Malaysian year-end school holidays typically start on the last few weeks of November and last all the way until the first Sunday of January. Hence, even though I was away for 30 days last November/December, I still managed to hang out with the children for the last ten days or so of their school holidays, the highlight of which was our visit to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Lanchang, Pahang.
Baby elephants walking towards the river for their bath
In a nutshell, there are three great things about the place:-
1. There are no admission fees.
2. You get really up close and personal with the elephants there.
3. The place is not far from KL — just about a little over an hour’s drive.
Free Admission. Yes, you read it right when I mentioned that there are no admission fees whatsoever. You can simply walk in but I highly recommend that you call them in advance, informing them of the number of people in your group. You see, only 120 lucky visitors get to handfeed, ride and swim with the elephants per day. The moment you get in, you must register in order to get stickers — yellow ones to get in and simply observe, red ones to take part in the activities.
Up Close & Personal. When I said “up close”, I meant in-your-face-close or, perhaps more accurately, your-hand-in-the-elephant’s-mouth-close. Here’s how you do it:-
Step 1: Buy a bag of peanuts for RM3.
Step 2: Join the crowd surrounding the baby elephants.
Step 3: Take a small handful of peanuts, keeping them hidden inside your fist.
Step 4: Lift your fist up high, so that the baby elephant would lift its trunk and open its mouth.
Step 5: Quickly put in the handful of peanuts on the elephant’s tongue or chuck it into its mouth before you lose your nerve.
Important: Make sure you’ve asked someone to snap a pic of you doing Step 5.
Toss in the peanuts…
Or put them on the elephant’s wet tongue!
You also get to ride the elephants with a trained handler but without any saddle or chair, which is quite unnerving but totally exhilarating. If it’s of any consolation, I did ask the handler of the elephant that we were riding if anyone has ever fallen off the elephants and he replied as-a-matter-of-factly “Setakat ni, belum lagi” (To date, none so far).
Bareback elephant ride, anyone?
The swimming part is not really swimming. It’s more like getting dunked into the river by the playful pachyderms. First, you get on the elephant’s back, then the elephant goes into the river, then the elephant would lie on its side, effectively dunking you into the water. Staff are waiting to assist you in the river but I wouldn’t recommend this to children below 6 or even to older children who can’t swim or are afraid of getting submerged in a river.
You can only do the dunking thing once but you can continue frolicking in the river with the baby elephant, splashing it with water, touching its back, ears and trunk, and getting surprised in the process at how stiff its hairs are.
Swimming with the elephants
Please take note that bikinis are strictly prohibited during the swim with the elephants.
Quick & Easy Trip. From KL, follow the signs that say “Kuantan”, which should lead you to the Karak Highway. Watch out for Lanchang Exit. After paying toll at Lanchang Toll Plaza, there will be a T-junction. The sign board to the left says “Lanchang” — don’t take that road. The smaller sign board to the right says “Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary” — that’s where you should be headed. Just drive straight on until you find yourself surrounded by trees and watch out for more road signs. (NB: At this point: Twin2 asked: “Betulkah ini jalannya?” Are you sure this is the right road? And in perfect Bahasa Malaysia no less!) More detailed instructions on how to get there by car or by bus can be found at this link.
Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is guaranteed to delight all children and bring out the child in each adult. Activities with the elephants start at 2 pm. Toilet and surau facilities are available for free within the premises. And even though admission is free, please be very generous with your donations, as they’ll go a long way in maintaining the place and helping the elephants.
More info and photos at Pahang Tourism’s official site and at MyElephants.Org’s site.
Tags: elephants
To this day, I still hold vivid memories from when I was just a girl of 6.
I remember fishing in this pond.
My favourite pic from my childhood
I remember fishing there with a group of high school students. It began to rain and everyone ran back to the house for cover. I didn’t know what to do with my fishing rod so I stuck it into the soil, the bait and hook still in the water. After the rain, they found a fish struggling to be free of the hook! The sad part? Someone else (one of the high school students) laid claim to the fish. I was just a six-year old girl and no one believed me. But I know *I* caught that fish. At least, my fishing rod did.
I remember riding my tricycle. I had on a bead necklace and it got caught in the tricycle’s handlebars. The flimsy cord broke, scattering the beads in all directions.
I remember playing in this field of flowers.
My younger brother and I would gather the red ones, pound them with rocks, smear our hands with the red dye, run to our mother and playfully pretend we got wounded.
I remember staring at the books in a glass case in the library of the high school where my mother used to teach. How I longed to know the secrets behind those lines and squiggles called letters. How I longed to learn how to read.
I remember how excited I was to finally go to school. Because I thought I could finally learn how to read. Disappointment is too mild a term for what I felt when the teacher told me that, at 6 years old, I was still “too young to learn how to read.” Miss Victorillo, I still remember your name.
