Gunung Tahan Climbing packages

Leisure & Incentive Tours Sdn Bhd is amongst the very few travel agents that offer packages for climb to the summit of Mount or “Gunung” Tahan. Gunung Tahan is the highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia at 2,187 meters above sea level.

List of highest Mountain in Malaysia

Mountain Name	Mountain Range	Location	Heights (meter)
01.Mount Kinabalu	Crocker Range	Sabah	4,095
02.Mount Trus Madi	Trsu Madi Range	Sabah	2,642
03.Mount Tambuyukan	Crocker Range	Sabah	2,597
04.Mount Murud		Sarawak	2,423
05.Mount Mulu		Sarawak	2,376
06.Mount Tahan	Tahan Range	Pahang	2,187
07.Mount Korbu	Titiwangsa Mountains	Ulu Kinta, Perak	2,183
08.Mount Yong Bear	Titiwangsa Mountains	Pahang	2,181
09.Mount Gayong	Titiwangsa Mountains	Ulu Kinta, Perak	2,173
10.Mount Chamah	Gua Musang	Kelantan	2,171

Preparation

The treks to the Summit of Gunung Tahan are toilsome that demand excellent physical fitness and mental determination, as well as well-maintained equipment and thorough preparation. The best and normal training ground for group or individual from KL and its surrounding areas is the Batu Caves, climbing up and down the 272 steps within a certain time frame.

A few pointers to take into account before your Gunung Tahan Climbing trip:-

1. If a large group is involved, you need a strong leader who can spearhead the group.
2. Weight is crucial when it has to be carried for many days, so food should have minimal packaging and moisture content.
3. To protect the forest, timber fires are not permissible and cooking gas or fuel must, therefore, be carried as well.
4. All rubbish must be accounted for, except materials that can be burned. It is best to eliminate all non-essential packaging before leaving Kuala Tahan. Prior to the Climb, the Ranger will check each single item that will be brought along.
5. The best time to climb is the dry months between March and September. It is closed between mid-November and mid-January due to monsoon season. Do bear in mind, wet or dry periods can occur at any time of the year especially with the current global warming.

There have 3 trails to reach the summit of Gunung Tahan 

1. Kuala Tahan Entrance (classic trail) ~ The Kuala Tahan Trail covers the longer distance and is more challenging to reach the summit. Climbers need at least 7 days 6 nights to complete the climb.  By using the original trail, you need to climbs 27 peaks and cross 7 rivers.
2. Merapoh Entrance (Sungai Relau) ~ Merapoh trail open since August 1993. It is the shorter and easy trail by only using 5 days-time to reach the summit.
3. Kuala Koh Entrance is the latest mountain trail opened to public. It takes at least 16 days and required a very good experience & planning.

The journey to the Summit

The 110 kilometres return walk from Kuala Tahan to the mountain summit normally takes seven to nine days. The trail passes several river crossings, sometimes hazardous, and traverses long dry ridges demanding rationing of every last drop of water. The climatic extremes are daunting, as conditions on the Gunung Tahan plateau can be very cold, whereas in lowlands, the high humidity is debilitating. Rains can be very heavy and prolonged.

The route from Kuala Tahan to Gunung Tahan Summit

Kuala Tahan - Gunung Tahan - Kuala Tahan

The route from Merapoh to Gunung Tahan Summit

Sungai Relau - Gunung Tahan - Sungai Relau

No of Climbing days

No	Route	Duration
1	Kuala Tahan – Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Kuala Tahan	7 Days 6 Nights
2	Kuala Tahan – Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Kuala Juram (Merapoh)	7 Days 6 Nights
3	Kuala Tahan – Waterfall - Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Kuala Tahan	9 Days 8 Nights
4	Kuala Tahan – Waterfall - Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Kuala Juram	9 Days 8 Nights
5	Kuala Juram – Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Waterfall – Kuala Tahan	9 Days 8 Nights
6	Kuala Juram – Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Kuala Juram (Merapoh)	5 Days 4 Nights
7	Kuala Juram – Gunung Tahan (Summit) –  Kuala Tahan	7 Days 6 Nights

Leisure & Incentive Tours Sdn Bhd’s Gunung Tahan package

Package	4 – 6 persons	7 – 10 persons
1	RM 808.00	RM 500.00
2	RM 845.00	RM 530.00
3	RM 860.00	RM 535.00
4	RM 900.00	RM 560.00
5	RM 900.00	RM 560.00
6	RM 820.00	RM 515.00
7	RM 845.00	RM 530.00

Package price (per person) includes

•  Return transportation from Kuala Lumpur
• Mountain guide
• Entrance permit
• Camping fees
• 4WD transfer (s) – where applicable

