(please click on photo to enlarge and click play on video attached)
On the 20th June 09, I rode with Kwa and Chew from Klang to meet up with the XtremeFreedom Bikers at the BHP station after the Gombak toll. We were joining them for the ride to Taman Negara. CM met us there after having arrived from Penang a few days earlier. After all the riders have arrived, Ong the leader of XtremeFreedom Bikers, briefed the group on the ride and there was a photo shoot (XtremeFreedom). Then we were on the way, riding on the Karak Highway and heading for the Temerloh exit. There were 12 bikes all in all plus a few cars with families (wives and kids). There’s a GTR, 4 Versys, 2 BMW, a couple of Kawa Z series, a Fazer and 1 EN500.
Those of you who are familiar with the Karak Highway will know that there are a few curves to be enjoyed along the way. And although the group consists of quite a diverse bunch of riders (some fast and some not so fast), it was not long before that everyone settled into the ride. The guys were really taking to the curves as if duck to water. You could see the smooth flow of bikes along the highway and this was quite a sight especially, if you happened to be riding at the back of the pack. The ride to the Temerloh exit was uneventful and pleasant. The weather was fine. It was not hot even when we started a little close to 9 am.
Soon we approached the exit and as planned, we had to regroup after the exit. After exiting the toll and waiting for a few minutes, all were riders were accounted for and we proceeded towards the traffic light (T junction) to turn right towards Jerantut, the next destination. But before getting into Jerantut, the group would have to refill at a station about 50km away.
While approaching the T-junction, we all slowed to a stop as the light was red. I turned to the BMW at my left to talk to him but the lights turned green. All the bikes began to zoom off to the right. I turned my throttle, expecting to follow them, but the bike didn’t move! Somehow, while at the junction, my engine died and I did not notice it. So I tried to re-start the bike a few times but was unsuccessful. I sepnt about an hour at this junction before the bike would start again, and it was with the help of Kwa and CM who had back track to help me. What happened? Well….that’s a different story. :-(
After having successfully starting the bike, we rode into Jerantut to rejoin the main group who were havin
g lunch. And since we came in late, Kwa, CM and I sat at a smaller table in the restaurant, where the main group had already ordered and had gone thru their lunch. The restaurant’s owner, taking our orders somehow thought we latecomers also wanted the same dishes as the main group and started to propose the various dishes. Ong asked the owner to speed it up for us as we latecomers were hungry. Some of us needed to go to the bathroom and with all these happening simultaneously, confusion reigned. We did not realized what was ordered until the food came. There was fried hor fun, “manee choy” and a steamed Patin fish. Well, we were hungry, so we ate. It is only when we were paying for the meal that we realized it costs us RM165!!! This was one expensive lunch and the fish alone costs us RM143!!! In case you are wondering where this restaurant is at, it is the
On the 20th June 09, I rode with Kwa and Chew from Klang to meet up with the XtremeFreedom Bikers at the BHP station after the Gombak toll. We were joining them for the ride to Taman Negara. CM met us there after having arrived from Penang a few days earlier. After all the riders have arrived, Ong the leader of XtremeFreedom Bikers, briefed the group on the ride and there was a photo shoot (XtremeFreedom). Then we were on the way, riding on the Karak Highway and heading for the Temerloh exit. There were 12 bikes all in all plus a few cars with families (wives and kids). There’s a GTR, 4 Versys, 2 BMW, a couple of Kawa Z series, a Fazer and 1 EN500.
Those of you who are familiar with the Karak Highway will know that there are a few curves to be enjoyed along the way. And although the group consists of quite a diverse bunch of riders (some fast and some not so fast), it was not long before that everyone settled into the ride. The guys were really taking to the curves as if duck to water. You could see the smooth flow of bikes along the highway and this was quite a sight especially, if you happened to be riding at the back of the pack. The ride to the Temerloh exit was uneventful and pleasant. The weather was fine. It was not hot even when we started a little close to 9 am.
Soon we approached the exit and as planned, we had to regroup after the exit. After exiting the toll and waiting for a few minutes, all were riders were accounted for and we proceeded towards the traffic light (T junction) to turn right towards Jerantut, the next destination. But before getting into Jerantut, the group would have to refill at a station about 50km away.
