VMY2014: Kota Gelanggi Cave Heritage Park, Jerantut, Pahang

May 2014 trip. A 5th consecutive in my tour de malaysia programme. This time with the girls from uni time plus uni friend cuzzy. all 5 of us. Booked the trip during the Matta Fair and had a fabulous weekend trip.

This is not Taman Negara yet. It's the pick up place. All guests to Taman Negara were required to gather at this hotel by 8.30am. 

The agent's office was also located here at the ground floor of the hotel. After completed the registration process, we headed to nearby 7-E for quick breakfast.

Express Nasi Lemak before riding the bus to Jerantut. 

To make it short, the expedition took more than 2 hours since the bus need to pick more passengers at other locations and some of them were also turned up late at the pick up spot. What a waste of time. We left KL city around 9.30 am and reached Jerantut at 12.30pm, just right for lunch time. 

The lunch was served based on the reserved group made earlier. So, does the tour later on. 

Lunch started with traditional chinese tea

Fried vege and sweet sour style chicken

Sweet sour style chicken

By the way, we actually opt the package from NKS Hotel and Travel, complete with transportation, accommodation, meals and tour. All in cost us around RM400 per pax.

We can opt for type of accommodation according to our own budget. 

On the way to Kota Gelanggi Cave Heritage Park, view of Sg Pahang

One of the activities offered in the package is a trip to Kota Gelanggi Cave, an half an hour journey from the city. 

Some extraction from cavesofmalaysia.com website on Kota Gelanggi caves complex are written below:

The Kota Gelanggi caves complex is of historical importance, first recorded by Cameron in 1882 in the Royal Asiatic Soc. Journal. Since then many other people have written about the caves, but have been inconsistent with the naming. Various archaeological digs, especially by the Muzium Negara Department of Museum & Antiquities has revealed human remains dating 1500 years. In 1995, the caves were gazetted by the Pahang state government as a Historical Heritage Area, 

The caves come under the control of Felda Residence Tekam. There are several caves open to the public, including Gua Sanding and Gua Penyu. Another is Gua Terang Bulan which has electric lighting and walkways. Guided tours are available.

Facilities - caves complex, car park, rest areas and toilets. Opening hours: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily. 

Location and access - In the state of Pahang northeast of Temerloh. From Temerloh go north to Jerantut, then turn right (east) on to the Jerantut to Maran road No 64 which is a new wide road. Kota Gelanggi is about 25 km east of Jerantut. Or from the main Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan road, there are 3 turn offs to Kota Gelanggi. One is at Kg. Awah, one at Jengka Jaya, one is route 64 from Maran. 

A jungle tracking activities with a very knowledgeable guide.  For non so environmentalist person like me, the activity was such an enlightenment. Above pic, showed the leave that usually being used for scrubbing wood.  

Lyana. The trees that spread.

Forgot the name but it contained water if inside it, if i could recall

Poison mushroom,nice to see not to eat

Plant that can hold water and safe for human drinking. What we need to do, is just filter the water with shirt or any filter we have and it can fill up to 1 mineral water bottle. 

One of the giant and oldest tree in the park

The magnificent limestone cave. And this is just a beginning. 

We spent a few minutes outside the cave, being brief by the guide on the history of the caves and how pre-historic people live. The hole was previously a grave and the human skulls were removed to local state museum. It was said that this complex is a previously a kingdom or a city but was cursed by some gorgon, famously known as Sang Kelembai who changed everything he touched into stone. It's a legend. 

The structure of the cave. Amazing right. 

Another lesson learnt, the leave that taste like an apple. Being used as an ingredient for cooking as the guide said.

It's beautiful right. 

This was my first cave exploration activity and so far, the hardest. I was always the last person to reach a site since i need to make myself flexible went climbing around the cave.

The guide took us to one of the highest spot here, it's very windy up and calm up here. we only spent about 5 minutes for photography session 

The peak of our expedition is to see the sunbeam at Kota Gelanggi. Magnificient. We reached here at a right time, before the sunset and the beam fade away.

This place was called, Gua Sanding, one of the caves that were connected to other caves in this complex. U can see upthere, 2 stones, one looked like it was standing and another one, sitting. Like a bride and groom during their wedding day. 

Stone sculpture. A symbol of worship for some religion. 

One of the highlight here is the crystal at the nearby stone. It can only be seen in green colour with a infra red torch light. 

Tip: Don't touch. A touch will cause the stone to lost its shining and glimmering features.

Basically, the complex consists of several caves and we only went for 3. There are Sanding Cave, Balai Cave and Angin Cave. There are a lot more here to explore. Perhaps, a 2 night stay in Jerantut or at the Felda resort at Tekam Pahang will suffice for a full course of cave exploration here. Difficulty level? It suits for beginner.