And wherever you are now, Miss Victorillo, if you can read this, I want you to know that all my children started reading at age 4. There is no such thing as “too young to learn how to read”, Miss Victorillo.
I remember this birthday party because I remember how perplexed I felt when I saw my younger brother holding a present, as well.
It was my birthday but he got a present, too. It just didn’t make sense to me.
I remember playing the part of a fairy but have no recollection of what I did or what I said, other than simply standing on stage, saying my line, then waving my ‘wand’.
But I know one thing for sure — at age 6, I didn’t know the meaning of stage fright.
I used to get bored every time ‘old’ people would regale me with tales of their youth or childhood. Now I find myself telling similar tales to my children (or to anyone who happens to be within hearing distance), sometimes even repeating the same old stories several times.
To think I’m not even that old yet. In fact, I don’t feel any different from when I was 24. Only the mirror shows otherwise.
But as I was saying, I now find that it feels good to remember the good old days. And to share whatever lessons I learned along the way, some of which could have been taught to me, if only someone cared enough to tell me. But mostly, it feels good to simply remember…
Tags: about me
(image from womenonthefence.com)
Sorry I’ve gone off the blogosphere radar for quite a while.
Since I got back from my 30-day Alice-In-Wonderland-adventure last month, I had to clear a lot of backlog in the office that included 500+ emails to read, answer, sort out and act upon.
The new schoolyear just started as well (it starts in January in Malaysia, unlike in the Philippines, where it starts in June), which entailed last-minute mad dashes to buy school supplies, uniforms, and books. For all 5 kids! Because the twins are in formal Prep class this year. Thankfully, their stint in playschool made the transition surprisingly easy. They’re enjoying the more structured classes and the more challenging activities. For now they’re both in the same class but their class teacher has informed me that they might have to be placed in separate classes because she has difficulty telling them apart ;)
And whaddya know? MyEldest starts Secondary School this year. He just turned 11 last August and it all sounds so surreal. Before I know it, he’ll be off to university! *gulp*
OnlyGirl is in Primary 6, which means she’ll be sitting for UPSR (Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah = Primary School Assessment Exams) this year. And as any parent with school-going children knows, whenever exam time comes, it’s usually the parent who gets more stressed than the child does.
The good news is: I’m going to Bali tomorrow. The not-so-good news is: it’s a business trip that involves meetings that will stretch for hours.
And Bali’s just the beginning this year. I’ve got 3 more trips scheduled within the next 3 weeks — three separate short trips to Jakarta, Jogjakarta, and Banjarmasin.
Somehow I get the feeling that my blog posts may be few and far between for the first 3 months of 2010…
Tags: blogging
Just a speck of dust in the universe
The past 30 days have left me forever altered. It was a journey of critical self-discovery, intensive soul-searching, and finding THE most blissful serenity and meaning in a place which acutely reminded me of my insignificance (as the tiniest speck of dust in the universe) and my significance (for having been invited as a guest). My limits were stretched beyond imagination — physical, emotional, psychological — and I was astonished to have found a different kind of strength which I didn’t know I possessed.
It was most heart-wrenching to leave. I may be physically back in KL but I am certain, beyond any doubt, that I left my heart behind…
Tags: Travel
This blog is on hiatus from the 20th of November until the 21st of December, 2009. In the meantime, feel free to look around and explore the 379 posts in this site.
Do you like travel posts with lots of pics? Here are a few suggestions:-
Mt. Bromo: One of the World’s Most Ethereal Landscapes
Seeing Jakarta For The First Time
An Omani Wedding
Keukenhof: The Most Photographed Place in the World
Popping In On The Penguins In Capetown
I also have travel-related posts that don’t have that many pictures but are still worth reading:-
Mini-Tour of A Plane’s Lavatory
Language: The Hidden Danger of Travel
Paris On A Budget
Immigration Encounters
CitizenM Hotel, Amsterdam: Quirky, Trendy, One-Of-A-Kind
Or maybe you like photographs. Let me share with you some of my favourites:-
Sunset at Kamala Beach, Phuket
Light From Heaven
Bird In A Nest
Drive-By Shooting
Sunsets
Perhaps you’re a working mum like me, in need of parenting tips and quick-and-easy recipes. I’ve got something for you, as well:-
How to Survive Air Travel with Infants & Small Children
Tips on Boosting Your Child’s Intelligence
Instilling the Love of Books In Your Child
How I Juggle A Career & Motherhood
Working Mum’s Recipes
You wanna know more about Malaysian culture? Here’s an interesting mini-series on Malay weddings:-
Part 1: Meminang
Part 2: Hantaran
Part 3: The Venue
Part 4: Akad Nikah
If you’re looking for something a bit more specific, type in the keywords inside the search box on the upper right hand corner of this site. Yeah, that one! The one marked ‘Search’, with the magnifying glass beside it.
Ta-ta for now! :)
Tags: away