Package excludes

•  Camera license at RM 5.00 per camera
• Accommodation before or after the climb
• Extra cost incurred in case of delay in returning from the climb
• Tent, food, cooking utensils, insurance and porter
• Tipping to mountain guide and driver

Important Notes

* Maximum weight for porter is 15 kilograms
* Number of climbers is limited to 12 people per guide
* Number of climbers is limited to 48 people per day
* Only registered guides are allowed 

Camp site

The climb

A typical 7 Days 6 Nights Sungai Juram (Merapoh) – Gunung Tahan (Summit) –Kuala Tahan

Itinerary

Day 1	An option to overnight at Sungai Relau the night before the early climb the next day
4.00am	Van transfer from KL/ Petaling Jaya / Shah Alam to Merapoh Meet Mountain guide for briefing and checking Lunch
2.00pm	Transfer by 4X4 to Kuala Juram Trekking 13.5km to Kem Kor Camp Dinner
Day 2 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 18.5km to Bukit Botak Lunch Camp at Bukit Botak Dinner
Day 3 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 2.5km to summit of Gunung Tahan Lunch Trekking down 7km to Gunung Gedung Camp & Dinner
Day 4 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking and camp at Teku Camp Lunch Dinner
Day 5 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 7km and camp at Kuala Puteh Camp Lunch Dinner
Day 6 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 12km and camp at Melantai Lunch Dinner
Day 7	An option to stay overnight at Kuala Tahan
7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 12km to Kuala Tahan Lunch Shower and transfer to KL / Petaling Jaya / Shah Alam End of expedition

Victory

The view

A typical 4 Days 3 Nights Sungai Juram (Merapoh) – Gunung Tahan (Summit) – Sungai Juram (Merapoh)

Day 1	An option to overnight at Sungai Relau the night before the early climb the next day
4.00am	Van transfer from KL/ Petaling Jaya / Shah Alam to Merapoh Meet Mountain guide for briefing and checking Lunch
2.00pm	Transfer by 4X4 to Kuala Juram Trekking 13.5km to Kem Kor Camp Dinner
Day 2 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 18.5km to Bukit Botak Lunch Camp at Bukit Botak Dinner
Day 3 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking 2.5km to summit of Gunung Tahan Lunch Trekking down 7km to Gunung Gedung Camp & Dinner
Day 4 7.00am	Breakfast Trekking back to Kuala Juran Lunch Pick-up back by 4X4 to Merapoh
3.00pm	Estimate time arrival Merapoh Transfer back to KL / Petaling Jaya / Merapoh End of expedition

If you have any questions, please call us at 03-2260 3667 / 4667 or email us at leisureincentivetours@gmail.com

Fishing - Pulau Jarak Deep Sea Fishing Package

Deep sea fishing in Malaysia offers challenges to anglers to test their skill fishing for tuna, grouper, snapper, barracuda, shark and the blue marlin. Deep sea fishing trips are available at most coastal towns, villages and popular islands in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

All set to go Deep Sea fishing at Pulau Sembilan & Pulau Jarak

Choice of popular fishing spots are Langkawi, Pangkor, Perhentian, Tioman, Temenggor Lake, Cenderoh Lake, Kenyikr Lake, Lake Chini and around rivers and streams in the National Parks of Malaysia.

Let's fish !!!

Pulau Sembilan is a cluster of nine islands situated off the coast of Perak. It is a great fishing spot, only 1 ½ hours from Pangkor Island. This is also the spot of the Pulau Sembilan Fishing Safari, held annually since 1986 by the Perak Fisheries Department as a tourism event. Pick-up points can be at Lumut, Teluk Batik, Manjung or Bagan Datoh. There is no accommodation on the islands, except camping on the beach. 

Morning at sea !!!

Pulau Jarak is only about 4 hours boat ride from Pulau Sembilan, located at the Malaysia and Indonesia international waters border. Snapper or “Jenahak” and Grouper or “Kerapu” are some of the common catch. This tiny island (barely 8 hectares in size) and rises 50 meters above sea level is Malaysia’s latest dive destination. There is no beach on Pulau Jarak, only granite sloping down to the sandy sea bed with small patches of stony, encrusting and soft corals.

Mr Leong and his catch !!

Suzaiman and his catch !!

FISHING PACKAGES

(Minimum 12 anglers)

Boat type	2 Days 1 Night	3 Days 2 Nights
Luxury boat	RM 290.00	RM 500.00
Normal boat	RM 220.00	RM 420.00

The package includes meals onboard, bed, cook, toilet, rod holder, live bait, life jacket, sauna, GPS, radar and electricity. It excludes fishing gears.

Tentative 2D1N program

Day 1

10.00am - arrive at Kg Acheh jetty, Sitiawan.

