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Decorative accents on the Riau pavilion in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Indonesia

31 December 2021

by Teja · Published 31 December 2021

Hello ~ Goodbye

Things to do in Jakarta: A Day Out to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah | travel guide on sustainable travel blog Teja on the Horizon | traditional Riau house replica

7 February 2020

by Teja · Published 7 February 2020 · Last modified 5 February 2023

An Easy Day Out in Jakarta to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

'Superposition' poem on mindful travel blog Teja on the Horizon | Seminyak dark sand beach

18 January 2017

by Teja · Published 18 January 2017 · Last modified 6 May 2022

Superposition

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Inspiring Insightful Travel

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Sunset yachting @alunanresort at Perhentian Islands.

For my first trips after the pandemic, I decided to splurge and be a tourist. (It was partly motivated by the desire to contribute to the revival of the tourism industry; which was why I picked the most sustainable businesses that I wanted to survive - #votewithyourmoney ).

#sunsetsailing #sunsetsail #sunsetlovers #sunsetstrip #sunsetaddict #sunsetcaptures #sunset_pics #hobiecat #sailinginstagram #perhentiankecil #perhentian #perhentians #tejainmalaysia

Sunset yachting @alunanresort at Perhentian Islands.
For my first trips after the pandemic, I decided to splurge and be a tourist. (It was partly motivated by the desire to contribute to the revival of the tourism industry; which was why I picked the most sustainable businesses that I wanted to survive - #votewithyourmoney ).
#sunsetsailing #sunsetsail #sunsetlovers #sunsetstrip #sunsetaddict #sunsetcaptures #sunset_pics #hobiecat #sailinginstagram #perhentiankecil #perhentian #perhentians #tejainmalaysia

Hiking from Petani beach to the Fishing village to say hi to folks.
There are trails around the island now, but passability is not guaranteed. Expect to possibly find fallen branches or trees and having to climb over or go around.

#islandhiking #islandhike #perhentian #perhentiankecil #pulauperhentian #pulauperhentiankecil #kampungnelayan #hikingtrail #perhentiantips #goinghiking #tejainmalaysia

Hiking from Petani beach to the Fishing village to say hi to folks.
There are trails around the island now, but passability is not guaranteed. Expect to possibly find fallen branches or trees and having to climb over or go around.
#islandhiking #islandhike #perhentian #perhentiankecil #pulauperhentian #pulauperhentiankecil #kampungnelayan #hikingtrail #perhentiantips #goinghiking #tejainmalaysia

While we were stuck in Taman Negara, it wasn’t without connection to the outside world. Data services became semi reliable again after a few days (and we learned which cell provider’s towers were more resilient to monsoon and flood.)

This was important, since we needed not only to know whether the road out to Jerantut was drying up, but also all the roads the rest of the way to our respective homes, since the flooding that year didn’t just affect the usual places.

The social media for the Works Department and the Met was therefore, unusually popular then, as were numerous Facebook and Whatsapp groups pooling the most updated information on passable roads and incoming rain. People suddenly were motivated to learn a heck of a lot more meteorology and civil engineering than usual.

When enough roads were fixed that alternative routes became possible (still had to bypass the shortest road crossing the mountain where there was still landslide risk), it then came down to waiting for the road out to Jerantut to dry.

#masscommunication #disasterrecovery #riskmanagement #travel #travellife #travelstories #travelstoriesworld
#flooded #tamannegara #weather #monsoonseason #monsoonfloods #
#planyourroute
#tejainmalaysia

While we were stuck in Taman Negara, it wasn’t without connection to the outside world. Data services became semi reliable again after a few days (and we learned which cell provider’s towers were more resilient to monsoon and flood.)
This was important, since we needed not only to know whether the road out to Jerantut was drying up, but also all the roads the rest of the way to our respective homes, since the flooding that year didn’t just affect the usual places.
The social media for the Works Department and the Met was therefore, unusually popular then, as were numerous Facebook and Whatsapp groups pooling the most updated information on passable roads and incoming rain. People suddenly were motivated to learn a heck of a lot more meteorology and civil engineering than usual.
When enough roads were fixed that alternative routes became possible (still had to bypass the shortest road crossing the mountain where there was still landslide risk), it then came down to waiting for the road out to Jerantut to dry.
#masscommunication #disasterrecovery #riskmanagement #travel #travellife #travelstories #travelstoriesworld
#flooded #tamannegara #weather #monsoonseason #monsoonfloods #
#planyourroute
#tejainmalaysia

This tualang tree is the pride and joy of @danzecoresort . It was specifically preserved when Dan and Anim first developed the place. Today, the outdoor dining area is built on raised decking around the tree so that it is centre stage.