While approaching the T-junction, we all slowed to a stop as the light was red. I turned to the BMW at my left to talk to him but the lights turned green. All the bikes began to zoom off to the right. I turned my throttle, expecting to follow them, but the bike didn’t move! Somehow, while at the junction, my engine died and I did not notice it. So I tried to re-start the bike a few times but was unsuccessful. I sepnt about an hour at this junction before the bike would start again, and it was with the help of Kwa and CM who had back track to help me. What happened? Well….that’s a different story. :-(
After having successfully starting the bike, we rode into Jerantut to rejoin the main group who were havin
g lunch. And since we came in late, Kwa, CM and I sat at a smaller table in the restaurant, where the main group had already ordered and had gone thru their lunch. The restaurant’s owner, taking our orders somehow thought we latecomers also wanted the same dishes as the main group and started to propose the various dishes. Ong asked the owner to speed it up for us as we latecomers were hungry. Some of us needed to go to the bathroom and with all these happening simultaneously, confusion reigned. We did not realized what was ordered until the food came. There was fried hor fun, “manee choy” and a steamed Patin fish. Well, we were hungry, so we ate. It is only when we were paying for the meal that we realized it costs us RM165!!! This was one expensive lunch and the fish alone costs us RM143!!! In case you are wondering where this restaurant is at, it is theRestoran Tokyo, located at S1 & S2 Taman Intan in Jerantut. But I must be honest as well. The restaurant had a sign in Chinese stating the price of fish in per 100gm. Unfortunately, we d
id not see earlier on. It is only when we returned the next day to order lunch (but no fish) that we saw the sign. I suspect that this restaurant is famous for the fishes they serve. Why? Cos’ when we were having lunch, delivery came with a big fish. It is really very much bigger than the one you would see in the markets.
After lunch, the group proceeded towards Kuala Tahan, which is part of Taman Negara. After a short distance of about 15 mins, we turned off the main road at a sign pointing towards Taman Negara. This road was narrower and not very well maintained. There were some holes and it was quite common to see small stones on the road. After a while, we went thru a stretch of the same road that was very oily. There were palm tress around and we were going thru a plantation. I guess this is due to the oil palm fruits falling off the trucks which carried them from the plantations for processing. Probably during the journey, some of the fruits had falled off onto the road and got crushed. Overtime, this crushed fruits left behind the oily layer on the road. 2 wheelers must be very careful when passing thru this stretch. I dread to think what it would be like when it drizzles and the film of oil is brought to the surface on the road!
The journey to Kuala Tahan had some interesting stretches with curves and it undulates with slopes that prevent riders from seeing over the top of the slope until you are up on it. Usually when I ride, I tend to use my sights as the primary source to read the road ahead. Due to the limitations on the use of sights, navigating thru this particular road would require o
ne to depend on road signs as a major source of input to help us anticipate what lay ahead, e.g. the road curving to the left or right. Anyway, after riding for about an hour, we finally reached Kg. Kuala Tahan. We would be staying at the Persona Village Resort, which is about 10 mins bike ride to the jetty.
Persona Village Resort is divided into 2 parts. The first consists of the reception, dining area and some chalets. This is the section that we can ride to. Then this section of the resort is connected to a second section via a suspension bridge over a chasm of about 30 ft deep. The second section of the resort consists of chalets only, and the Klang group stayed here.
Upon arriving at about 2pm, we waited at the reception/dining area while Ong sorted out the rooms etc. While waiting, we were told that the boats needed for us to go for the various activities in Tmn Negara had been fully booked for the day, and to RV at the reception at 3.30pm, so that we all could go to the jetty to book our boats for the next morning’s activities. CM went around o gather a group so that we would have 12 pax to a boat.
So we got our key and went to our rooms. After about 15 mins wait, we go our keys and proceeded to cross the suspension bridge to our chalets, They were all air-conditioned, complete with hot water shower. Not bad for RM65 twin sharing. We started to unpack and relax and very soon tt was soon 3.30pm. We met at the reception with our bikes and rode towards the jetty. Upon arrival, I noticed that this “jetty” area had been developed from what was once trees and just “jungle”. This was the spot that was directly across the river from the Mutiara Resort. About 20yrs ago, Mutiara (I think it was called something else then) was about the only “resort” around. Across Mutiara was this little floating restaurant/canteen thing then. Now, the place opposite the Mutiara has developed with more floating restaurants, a few “motels” and a sprinkling of resorts. There’s a lot of people on this side of the river who are mostly are tourists. I venture to guess that this was probably because this side of the river had more rooms or accommodation space than that was available from the Mutiara, and Mutiara is also more expensive!