11.00am - proceed for 45 minutes journey to Sungai Pinang Besar jetty, Pulau Pangkor. You will have your own lunch.

11.45am – proceed to Ship Wreck site (2 to 3 hours journey) to fish for live baits. Once there are enough live baits, bottom fishing begins

6.00pm – dinner

11.00pm – supper

Day 2

9.00am – proceed back to Kg Acheh jetty and estimated to arrive at 12.00noon

Tentative 3D2N program

Day 1

Similar as 2D1N program

Day 2

9.00am - breakfast

6.00pm – dinner

11.00pm – supper

Day 3

Similar as Day 2 for 2D1N program

If you have any questions, please email us at leisureincentivetours@gmail.com or call us at 03-2260 3667 / 4667. More photos in our Facebook company Leisure & Incentive Tours Sdn Bhd

Wan, the Rookie angler, and her Pulau Sembilan Fishing trip

Does anyone have any idea of the meaning of Angling Tourism? When I goggled under Angling, it states that “it is a method of fishing by means of an angle (fish hook)”. Well, according to Thesaurus, “Angling is fishing / casting / trawling / harpooning / whaling / spinning / fly-fishing.” Of course, I know the meaning of Tourism because it is my “bread and butter” since 1989, not counting the joy of travelling during my student years. Put 2 and 2 together, to me the meaning of Angling Tourism is a fishing trip, using whichever method of catching fish, either for novice or die-hard angler, with a sole purpose of recreation.

Bearing that in mind, this will be my first fishing trip and I am ever willing to take on any challenges at sea, I gladly accept the invitation from Tourism Malaysia Perak and Gaya Travel Magazine, as the official media, to go to Pulau Sembilan and Pulau Jarak from 22 – 23 April 2013. 

Tourism Malaysia Perak's Angling Tourism 2013

When we arrived at “Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia” (LKIM) jetty at Kampung Acheh, Sitiawan, our 3 boats were ready. Two boats are for the guys with very basic sleeping and toilet facilities.

1st guy's boat

2nd guy's boat

Front of the 2nd guy's boat

Back and kitchen of 2nd guy's boat

Fishing Vessel

However, my boat “Sea Gull” is a “leisure” fishing vessel by comparison.  

• Sleeping arrangement – There are 5 double-decker individual sleeping space. Only pillows are provided. As for the lower deck, an exhaust fan at the first bunk helps to cool the area. At the side of each sleeping space, there is a small slot that you can store your belongings such as book, digital camera, spectacles, face towel, bottle water and medicated oil.   

Sleeping space at "Sea Gull" boat

Lower sleeping space of "Sea Gull" boat

As comparison, sleeping space of the other boat

My choice of sleeping space  

Me and my sleeping space on "Sea Gull" boat

I slept on 1^st bunk of the upper deck. I remembered my husband’s tip to avoid sea sickness while onboard a boat – ask for a cabin on the upper deck or toward the front of the boat. After lunch at a local restaurant in Pulau Pangkor, I had a sound sleep when the boat was heading towards Pulau Sembilan. The journey took about 1 hour. But once the anchor was lowered at the fishing ground near Pulau Sembilan, whenever I try to sleep, I feel queasy due to the sway motion of the sea current. So I had to slide the window open and let the sea breeze in and also switch on the small fan to improve the air ventilation. 

• There is a very neat and well-kept Indoor kitchen with drinking water. Even the dishes, cups and utensils are kept in a covered dish drainer rack.  

Kitchen of "Sea Gull" boat

Kitchen of "Sea Gull" boat

• The toilet is spacious with sitting toilet bowl and cold shower and is only operational when the boat is moving. I don’t have any photo of the toilet because whenever I am in the toilet, the sea motion seems to be like tsunami wave. That’s why my time spent in the toilet is very minimal. I confessed that I didn’t take a shower but that’s okay because the fishy smell overpowered my body odour! 

However, I have a photo of the toilet of the other boat. 

Toilet and kitchen of the other boat

By comparison, “Sea Gull” toilet is double the size and is indoor. According to the tour operator Mr Miezie, indoor toilet is safer because if you are groggy and needs to throw up in the toilet, you would not go overboard, especially at night.

• The deck wood railing is knee high which enable you to sit comfortably and not topple in the sea. 

Deck of "Sea Gull" boat

• There is also a spacious multi-purpose area at the lower deck for praying, resting, sleeping etc. 

Lower deck of "Sea Gull" boat

• There are electrical sockets for you to charge your mobile phone or any other electrical appliances. The power supply is on from 6.00pm to 6.00am

Enough of the facilities of “Sea Gull” boat! Oh yeah, in the near future, owner Mr Leong says the boat will be air-conditioned.

