Gunung Bubu 1,657m 2008

Date: 25 Oct 08 - 27 Oct 08 [3D/2N]
Location: Gunung Bubu, Ulu Kenas, Kuala Kangsar, Perak
Altitude: 1,657m ASL
Difficulty: 6.2/10 (http://danlow.multiply.com/journal/item/50)
Trail length: 10.2km + 1.8km
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Lens: Tokina AT-X 124 AF Pro DX 12-24mm f/4
Filter: none
Post editing: PS CS3
Organizer: http://loitc.multiply.com
Members: Uncle Yong, Dan, KL Tan, Doraemon Ang and 10 hikers from KL('YOU-HIN LIAU'; 'Eng Wah Lok'; 'Chee Weng Yeoh'; 'Kaw Pua'; 'Teck Chai Lai'; 'keng heng tan'; 'Chu-huan Jong'; 'Victor Chan'; 'Lawrence CY Lo')
Drivers KL
Guide: http://kimcheejong.multiply.com + my GPS
My reason to go there: There are only a few mountains at the west side of PLUS highway, Bujang Melaka, Jerai and Bubu …. I have hiked the other 2, so I thought that it would be great to do the remaining..

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Albums from other cameras:
http://powerofnature.multiply.com/photos/album/136
http://powerofnature.multiply.com/photos/album/137
http://powerofnature.multiply.com/photos/album/138
http://kimcheejong.multiply.com/photos/album/50
http://kimcheejong.multiply.com/photos/album/51
http://loitc.multiply.com/photos/album/65
http://picasaweb.google.com/liauyouhin/GBubuKualaKangsar2426OCT08?authkey=p-61X-e6seA#

Journey 
Day 1: 9:00am - 3:00pm from starting point/100m(Kem Bina Negara Ulu Kenas) to Camp Garding/945m (Long break for lunch by the river/400m)
Day 2: 8:00am - 10:00am from Camp Garding/945m to Summit/1657m (Explore other peaks at summit)
Day 2: 11:40am - 2:10pm from Summit/1657m to Camp Garding/945m (Long break at last water point/1390m)
Day 3: 9:50am - 3:20pm from Camp Garding/945m to Kem Bina Negara Ulu Kenas/100m (Long break for lunch at river crossing/450m)

Rewards of this trip 
- nice quiet campsite(Camp Garding)
- Lots of streams along the trail, very clean water
- There are streams on both sides of Camp Garding
- Relaxing hike, moderately easy hike
- Not too cold, very nice temperature during the day and night
- Clear blue sky for all 3 days, no rain

Challenges of this trip 
- There were a lot of leeches, especially on day 1
- I stumbled upon some sort of wasp colony and got bitten all over, ouch
- Venomous ants bites
- Very few sandflies 

Cost 
- Guide Fees: NIL
- 4WD: NIL
- Permit fees: RM10.00 (for 1-40pax)
- Camp site fees: NIL
- Food: approx. RM19.00 
- Transport: RM40:00 Passengers AA share petrol + tol cost - Drivers don't pay

Summary
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Camped 2 nights at Camp Garding, which is about 2 hours from the summit
- 4 people from Penang, 10 from KL 
- No guide, 4-5 people have GPS with them, however http://kimcheejong.multiply.com led the trail
- Started & ended at Kem Bina Negara Ulu Kenas
- There were leeches all the way from the carp park until Camp Garding
- Lots of bees and butterflies 
- Didn't see any Raflesia, but we saw a Raja Brookes during river break, evident of Raflesia colonies.
- Lots of hornbill encounters; there were several different calls, but I could tell exactly which species they where. (poor visual due to the thick forest canopy)
- Temperature at campsite (24°c before bed time, possibly <21°c after 3:00am)
- There are streams on both sides of Camp Garding
- Camp Garding was devastated by some sort of tropical avalanche quite recently(I think <6 months ago), what used to be a flat campsite that could accommodate 50 campers is now reduced to several small areas that accommodates perhaps 20. What used to be a stream at the right side of Garding has been transformed into a wide opening littered with boulders and other forest rubbles. However the stream on the left is still small and nice.
- Camp sites on the summit seem really good, especially on the west peak. I think it could easily accommodate 20-30.
- The LWP(Last water point) before the summit is about 1 hour from the summit

Macro Oct 2008

Date: Oct O8
Location: Tukun, BM
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Lens: Tamron SP AF90mm F/2.8 (Di) Macro 1:1
Filter: none
Post editing: PS CS3

After seeing Alex’s recent superb macro album(http://alextkt.multiply.com/photos/album/529/Insect_Collection_12_Oct_2008#) makes me wanna do some macro for myself too.
Couldn’t find much unusual insects that day. These are my bounties. I give myself 5.5/10 .. hope to be better next round, critics welcome, just tembak saja….

