20th April 2013
On the 20th April 2013, Malaysian Yoga Society (MYS) organised a day trip to Bukit Melawati and Kampung Kuantan. The overwhelming response resulted in the demand of two chartered buses to cater for the huge turnout. 90 MAYI members, and their family and friends set out on this educational trip to learn about Malaysia’s rich history.
Upon arriving at our first destination, Bukit Melawati, we were greeted by the very friendly and curious Silver Leaf Monkeys, otherwise known as Lutung in Malay. This monkey has beautiful dark silver fur and the instantly recognisable pointed hair while the young has golden fur! Special food such as peanuts and long beans were being sold to feed them.
Bukit Melawati is a place of rich history. During the late 17th century, Sultan Ibrahim, whom was the second Sultan of Selangor, built this fortress as a protection from the invading Dutch Army whom had already taken Malacca during that time. The fort which was lost to the Dutch and then reclaimed with the help of mercenaries, suffered more trials of war and incidents in years to come, and today it has become a famous tourist spot. Keeping the history in mind, some took a slow walk up to the peak while others rode on the tram.
At the peak, the group congregated below the Altingsburg lighthouse to capture a group photo. We continued our leisure time playing and feeding the monkeys as well as watching beautiful eagles soaring above our heads. Everyone was attracted to the rows of gigantic canons that were facing the Selangor coastline ahead. As I sat by a canon, I could only imagine the remnants of the violent past when multiple rounds of ammunition were fired at the rows of invading Dutch Warship nearing the Fort.
On cue, we returned to the buses and the journey continued towards the nearby Kampung Kuantan, known for its unique heritage of the “kelip-kelip”, or fireflies. These tiny bioluminescent beetles can be found congregating on special trees known as Berembang. After a quick picnic near the entrance of the village, we walked towards the jetty enjoying the sunset while waiting for darkness. We were assembled in groups of four to fill each boat on this part of Sungai Selangor.
After gearing up in life jackets, we were guided carefully down the jetty steps and into each boat by friendly villagers. The magic began when our boatman rowed us into the darker regions. Like a scene from the movie Avatar, the trees glittered and sparkled in gold, courtesy of these bioluminescent creatures.
“It’s a sign to call for a mate,” said the boatman.
An unforgettable moment was when our boat glided under a Berembang tree and above us were its network of branches filled with hundreds of golden sparkles, mimicking stars in the night sky. After spending 20 minutes to be a part of this surreal experience, we returned to the jetty and then on to the buses. I am glad that this natural heritage is being well preserved with such effort. It’s definitely worth it to make your way to Kampung Kuantan for such a beautiful glittering fireflies experience!