The tualang tree is among the tallest of rainforest trees. It grows a tall and straight trunk which is fairly smooth, which is why bees like to build their hives in its canopy. Their honey is called tualang honey, and can be sustainably harvested by climbing to the hives (nowadays with safer modern rappeling gear).

@puanha_nim swears that hornbills regularly fly across from the protected forest to perch in this tree, but as I was there during the rainy season, no hornbills came to pay a visit.

#tamannegara #tamannegarapahang #nationalpark #tualangtree #madutualang #tualanghoney #pokoktualang #traditionalhoney
#tejainmalaysia

This tualang tree is the pride and joy of @danzecoresort . It was specifically preserved when Dan and Anim first developed the place. Today, the outdoor dining area is built on raised decking around the tree so that it is centre stage.
The tualang tree is among the tallest of rainforest trees. It grows a tall and straight trunk which is fairly smooth, which is why bees like to build their hives in its canopy. Their honey is called tualang honey, and can be sustainably harvested by climbing to the hives (nowadays with safer modern rappeling gear).
@puanha_nim swears that hornbills regularly fly across from the protected forest to perch in this tree, but as I was there during the rainy season, no hornbills came to pay a visit.
#tamannegara #tamannegarapahang #nationalpark #tualangtree #madutualang #tualanghoney #pokoktualang #traditionalhoney
#tejainmalaysia

The great rainforest trees leaning over the river is what gives the Tahan river the “Taman Negara” iconic image. Somehow, the trees keep themselves balanced on the riverbank, leaning far out in search of sunlight without falling over.
But occasionally, after a heavy monsoon flood, the trees sometimes do lose hold and fall into the river, typically getting swept downstream by the mighty flood season current. There’s a particularly iconic tree in old photos of this route - I have it on my blog article on Taman Negara - that’s no longer there.
The Tahan river cruise drops you off at the headwaters, where you hike a trail the rest of the way to the rapids of Lata Berkoh. Along the way I came upon an interesting tree that had grown over the creek with a thin trunk instead of the usual circular cross section. I guess it drops the weight of the trunk more, meaning it didn’t need to spend as much energy growing roots to anchor itself on the bank.
Nature teaches us that when faced with constraints, we can try to adapt and re-imagine even what we look like, to be better prepared for future challenges.

#rainforest #rainforestwalk #rainforestflora #rainforestexpeditions #rainforestdiscovery #rainforestnaturepark #tejainmalaysia #trees

The great rainforest trees leaning over the river is what gives the Tahan river the “Taman Negara” iconic image. Somehow, the trees keep themselves balanced on the riverbank, leaning far out in search of sunlight without falling over.
But occasionally, after a heavy monsoon flood, the trees sometimes do lose hold and fall into the river, typically getting swept downstream by the mighty flood season current. There’s a particularly iconic tree in old photos of this route - I have it on my blog article on Taman Negara - that’s no longer there.
The Tahan river cruise drops you off at the headwaters, where you hike a trail the rest of the way to the rapids of Lata Berkoh. Along the way I came upon an interesting tree that had grown over the creek with a thin trunk instead of the usual circular cross section. I guess it drops the weight of the trunk more, meaning it didn’t need to spend as much energy growing roots to anchor itself on the bank.
Nature teaches us that when faced with constraints, we can try to adapt and re-imagine even what we look like, to be better prepared for future challenges.
#rainforest #rainforestwalk #rainforestflora #rainforestexpeditions #rainforestdiscovery #rainforestnaturepark #tejainmalaysia #trees

The water of the Tahan river is not murky, but it’s not clear either. There’s a bronze tint to it, and if you manage to be there in the golden hour and the light hits it right, it seems to glow. I’ve only seen it once; not on this particular trip since it was near the monsoon and the sky was overcast. Plus the tour was not early in the morning so the golden hour was over.
The reason for the bronze stain is the tannin from the decomposing trees, which have fallen into the river over time.

