3D2N Nature Exploration Camp @ Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia.

Explore the nature and learn the rain forest way. Our 3D2N Nature Exploration Camp introduce children to basic survival skills while exploring nature, some basic about flora and fauna of Royal Belum 130 million years rainforest. Exploring the jungle need some skills. Well at least we know the jungle ethics of what to do and don’t. Learn to conserve nature while protecting our massive biodiversity.

2D1N Leisure trip Royal Belum State Park, Perak, Malaysia

Royal Belum State Park leisure trip, so what do we do? Check out list of activities available for our guest during your trip.

Inverterbrates of Royal Belum.

Bring your macro lense and join us in Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia.

Discover Royal Belum 2D1N

To register Click The Poster

Wonderful 2D1N Visit to Royal Belum (16-17th Nov 2013)

Last 16-17th Nov 2013, as part of BOA Visit Malaysia Year 2014 initiative, we spent 2D1N on the Houseboat visiting the Royal Belum and it was a wonderful visit. Eventhough it was a short 2D1N, we had fun visiting the Rafflesia (both species bloomed, Azlanii and Cantleyii), the Jahai tribe, juicy BBQ and rainy night, fun games in the lake, river trekking and fish sanctuary @ Ruok waterfall. Some won the Sleepy Owl award, Ellie the Fat Elephant and Holly the Hornbill.

Here are some photos you to enjoy.

If you like to join us in our 2D1N trip, register yourself by visiting this page. Why not get yourself to the rainforest and spend your weekend with us?

BOA

Jahai Tribe of Belum Valley, Malaysia

The Jahai are one of the nineteen Orang Asli people groups living in Peninsular Malaysia. They are classified under the Negrito (or Semang) subgroup. They refer to themselves as Jah Jehai or Orang Semang.

The Jahai, like all other ethnic groups of the Negrito, are generally of short stature with darker skin and have more curly hair. Jahai settlements are by the rivers and lakes located in the Jeli district of Kelantan and the Hulu Perak district of Perak.

One such settlement is at the edge of the Temengor Lake located in the State of Perak.

Good Morning Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia

Lenggong Valley : Perak Man

If you on your way to Royal Belum, you will pass by Lenggong, a town full of exciting adventures in heritage, nature and home to Perak Man, the oldest human skeleton found in Malaysia was in the state of Perak in Peninsular Malaysia. Recently, Lenggong has been awarded the World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Excerpt from Wikipedia and Zuraina Majid:

Perak Man was found at Gua Gunung Runtuh, a cave of his final resting place situated in Bukit Kepala Gajah or Elephant’s Head Hill in the Lenggong Valley of Ulu Perak. The skeleton was a male with a height of approximately 157 cm, aged 50s. It was discovered in 1991 and the skeleton has been dated to around 11,000 years old. In 2004, another skeleton was found at Gua Teluk Kelawar in Lenggong, Perak by a team of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) archaeologists. This time it is a ‘Perak woman’ of 148 cm in height and was believed to aged 40s.

The Perak Man dates to about 11,000 years before present, and is one of the most complete skeletons for this time period in this region.

He was buried in the fetal position, i.e. with legs tucked towards chest, his right arm touching shoulder and his left arm bent so that his hand would rest on his stomach. Besides that, they found deposits of animal bones at right shoulder, to his left and to his bottom, and deposits of stone tools around the body. They also did not find any other burials in the cave.

Forensically speaking, the Perak Man was probably a man – we can’t tell for sure because his pelvis wasn’t well preserved. That’s the surest way you tell whether a skeleton was male or female, but a lot of the other bones exhibited strong male characteristics so he was probably Perak Man rather than Perak Woman. He shared the characteristics of an australomelanesoid, which is the kind of humans you find in Australia, Papua, Indonesia and some parts of Malaysia. He wasn’t very tall, he stood about 154 cm, which is about 5 feet. The bones that were found deposited near him were identified to have come from wild boar, monkey, monitor lizard and something called the rusa, which is a kind of deer, and are thought to be food deposits. As for the stone tools, there were about ten of them scattered around the body, and most of them were pebble tools and some hammer stones.

