Tristan Park Dirt Bike (The trail and review)

Continuing from my previous post Dirt Biking at Tristan Park, I follow up with the trail ride in the afternoon and the review for my this trip.

The Trail Ride (afternoon):
We started our trail soon after lunch and the trail requires us to ride thru palm oil field, grass and gravel, narrow lanes and lastly steep slopes up hill!! The trail ride took us 3 hours plus to complete and along the way some of us did fell but we manage to pick ourselves up and complete it under the scorching hot sun!!

According to one of the guide, the trail that we did was the easiest one as we have beginners riders with us. There are much tougher trails for those more experienced riders who wish to challenge themselves!

Safety Aspect:
Trail biking is no doubt a dangerous sports and it does gives you the adventure vibes when you are doing it. But we need to make sure we stay safe while doing it.

They do provide safety gear such as helmet, knee and elbow guards and kudos to them because I think they did a pretty good job in keeping those gears clean. What I felt is that they didn't really take care the safety of the riders during our trail ride. One of the guide was often seeing showing off his riding skills by speeding pass us at top speed and performing stunts which put the safety of the riders at jeopardy.

What important stuffs you need to bring along (base on my experience):
Sun Block
Covered shoes
Insect repellent
Water bottle
Plaster or antiseptic cream (in case of any injuries)

Summary:
Place - 2/5
Service - 2/5
Safety - 2/5
Bike - 2.5/5
Price - 2.5/5 (rather expensive given that the bikes are not covered by insurance and we have to pay if any serious damage occurs to the bike)
Adventure - 5/5!!

Will I go back again?

Maybe... but I will prefer to have bring my own bike (if I have one by then) and try a tougher trail! =)

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time there with my group of friends and not forgetting we had a terrific seafood dinner at Jade Garden Seafood Corner!! Yummee~!

Other Important Information:

You can book a taxi by calling this contact below: (Rm5 per person per trip to your chalet or to town for the seafood dinner)

Eng Ah Kim
JHC 8082
H/P: +6013-7397286

Jade Garden Seafood Corner
54, Jalan Kerisi, Sungai Rengit,
81620 Pengerang, Johor.

You can find more info at their website: http://www.tristangroup.com/

Dirt Biking at Tristan Park, Pengerang

I had this chance of going to Tristan Park located at Pengerang, Johor with my group of friends for a 1 day Dirt Biking trip recently and I would like to share my experience there on my blog!

Pengerang is a small town located in Johor and its an hour ferry ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Besides dirt biking, its quite common for Singaporeans to go Pengerang for cycling trip to Desaru because the road there are long and winding with very little traffic.

How we got there:

BumBoat

We charted a bumboat for $120/way for the 10 of us from Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Its better this way cause we wouldn't have to wait till the boat reaches 12pax for it to depart. The boat journey takes an hour.

I have no idea why the boat is called a bumboat and not just BOAT. Haha! I was hoping to see something that look like a hovercraft waiting for me at the jetty!! I watched too much James Bond movie!!

First bumboat from Changi Village to Pengerang = 7am
There is no fixed departure timing. Bumboat will depart when there are 12 passengers. ($10/person per way)

Bumboat charter contact: Mr Seng, 9848 8527

The Place: Tristan Park, Pengerang

 We were picked up by Tristan Park workers ard 930am and its only 5 mins from the jetty. The workers weren't really helpful. They literally just sit inside their car and "expect" all of us to load our bags to the boot and get our butts inside the car!!
And when we reached there, it was "Do It Yourself" too!!

I was quite surprised that the place was actually quite run down and not what I expected.

The Bikes:
There are 4 types of bikes available at Tristan Park and there are mainly:
- SGD70 per day for Pitbike.
- SGD90 per day for Yamaha WR/DT 125cc.
- SGD120 per day for KLX150cc.
- SGD150 per day for KTM200cc.

Pit Bikes (Mini Scrambler)

KLX 150cc

If you are a not a beginner, I think the best choice will be to take the KLX150cc because I feel that it is the best maintained bikes (or maybe because it is newer compared to the rest) among all the bikes available and its the only bike that features push button start rather than kick start. There is only 2 KLX150 available at Tristan Park.

