Take The Path Less Ordinary

For their own good.

You may ask “Where in the world is that?”. Well, one only needs to gaze southward to answer that question. If you’re one of those looking for some healing properties of a good weekend vista that’s untouched by conveyor-belt tourism, Tanjung Piai is surely THE place to go.

Finding a signage or tourist map that points the way is an adventure by itself. It is tucked away off in a sparsely populated mangrove swamp, so there’re little accidental visitors. When someone appears, it’s a very deliberate and mindful undertaking.

On the flip side, perhaps this is a good thing. Because one thing is for sure, the last thing Tanjung Piai ever needs is being overrun by tourists. Upon arrival, it is evident that the place is not smacked of tourism gimmickry. There’s no need to. Why, atypical names that pepper the place are interesting enough to keep anyone on their toes. Take for example nearby village Kampung Serkat, meaning blockage in Malay. That couldn’t be further from the truth considering Tanjung Piai - Asia continent’s southernmost tip – is just a stone throw away.

If you didn’t know, yes, the mother of all dead ends is right here.

However, if name droppings aren’t enough to convince you, perhaps history will. Ancient Greeks have long recognized the headland’s key position when charting shipping route. The name “Chersonesus Aurea”, meaning The Golden Peninsula, was bestowed on the Malay Peninsular by Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy for a reason. Whether one sets sail from Europe in the west or China in east, the ship would naturally end up at Tanjung Piai because monsoon wind from both sides eventually shakes hands on its coastline.

For hundreds of years, trade and cargo ships have been making U-turns over offshore Tanjung Piai when heading far east or vice versa. Today 60% of world trade still passes by the headland.

But there’s more to tell.

In May 2005, researchers from Leeds and Glasgow University lead by Vincent Macaulay made a startling announcement - DNA samples taken from peninsular Malaysia’s Orang Asli matched the 60,000 year old African DNA sample. The finding fuelled worldwide headlines for weeks. Early humans who first left Africa took a single long coastal journey to escape the Ice Age, along Arabian peninsular and India, and it was Tanjung Piai’s shoreline that prevented them from going further as prehistoric man has not mastered boating or sailing. The findings were reported by American Journal of Human Biology 18:654-667 (2006) and suggested that the Orang Asli are the closest descendants of prehistoric group that first walked out of Africa.

Being isolated for thousands of years in the rainforest has kept Orang Asli genes pure. Certainly, as the extraordinary advancement in science continues to unravel more mysteries, thanks to Tanjung Piai’s verge, descendants of the first Adams and Eves who made that epic journey are now calling Malaysia home. Now, how many places in the world can top that?

Orang Asli - Descendants of the first prehistoric humans who walked out of Africa

In short, it’s hard to be standing at the edge of Asia’s southernmost tip and not be moved. This is one of the few rare places where one can view the country’s past, present and future all laid out in one visit. One can even experience the dazzling sea horizon’s sunrise – and sunset – all from the same spot. Nonetheless, despite gurgles of praises from bygone seafarers and modern day researchers, Tanjung Piai is still grossly under-rated. It hardly registers a blip in the country’s tourism promotional blitz and most locals usually raise an eyebrow and silently blame “How can my Geography teacher miss that?” when Tanjung Piai is mentioned.

The place is far flung alright, by Malaysian standards, but that doesn’t mean one will miss all the splendour it has to offer. While not many of us have the time, money and fitness to ace superlatives like scaling the highest mountains or trek north or south poles, Tanjung Piai is effortlessly doable without straining any muscle - or credit card.

It takes roughly 4 hours drive from KL to get there. After exiting PLUS highway interchange at Simpang Renggam, find your way to Benut, a hamlet that reminds one of Malaysia in the 50s’. Thereon, the old road takes one pass small towns like Sanglang, Pontian Besar, Pontian Kecil and finally Kukup fishing village. Veer over to Kampong Serkat and it won’t be long before Tanjung Piai’s sweet spot greets one with sprawling mangrove-draped shoreline.

For RM10, buy a certificate - with your name on it - to coo friends. Travelling to the southernmost end of Asia continent is indeed something to shout about. Tanjung means headland and the name Piai itself stemmed from the Malay name of mangrove fern that grows abundantly here.

Covering 526 hectares of mangrove swampland, it was put under jurisdiction of State Parks Corporation of Johor and designated as national park since 2000. Locals are allowed to fish in small scale for sustenance

Honestly, if you’re one of those who have nervous pangs over the whereabouts but hate to ask for directions, you’d love the journey to bits. All one need is to chant “south, south, south” and drive till the road runs out – it’s that easy. There is a park office that houses amenities like toilets, interpretative hall and souvenir shop.

The mangrove fern, or locally known as piai, which grows abundantly gives name to the place. Although salty, piai shoots are edible and eaten as salad (ulam) by shoreline villagers. It is also used as desiccant to remove moisture from rice and grain in sacks. Locals believe chewing on piai helps prevent snake bites.

In 31 January 2003, Tanjung Piai gained recognition as the 4th Ramsar site in Malaysia, an accolade bestowed on wetlands of international importance. (The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an inter-governmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources). This also means Tanjung Piai is an ecological treasure. So, apart from its intriguing topographical features, one can expect a visual feast of birdlife, wildlife and endangered plants.

On balmy afternoons, one could be lucky enough to spot some rare birds like the Goldenback Woodpecker, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher or Mangrove Whistler. Soaring high above the mangrove canopy, raptors like Brahminy Kite, Osprey and Crested Serpent-eagle will surely bowl you over.

As for some local life viewing, the place has enough to impress. Flanked by quaint fishing villages namely Kampung Belukang, Kampung Perepat Punggor, Kampung Perpat Pasir, Kampung Serong Laut and Kampung Chokoh Kecil Village, one can spend some time trotting around for a generous dose of rare countryside scene.

And oh, did we tell you there’s nightlife too? Although it has nothing to do with beering up, the local nocturnal scene can be just as exciting. On moonless nights, colonies of firefly swarm Berembang trees (Sonneratia family) that fringe Belukang river nearby and make them glitter like Christmas tree!

The sheer scale and range of options available at Tanjung Piai as an off-the-beaten-path getaway can easily outdo a fistful of touristy sites around Malaysia, combined.

Enough said.

If you believe you’re an intrepid traveler, and want to coo your friends by winging a superlative over the weekend, Tanjung Piai can do no wrong. Make the epic journey and stand on the same edge that enthralled prehistoric men, ancient seafarers and modern day trailblazers. It’s easy to have a great day in a beautiful place like this.

Discover that, in contrast, sometimes a dead end can be a good thing.

Getting there

Tanjung Piai is worth a day’s trip if you’re making a pitstop in Johor Bahru. It is located over western Johor Bahru and the nearest hamlet is Kukup fishing fishing village. Getting there may take some effort as Tanjung Piai is off-grid. Whether using the bus or taxi, the 1.5hr one way journey takes one pass quaint towns like Tampoi, Pekan Nenas and Pontian Kecil.

There’s a small cafeteria near the national park’s visitor hall where you can grab a bite or drink. Apart from that, the place offer very basic amenities for travelers.