There were two significant facts about the Perak Man skeleton. The first was that he had a malformed left hand, meaning his left arm and hand were much smaller compared to his right arm and hand. This deformity could be from a genetic disorder known as brachymesophalangia. This evidence is further supported by the fact that his spine is curved towards the right due to living with only one good hand. The second interesting fact about the Perak Man was that despite his handicap, he lived to be about 45. This is considered a ripe old age for his time period. And especially when you consider that he might have been a hunter-gatherer, with only one good hand you can’t really hunt or gather very well and so living to 45 with that kind of handicap is pretty exceptional.

What does all this tell us about the Perak Man and the society he lived in? One conclusion that the study made was that he must have been a pretty high-up member in that society because the burial was very elaborate. They dug a pit, and then put him into the pit and then placed the food offerings, and then covered him with small shells, and then place more offerings and tools, and then another shell layer, followed by a final dirt layer. That was pretty labour intensive – when there tends to be a lot of labour and a lot of time invested into a burial, it’s not unreasonable to infer that this person was someone of high importance. Also to support that theory, he was 45 years old and he was very old for a person from that time period with a disability as well. If you were in a hunter-gatherer society and you couldn’t hunt very well, people had to take care of you – and people don’t take care of you unless you were respected or there was some sort of hierarchy in place where he was respected. That’s another reason to support the social hierarchy theory. And of course there was burial with grave goods – there were food offerings and tool offerings and that’s another indicator of social hierarchy. People who get buried with burial deposits often tend to be people of higher status.

Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenggong

Rafflesia Flower Facts

Rafflesia

Rafflesia is the world’s largest, the heaviest, the rarest and the one of the most stinkiest flowers in the world. It grows to 1 metre wide and weighs about 10 kgs.

Rafflesia, a native of rainforests of Thailand, Malaysia and in the Indonesian Archipelago, is the largest flower in the world. Interestingly, Rafflesia is a parasitic plant without any leaves, stems and roots (It has only nutrient-absorbing threads to absorb nutrients from the host on which it lives) but for the largest flower.

Rafflesia flower has a small lifecycle of 5-7 days. Rafflesias have their stamens and pistils fused together in a central column, producing a corona, or crown, in the shape of a ring. The reddish brown colors of the petals, are sprinkled with white freckles. The smell attracts the carrion flies and then pollination occurs. After 9 months of maturation, Rafflesia plant opens into a cabbage-sized bud. The sexual organs are located beneath the rim of the disk.

Facts About Rafflesia Flower

– Rafflesia is the largest individual flower. Titan arum bears the largest inflorescence.
– Rafflesia is a parasite which attaches itself to a host plant, Tetrastigma vine, which grows only in undisturbed rainforests, to obtain water and nutrients.
– The genus Rafflesia is named after adventurer and founder of the British colony of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.
– Rafflesia is the official state flower of Sabah in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province, Thailand.
– Rafflesia manillana, the smallest species in the genus Rafflesia is also has 20 cm diameter flowers.
– Rafflesia flowers are unisexual.
– Forest mammals and tree shrews feed on Rafflesia fruit which is 15cm in diameter, filled with smooth flesh and thousands of tiny hard coated seeds.
– It is believed that rafflesia is related to poinsettias, violets, passionflowers, and other members of the order Malpighiales.
– The rotten smell of the flower is due to the reddish tentacle-like, branched ramentae, inside the corolla of petals.
– Rafflesia is an endangered or threatened genus.
– Rafflesia arnoldii does not have chlorophyll, as all the green plants have and so it cannot undergo
photosynthesis.

Species found in Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia

Rafflesia Azlanii

Rafflesia Kerii

Rafflesia Cantleyii

Other Species around the region.

Rafflesia Arnoldii

Rafflesia Balatei

Rafflesia Banahawensis

Rafflesia Bengkuluensis

Rafflesia Gadutensis

Rafflesia Hasselti

Rafflesia Keithii

Rafflesia Leonardi

Rafflesia Lobata

Rafflesia Manillana

Rafflesia Microployra

Rafflesia Mira

Rafflesia Panchoana

Rafflesia Patma

Rafflesia Pricei

Rafflesia Rochusseni

Rafflesia Schadenbergiana

Rafflesia Speciosa

Rafflesia Tengku Adlinii

Rafflesia Tuan Mudae

No Photos and Unverified Species

Rafflesia Borneensis

Rafflesia Ciliata

Rafflesia Titan

Rafflesia Witkampii

Extensive research has been don eon Rafflesia flowers, either by locals of international bodies. Some of them are:

1. http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/pakdin/Rafflesia/conservation.html

2. http://www.dawama.com/Rafflesia-Bunga-Terbesar-di-Dunia/q?pid=1858&doit=order

3. http://rafflesia-flowers.blogspot.com/2008/03/prof-dr-kamarudin-mat-salleh.html

4. http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/311-the-dangers-of-using-rafflesia.html

Many more can be found on the internet or research facilities.