KTM 200cc

The rest of the bikes I feel is quite badly maintained/old and one of the main problems we faced during the rides were our engine keep dying off quite frequently and we have to kick start the engine which was quite tiring. And not forgetting we need to put the gear back to neutral which was a hassle too because most of the bikes don't have indication which gear its on. For beginners, it can be quite a challenge!

Practice session (Morning):
For the beginners, the session started with a familiarization of the bike and getting know how to ride the bike!! I think the basic criteria for riding the pit bike will be having a good sense of balance and must at least know how to ride a BICYCLE!!

Practice session

And soon everyone started to ride circles around a tree and besides learning how to make to bike goes forward, the instructor also taught them how to perform Emergency brake!! Which I feel is very very important!

We started our trail biking after our lunch (which was included in the package). You can read more about it by and my review of on Tristan Park and my trail biking adventure at the link below:

Tristan Park Trail Bike (The trail and review)

Mt Kinabalu Day 2 - Part II (Descending from Laban Rata to Timpohon Gate...)

After taking our much needed brunch at the cafeteria while enjoying the magnificient view from the balcony. We didn't have much time to bask in our achievement of reaching the peak as we were told that we have to start our journey down by 1130am cause our porters expect the rain to come in around afternoon and it will make our journey down much tougher.

Indeed they were right, our walk down from Laban Rata was tough as the rain started to pour around 1pm. Many of us suffered because we ran out of ponchos and most of our jackets are not made from water resistant material. We have to be extra careful as well due to the slippery ground and my friends get to know it the hard way as some of them fell hard on their butt!!


My advice for those who wish to climb Mt Kinabalu is to get a climbing rod / trekking stick as it helps to lessen the stress on your knee caps while on the way down. You can also get those wooden walking stick at Laban Rata for RM10/stick, you can ask your porter to get it for you.

It will take around 4 to 5 hours to reach Timpohon Gate and the buffet lunch that is serve at Park Head Quarters close at 4pm. If you can't reach there on time, your friends or guide will have to help to pack some food for you as the journey back to Kota Kinabalu town will take approximately 2 hours.

The cert on the left is for reaching the summit of Mt K and the one on the left is for trekking via the Mesilau route (much tougher and for those who want to challenge themselves!!)

Most of us reached Timpohon Gate around 5pm and we left Kinabalu Park HQ around 6pm after and there is where we receive our climbing certificates. We took our packed dinner feeling really tired and exhausted but 100% satisfied!! =)

River Rafting at Padas River (Kota Kinabalu)

Date: 19/1/2011

After a tiring 2 days climb up and down Mt Kinabalu, I was really worried that my friends were not prepared/not looking forward to the river rafting at Padas River which is classified as Class 3-4 river. But turn out, they were feeling great and all were eager to fight on head to head with the various rapids like washing-machine, merry-go-round and etc!!

The van picked us up at 8am and we managed to buy McDonald for breakfast from McD which was located near to our condo. We were told that the whole journey to Beaufort/Tenom town will take us around 4 hours (which include resting and lunch time) and from there, we will be taking a 30 minutes train ride to Pangie, the starting point of our rafting adventure and through out the train ride we will be passing by villages of the Murut tribes.

We stopped by for some photos taking session and lunch before heading to the train station. The lunch was not bad altho the serving wasn't much. Some of them really enjoyed the open space train ride that we took from town to our starting point as it was something we wouldn't able to do back in Singapore as all MRTs are covered!! Once we reached our starting point, safety briefing was given to all participants and soon our adventure begun!!
Check out some of the pictures that we bought from the tour operator. We paid them Rm120 for the pictures. At first, we thought it was rather expensive buying the pictures for that amount of money, but we had a lot of laughter while we looked back at the pictures when we were back to our condo. We heard that they offered the pictures to a couple for only Rm50. I guess they charge their pictures by the number of people taking part in the rafting.
Contary to popular belief that rafting is dangerous, I find that rafting is a matter of fact a very fun and exciting and not to mention safe activity (cause the local operators take safety matters seriously). This is the second time I did it at Padas River and my advice is, if you don't do it at Kota Kinabalu, please don't do it anywhere!! Cause I've done rafting at Phuket and Bali and the rafting there are no where as exciting and fun as this one that I did at Kota Kinabalu!!