We proceeded to book a boat for the next morning and then spend some time having drinks at the floating restaur
ant, just relaxing and taking in the environment. There were motorized boats all over. Some smaller ones would take you across the river for RM1 each way. Then there are some big and small boats meant for excursions, just like the 12-seaters that we have booked. Here, the river is like the highway of the city. Boats are just going up and down the “lazy river”, ferrying people to their destinations. I call it lazy because the water was flowing quite slowly and sort of gives you the feeling of a laid back atmosphere.
After having lazed around for a while, the group decided to cross the river to “recce” the Mutiara. Kwa, CM, Stephan and I went across, paying RM1 each. Upon arriving on the Mutiara side of the river, we had to climb a flight of stairs to get to the main compound of the resort. Noticed that there’s a welcoming committee, complete with drinks and traditional instruments. But they did not “welcome ” us with their music or free drinks since we were not the resort’s guests. We just walked around the grounds of Mutiara, looking it ove
r and enquiring about the price. On the way back, we again had to descend down the stairways, and decided to stop and chat with the hotel staff. Somehow the conversation went on to the topic of rainy season, and we were told that most rainy seasons, the river would swell. However, sometimes the water level can rise to where we were standing, which was more than 20ft above the current level! Just imagine the amount of water it would take to fill up the place and to raise the water level that much! I think it must be a very fast and raging river by then. No more lazy river and no wonder these guys have floating restaurants!!! They would just float, anchored and following the water level. However, 
I would not sure too sure about the patronage by that time. (Click on picture to enlarge. Each yellow segment that I have inserted is approx 5ft, based on the man standing by the river. Count the number of segments to the middle of the stairways)
After a while we continued down to the river to get a boat across. Luck for us, there were 3 boats waiting for passengers and the boatmen called out to us. Kwa, enterprising as usual, managed to bargain with one of the boats to take us across for RM0.50 each.
All of us boarded the boat but I know someone was waiting to see if this boatman would stop the boat halfway across the river and ask us to pay another RM0.50 each just to continue the journey to reach the other side. But he did not do that. :-)
Upon re
aching land, we proceeded to ride back to the chalet and to freshen up. There’s going to be a BBQ for dinner. On the way back, Stephan wanted to buy a pair of slippers so that he may use them for the next day’s water activities. However, we both ended up with the “Adidas Kampung” for RM8 per pair. I think it is a better alternative to slippers as it offers better protection.
Dinner time. There’s food at the buffet trays, but the preparation was not fast enough for all the hungry folks. We finished up the fried mee and rice as soon as it came out and had to wait fo
r it to be replenished. Some of the cooks were out BBQing the chicken, fish, prawns and lamb near to the dining area. So we paced our eating. Then beer arrived. Chang brought his mini music system and very soon, we were having a session of food, drink and music! And to say we are staying at Tmn Negara, in tune with nature!Towards the later part of the evening, jokes were flying around, probably because the beer was talking. By then, food was abundant as in most BBQ, the later the evening, the more food gets cooked! It was a good and enjoyable evening with some good fellowship amongst the bikers.
Sunday morning. All those going for the boat ride were supposed to meet at the floating restaurant by 9am, ready to roll. CM, Kwa, Chew, Stephan and I rode to the jetty at 7.30am for breakfast. By 8.30am, I could see my fellow boat-mates congregating at the floating restaurant for breakfast too. All to soon, it was time to start the boating adventure But before we could start the journey, we were told that we need to have “permits” to enter Taman Negara (RM1 each person plus RM5 per camera). Kwa went ahead to arrange to this by crossing the river to the Mutiara, where t
he permits were being issued.
Once Kwa came back with the permits, we were ready to roll. First stop was the canopy walk. The boat took 12 of us up
the river and we disembarked at the designated spot. After a brief hike thru the trees, we came to this “station” where we had to purchase tickets for the canopy walk. Thereafter, it was free time “up there”. Views from up at the canopy were fantastic , and being so closed to the leaves that were “high up there” was really a great feeling…......peaceful....... serene.........., until someone yelled "a-yeeooo-yeeeooooooo", thinking he was Tarzan.
id not see earlier on. It is only when we returned the next day to order lunch (but no fish) that we saw the sign. I suspect that this restaurant is famous for the fishes they serve. Why? Cos’ when we were having lunch, delivery came with a big fish. It is really very much bigger than the one you would see in the markets.After lunch, the group proceeded towards Kuala Tahan, which is part of Taman Negara. After a short distance of about 15 mins, we turned off the main road at a sign pointing towards Taman Negara. This road was narrower and not very well maintained. There were some holes and it was quite common to see small stones on the road. After a while, we went thru a stretch of the same road that was very oily. There were palm tress around and we were going thru a plantation. I guess this is due to the oil palm fruits falling off the trucks which carried them from the plantations for processing. Probably during the journey, some of the fruits had falled off onto the road and got crushed. Overtime, this crushed fruits left behind the oily layer on the road. 2 wheelers must be very careful when passing thru this stretch. I dread to think what it would be like when it drizzles and the film of oil is brought to the surface on the road!