Sea sickness

Let me focus on motion sickness and its prevention. I remembered the worst experience during my 1^st long haul flight to San Francisco when I vomited nonstop. I was dehydrated and exhausted since I can’t sleep while throwing up, had sore throat from constant vomiting and a general feeling of malaise as I am not able to keep down any food. 

No way, I want to relive the same experience through this Pulau Sembilan fishing trip! Lucky for me, I am quite okay. I only vomited twice in a small quantity and manage to control the intensity of my sea sickness bearing in mind the few following pointers.

• I avoided heavy, greasy meals and carbonated drinks before the trip. If I do vomit, I’ll at least be able to expel something besides stomach bile, which hurts bad as it comes through my throat by itself.
• I had small portion of my meals; sumptuous buffet dinner of fresh fired fish, fried leafy “Sawi” with salted fish, dried curried crabs, buttered prawns and omelette; 
• 

  Dinner on "Sea Gull" boat

  tasty prawn fried rice for supper and “Cintan” Instant Noodle Soup with egg and vegetable for breakfast.
• Before I vomited the second time, I managed to plug my nose before throwing up to prevent the vomit from clogging and paining my nostrils. And it also keep the smell of vomit out of my nose – that unlovely aroma can cause psychosomatic vomiting!
• Whenever I felt uneasy, I would sit at the front of the boat to let the sea breeze blow toward my face.
• When on deck, I kept my eyes focus at a distant horizon, trying very hard to avoid the motion of the sea current. It helps to divert my attention on the flock of sea gulls soaring to catch the fishes at the surface of the sea. The screaming sea gulls are music to my ear, at the spur of the moment!
• When I am inside, I try to restore my sense of balance. Sometimes it is very difficult, so it is either lie down or go outside.

Enough of “Sea Gull” and Motion Sickness, now back to the fundamental of my Pulau Sembilan Fishing trip. Being a rookie, it is best I show the photos of its tackle, method and tips of Apollo Fishing.

Apollo fishing tackle

An Apollo Fishing tackle

It has a digital indicator of the depth of the line in the sea. To reel in the line, you can either use the manual spool or just press the automatic button. At the end of the line, a 7 Apollo hooks which has pieces of white / shiny paper / plastic near the hooks are attached before the sinker.

Apollo fishing method

First I simply dropped the line using the automatic button to a good depth whilst observing the digital indicator, maybe between 25 to 30 meters. I touched the tip of my finger at the line spool to ensure that the line doesn’t tangle.  At the same time, I let my right hand “feel” the rod and watch out if the end of the rod sags when the fishes are “biting”. 

1st step - Cast line

At my first attempt, the bait fish hooked almost at once! I imagined the school of fishes is attacking these hooks together, thinking that the shiny paper or plastic is food. When I reeled in the line, I was ecstatic at sight of my 3 “ikan selar kuning” or yellow stripe trevally fish. Not bad for a newbie like me!!

My 1st Apollo catch

Next step - unhook the fishes

If you ask me, this so-called “Apollo fishing” is a joy in itself, especially for a beginner like me, because I can hook a few  fish at any one time – or none at all – and likely with some luck, I will hook quite a few more as well.

Tips of basic Fishing

After few successful tries. I learnt a thing or two about basic fishing method – reeling in and unhooking.

A tip I learned from Mr Miezie is once you feel the fishes tugging on your line, quickly reel them in. Otherwise, your Apollo hooks will cluster, making it very difficult for you to entangle them and end up disposing and replacing them with a new set of hooks. Another tip is when reeling the line, first execute it automatically. Stop the line when you see the first fish at sea level, at that instant you do it manually. When the sinker is visible, gently pull the line towards you.

Unhooking the fishes

I have to be extra careful that the hooks doesn’t sting me, hence it is best to work upwards and lower the line to the deck each time. Once the hook got stuck at the back fin of the fish, it is easy to unhook! If stuck in the mouth – which is the normal case, I am always gentle so that I don’t hurt the fish and myself so much. Once the hook is off, I have to be quick to place it in the pail full of water or just let it squirm on the deck. Once it squirm through the small hole and was safe in the sea again. Fresh fish is very slimy and the smell on your hand is lasting.

Lastly, honestly I find this trip to be refreshing and educational. I would love to go on another fishing trip, somewhere else - maybe at Lake Kenyir, Langkawi or Terengganu - encountering different water conditions, using any other fishing methods but on one condition – it is a day or an overnight trip.

Please surf for our Pulau Sembilan Fishing package is in our website http://www.litourssb.com and http://www.leisureincentivetours.webs.com. More photos in our company Facebook page Leisure & Incentive Tours Sdn Bhd. Contact us at leisureincentivetours@gmail.com or call us at 603-2260 3667 / 4667 or fax at 603-2260 5667