want to know more, do keep on reading the next few tips. Leave a Comment |
~This story continues from the previous tip~
After getting over the initial cold, we soon settled down on various rocks and each person had their own favourite "hot-spot" (that's what my girls called it). Then everyone started feeling hungry, so my husband climbed back up to where we had left out stuff and brought the sandwiches & fried nuggets down to the river.
So, there we were, seated on the rocks and munching away. We put the water bottles into the river to keep the water cold. Ah, it was very pleasant and time seemed to have no meaning.
The good thing was that after lunch, my son seemed to settle in and became quite comfortable. He was soon splashing in the water with his sisters. We too became bolder and soon immersed our whole bodies into the river!
~continued in the next tip~ Leave a Comment |
My four year old son did not take to the water straightaway. I was not surprised, because I found the water to be ice-cold too!
I was delighted to see little fresh-water fishes in the water and when we stepped in, they came to nibble on our toes! My son really didn't like that at all, although I found it to be merely ticklish and a bit amusing. Being a true city boy, he also didn't quite like what he called the "water spiders" (tiny thin insects with long thin legs, that scate on the surface of the water). There were also red and blue dragon flies and tiny butterflies, but he didn't seem to mind those.
The story continues in the next tip.
muddybok sent me this reference on common water striders. Click to know more about this special insect. It is a natural predator to the mosquitoes. The other insect that you will like to have around to keep mosquitoes at bay, is the dragon fly. Do smile when you see the water strider and the dragon fly, because they eat those nasty mozzies! Leave a Comment |
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The Ulu Langat district is the home of local durians and mangosteens - which are grown by small-land holders who live in the area. Indeed, as you drive from Cheras towards the Sg Congkak Forest Reserve, you will see many durian trees and durian stalls, such as the one shown in the picture, dotting the road side.
While durian & rambutan trees were plentiful, it was not as easy to find mangosteen trees. However, I did see at least one old tree laden with fruits along the village road near the Forest Reserve area. A tall tree, the mangosteen tree bears many fruit, but is rarely grown for commercial purposes, as it takes a mangosteen tree a good ten years before it begins to fruit. On the tree, the fruit is still green, but once it ripens, it will turn purple.
For more information on how much to pay for durians, please check out my shopping tips. Leave a Comment |
A day out at the Forest Reserve can be made even more fun if you rent a bike here. When we were there in May 2005, we noticed that there were bikes for rental at a low rate (RM3-5 per hour) at the park entrance. The bikes were suitable for bigger kids and adults and looked pretty new and in good shape. I also noticed that some kids bringing their own bicycles to the park.
The path within the Forest Reserve is suitable for cycling, and comfortable due to the mature and shady trees, but do watch out for the cars and motorbikes (such as ice-cream vendors).
Cars are not allowed within the forest reserve, however, for those renting the chalets, they are allowed to drive in. Leave a Comment |
The sign shows the opening hours of the Forest Reserve and charges. Please click on the picture to enlarge it.
Adults pay RM1.00 and entry is free for children.
For enquiries on camping & other activities, please call the phone number listed : 03-5519 4545.
Nearby, there are also a number of private operators whom you can borrow camping gear from and even get a generator set for use at night. Leave a Comment |
In someone's garden ~ this is the first time in my life to spot a white hibiscus! Lucky day indeed : ) Leave a Comment |
More Negeri Selangor Tips |
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on July 5, 2005
on April 19, 2004