#brownriver #brownwater #bronzecolor #creek #tahanriver #tejainmalaysia

The water of the Tahan river is not murky, but it’s not clear either. There’s a bronze tint to it, and if you manage to be there in the golden hour and the light hits it right, it seems to glow. I’ve only seen it once; not on this particular trip since it was near the monsoon and the sky was overcast. Plus the tour was not early in the morning so the golden hour was over.
The reason for the bronze stain is the tannin from the decomposing trees, which have fallen into the river over time.
#brownriver #brownwater #bronzecolor #creek #tahanriver #tejainmalaysia

The streams began to recede from roads in the Kuala Tahan area, though the road out was still under water. The day was fine, so my friends decided it would be a good idea to take me on a drive along the new roads to the upriver villages.

What’s valued in rural communities is often very different from urban ones, and the engineers who build and maintain public infrastructure outside the urban regions are proud of different things. There are still places in Malaysia where basic infrastructure engineering is still a source of pride for these professionals, because it means that villages are now connected by good roads, when only one generation ago children (like my friend) had to go to school on river barges through the jungle. #sdg9

It’s hard to talk about climate and biodiversity when you’re from a place that takes such things for granted, to people who have only just gotten to enjoy the same, or are still aspiring for such basic access.

But I did talk about the new electric pickups now on the market - though I mostly highlighted its potential advantage in the monsoon season, seeing as the interior still had electricity even when the way was blocked to the nearest petrol station, rather than its low emissions aspect.

#inequality #infrastructuredevelopment #urbanandrural #notinthesameboat
#infrastructure is part of #environmentaljustice
#solveproblemshelppeople #innovationforpeople
#inspiringinsightfultravel #tejainmalaysia
#malaysia #travelstories #travelblogging #travelogram

The streams began to recede from roads in the Kuala Tahan area, though the road out was still under water. The day was fine, so my friends decided it would be a good idea to take me on a drive along the new roads to the upriver villages.
What’s valued in rural communities is often very different from urban ones, and the engineers who build and maintain public infrastructure outside the urban regions are proud of different things. There are still places in Malaysia where basic infrastructure engineering is still a source of pride for these professionals, because it means that villages are now connected by good roads, when only one generation ago children (like my friend) had to go to school on river barges through the jungle. #sdg9
It’s hard to talk about climate and biodiversity when you’re from a place that takes such things for granted, to people who have only just gotten to enjoy the same, or are still aspiring for such basic access.
But I did talk about the new electric pickups now on the market - though I mostly highlighted its potential advantage in the monsoon season, seeing as the interior still had electricity even when the way was blocked to the nearest petrol station, rather than its low emissions aspect.
#inequality #infrastructuredevelopment #urbanandrural #notinthesameboat
#infrastructure is part of #environmentaljustice
#solveproblemshelppeople #innovationforpeople
#inspiringinsightfultravel #tejainmalaysia
#malaysia #travelstories #travelblogging #travelogram

I wasn’t that bored, marooned at @danzecoresort , despite the worries of @puanha_nim . The thing is, although it’s meant to be more of an activities based retreat and thus generally pretty basic, it’s actually not bad for a seclusion retreat as well. The nature resort is a bit out of the way, requiring special 4x4 pickup transfer. And its rustic style meant the grounds are semi-wooded and interesting to wander in. There are good views of the rainforest across the river to meditate on. And besides, the catering is amazing!