Waterfall Adventure @ Royal Belum State Park

Get motivated the outdoor way!!

“Motivation is a term that refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors. For instance: An individual has not eaten, he or she feels hungry, as a response he or she eats and diminishes feelings of hunger. According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in a basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality. Conceptually, motivation should not be confused with either volition or optimism.[1] Motivation is related to, but distinct from, emotion”.

Well that is the term which I fell asleep while reading it! In short, are you looking for something different just to lift up your mood? or perhaps you and your co-worker? Your employees? Your team? Well do something about it. Go out and talk to people, find something interesting or challenging to do, even for a short period of time like weekend or public holidays. Go out of the ordinary. Make that decision, feel the changes and the freshness afterwards. Enjoy the nature.

Fortunately, that’s what we do, we offer some interesting 2 days and 1 night outdoor packages so that we can bring back your mood at work place. Feel happy in life, bring back the motivation to perform and to become a better person. Don’t let your friends decide. You must decide for yourself. Hey, its your life.

Call us at +6010-342-4848 or email us at belum.outdoor@gmail.com and find out what’s going on during our normal workdays which is Saturday and Sunday!

Go Green 2012.

Happy new Year 2012. Lets Go Green!!

This year, let make a pledge to go green. What does it mean?

Going green refers to the adoption of earth-friendly practices that center on conservation efforts, finding alternative fuel sources, using natural resources wisely and, in general, making ecologically responsible decisions. The concept of going green evolves as we gain a better understanding of the impact of our habits and lifestyles on the environment.

Identification

Going green means “pursuing knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles,”. Adopting a green lifestyle is not simply an effort to take better care of the earth for the earth’s sake, but it serves to protect our health and to “sustain natural resources for current and future generations,”.

Several practices are synonymous with going green, including switching to renewable resources, reducing our carbon footprint and embracing sustainability. To better understand going green, you need to understand the “going green” lingo.

Renewable Resources

Renewable resources refer to energy sources such as wind, solar power and hydro power that are continuously replenished. Currently, fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas “provide more than 85 percent of all the energy consumed worldwide. Even though efforts are underway to produce cleaner, more efficient fossil fuels, the green initiative toward renewable energy holds more promise for reducing pollution and conserving natural resources.

Carbon Footprint

Carbon footprint refers to “the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide,”. Gases that produce the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, which are released as a result of burning fossil fuel. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally at a rate of approximately 0.1 billion tons a year, but industrial activity and forest destruction increases carbon levels to 10 billion tons yearly.

Sustainability

The concept of sustainability, like the idea of going green, is too complex to reduce to a single definition. Go Green initiative suggests that sustainability practices ensure “that our children and grandchildren inherit a tomorrow that is at least as good as today, preferably better.” Sustainable living means using only what you need, taking care of the land, using reusable products and reducing waste. Any action you take to conserve resources in an earth-friendly manner could be considered sustainable.

Considerations

Going green is an individual initiative and a global initiative. You can make small adjustments in your lifestyle that will reduce your carbon footprint, which consequently contributes to the global initiative. You can also participate in large-scale shifts toward greener living by staying abreast of environmental issues that affect your family now and in the future. Each time you make a conscious decision to conserve natural resources, you take another step toward green living.

The Environmental Protection Agency offers tips for going green on its website. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/152375-define-going-green/#ixzz1jFjuHx5g

Source: Science Daily, Go Green Virginia and Arkansas.Gov

BOA Perak Eco-Adventure Trip

Up for a challenge of a lifetime? On Day 1, check in into Gopeng rainforest night and relax yourself while we entertain you with local foods and performance. Ice breaking is a must and we’ll prepare you with the trip schedule.

