Sedim ‘Back to Nature’

The Merbok Heritage Trail may have left us with sun-kissed faces, but it sure was a great ride back to history of Peninsular Malaysia. And yet, we were only half-way done with our mission. The next and final stop was Sedim in Kulim, Kedah, and this time it’s a ride ‘Back to Nature’.

Tilapia Omega

Stream Water Fish Farm

In spite of the travelling and late night, we decided to dine the weariness away at Desa Teruna Kafeteria and tried their 1. Tilapia Omega which was harvested from the 2. stream water fish farm behind the restaurant. One can even tell its freshness by the sweetness of its soft meat.

Tilapia is a freshwater fish that Kedah is known for. With the Ministry of Agriculture setting up tilapia hatcheries that should be ready by 2020, Kedah is set to become the biggest tilapia producer in the country.

Sedim Vista Homestay & Resort

Before we went farther into the night, we finished our hearty high-protein dinner – just the right meal for the following morning’s action-filled expedition – and checked in at one of the traditionally designed chalets in 3. Sedim Vista Homestay & Resort, a recreation camp that highlights the eye-catching currents of Sedim River, which has about 17km of natural white-water that is sought-after for its non-stop 24 rapids. No wonder why it was hailed as the Lord of the Rough Garden and is listed as one of the best five rivers in the world for white-water kayaking and rafting.

Water Lilies

Geese

Turkey

The morning after, we first had our local Malay breakfast to pep us for the trip. Also, we took time to revel in the camp’s countryside beauty boasting of its perennial greenery which later led us to discovering other thrilling amenities that the resort offers, such as flying fox, abseiling, water rafting, rock climbing, paintball, and kayaking. This was followed by a visit to the farm close by where an array of flora like crown-of-thorns and 4. Water Lilies flashed us their morning greetings with their bare colors under the sun-drenched skies. Aside from the thousands of tilapia in the fish ponds, we also saw barnyard fowls like chickens, 5. Geese, and 6. Turkey pacing freely. Knowing that there’s more for us to see, lo and behold, the team was off to yet another cycling adventure.

We began cycling from the chalet, passing along Jalan Sungai Sedim where views of orchards on both sides were seen, with an almost uninterrupted stretch of durian trees gracing us as we journeyed over. Indeed, the area is home to the biggest durian plantation.

Sungai Riau Waterfall

Crossing the road was not difficult because of its flat surface, yet as we were drawing near the Gunung Inas Forest Reserve, the roads were narrower yet similarly surfaced. We passed by Sedim Park and after 2.75km of cycling, we reached inside the jungle. Gunung Inas is a mountain that has a height of up to 1,801 meters and the Gunung Inas Forest Reserve has a size of 36.98ha. With its rough hilly slopes, we left our bicycles on the road to hike down and see the 7. Sungai Riau Waterfall which is also the source of water for the residents of Sedim.

Cycling our way down to the falls was not possible, but there was a footpath so trekking was not as tricky as we thought it would be. Only the leeches frequenting our legs did the least bit of trick. Also, there is a steel bridge built for people to come closer and get a frontal panorama of the water gushing down. Even the sound of the rushing stream was very inviting and swimming was a viable option, although one must be extra careful of the sleek and unsteady rocks, not to mention the very cold water.

Off-road Trail

After a comforting break from cycling, we hiked up the hill and hopped back on our bike saddles and continued our 8. Off-road Trail in the jungle. Cycling some distance and we were back on the flat road. We just stopped when we reached a junction split in two ways after a 5km-ride. Signboards were placed to direct us which way we should take. One indicates that it’s the path for mountain hikers who are headed to Gunung Bintang, Kedah’s highest peak with a height of 1862 meters, while the other says it’s the path for cyclists.

Tree Top Walk

Canopy Walk

Our next and last stop was the 9. “Tree Top Walk”, the longest 10. galvanized steel canopy walk in the world, which covers a distance of 925m in length and stands 50m in height at its highest area. Built without machines, its construction began in January 2004 and finished in March 2005 with a total construction cost of over RM4.6 million. It is open to the public from 9:00am to 5:30pm and is closed during extreme weather conditions, with an entrance fee of RM10 for adults and RM6 for children with ages 7 to 17. Families may opt for an overnight stay or even longer in the lodges found on the left side once you entered the camp.

Kulim Tree

As we were walking through the bridge, we were feeling the vibration of the metal and were seeing through its trellis steel the white-water rapids cutting the rain forest in halves. From above, we saw the entirety of the rainforest resting in green peace. Like learning kids we once were, the canopy walk was very educational and engaging. Each tree that we passed by has its name label, with one 11. tree known and labeled as Kulim among other timber trees like Terap, Bintangor, and Keledang, just to name a few. The rich biodiversity of the rainforest accounts to a large wildlife. Among the mammals that can be found there are agile and white-handed gibbons, long-tailed macaque, dusky leaf monkey and plaintain squirrel. We also observed different kinds of birds flying around and much to our surprise, the jungle, in fact, is known to be a bird-watching paradise with over 160 bird species. Indeed, it’s a walk through the genius of nature.

After this educational trail, we cycled back to our chalet. Passing through the jungle, we came out with our bicycles and clothes a little mud-covered. In total, we cycled a distance of 20.54km inside the rainforest. Good thing, the river is never going anywhere, so we soaked in it and cleaned the mud off ourselves. And because the entire tour left us starving, we went back to the same restaurant where we previously had our dinner to savor the same tilapia dish. But this time, the taste was seemingly sweeter, because we had it for free!

For us who breathe the hustle and bustle of city living, this nature tripping in our bicycles has been truly relieving. The cool temperature of the rainforest and the warm feeling as we worked up a sweat through the cycling adventure were both rewarding.

This cycling adventure is not for beginners; even intermediate and advanced cyclists must properly condition themselves and must also take extra caution while doing the bike tour. On the side, the cyclist can also bring the whole family along, especially the children, to enjoy the fun and interesting amenities of the resort, while he is busy with his cycling expedition in the jungle. Truly educational and insightful, this 32.23km bicycle tour has brought us to look deep into nature and from this we hope that we have gained a better understanding of the world around us.

Cycling Route – Sedim ‘Back to Nature’