The journey to Kuala Tahan had some interesting stretches with curves and it undulates with slopes that prevent riders from seeing over the top of the slope until you are up on it. Usually when I ride, I tend to use my sights as the primary source to read the road ahead. Due to the limitations on the use of sights, navigating thru this particular road would require o
ne to depend on road signs as a major source of input to help us anticipate what lay ahead, e.g. the road curving to the left or right. Anyway, after riding for about an hour, we finally reached Kg. Kuala Tahan. We would be staying at the Persona Village Resort, which is about 10 mins bike ride to the jetty.Persona Village Resort is divided into 2 parts. The first consists of the reception, dining area and some chalets. This is the section that we can ride to. Then this section of the resort is connected to a second section via a suspension bridge over a chasm of about 30 ft deep. The second section of the resort consists of chalets only, and the Klang group stayed here.
Upon arriving at about 2pm, we waited at the reception/dining area while Ong sorted out the rooms etc. While waiting, we were told that the boats needed for us to go for the various activities in Tmn Negara had been fully booked for the day, and to RV at the reception at 3.30pm, so that we all could go to the jetty to book our boats for the next morning’s activities. CM went around o gather a group so that we would have 12 pax to a boat.
So we got our key and went to our rooms. After about 15 mins wait, we go our keys and proceeded to cross the suspension bridge to our chalets, They were all air-conditioned, complete with hot water shower. Not bad for RM65 twin sharing. We started to unpack and relax and very soon tt was soon 3.30pm. We met at the reception with our bikes and rode towards the jetty. Upon arrival, I noticed that this “jetty” area had been developed from what was once trees and just “jungle”. This was the spot that was directly across the river from the Mutiara Resort. About 20yrs ago, Mutiara (I think it was called something else then) was about the only “resort” around. Across Mutiara was this little floating restaurant/canteen thing then. Now, the place opposite the Mutiara has developed with more floating restaurants, a few “motels” and a sprinkling of resorts. There’s a lot of people on this side of the river who are mostly are tourists. I venture to guess that this was probably because this side of the river had more rooms or accommodation space than that was available from the Mutiara, and Mutiara is also more expensive!
We proceeded to book a boat for the next morning and then spend some time having drinks at the floating restaur
ant, just relaxing and taking in the environment. There were motorized boats all over. Some smaller ones would take you across the river for RM1 each way. Then there are some big and small boats meant for excursions, just like the 12-seaters that we have booked. Here, the river is like the highway of the city. Boats are just going up and down the “lazy river”, ferrying people to their destinations. I call it lazy because the water was flowing quite slowly and sort of gives you the feeling of a laid back atmosphere.
After having lazed around for a while, the group decided to cross the river to “recce” the Mutiara. Kwa, CM, Stephan and I went across, paying RM1 each. Upon arriving on the Mutiara side of the river, we had to climb a flight of stairs to get to the main compound of the resort. Noticed that there’s a welcoming committee, complete with drinks and traditional instruments. But they did not “welcome ” us with their music or free drinks since we were not the resort’s guests. We just walked around the grounds of Mutiara, looking it ove
r and enquiring about the price. On the way back, we again had to descend down the stairways, and decided to stop and chat with the hotel staff. Somehow the conversation went on to the topic of rainy season, and we were told that most rainy seasons, the river would swell. However, sometimes the water level can rise to where we were standing, which was more than 20ft above the current level! Just imagine the amount of water it would take to fill up the place and to raise the water level that much! I think it must be a very fast and raging river by then. No more lazy river and no wonder these guys have floating restaurants!!! They would just float, anchored and following the water level. However, 
I would not sure too sure about the patronage by that time. (Click on picture to enlarge. Each yellow segment that I have inserted is approx 5ft, based on the man standing by the river. Count the number of segments to the middle of the stairways)After a while we continued down to the river to get a boat across. Luck for us, there were 3 boats waiting for passengers and the boatmen called out to us. Kwa, enterprising as usual, managed to bargain with one of the boats to take us across for RM0.50 each.
