Pengkalan Gawi in the morning: A very calming atmosphere.

Pengkalan Gawi is located at the edge of Kenyir Lake in Terengganu. It is a gateway to explore the man-made lake with hundreds of island. There are many attractions to this lake: waterfalls, bird park, herbal garden, aquaculture, chalets and government rest house, fishing etc.



View from the lakeside.



Mist in the morning.



Mist seems to obscure the hills.



A calming Pengkalan Gawi.



Mature trees at Pengkalan Gawi.

If you are interested to experience this atmosphere, come in the morning to Pengkalan Gawi. You can either go through Kuala Berang or from Kuala Ping towards a new Kuala Berang-Gua Musang road. Happy travelling.



Setiu Wetland: The rich biodiversity area that you should not miss

Setiu Wetland occupies approximately 23,000 hectares of land around Setiu River basin in Setiu, Terengganu. It consists of riparian forest, fresh water swamps, peat swamps, mangroves, nipah, brackish water, seagrass beds, sand islands and sandy beach. 

It is a breeding grounds for terrapin, green turtles (endangered species), fish, crabs, prawns etc. Now, many of this areas are used for aquaculture pond, cage culture, oyster farming etc. Some are converted into other uses. Here also, it is a feeding area for water birds and stop over sites for migratory birds

The unhurried river supports flora and fauna community.

The fish are plenty here and good for fishing.

The replanting of mangrove by the authority and NGO's

The area has typical plants: coconut, nipah, and other tree species.

The Setiu Wetland has attracted many research organisations in Malaysia like WWF, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, MNF. Even research organisations  from other countries  also come here to conduct research.

For those interested in environmental conservation and protection, bird watching, preservation of endangered species, aquaculture and the related socio-economic activities of the inhabitants, this area is a must visit.

If you are interested, contact the local travel agent or you can go on your own to Penarik and start your exploratory walk and drive. Penarik is 50km north of Kuala Terengganu. Happy travelling.

Herbal Garden, Kenyir Lake, Malaysia

Kenyir Lake is one of the largest man-make lakes in Malaysia. It is  located in the district of Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia and  is about 80km from Kuala Terengganu, the state capital. This lake is large covering hundreds of hectares of land with 340 islands. I am going to tell you one of the islands that is Pulau Sah Kecil which was planted with Malaysian herbs. This garden is unique due to its species.

This island covers 16 hectares and was opened to the public since 2002. It has more than 230 species including exotic plants. The garden is managed by Terengganu Tengah Regional Development Authority.

The jetty at the Pulau Sah Kecil, where the garden is located.

The sign board to the Herbal Garden.

One of the plant species, "Tongkat Ali".

Keladi Murai species.

Even reflexology path is provided here.

The garden.

The plaque about the garden.

The officer's (blue and red shirt) routine job is to give briefing to the visitors.

The selected herbs are boiled to  make herbal drinks using the old method (using wood as the fuel) 

The "tongkat ali" and "kachip fatimah" herbal drinks are served warm to the visitors at the courtesy of the management.

Herbal drinks are served and being  tasted by the visitors.

Kenyir Lake.

For those who like to visit this garden, you have to go to Pengkalan Gawi. If you come from Kuala Terengganu, you can take a taxi and straight to Pengkalan Gawi. When you reach Pengkalan Gawi, take a boat to this island which takes about 20 minutes. This garden is open to the public from 8.00 am to 5.00pm daily. Mind you, island hopping here is quite expensive. If you are not careful, it will burst your budget. It is advisable to go in group because the boat fare to this garden is around RM100.00 per boat (can accommodate 10-12 persons). You can share the cost. If you want to explore this lake, I suggest you stay at the hotels here. The hotels around this lake also conduct tour to this island for their  clients or customers. Happy travelling..

Aquaculture in Kenyir Lake,Terengganu, Malaysia

Kenyir Lake is one of the biggest man-made lakes in Malaysia. Its construction completed in 1985 and  it is being used to harness and generate hydro-electric power. Those days this area was the forest and had a few villages. It is located 80km from Kuala Terengganu, the state capital.

Kenyir Lake has many things to offer for the visitors. One of them is the aquaculture project. This economic project can offer visitors to learn how the cage fish were farmed until they were sold to the buyers.

Kenyir Lake from the air. If you do not have the bearing, you may get lost in the wilderness.

The fish cage.

The area covered by this project is quite extensive.

The cages are being managed by a company.

A view from the cage platform.

The fish that are being reared here.

It is tilapia...

This tilapia is given special food twice a day. It takes six months to complete the rearing cycle.

If you are interested to visit this area, take a cab or hire a car and go to Pengkalan Gawi. When you reach Pengkalan Gawi, take a boat to Como River. There you are, you will see this aquaculture project. Happy travel.

House Boats in Kenyir Lake, Terengganu, Malaysia

Kenyir Lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in South-east Asia. It is located in Terengganu, Malaysia. The lake is the result of damming the upper stream of Terengganu river to harness hydro-electric power in 1985. As the water level rises, it also creates 230 islands in the lake. These islands were once peaks of hills.

What I am going to tell you is the house boat in this lake. House boat in Kenyir Lake is one of its kind in Malaysia. It is  designed by their owners. It consists of a simple boat with an extension to its roof and facilities. Some are double storeys. If you visit Kashmir in India, you will also see house boats. But they are of different design. The ones in Kashmir are quite hospitable as leisure house boats.

In Kenyir, house boats are used as a camping point, a fishing platform or a simple accommodation. They have sleeping berths, place for eating or lounge, a simple kitchen for simple cooking and the floating toilet. Some owners installed air-conditioners or fans in their boats. These boats are anchored at certain locations. The boats also can move about the lake and therefore they are not static.

House boats are anchored by the lake side.

The moving house boat. They were on islands hopping in the morning.

There are many types of house boats.

This one is very simple house boat.

Some house boats are equipped with air-conditioner or fans.

Another simple house boat.

Pengkalan Gawi.

Another view of Pengkalan Gawi.

If you are interested to experience this house boats in Kenyir Lake, you can go to Pengkalan Gawi which is about 80 km from Kuala Terengganu. When you reached Pengkalan Gawi, go to the travel agent kiosks nearby and ask or book the house boats. The rent of the house boat per day or 24 hours is around RM1000.00-RM1200.00. Hiring this boat entitles you to move around the islands or island hopping. It is advisable to go in group as you can reduce the cost per person.The boat can accommodate around 15-20 people at a time. Bring simple cotton clothes as the humidity is high here. Night is warm. Morning is cooler. Happy travelling.