And just for your info, even tho the rafting finished around 4pm, we were only managed to reach our condo at 9pm because there was only 1 train going back to the town where we came from and it only arrived at 5pm. Well, even so we really really enjoyed the rafting and we know that a sumptious seafood dinner is waiting for us!!!

Mt Kinabalu Day 2 - Part I (To the summit and back to Laban Rata..)

Date: 18/1/2011

We we suppose to wake up at 2am the next day for our climb up to the summit but instead we woke up at 12am!!! We had difficulty sleeping as it was really cold and I won't categorize the beds of the dorm available as "Comfortable"!! The bed was hollow and you can feel the spring of the bed bouncing on your back!! So, for those who are able to add some weight on your backpack, maybe you can consider bringing a sleeping bag up as well.

We went down to the Cafeteria (our dorm is 0.5M higher) and had our breakfast and started our ascend at 230am. We were really excited and we can feel the adrenaline rush thru our body as it was pitch black outside and we had to put on our head lamps in order for us to climb our way up! Due to the harsh condition while on the way up from Mesilau, some of my friends were too fatigue to continue the way up to the summit.



The path up to the summit is somehow more challenging compared to Day 1 as we needed both our hands to hold on to the rope to climb our way up. We managed to reach the peak at 530am and I think it was around 3 ~ 5 degC at the top! It was really cold with strong wind and we didn't manage to catch the sunrise as it was really cloudy and the worst was, it started to rain!! We had no choice but to go down cause we didn't want to be caught in the rain as we had no ponchos and some of us were not wearing water resistant jackets and gloves.

If you thought that the walk is over once you reaches the top, think again!! The path back to Laban Rata is even more challenging as you are more prone to fall going down then going up.

Do check out some of the pictures that my friend took while on the way down:


As you can, the way down from the peak is no walk in the park as you have to hold on to the ropes and watch your every step that you take!! We managed to reach Laban Rata around 10am and briefly packed our backpacks and headed to the Cafeteria for brunch. From there, it was another long way down to Timpohon Gate. Do stay tune for my Mt Kinabalu Day 2 - Part 2!!

My Coming Climb: Mount Rinjani @ 3,726M, Lombok (Indonesia)

Date: 25/6/2012 ~ 30/6/2012

Destination: Lombok, Indonesia

Description: Mount Rinjani is an active volcano situated in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. (30 mins flight from Bali or 6 ~ 8 hrs slow boat ride from Bali) Mt Rinjani forms the 2^nd highest volcanic peak in Indonesia and it rises to 3,726m, making it the 3^rd largest volcano in Indonesia.

Estimated damage to your bank acct: $800SGD

How to get there:

Option 1: Take a direct flight from Sin to Lombok thru SilkAir.

Cost: $358.60 for round ticket

Option 2: Take a flight to Denpasar (Bali) and take a boat ride from there to Lombok. (Approx. 6 to 8 hrs)

Cost: $244 for AirAsia flt. Plus $5 for boat ride. (But might need to stay 2 nights on boat)

Option 3: Take a flight to Denpasar and take a domestic flight to Lombok.

Cost: $244(AirAsia) + $75(Lion Air)

Best Choice: Option 1. Flight is cheap now. Go grab it before it shoots up!

Itinerary:

25/6/12 (Day 1): Depart SIN at 1545 hrs and take a domestic flight from Denpasar (Bali) to Lombok. Reach Lombok at 1640 hrs. Take dinner and checked in hotel. Have to check if we have time for a short trip to the nearby waterfall. Will stay overnight at Senaru.

26/6/12 (Day 2): We will be starting our climb from Senaru Village at 601m. So, we will be climbing to the peak of Mt Rinjani at the height of 3,726m in 3 days!!

We will be climbing thru POS 2 (1,500m), POS 3 (2,000m) and up to Senaru Crater Rim at 2,641m. Will be setting up tents and camp there for the night.

Temperature at Senaru Crater Rim: Daytime: 15 - 22°C, Night: 12 - 15°C

The view from Senaru Crater Rim:

27/6/12 (Day 3): After breakfast, we will be heading to Lake Segara Anak (2,000m). We will be spending the rest of the day swimming and relaxing there and exploring the Caves and hot spring around the area.

Following some rest, you push on to Plawangan 2, Sembalun. Here you set camp for the night before your Summit attempt. We will be setting up tents here for the night.

Temperature at the lake: Daytime: 14 - 18°C, Night: 11 - 14°C

The view of the lake:

28/6/12 (Day 4): We will be starting our climb to the summit of Rinjani at 0300 hrs and reach the summit at 0600 hrs to catch the sunrise!! After spending an hour at the summit, we will ascend via Sembalun Lawang. Will be going back to Sen

ggigi for the night.

Temperature at the summit of Mt Rinjani: 5 - 8°C from 02:00-08:00AM with STRONG WIND!!

The way up to the summit of Mt Rinjani is very challenging!!

The view from the top of Mt Rinjani:

29/6/12 (Day 5): We will be spending a free and easy day on the white sandy beach of Senggigi or Gili Island.

Senggigi Beach:

30/6/12 (Day 6): Return home by taking Silk Air departing Lombok at 1925hrs. Reach SIN at 2210.

Map of Rinjani:

Our trail will start from Senaru and we will descend from the peak of Rinjani thru Sembalun Lawang. (Image taken from www.gunungrinjani.com)

We will be staying in tents like these:

DISCLAIMER: Climbing Mt Rinjani is not for those with weak heart and weak legs!! It is extremely tiring and not to scare you guys, DANGEROUS as well! Coz Mt Rinjani is a LIVE volcano!! But one thing I am extremely sure that is it’s going to be a hell of an experience!! And its 100% worth it!! So, give me your hand and lets conquer Mt Rinjani together!! Yeah~!!!

The pictures used in this post doesn't belong to me as I've yet to climb Mt Rinjani yet. These are just information that I've gathered thru thorough research online. I've my contacts for my Rinjani Climb and hopefully I can update the confirmed details of my climb asap and I will update it here in my blog. =)

*Important Note: Do take note that Rinjani Park is closed due to the monsoon season during Jan to Apr. Please do not book your trip during that period.

Mt Kinabalu Day 1 (The climb up to Laban Rata..)

Date: 17/1/2011

We started our Day 1 with a sumptuous buffet at the Renathera Restaurant near our Mesilau Lodge. The food was really nice with a wide spread of variety ranging from Nasi Lemak to Curry Rice and not forgetting the delicious omelet that was prepared freshly by the cook in front of us!

After collecting our packed lunch, we started our journey by entering thru the Mesilau Gate and we were able to weigh our backpack and we have the option to let the porter carry our bag for the cost of Rm8/kg (two way). If you choose not to, once the journey has started and if you would to let the porter carry your bag half way up the mountain, it will be a flat rate of Rm50 per way. So, if you are really carrying a heavy bag, (above 7kg) I will advise that you let the porter carry your bag. =)

For those who have yet to try trekking via the Mesilau Trail, I will suggest that you give it a try as it is much tougher compared to the Timpohon Trail. It took us 8 hours to reach Laban Rata whereas it will only take around 5 hours if we trek via the Timpohon Trail. Besides that, the Mesilau Trail offers more scenic view such as garden, suspension bridge, river and etc. Check out the pictures posted which are mostly captured while we were on the Mesilau Trail.

We reached Laban Rata around 6pm and the heavy downpour didn't make it any easy for us. We weren't able to use our gloves or even jackets cause we are afraid that it might get wet and it will be difficult for us to use it the next day where we will set out for the summit of Mt Kinabalu @ 2am in the morning!!

We had our buffet dinner at Laban Rata and I am not sure if it was our hunger from climbing for 8 hours or the food was just plainly delicious, we had a great meal at the Cafeteria and after making sure that all my friends had made it to Laban Rata safely, we head to our dorm respectively and lights were off around 8pm!!

The Price of my package and things you should prepare for the climb...

These are the breakdown of the prices for the packages for 15 person via the "Mesilau" trail which cost RM50 more compared to the more common "Timpohon" trail.

Climbing package consisting of 2 nights stay: 1 at Mesilau Nature Resort and 1 at Laban Rata: Price/Person: (Msian = $400SGD/pax, International = $485SGD/pax)
*The difference in prices for Malaysian and foreigners because Malaysian are entitled to a slight discount by the Laban Rata operators as agreed by with the government when they (Laban Rata Operators) took over from Sabah Park years ago. Besides that, there is a RM100 difference per person as well for the Sabah Park permit and entracance fees between Msian and foreigners. For this case, I benefited because I am a Malaysian! haha!

Padas water rafting:
Price/Person: $82/person

2 nights accomodation at Marina Court Condo:
ACCOMMODATION: 1X MARINA COURT 3-BEDROOM CONDO (w/o breakfast)
ROOM CONFIGURATION:
ROOM 1 (1X QUEEN & 1X SINGLE)
ROOM 2 (3X SINGLE)
ROOM 3 (1X QUEEN)
CHECK IN: 18 JAN 2011
CHECK OUT: 20 JAN 2011
PRICE PER UNIT: S$195/night

ACCOMMODATION: 1X MARINA COURT 3-BEDROOM CONDO (w/o breakfast)
ROOM CONFIGURATION:
ROOM 1 (1X QUEEN)
ROOM 2 (2X SINGLE)
ROOM 3 (2X SINGLE or 1X Queen)
CHECK IN: 18 JAN 2011
CHECK OUT: 20 JAN 2011
PRICE PER UNIT: S$152/night

After dividing the amount among the 15 of us:
Price/Person: $47/person

And we will be having cheap seafood for dinner on our last night! Approximately $15SGD/person.

So the total of the package is around $629 for non-Malaysian and $544 for Malaysians, but it will be even lower cause Amazing Borneo charges a fixed exchange rate of 2.3 from SGD to RM, but if you don't mind the trouble of transferring the money from a bank in Malaysia or an money exchanger that offers free money remittance; you can get a better exchange rate like 2.36~2.38!! For me, I've chosen to pay the package in RM thru of the money exchanger at Jurong Point which offers money remittance service for FREE at an exchange rate of 2.38.

This is one the best priced package I've come across (after some thorough research online) and due to our large group size, I managed to get further reductions from them. (http://www.amazing-borneo.com/)
You are able to email them @ the following add:
reservations@amazingborneo.com.my

Things you should prepare for the climb:
Waterproof backpack to store your items
Trekking or running shoe with good grip
Warm clothing/Long sleeves shirt/Hiking pants Jacket/Wind breaker
Extra clothing and socks
Small towel Hand gloves and winter hat
Disposable raincoats/ponchos (more than 1 if you are climbing during the monsoon season)
Head torch
Personal toiletries
Refillable water bottle (0.5 - 1 Litre)
High energy food such as chocolates, nuts,biscuits, sweets, energy bars

Your extra luggage can be stored at Kinabalu Park HQ at a nominal fee of RM10 per piece prior climb.

Things You Wish To Bring:
Medication such as headache tablets or altitude sickness tablets
Tissue paper / Toilet roll
Sun block lotion, lip gloss, plasters
Insect repellent / Mosquito Oil
Camera with water proof bag
Sandals / Slippers Plastic bags

And for those who doesn't own a trekking shoe, rather than spending $100 over for a new pair of trekking shoe, you can choose to purchase a shoe used by the local to climb up the mountain for a cost of only RM10. Check with your guide, most likely he will be able to get it for you.

Climbing the peak of Mt Kinabalu @ 4095M!!

Date: 16/1/2011 ~ 20/1/2011



Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the east Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the 4th tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago after Indonesian Papua's Puncak Jaya, Puncak Trikora and Puncak Mandala. (source: wikipedia)

This is the second time I've climbed Mt Kinabalu but I have to say that this time is so much tougher compared to my first climb one a half year ago due to the punishing monsoon rain and not forgetting that this time around I've chosen the tougher Mesilau Trail which took us 8 hours to reach Laban Rata!!

Do check out the trail map of Mt Kinabalu at the side which I got courtesy of Amazing Borneo Tours which is where I book my package from.

Below are my tour itinerary:

16/1/2011 (DAY 01) KOTA KINABALU / MESILAU NATURE RESORT
Pick-up from your hotel lobby or airport and depart on a 3 hrs journey to Mesilau Nature Resort. En route passing by villages and a panoramic vista of the valleys of the Crocker Range.Stop over for Tamparuli Village Tour (If time permits) to: -1) Visit wooden shop houses, experience Kadazan Dusun Tribe everyday lifestyle,
2) Try walking across Sabah’s most famous suspension bridge (Jambatan Tamparuli), &
3) Witness another historical 50+ years old vehicle bridge built by local headhunter tribe where many sacrifices were made during construction of this bridge. Along the way, we will take a brief stop at Nabalu. Nabalu is a place where the local natives gather to sell local produce, fruits, home grown vegetables and handicraft souvenirs.On arrival, experience the cool fresh air and the natural ambience of the Park. Check in Mesilau Nature ResortDinner at Renanthera Restaurant and Overnight at Mesilau Nature Resort...

17/1/2011 (DAY 02) MESILAU GATE / ASCEND MOUNT KINABALU / LABAN RATA
Breakfast at Renanthera Restaurant.
Collect your packed lunch.
Proceed to the Sabah Park OPS Room to register for the climb.
Our guide will arrange for all necessary registrations, assign you a mountain guide and apply for your ID TAG.
Remember to wear your ID TAG at all times.
You'll then be transferred to starting point – Mesilau Gate – where your journey and quest to the summit of Borneo’s highest mountain begins!
Commence climb to Laban Rata with packed lunch.
The climb will take approximately 4-5 hours.
The trek will pass by different vegetation zones from Oak and Chestnut to mossy and eventually to alpine type of vegetations.
Arrive and check into Laban Rata rest house or similar in the late afternoon.
Buffet dinner at Laban Rata restaurant and overnight..

18/1/2011 (DAY 03) LOW’S PEAK / DESCEND MOUNT KINABALU / KOTA KINABALU
(02.00hrs) Wake up for early breakfast and depart for continuation of journey towards the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
The journey up to the Low's peak will test your fitness and determination; you might be able to experience the glorious sunrise over the majestic Mt. Kinabalu if weather permits.
Descend back to Laban Rata for late breakfast and check out.
Trek down to Timpohon Gate for transfer back to the Kinabalu Park Headquarter (est. arrival 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs).
Congratulations, you can now collect your Certificate of Achievement!
Lunch will be served at the Balsam restaurant in Kinabalu Park.
Transfer back to Kota Kinabalu city. Journey takes approx. 2 hrs.
Overnight at Marina Court...

19/1/2011 (Day 04) WHITE WATER RAFTING - PADAS (GRADE 3-4)
Pick up from hotel and transfer by coach to Beaufort/Tenom Town. Journey will take approximately 2 hours. Tenom is a small town located in interior district of Sabah and it is also the centre of the Murut tribe. The Tenom Town was formerly called Fort Birch in the colonial period. The journey will pass through the countryside offering views of paddy fields and villages.

Upon arrival at Tenom Town train station, lunch will be served in a local restaurant. You can choose to visit local stalls or have a cup of Tenom coffee. After lunch, get change and leave your belongings in the coach. Thereafter, depart by train for 30 minutes to the starting point of Pangie, the train ride will traverse the Padas Gorge offering views of the villages of the Murut tribes and the Padas River.
On arrival, light refreshment will be served. A briefing on the river, the various rapids, and safety procedures will be conducted by the River Guide. After the briefing, all rafters will put on their rafting gears - lifejackets & helmets and collect your paddles.

Enjoy the exhilarating ride down the rapids and get to know the various rapids like Merry-Go-Round Rapid, Break Point Papid, Head Hunter Rapid, Scooby Doo Rapid, Curve Rapid, Cobra Rapid and Lambada Rapid. Each rapid will give you the feel of the motion as what the name means. The Padas Whitewater Rafting will cover 21km with 09 major rapids and a stop-over for a rest and light refreshment before continuing rafting journey with spectacular rainforest of Borneo to pull out point. The thrilling yet scenic ride will take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Arrive at the ending point - Halogilat Village. Change to dry clothing before boarding the coach back to hotel in Kota Kinabalu.
Overnight at Marina Court.



20/1/2011 (Day 5) Back to SIN!!!