Take The Path Less Ordinary

Imagine a trail that takes you back in time and confronts you with wildlife and plants that have been around longer than mankind.

If you’re still operating under misguided assumption that the Malaysian countryside is all about paddy fields, coconut trees and rainforest, this well-researched trail designed by us with change your mind very quickly.

The mangrove forest literally live in two worlds at once, acting as the shake-hand point between the rainforest and sea.

Swamp ecosystems have traditionally been sustainably managed by local populations for the production of food, medicines, tannins, fuel wood, and construction materials. Learn how the forest maintains a healthy coastal ecosystem by nursing juvenile fish, crabs, shrimps, and mollusks. Additionally, manatees, crab-eating monkeys, fishing cats, monitor lizards, sea turtles, and mud-skipper fish also thrive in the swamp.

Quick Itinerary Glance

1.00 pm - Pick up in Ipoh. Trip and safety procedure briefings.
2.00 pm - Visit Ngah Ibrahim fort and Capt. Speedy’s mansion.
3.00 pm - Trek mangrove forest reserve via stilt broadwalk and learn about its ecology, medicinal plants, migratory birds and role in nursing juvenile sealife.
5.00pm - Eat local seafood for teatime at Kuala Sepetang mangrove fishing village.
6.00pm - Hop over to Krian swamp for an exciting boat cruise to reach open-sea aqua farming colonies.
7.00pm - Bask in glorious sunset, night boat safari and firefly watching.
9.00pm - Dinner.
10.00pm - Transfer back to Ipoh.

Note - We know the difference between adventure and recklessness. In adverse weather and rough sea condition, we reserve the right to exercise our discretion and may cancel night boat ride for safety reason.

Key Detail & Cost

Duration: 1 day, 1pm - 10pm, 9 hrs.
Group Size: 2 - 7 people (min. 2 persons)
Season: January - December
Price: RM290 per person valid for Jan-Dec 2010 bookings

This excursion departs from Ipoh, a town some 200km north or 2hrs bus ride from capital Kuala Lumpur. We can pick and drop off at any taxi/bus station or hotel around Ipoh.

Price Includes …

- One teatime snack at fishing village and dinner in jetty town.
- English-speaking naturalist guide.
- 4×4 transfer and boat to all destinations & activities.
- Visitation permit for mangrove forest reserve

Trail tales

Capt Speedy’s mansion - Located in Ngah Ibrahim fort’s vicinity, the wooden mansion on stilts gives visitors a glimpse of an expatriate’s life in the olden days. Called in the lead the police force during the turbulent Larut War, Capt Speedy (1836-1911) was responsible for bringing in the first 110 Sikhs to the shore of Malaysia from Punjab, India, to help him keep law and order. The man first started out in Penang in 1871 as the Superintendent of Police but was later offered a more lucrative post by the Mentri of Larut Ngah Ibrahim, the richest Malay nobleman in his time.

Mangrove forest - Step into a jungle where trees grow legs to stay above the waterline.

To deal with salt, all mangrove trees exclude some salt at the root level, and all can tolerate more salt in their tissues than normal plants, often in quantities that would kill other plants. But some have more effective ultra filtration at the root level to exclude more salt. The mangrove swamps are vital for healthy coastal ecosystems. The forest detritus, consisting mainly of fallen leaves and branches from the mangroves, provides nutrients for the marine environment and supports immense varieties of sea life in intricate food webs associated directly through detritus or indirectly through the planktonic and epiphytic algal food chains.

Shoreline gatherers - Mangrove ecosystems have traditionally been sustainably managed by local populations for the production of food, medicines, tannins, fuel wood, and construction materials. For thousands of coastal residents, mangrove forests offer dependable, basic livelihoods and sustain their traditional cultures.

Thanks to its crucial role as spawning and nursery ground for sealife, fishermen living in mangrove draped coastline are always blessed with bountiful catch.

Mangrove holly - This plant has no relation with the Christmas Holly although but it bears an uncanny resemblance.

Because for its high saline content, locals store the leaves together with rice and other grains to act as desiccant (moisture remover). The plant also has the ability to expel salt crystals on its leaves which will be flushed off during rain. Chewing on the leafs is also believed to prevent snake bites.

White-Collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris) is a romantic bird. It offers seafood titbits to woo female during courtship. Offerings come in the form of seafood and insects. And if that’s not good enough, males help in nest making and housekeeping too. Apt to say, in the world of kingfishers, males make good hubbies.

The bird announces its presence with a distinctive chirp that can be heard from a long distance and this makes spotting them easy.

Sea farmers - Colonies marked by wooden floating cages pepper the shallow shoreline of Bagan Krian. These farmers nurse fishes to table size and sell them to inland restaurants and fresh market.

There is no guarantee that fishes will grow to adulthood. Nothing is taken for granted. In good times, people work hard. In bad times, they have to work harder. On many occasions, farmers incur losses when changing tides alter oxygen content in the water and fishes die by the thousands. On the bright side, they no longer have to brave high sea and moody weather to earn a living. Fish harvest can be controlled and farmers can work at a steady pace.

Nightlife of a different kind - Just after sunset, fireflies flock riverbank mangrove trees and make them glitter like Christmas tree!

For hundreds of years, local boatmen are said to use glowing trees as navigation marks after dark. For firefly colony to thrive, the flow and water quality of the habitat is of utmost importance. There must be minimal pollution and the mix of upstream freshwater and downstream seawater must be kept at mildly saline. Therefore, its habitat is highly sensitive to the river’s eco-system. A slight imbalance on water salinity caused by continuous rain would sharply reduce the colony’s population.

Flashing begins as soon as the sun set, roughly at 2-3 flashes per second. The glittering display is most brilliant during 1-2 hours after sunset and continues at low level until the first crack of dawn.

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Trip type - Travellers can expect a day of easy-going walks and ride in our 4×4 vehicle. The field trip is suitable for the young and old as needs for safety and steadfast guidance are kept firmly in mind. Couples, families and friends travelling together will have a good balance between activity and relaxation.

What to bring & wear - Take it easy and dress down in T-shirts, shorts and sandals. Bring a small bag to store personal essentials, water and most importantly a light raincoat. Those who are prone to seasickness are advised to bring along medication although the night boat ride is pretty tame.

Food is surely part of the adventure - Tea break and dinner will be enjoyed in a small fishing village restaurant that’s hygienic and only uses locally sourced seafood. Be prepared to give your tastebuds a new perspective with an array of weird - but tasty - fresh catch from the local shoreline.

Other good reads

1. Fire flies - Malaysian nightlife with a twist
2. Travelling to Ipoh by public transport
3. Get to know Ipoh as a place for holiday stopover between KL and Penang
4. Our list of outdoor trip packages