Pulau Redang 2008

Date: 2 Oct 08 - 5 Oct 08 [3D/2N]
Location: Pulau Redang, Malaysia
No. of dives: 5+1
Accessibility to dive sites: 8.5
Marine Animal Density: 7.3
Dive site terrain Quality: 8.5
Marine Animal Diversity: 7.6
Visibility: 6.0
Overall Score: 7.6
Entry: Boat
Difficulty: OW-AOW
Dive Sites: Fringing reefs/Sandy Bottoms/Pinnacles
Underwater camera: Canon Powershot A80
Underwater casing: Canon Waterproof Case WP-DC900 for Powershot A80 by Canon
Underwater strobe: Fantasea Cool Flash Nano
Underwater filter: NIL
Post editing: PS CS3
Members: Rockson, Lilian, Sam, Winnie and 22 other snorkeling members
DI & DM: Teng Jan Shir, Rina, King, Alex and Leong
Resort: Redang Pelangi Resort (Contact: 019 475 1357)
Reason of my visit: To dive the sandy bottoms of Redang, to see the different side of Redang’s dive sites, wanted to see the blue-ring octopus and to find frogfish

Dive sites
- Rina’s Reef x 2
- Cina Terjun
- Tanjung Tengah(help take pictures for 10 discovery divers)
- Tanjung Tengah(night dive)
- Terumbu Kiri

Rewards of this trip
- Frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, seahorse and leafy filefish
- Big schools of reef fishes(diamondfish, bigeye snappers, fusiliers, needlefish, damsels, giant sweetlips, razorfish and anthiars
- Group of 7 blue spotted stingrays togather at one site, normally we see them lone
- Several hawksbill turtles
- Good weather, clam sea
- Many longs dives, >60mins(which is rare with Pelangi coz they limit all bottom time to max 45mins regardless of how much air is left)
- Met DI/DM Rina and King, finally got to meet them
- Met Leong, Cecilia’s(wanderingbabe) hubby
Challenges of this trip
- Thermocline at 20m and below, bad viz(1-2m)
- Lost buddies again, at Rina’s reef, dove alone, it was a peaceful 45mins alone
- No blue-ring octopus
- No weird nudis at the sandy bottoms

Regrets of this trip
- All pictures of the ornate ghost pipefish and razorfish are bad
- Way under exposed yellow boxfish pic

Cost
- 5 dives = RM300 (1 dive free for helping take pictures)
- SVIP bus B’worth – Merang – B’worth = RM140
- Pelangi resort off season package RM330(for extra bed)

Notes
- It was a last minute trip for me. Joint the trip because there was one more place on the SVIP bus and added extra bed to the room.
- I’ll be back for the sandy bottom dives sites, there is so much more to explore, to be continue…

About Pulau Redang
Redang Island, paradise of the Malaysian east coast group of marine park islands, is situated 45km northeast of Kuala Terengganu. Gazetted as a Marine Park in 1994, it is a heaven for scuba diving and ideal for memorable holidays with crystal clear water, powdery white sandy beaches, spectacular off shore snorkeling. The island is also an important conservation site for sea turtles. Previously, the indiscriminate economic exploitation of turtle eggs had caused fewer turtles returning to nest on the island. This has led the Terengganu state government to set up the Koperasi Setiajaya Pulau Redang in 1989, a cooperative aiming to develop and manage socio-economic programmes that could improve the livelihood of Pulau Redang locals without endangering its natural resources.[citation needed]
The waters around Pulau Redang also contain two historic shipwrecks. H.M.S Prince of Wales and H.M.S Repulse were sunk here at the start of World War II, setting the stage for the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

The Pulau Redang archipelago comprises Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Paku Besar, Pulau Paku Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Ling and Pulau Pinang. Pulau Redang is the biggest of all the islands in the Marine Park, measuring about 7 km long and 6 km wide. It's highest peak is Bukit Besar at 359 metres above sea level. The boundary of the Pulau Redang Marine Park is established by a line linking all points 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from the shores of Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Ekor Tebu and Pulau Pinang. The other nearby islands of Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Kapas and Pulau Susu Dara are also gazetted and protected as Marine Parks. Today, only the bigger islands like Redang, Lang Tengah, Perhentian and Kapas have resort facilities for visitors. The management of Marine Parks primarily involves protection of the sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems by controlling the impact from human activities. These include waste & pollution management and conservation of coral reefs and terrestrial habitats.
The 2000 film, Summer Holiday was filmed on the Laguna Redang resort, and a replica of the tea house now serves as the resort's gift shop.

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