Malaysia’s Pulau Langkawi: Of Fireflies And Legends
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www.nst.com Pulau Langkawi is enjoying a tourism boom and now, Kuala Selangor wants a piece of the action too. The small town, fringed by endless hectares of padi fields, has already gained fame for its many seafood restaurants.
But there’s more to Kuala Selangor. While many of us are familiar with the legend of the Langkawi’s ill-fated Mahsuri, Kuala Selangor folks tell the tale of Rabiah, a Muslim virgin who vanished without a trace just before her wedding day.
According to the legend, Rabiah had gone to a nearby lake, (now Lake Shina), to draw water for ablution. Unfortunately, that was the last anyone saw of her.
Her family searched for her frantically but all they found was her shawl, hanging from a branch. That night, she appeared to her parents in a dream, telling them that she had gone somewhere very peaceful and that there was no need to look for her.
Rabiah’s parents then dedicated a grave to her at the spot where the selendang was found.
One of the biggest attractions at Kuala Selangor, about an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, is fireflies. At Kampung Kuantan, you can drive to the jetty to board a boat to see the fireflies.
This species found at Kampung Kuantan is known as Pteroptye tener and can only be found in one other place in the world – deep in the Amazon forest (one has to trek for 10 days to get there).
Pteroptye tener has even been regarded the Eighth Wonder of the World by many scientists because it makes three synchronised blinks in one second, making it the brightest of the fireflies.
For over a century, the mangrove forest near Kampung Kuantan has been home to the fireflies, which feed on the leaves of the Berembang (Sonneratia Caselaris) trees. The nectar in the leaves is what enables the fireflies to produce that ‘greenish light’.
Ali Hashim, 33, who runs the boat service in Kampung Kuantan, says it was his father-in-law who first started taking visitors to see the fireflies there in 1973.
“Initially, only scientists and a few visitors who knew about the fireflies came. But over the years, its popularity grew, making this one of the most visited places in Kuala Selangor,” he says.
“Five years ago, we received at least 150 visitors a night, many of them foreigners but the number has dwindled to 30 to 40 now, especially after 9/11. On Saturday nights though, the number doubles.”
The boat service coincides with the feeding time of the fireflies from 8pm to 10.30pm. Each boat costs RM40 and can accommodate up to four persons. There are 27 boatmen plying the route each night.
Another place of interest is Malawati Fort, built in the 1780s to protect Kuala Selangor from Dutch invaders. One can also visit Dutch Hill, Seven Wells and Penggawa (Chief) Canon.
Kuala Selangor has seen its share of wars and the many cannons found there is testament to the wars fought, lost and won. In those days, prisoners of war were often slowly tortured to death.
Such prisoners, including traitors, were immersed up to their chins in a Poison Well filled with water that had been poisoned with latex and juice from itchy bamboo shoots and left to die.
No visit to Kuala Selangor is complete without a trip to the fish market and jetty where the boats bring in their daily catch. Families who spend a day or two in Kuala Selangor would often buy prawns, fish and crabs to bring home.
Wholesaler Balakrishnan Chinniah, 42, who sells seafood to visitors in Sungai Nibong, Kuala Selangor and Puchong, says his customers come from all over the country.
He specialises in expensive fish like bawal tambak which can go for RM65 per fish, large prawns which is often sold for RM35 or more a kg, senangin and tenggiri.
“Let me known in advance the type of fish you want and I will get it for you. If you don’t want to come to Kuala Selangor, you can get it in Puchong, where I live.”
He travels to Kuala Selangor three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to buy and sell fish.
“Many people love seafood from Kuala Selangor because it is sweeter. Furthermore, it’s just one hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur and some come to buy up to one month’s supply of seafood,” he adds. He can be contacted at 013-664 9938 or 03-8070 5852.
For more details about Kuala Selangor, call Majlis Daerah Kuala Selangor at 03-3289 1439/1549/2423/4328 during office hours.
THINGS TO DO
There are many things to see and do in Kuala Selangor. While most people go there to enjoy the seafood delights, many also make it a point to drop by at Bukit Malawati where one can see the Hundred Steps, Virgin’s Burial site, Seven Wells, Bed Rock, Malawati Fort, Dutch Hill and the spot where the sighting of the moon is done before the fasting month and for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Viewing fireflies at Kampung Kuantan is a must.
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodation ranges from three-star to budget hotels. The most popular is the De Palma Inn Kuala Selangor which has 48 rooms. It is fully booked during school/public holidays and on weekends. Rates at RM155++ (superior twin share) and RM260++ (Dara suite) are inclusive of breakfast. Other accommodation options are: Bukit Melawati Resthouse (RM30 to RM50), Nature Park Chalets and dormitory (RM60 to RM100), Villa Malawati (RM200 for one-night), Pantai Indah Seaview Resort (RM100 to RM160) and budget hotels (from RM30).
WHERE TO EAT
Seafood restaurants abound, offering Chinese or Malay cuisine styles. Food is reasonably priced and fresh as some restaurants have their own boats bringing in the daily catch.
HOW TO GET THERE
Kuala Selangor is easily accessible via the North-South Expressway. Those from Kuala Lumpur can exit at the Sungai Buloh toll plaza. Look for signages along the way. Those going via Klang can go through Meru.
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World Islamic Tourism Mart / Malaysia
WITM 2012 InCoMTHU Conference will feature quality and world renown speakers not only from Malaysia but from around the globe. In its 6th Year, the WITM InCoMTHU Conference 2012 will have speakers fro (16/05/2012)
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