On Day 2, you’ll face the unexpected underground experience in the mystical – eerie – Kandu Cave and for a chance to shoot trough the rapids of Kampar River all in a day! Caving is perfect for you if  you’re scared of the dark, for what is a great outing if not to take you out of your comfort zone? Face your fears! By the end of the day you would have conquered your claustrophobia and achluophobia!

The clear water of Kampar River (Class I-III) is suitable for anyone who is physically fit and those who crave for mild technical adventure whilst safely enjoy a rafting trip.

On the river, you’ll have the thrills of tackling exciting rapids and floating down the clear water river amidst a lush rainforest. You will ride the continuous rapids graded from class I-III, and continue down river, passing by some old tin mining plains. Have fun during the rafting like do some body-rafting or even take a spin in the raft with your head in the water….or just get to the traditional fun of water fight with your fellow rafters! Get wet and get in touch with nature once more!

On Day 3, you will experience the best of nature, 130 million years rainforest. Setup your camp and we will guide you through insect bites, leeches and roar of tigers at night. If you think rainforest is so quiet, come experience the nature yourself! Its a jungle out there!! If on Day 1, you raft on rubber and glide through rapids, now you’ll have the experience of the natives, build your own bamboo raft (we will give you bamboos and ropes of course) and paddle it down to Orang Asli village for some traditional dance and blowpipe presentation. You can try it, but please don’t try it at home.

On Day 4, you’ll get closer to nature when we jungle trek to wild animal observation tower and if we are lucky, mouse deer, wild boar, or even tigers will come and sip from their salt lick while we watch on the hut quietly. Dip yourself into the cool and fresh waterfall of Ruok, where Kelah (mahseer) fish is breed and release to the lake. Its like going to fish spa, thousands of Kelah will surround you while you are in the water. Don’t think of Piranha, this Kelah fish don’t eat flesh. You then wil check out from Royal Belum and indulge yourself into nice bed of Banding Lakeside Inn and spent the night with fresh local BBQ by the swimming pool.

On Day 5, get yourself active again and release your stress by shooting paintballs, glide through our flying fox and rock climbing. if you think you are tough enough to experience this 5 days and 4 nights hectic eco-adventure activities, pack your bags and call us! All the trip schedule can be altered to fit you schedule and timing.

Royal Belum : Activities & Photos

Low impact activities and photos towards Biodiversity and Conservation of Royal Belum, Temenggor Forest Reserve area  and other surrounding areas. Its educational and fun!

Photography Part 2 @ Royal Belum / Temenggor

BOA Outdoor Trails: Ulu Kenas Recreational Forest, Kuala Kangsar, Perak

Located in the district of Kuala Kangsar, Perak Darul Ridzuan. Coordinates of the park is  N 4 41.350   E 100 53.217

Ulu Kenas Recreational Forest is rich in flora and fauna of tropical rainforest. The main forest type is Hill Dipterocarp Forest. Others include Dipterocarp palm forest, upper hill dipterocarp forest, oak-laurel forest and montane ericaceous forest. The park is a popular mountain climbing destination of Gunung Bubu (1657m). Sungai Kenas flows through the park. The park is situated within Bubu Forest Reserve. The park is home to many endemic plants and wild herbs found in the upper reaches of the park. Shady keruing neram (Dipterocarpus Oblongifolia) trees on the river banks provide scenic and panoramic view of the cascading river.

Getting to the park: Roads suitable for all vehicles to the park. Use the Kuala Kangsar to Manong main road and turn into the park at Kampung Ulu Kenas. Public transport available along Kuala Kangsar – Manong road. Visitors using bus need to walk for 2 km to the park from the main road. A taxi can be hired from Kuala Kangsar or Ipoh.

BOA Outdoor Trails: Bukit Larut, Taiping, Perak

Bukit Larut is Malaysia’s oldest hill station and founded in 1884. It is located just ten kilometres from quiet Taiping town of Perak. Formerly it was called Maxwell Hill. Bukit Larut is approximately 1250m above sea level. It is located in the wettest part of the country, this hill station experiences the highest rainfall in the country.

Bukit Larut is not nearly as developed as more celebrated hill resorts such as the Cameron or Genting Highlands. However, it preserves much more of the atmosphere of a colonial hill station, with modest, welcoming bungalows, carefully cultivated gardens, and a pervasive atmosphere of cool quietude. Reaching the top of the hill requires a four-wheel drive vehicles. Since private vehicles are not allowed, the resort authority caters to this service. A land rover is available at the foot of the hill. It leaves every hour from 7am to 6pm.  30 minute drive up the steep bends will bring you to the top. The narrow winding road was reportedly built shortly after World War II and was completed in 1948.

