The
Nenggiri River flows from the backcountry of Kelantan. From the highlands it meanders its way through a series of
rapids and later joins the Kelantan River at Kuala Krai. A section of the river, from Kuala Betis to Kuala
Setelu, has become the playground of adventure and nature lovers. This
remote area will probably remain unchanged for some years to come. Vast
tracks of virgin jungle line both sides of the river broken occasionally
by an orang asli settlement and limestone outcrops.
Some of Malaysia's richest
archaeological caves are to be found along the river: Gua Cha, Gua Chawan and
Gua Jaya. These caves are archaeologically important as unlike other caves
throughout the Peninsula, they have been undisturbed by guano collectors.
The most interesting way to get to Gua Musang is by train from
Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru or Singapore. From Kuala Lumpur, it takes eight to nine
hours. By road, Gua Musang takes three hours from Kota Baru and about five hours
from Kuala Lumpur. There are express coaches and taxis from Kota Baru and Kuala
Lumpur. There are also daily flights to Kota Baru. From Gua Musang, a
pre-arranged transfer can be made to the starting point of the rafting
expedition in Sungai Nenggiri at either Kuala Betis, some 40 minutes away, or
historical Gua Cha, about 90 minutes via the trunk road.
Gua Musang is set to be a hub for eco-tourism with budget travelers as the target market.
Hence, there is an absence of star-rated hotels
in the sleepy town. Among its limited range are more presentable lodgings at
Kesedar Inn (09-9121229) and Fully Inn (09-912331).
Your adventure begins after your arrival at the timber town of Gua Musang (Pahang/
Kelantan border); from there, you travel by off-road vehicles to Kuala Betis,
the usual Put-In-Point. Here you
`board’ the inflatable rafts for some whitewater actions. You raft along the
53km of the little known Nenggiri River that flows from the backcountry of
Kelantan. En-route you stop to visit GUA CHA Archaeological Site with its
mysterious cave and imposing limestone.
Rafting down the river either on bamboo raft or
rubber inner tubes is the best form of traversing this section of the
river. Just float down, or paddle if you want to go faster. A trip of 2/3
days and 1/2 nights will be adequate to cover this section. Just savour
the atmosphere while being accompanied by cacophony of sounds from
animals and birds in a jungle environment. If you are lucky, you may be
able to sight them because they are mostly nocturnal creatures.
You spend a night camping in a jungle
environment and here you will be sleeping by the ever-present cacophony
of the sounds of insects, frogs, birds and an occasional hooting of monkeys. The
river trip ends at Kampong SETAR from when you return by land to Gua Musang, the
end of the river journey and adventure to remember.
The Nenggiri rafting expedition is one of Gua Musang's main eco-tourism
offerings together with the impressive Taman Etnobotani which has made its name
as one of the country's top sites for rock-climbing.
In a move to further promote the expedition, Kelantan Selatan Development
Authority has made the Nenggiri Challenge an annual affair.
Those interested in taking on Nenggiri on their own should contact Kesedar at
09-9121788 or email kesedar@tm.net.my.
