Surprise on hill resort SHARON NG KOOI KIN Unspoilt Bukit Larut is just the place for having quality family time. SHARON NG KOOI KIN is adamant, like other Taiping-born folk, that the country's oldest hill resort be left in its present state for generations to come.

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The still golden baby in safe hands. Suspension bridge near Bukit Larut Rest House. NATURE ... that is the main attraction of Bukit Larut, the oldest and most natural of all the hill resorts in Peninsular Malaysia.

I must, first of all, assure future visitors to Bukit Larut that encountering a snake on this hill, just 3km from my hometown of Taiping, is not a very common occurrence.

And for the snake to come into the chalet (in this case the Bukit Larut Rest House) was rare indeed. In fact, the nature lovers among us wished they had been there to see for themselves such a lovely specimen of the snake. The Pope’s Pit Viper is not easy to see in the wild and you have to be quite lucky to see one.

Natural Hill Resort

Nature... that is the main attraction of Bukit Larut, the oldest and most natural of all the hill resorts in Peninsular Malaysia. Compared to Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill and Cameron Highlands, Bukit Larut (previously known as Maxwell Hill) is rather undeveloped. There are no casinos, crop plantations or golf courses on this hill station. There are no five-star hotels or big shops, just the hills, the crisp cold air, the jungle and a long, winding bitumen road, accessible only to government-owned 4-wheel drive vehicles.

From the foothills to the Telekom station on Bukit Caulfield (altitude: 1,376m), which is one of the peaks of Bukit Larut, the distance by road is 12.8km.

The ride up the hill road in the 4WD is an exhilarating experience, like riding the longest roller coaster in the world! But for some, it may be a nerve-wrecking journey which requires a headache or motion sickness pill. Be warned of the hair-raising bends.

The 4WD takes 30 minutes to reach the hill station at the sixth mile (altitude: 1,036m) and another 10 minutes to reach the highest rest house, the Bukit Hijau RH.

If you decide to trek up Bukit Larut, beside the tar road, there are many jungle tracks, called “short cuts” by Taiping folks. You will take three to four hours to reach the hill station, depending on your level of fitness. These were previously service tracks for the workers manning the telegraph poles that link the peak station to the base.

Established 124 years ago in 1884, the Bukit Larut hill station was for the British Resident and his European staff members and their families to escape the oppressive heat of the lowlands. In those early days, access was only on foot or by sedan chairs, carried by coolies accompanied by a small army carrying food, weapons and other necessities.

Today, every morning and evening, rain or shine, you will find hikers trudging up these jungle tracks or the tar road. For the Taiping locals, these routes offer a natural exercise circuit through one of the oldest rainforests in the world. And there, they are sure to encounter some entertaining monkeys, gibbons and macaques, scurrying squirrels, chameleons and countless species of butterflies and moths. A cluster of colourful fungi may stop a climber in his tracks or a hidden delicate jungle flower may draw out an excited cry of discovery.

Young army personnel use Bukit Larut for endurance training as do students and those preparing to climb higher mountains. A frequently asked question gasped out at regular trekkers by first-timers is “How far more?”

And then there are the birds: the spectacular hornbills and trogons, broadbills and partridges and the rest of the 253 species of birds recorded on this hill. Montane birds and regular migrants make Bukit Larut, situated along the avian migratory path, always an interesting location for bird watchers and photographers. Other animals sighted are sun bears, panthers, barking deer, clouded leopards, civet cats, slow loris and flying squirrels.

Snakes that make a rare appearance every now and then usually slither back into the bushes before you can even whip out a camera to take a shot.

So during my recent stay up Bukit Larut with my cousins from Seremban and their young family of four children, we were told by our jeep driver that the visit by that viper was an extremely rare occurrence. Those with snake phobias can heave a sigh of relief but the nature lovers will go, “Aaah! What a pity!”

Where To Stay

Six government-run self-catering bungalows and a single café-restaurant provide facilities for day-trippers and over-night visitors longing for a quiet holiday.

A Methodist Church-run bungalow, Nest, offers attractive packages for groups as well as families, at RM50 per person for full board and lodging. Individuals and church or school groups go for motivation stays or meditation and prayerful retreats. They will be pampered by the motherly love and delicious meals prepared by caretakers Esther and Peng Keong Lee.

Cendana Hut is a recently privatised bungalow within the compound of the tulip farm and nursery. For families with small children though, I would recommend the Bukit Larut Rest House (RM120 a night) which has four large bedrooms, a kitchenette and a spacious sitting-dining area. The playground is just 20m away and nearby, too, are the suspension bridge, watchtower and camp site. And just 15 minutes’ walk downhill is the 90-year-old Sri Kaliamman Temple, an in-the-clouds destination for many Hindu devotees on a fasting pilgrimage to do penance for spiritual requests or grateful paybacks for prayers answered.

Nearby is the Youth Hostel under construction, a welcome series of rooms for budget travellers and school groups.

For basic but comfortable “splendid isolation” accommodation, try the Bukit Hijau Rest House (Speedy’s RH at altitude 1,113m), the highest point reached by the 4WD.

Rewarding Walk

Although the road continues from the highest point to the Telekom station, visitors have to make the rest of the way on foot. An insignificant sign on the left points the way to Bukit Hijau (altitude: 1,448m), a jungle trek of about one hour to reach another peak. This challenging off-shoot is a favourite overnight camping site for the more adventurous, hungering for off-the-beaten track adventure. Imagine the isolation, the dark, the cold winds, the leeches and insects. Not recommended during the rainy season because of lightning strikes and slippery paths.

The sane ones among us will be contented with walks on the long jungle-fringed metal road in the cool morning air or mist-shrouded atmosphere of a hill. And at night the view of Taiping town’s twinkling lights is a sight to behold.

Preservation and Conservation

“Leave our hill alone!” is the battle cry of Taiping residents. Besides its abundant wildlife, the hills form the catchment area for the reservoir that provides pollution-free drinking water to the town. Many visitors to Taiping comment on how “sweet” her piped water tastes! That accounts for a big mineral water company being located in Taiping. If it is possible, they would like to bottle the fresh air of Bukit Larut and sell that, too!

Previous attempts to build a cable car access or big hotels and casinos have met with strong resistance. So all development plans for the hill, that would impact the environment, have fallen through and Bukit Larut has remained as near natural as it is possible to be in the 21st Century.

Bukit Larut is not for those who like bright lights and rows of restaurants and shopping arcades. If your comment is, “There’s nothing to do or see up there,” then you are better off going to the other hill resorts.

But if you are the type who likes nature, a quiet and refreshing atmosphere and peaceful silence at night, try Bukit Larut for a change.

Those precious unrushed moments with friends and family will warm your heart as you cosy up to a loved one or snuggle in with your children for some family quality time. And unexpected encounters with creatures and plants in the wild may add that special spice to your stay on these beautiful hills.

You will at last understand why the local folks of Taiping resist so vehemently any attempts to over-develop their beloved hills. The blue-green backdrop of Bukit Larut has graced the Taiping landscape from the day they were born. As they draw their final breath or close their eyes for the last time, let the hills be there, eternally preserved and conserved for their children and grandchildren!

Contacts

• Bukit Larut Booking Office: Tel: 05-807 7243


• Cendana-Hut (Motel and Tulip Farm) Tel: 05-806 2777


• Nest Bungalow (Taiping Wesley Church) Tel: 05-805 1461


• In case of emergency on Bukit Larut: Tel: 05-805 7949 (after office hours)

Pictures by Chan Ah Lak and Sharon Ng