The road up twist and turns through tropical virgin jungle, and fresh green fragrance and cool air greeting you as you ascend. In the past, coffee and tea were grown on an experimental basis but seized to continue due to transport and logistic complexities. Midway to the top is the Tea Garden House situated. That was once part of an tea-estate. The view at this point is magnificent and features the entire Taiping town as well as the Lake Gardens. Also visible are the suburbs of Aulong and Simpang and the 19km stretch of Taiping – Port Weld road.

At the summit you are treated to a spectacular view of the West Coast of the peninsula. On a clear day, it is possible to view the sweeping coastline stretching from Pangkor Island to Penang. Visitors are usually enthusiastic about attempting an invigorating climb to the Cottage, which incidentally happens to be the only accessible summit. The hill is riddled with groves of evergreens and vibrantly colorful flora and fauna. Nowhere in Malaysia will you witness a wide canvass of roses, dahlias, daisies, pansies, petunias, lupines and marigold abound in profusion. The cool climate also favours golden sunflowers, reputedly the largest variety in the country. To top it all there is a waterfall for cool fun.

Bird life here is plentiful. The best trail for bird watchers is the Gunung Hijau Trail, which spirals up towards the summit of Gunung Hijau, one of the peaks of the hills. The unspoilt mountain forest is also home to smaller fauna such as gibbons and squirrels, while its flora comprises species such as wild orchids, Mountain Giant Fishtail Palm and many species of bracken-like ferns. Besides leisurely strolls through verdant flower gardens or indulging on relaxation spots, visitors also have the option of playing tennis, 1115 meters above sea level, just below the clouds.

There are a few bungalows and a rest house available up the hill for rent. The costs is around RM 38 for a room to about RM 400 for a bungalow per night. The hill resort is a marvellous place for those who treasure silence and peace, and those that like to seek a sanctuary above the clouds.

For details, please contact:
Ketua Bahagian Pelancongan, Pendidikan & Seranta
Majlis Perbandaran Taiping
Tel : 05-8080777 extension 215
Fax : 05-8053928

BOA Outdoor Trails: Matang Mangrove Forest, Larut, Perak

Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is the largest single mangrove forest in Peninsular Malaysia, covering an area of 40,151ha. It is one of the world’s best well-managed mangrove swamp in Perak.

Mangrove ecosystems are highly productive and represent the life support systems for fisheries, forestry, medicine, food and other products. Within this mangrove swamp are found multitudes of tree species, birds and marine life which is a heaven to nature lovers.

Other attractions there are the charcoal ovens which produce charcoal out of selected mangrove trees, fish rearing and the picturesque fishing village.

GETTING THERE:

The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is located in the Larut Matang District, in Perak, Malaysia.For visitors coming from Kuala Lumpur, access from the North-South Highway and take Changkat-Jering Interchange (Exit 146). For visitors coming from Penang, take Exit 148 Kamunting/Taiping. Take the road towards Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld). Ask for directions if necessary. The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is about 2 km from the pekan of Kuala Sepetang.

BOA Outdoor Trails: Royal Belum, Gerik, Perak

BOA Outdoor Trails: Wildlife Conservation Center, Sungkai, Perak

Situated within the 2468 hectares at the Sungkai Wildlife Reserve, the Sungkai Wildlife Conservation Centre is a complete conservation complex run by the DWNP for the reeding of pheasants, seladand and deer. The facilities available at the centre are breeding cages for pheasants and hornbills, paddocks for the Sambar deer, paddocks for Deer, paddocks for Malayan Gaur, egg incubators, pheasant hatchling laboratory and isolation cages. All the deer and Malayan Gaur are managed intensively for breeding purpose.

There are 62 Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor), 12 Timor Deer (Cervus timorensis) and 11 Malayan Gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) including calves and adults. In addition, there are five species of Hornbils, including the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis), the Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris), the Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus) and the White-crowned Hornbill (Aceros comatus). There are also six species of pheasants that are being bred here that includes the Malayan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron malacense), Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus), the Crestless Fireback (Lophura erythropthalma), the Great Argus (Argusianus argus), the Mountain Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum) and the Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita).