An afternoon in Ulu Tamu

We had our picnic at Ulu Tamu in Batang Kali. The place is actually at the foot of Genting Highlands. The place is rather unknown and least likely choice among picnickers. Many other places are widely publicized as the spots for recreations within an hour driving radius from Klang Valley, but not Ulu Tamu. I prefer to be at the secluded areas where we may not hassle with too many people and some sense of privacy for the family.

So, on that Sunday, in the last few weeks, when my wife was away on duty down south, I brought my kids to Ulu Tamu. Yeah it was Ulu Tamu but the exact location we went to was a private property. It was some 45 minutes drive from our place in Saujana Utama, Sungai Buluh, using Guthrie Highway to Rawang and the road leading to Kuala Kubu Baru.

Well, I wouldn’t have brought the kids there if my friend Cikgu Azmi didn’t invite me to see his fish ponds nearby. He is farming out fish in 4 big fish ponds at the place and by the way it looks he is very serious in it, with tens of thousands of ringgits of investment, complete with necessary equipments & gadgets and Indonesian workers to take care of the ponds 24-7.

It was very much to the liking of my kids to be at that place. They started to pump up and got excited when the first impression of the “adventure” was, crossing the creek of 2 feet deep using 4-by-4 Ford Ranger when we got there. My saloon family car had to be parked next to the Orang Asli settlement before hopping on the pick-up truck. I kept reminding the kids to hang tight on the bar and not to lean too much outward, afraid they might fall off when the truck had to endure the rough terrain. They screamed with excitements when water starts spurting to the sides and the truck quivering and wobbling while tolerating the rough surface. It was yet another scream when the truck starts climbing more than 30-degree slope, and down. It was still safe for the kids to be at the back throughout, if not I would've not allowed them to be at the back and have them wrapped in the seats instead.

Reminds me of my hunting trip in Muadzam Shah years ago when we were tracking a deer on the back of Toyota Hilux with our double barrels. Well, this one deserves an entry of its own. I digress.

Soon after, we were greeted with breathtaking view of a watercourse amidst the thick jungle with the mountain at the back. My boys, Sam & Edrin hurried with their swimming suits and goggles once we settled our things at the makeshift hut next to the fish pond, some 20 meters away from the stream. In no time, they hit the water before their sister Fara was ready.

Nice and cool. The water was so clear, the rocks were beautiful and the water flows down to Ulu Yam, a favourite spot for picnic not far from Kuala Lumpur. Hence, my kids pissed on other picnickers down the stream on that day :-)

My three kids had a whale of time playing in the water, until such time I called them back again for another 4 x 4 ride around the fish ponds, feed the fish. Jump into the water, a break in the hut for snacks, back to the water again, holding breath underwater competition, dried leaves regatta, running around, 4 x 4 ride yet another round, creeping down the brook, chasing after small fish, hauling and stacking rocks to make a beaver dam, crumble them up, play silly games… It was heckuva time for them.

They dozed off in a car only after minutes of ride back home. All in all… it has been yet another happy time for my kids for their list.