Kenyir Day 1: With Pandragon Marine Cruise & Bewah Cave

(18/07/2015) Tasik Kenyir or Lake Kenyir, as we know is the largest man-made lake in South East Asia. It is the home to freshwater fishes (Kelah, Lampan sungai, Toman, Kelisa and Kawan) and exotic wildlife including Asian elephants and Malaysian tigers. Dubbed as paradise for the adventurous and a haven of calm and serenity for discerning travels. Being born in Terengganu, I have never been to Tasik Kenyir so I took this one and only opportunity to go with Ck Pa and family during the Hari Raya holidays. It is a 3 days and 2 nights short trip.

 

Map of Lake Kenyir

Just an hour and half drive from town, Lake Kenyir feels like a world away and before we knew it, we were face to face with the colossal Kenyir dam. Instead of sleeping in the comfort of a resort, we went on cruise with Pandragon Marine Cruise. With 8 experienced boat crews on board, we were whisked away for a truly memorable experience. With a capacity of 40, we have just enough space for all the 25 of us. Different from the operated houseboat, the boat comes with air-conditioned, perfectly cleaned and comfortable rooms and also a chef whose specialty is Malay cuisine.  

 

Their service is too good to not recommend to friends

 

Pandragon Marine Cruise

The spacious living room with TVs and karaoke player

 One of the two rooms in the lower deck

Middle deck room which comfortable fits 2

There are about 6 rooms of this size

 

A BBQ area on the top deck

After a hearty breakfast that was prepared for us once we boarded, I went off for a three hour nap to recharge my life battery. It was about that long to reach Bewah Cave from Pangkalan Gawi. Bewah Cave are estimated to be 270 million years old and is known for many artifacts, Neolithic axes, flints and human skeleton of some 3000 years of history.

 

We were being transferred to a speedboat as the main boat are unable to enter the narrow passageway

 

 Entrance of Gua Bewah

 

Climbing up the fleets of steep steps is a challenging task

 

The spectacular sights of towering limestone

The cave itself, surprisingly was cool and roomy. At the entrance of the cave, a whiff of guano assailed our nostrils. Relying on our puny torchlight and phone's torch, we could only hear the bats shrill calls but not see them. 

 

A photo of our boatman

 Excavation works that were being carried out

Exhibits found are displayed here

 

The box is where the 'Bewah Man' unearthed which is said to be between 13,000 and 16,000 

years old, oldest ever found in the country

The skeleton was unearthed in December 2009 was believed to be a skeleton of a teenage girl 

 

A very deep cave

  Being rewarded with this magnificent scenery after the tiring climb

After the cave exploration, it was another long hour of cruise to Lasir Waterfall, where we will be spending our night there. The barbecue dinner that night was finger-licking good. Fish, sotong and stingray wrapped in aluminum foil, cooked to perfection with the chef's secret recipe that is passed down from his grandma. 

 

Listen to the breeze and hear the ripple of the waves as the boat glides it way through 

keeps me away from the hectic chores for a while

 

The ikan bakar was so delicious

The upper deck was an open air affair but surprisingly, no buzzy-wuzzies bothered us at all. It was an experience eating in the middle of the jungle, right nowhere with night sky full of blazing stars. While we were enjoying our meal, lightning and thunder stroke at a distance but didn't keep us away from enjoying our meal. Night in the jungle ended early as there is no means to internet access or communication.

 

Link to:

Day 2: Lasir Waterfall

Day 3: Kelah Sanctuary & Soak Waterfall

 

 

Thanks for reading

Be back for the rest of the adventure 

p/s: For more information on the cruise, you can head off to their official FB page to check out