#makingthebestofit #adaptability #mentalresilience #keepcalmandcarryon #takethingsinstride #inspiringinsightfultravel #natureresort #tamannegara #tamannegarapahang #boredomisachoice #offline #stopandsmelltheflowers #gratitudepractice

I wasn’t that bored, marooned at @danzecoresort , despite the worries of @puanha_nim . The thing is, although it’s meant to be more of an activities based retreat and thus generally pretty basic, it’s actually not bad for a seclusion retreat as well. The nature resort is a bit out of the way, requiring special 4x4 pickup transfer. And its rustic style meant the grounds are semi-wooded and interesting to wander in. There are good views of the rainforest across the river to meditate on. And besides, the catering is amazing!
#makingthebestofit #adaptability #mentalresilience #keepcalmandcarryon #takethingsinstride #inspiringinsightfultravel #natureresort #tamannegara #tamannegarapahang #boredomisachoice #offline #stopandsmelltheflowers #gratitudepractice

Finding myself marooned in Taman Negara during Malaysia’s epic floods of 2021, my takeaway was not about chaos, but resilience.

When the telco technicians got the data services running again, we saw that the floods had not just spread to the usual places, but also to townships that usually didn’t flood, and all the way to the Klang Valley as well. People were trapped in their homes, unable to escape. Some were trapped on the roofs of their homes, the water rising up to flood both stories of their houses. Rescue services had no boats, since flooding was not anticipated there. People from more rural states mobilised with boats strapped on top of their cars to help the unprepared cities.

However, in Taman Negara, where people live with the floods every year, there was no panic. Villagers got early warning by orang asli that the floods have begun. They knew the signs, like the flotsam from long-undisturbed headwaters coming downstream, ants abandoning riverbank nests, and the mahseer river fish seeking refuge upstream. So they prepared.

People responded by stashing extra supplies of food, running down the items that need refrigeration first, in case of loss of power (the supply was actually surprisingly resilient though). This included ordering some forage from the orang asli, and a quick harvest of the farmed patin fish which would otherwise be swept away downriver anyway. B&Bs and houses converted to temporary B&Bs even had enough to take in stranded tourists. The flood shelters weren’t even full.

Everyone who had 4x4s became de facto transport, until the water got too high. When the floods began to turn, boats were offered to ferry people across flooded road sections. And when it receded - slowly - trailers were organised to ferry cars across the one remaining road section that drained the slowest.

It goes to show that much of the pain of disaster is being surprised by it, and being unprepared or unable to protect people and property.

#flood #banjir2021 #malaysiabanjir #banjir #tamannegara #ruralcommunities #ruralpeople #orangkampung #orangasli #resilience #disasterpreparedness #communityspirit #tejainmalaysia #malaysiaboleh #selamatharimalaysia

Finding myself marooned in Taman Negara during Malaysia’s epic floods of 2021, my takeaway was not about chaos, but resilience.
When the telco technicians got the data services running again, we saw that the floods had not just spread to the usual places, but also to townships that usually didn’t flood, and all the way to the Klang Valley as well. People were trapped in their homes, unable to escape. Some were trapped on the roofs of their homes, the water rising up to flood both stories of their houses. Rescue services had no boats, since flooding was not anticipated there. People from more rural states mobilised with boats strapped on top of their cars to help the unprepared cities.
However, in Taman Negara, where people live with the floods every year, there was no panic. Villagers got early warning by orang asli that the floods have begun. They knew the signs, like the flotsam from long-undisturbed headwaters coming downstream, ants abandoning riverbank nests, and the mahseer river fish seeking refuge upstream. So they prepared.
People responded by stashing extra supplies of food, running down the items that need refrigeration first, in case of loss of power (the supply was actually surprisingly resilient though). This included ordering some forage from the orang asli, and a quick harvest of the farmed patin fish which would otherwise be swept away downriver anyway. B&Bs and houses converted to temporary B&Bs even had enough to take in stranded tourists. The flood shelters weren’t even full.
Everyone who had 4x4s became de facto transport, until the water got too high. When the floods began to turn, boats were offered to ferry people across flooded road sections. And when it receded - slowly - trailers were organised to ferry cars across the one remaining road section that drained the slowest.
It goes to show that much of the pain of disaster is being surprised by it, and being unprepared or unable to protect people and property.
#flood #banjir2021 #malaysiabanjir #banjir #tamannegara #ruralcommunities #ruralpeople #orangkampung #orangasli #resilience #disasterpreparedness #communityspirit #tejainmalaysia #malaysiaboleh #selamatharimalaysia

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