Refreshing River Retreat - 6 July 2012

We often drive past the signboard to some waterfall names in Hulu Langat. Yet we have never thought of visiting these places. We can't be too excited about some place that's just half an hour drive away from our house - we can go there any time. But when we do, what a lovely surprise we have! 

Sg. Congkak in Hulu Langat is beside orchards and a tropical rainforest. The weather is pleasantly cooling, with cascading rivers and a rich flora and fauna. We had initially planned for an overnight camp elsewhere with modern facilities, but at the 11th hour, they mixed up our booking. We decided to go to Sg. Congkak because it's available and near to our house. It turned out to be a blessing.

Safety - there were a total of 9 of us including friends and we were concerned about safety. We felt that Sg. Congkak was not too isolated because it's supposed to be a popular picnic spot for locals and surrounded by villages. But we were there on a Friday, and were told that we almost had the place to ourselves, except thankfully there's a couple next to our lodging. 

On our way to Sg Congkak, we saw fruit trees lining the main road and kampung houses. What a sight to see the fruit trees in full blossom - durians, mangosteens, rambutans and honey cempedak were everywhere, on the trees and roadside stalls. 

Simply irresistible icy cold water - see the clear water sample collected from the river. There were six zones in this forest park, and we were in zone 4.

Rest & relax at its best - we did not even need to plan too much for it. Only flaw of this place - lack of clean and functioning "toilets"!! The management tried to maintain the surrounding areas but the toilets were in bad shape. As a result, we rented a chalet - so that we could use the toilets!!!

Fun BBQ by the river! 

A 'Surprise' birthday cake for Jin!!! Even our neighbour joined in the fun. Our dear son turned 12 - indeed time flies when you're raising children.

Our neighbour, a seasoned camper, gave the boys a lesson in starting a campfire!

At the same time, we set up a tent to complete our camping experience.

Toasting marshmallow on the campfire was a favourite for everyone. After the feast, we went for a walk to enjoy the cool breeze. One interesting thing about this place, we're not conscious of any mosquito there!


The fire lasted the whole night.... On our way back, we saw crowds and full car parks - all streaming in to the forest park. We were now thankful we had the place to ourselves.

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