Campus Travelogue: Belum Rainforest

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by Jolyn Moh and Shafina Subari

Earlier in April, we held a contest to pick two winners to send on a 3 days 2 nights trip to the Belum Rainforest in Perak, Malaysia – one of the oldest rainforest in the world (even more than the Amazon Rainforest!). Here’s what our winners got to experience on their trip there, courtesy of Belum Rainforest, which they have also documented in a video below!
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Surrounded by nature at every corner, the resort and rainforest was one of serenity, luxury and comfort, thanks to the warm hospitality of the Belum Rainforest Resort management and soothing respite that the rainforest provided away from the hustle and bustle of the city. A beautiful compound with amazing architecture and landscape, the rooms were also spick and span, with a thematic nature style exuding peace and tranquility.

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On the very first day, upon arrival and settling in, we tried bamboo rafting. It was very relaxing, drifting through the lake, and despite the fact that the rafts looked rather flimsy at first sight, they were surprisingly stable! We had a night trek later that evening too, where our knowledgable guide shared with us many insights which included using nature for survival in the jungle, and even to sport natural amenities out of them too.

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The next day, we trekked through the rainforest in day-time, reaching a waterfall where we stopped for a picnic lunch. We managed to spot a half-rotting Rafflesia during our trek as well, as although it is the largest flower in the world, it unfortunately has only a small lifecycle of 5-7 days only.

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Kampong Chuweh was another place we visited too, where the only technology present on the island was a small television set operating on battery. Despite having limited resources and facilities, the children pride themselves in being able to maximise the use of what they have, from books donated to them to even learning music from the lone guitar available in the village.

If you would like to know more about the other activities that both of us did there during our 3 days 2 nights stay, do check out our video below!