All of us boarded the boat but I know someone was waiting to see if this boatman would stop the boat halfway across the river and ask us to pay another RM0.50 each just to continue the journey to reach the other side. But he did not do that. :-)Upon re
aching land, we proceeded to ride back to the chalet and to freshen up. There’s going to be a BBQ for dinner. On the way back, Stephan wanted to buy a pair of slippers so that he may use them for the next day’s water activities. However, we both ended up with the “Adidas Kampung” for RM8 per pair. I think it is a better alternative to slippers as it offers better protection.Dinner time. There’s food at the buffet trays, but the preparation was not fast enough for all the hungry folks. We finished up the fried mee and rice as soon as it came out and had to wait fo
r it to be replenished. Some of the cooks were out BBQing the chicken, fish, prawns and lamb near to the dining area. So we paced our eating. Then beer arrived. Chang brought his mini music system and very soon, we were having a session of food, drink and music! And to say we are staying at Tmn Negara, in tune with nature!Towards the later part of the evening, jokes were flying around, probably because the beer was talking. By then, food was abundant as in most BBQ, the later the evening, the more food gets cooked! It was a good and enjoyable evening with some good fellowship amongst the bikers.Sunday morning. All those going for the boat ride were supposed to meet at the floating restaurant by 9am, ready to roll. CM, Kwa, Chew, Stephan and I rode to the jetty at 7.30am for breakfast. By 8.30am, I could see my fellow boat-mates congregating at the floating restaurant for breakfast too. All to soon, it was time to start the boating adventure But before we could start the journey, we were told that we need to have “permits” to enter Taman Negara (RM1 each person plus RM5 per camera). Kwa went ahead to arrange to this by crossing the river to the Mutiara, where t
he permits were being issued.Once Kwa came back with the permits, we were ready to roll. First stop was the canopy walk. The boat took 12 of us up
the river and we disembarked at the designated spot. After a brief hike thru the trees, we came to this “station” where we had to purchase tickets for the canopy walk. Thereafter, it was free time “up there”. Views from up at the canopy were fantastic , and being so closed to the leaves that were “high up there” was really a great feeling…......peaceful....... serene.........., until someone yelled "a-yeeooo-yeeeooooooo", thinking he was Tarzan.After the canopy walk, we went back to the boat to “shoot the rapids”. This was probably the most exciting part of the day. There were thrills and spills. Everyone got wet as expected and didn’t mind. Heart rates went yo-yo but mostly up and if your heart rate did not go up during this ride, I think you better see a doctor! As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. For the following 1 million words, please see attached video.
After the boat ride, we went back to the chalet so that we may get cleaned, pack and checked out of the chalet.
Once everyone was ready, we gathered at the reception and Ong was there to help us with the check out. As we waited for the rest, 5 of us slower riders decided to ride out first so that we may have lunch (and we were hungry) before the ride back to KL. After saying goodbye to the rest of the group, we headed back to Tokyo restaurant for our lunch (simple dishes and no fish). After lunch, we refueled in Jerantut and started our journey back.
The journey b
ack saw a few of us testing our bikes for speed and some welcome home showers wetted us as we near KL. Our next RV was at the Genting Sempah Petronas where the 5 of us had a short rest, topped up our tanks and said our goodbyes. We went our separated ways. The Klang riders had to endure a very heavy downpour as we near the Damansara toll area, but all managed to get back safe but wet.
Overall, it has been a good weekend. Good fellowship and ride. There was fun and there were new friends made.
Once everyone was ready, we gathered at the reception and Ong was there to help us with the check out. As we waited for the rest, 5 of us slower riders decided to ride out first so that we may have lunch (and we were hungry) before the ride back to KL. After saying goodbye to the rest of the group, we headed back to Tokyo restaurant for our lunch (simple dishes and no fish). After lunch, we refueled in Jerantut and started our journey back.
The journey b
ack saw a few of us testing our bikes for speed and some welcome home showers wetted us as we near KL. Our next RV was at the Genting Sempah Petronas where the 5 of us had a short rest, topped up our tanks and said our goodbyes. We went our separated ways. The Klang riders had to endure a very heavy downpour as we near the Damansara toll area, but all managed to get back safe but wet.Overall, it has been a good weekend. Good fellowship and ride. There was fun and there were new friends made.
Until the next ride…
This is IHVR. Over & out.
This is IHVR. Over & out.
