Its our third day in Kuala Terengganu and the activities lined-up are becoming more and more exciting. We left Lake Kenyir Resort early then proceeded to the main Jetty Port. Before we started the tour, the entire delegation was divided into two based on the individually selected tour option.
Taat cave entrance from afar
The first group selected Kelah Sanctuary – an area in Lake Kenyir where the participants are required to do jungle trekking for an hour to reach the sanctuary while the second group selected Bewah Cave which only involves a 250 wooden staircase climb to explore the historic cave.
Lake Kenyir main jetty port
The Philippine delegation selected the option 2 since aside from being the easier one, we taught that the cave is also more exciting than the fish feeding activity that the other group did.
Rock Formations surrounding the cave
Exploring Bewah Cave
After one and a half hour scenic boat ride, we finally reached the southern end of Kenyir Lake where the Bewah Cave can be found. The area is covered by Greenery and towering limestone rock formations.
Floating Jetty Port at Bewah Cave
Before exploring the Bewah Cave, we first visited the entrance of the Taat Cave. This cave has three entry points and one of them is Tok Bidan Cave which is now submerged underwater after the creation of the Lake Kenyir.
View of Bewah Cave from the floating jetty port
Bewah Cave is also known as Gua Tahi Kelawar due to the huge number of bats in the cave. The cave was named Bewah Cave because it is situated in Bewah Hill. There are various artifacts discovered inside the cave by some archeologist from the National Museum and one of them is a skeleton of the Neolithic man.
Wooden Staircases in Bewah Cave
After braving the 250 steps, there’s a small museum at the entrance of the cave showcasing old and new photos of Bewah Cave. Few meters from the museum is a glass enclosed excavation with human bones. Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, you can smell the distinct odor of Bat Guano due to the existence of thousands of bats hanging from the ceiling of the cave.
Human Bones inside glass enclosed excavation
Compare to other caves I have explored, Touring inside Bewah Cave is manageable with its solar powered lighting and wooden platform installed in the entire cave for easy exploration.
Outside the Taat Cave
There are also impressive sight of stalactites and stalagmites in the lower chamber of the cave. Aside from the the skeleton of the neolithic man, the archeologist from the National Museum also found stone axe, ancient kitchen utensils, tools and splinters of pots in the area.
Lunch at Petang Island Resort
After visiting the Bewah Cave, we had a short stop at Petang Island Resort for lunch then we headed back to Tasik Kenyir main Jetty Port to prepare for our next destination.
Wooden Staircases inside Bewah Cave
Visiting Terengganu State Museum
From Lake Kenyir, we headed to Terengganu State Museum in Kuala Terengganu. This Museum is the largest museum in South East Asia exhibiting century old artifacts and artworks that showcases the uniquely diverse heritage of Malaysia.
Main entrance of Terengganu State Museum
Nestled amidst beautifully landscaped gardens, Terengganu State Museum offers a glimpse into the rich history of the state. The Museum comprises a Main Museum, a Maritime Museum, a Fisheries Museum, four traditional houses and botanic and herb gardens. The entire design of the Museum complex is based on the designs of Terengganu’s old palace.
Karat Keruping at the Textile Gallery
The Main Museum has various galleries showcasing textiles and weaving techniques, traditional weapons, crafts, historical, royal regalias, nature, petroleum development, Islamic arts, new generation and contemporary arts.
Seluar – Traditional Mens Pants in Terengganu
As a collector indigenous textile, the textile gallery really surprised me. The gallery depicts the development process and types of locally produced textiles such as songket, limar, batik, pelangi, cindai, gerus and telepuk. Traditional garments such as those used in wedding, circumcision ceremonies and daily clothing are also exhibited in the textile gallery.
Cultural Performance using Musical Instrument made from Bamboo
One of the most interesting part of the gallery is the Islamic Gallery. The gallery exhibited various historical artifacts that are generally related to the arrival of Islam in the Malay Peninsular and specifically the state of Terengganu. The various artifacts being exhibited includes the copper, manuscript cloth, Chinese potteries and pictures of the mausoleum of famous Terengganu religious figures. Also being exhibited are pictures of mosques found throughout the state of Terengganu in various architectural forms.
Filipiniana Costume and Malaysian Traditional Dress
After spending an hour inside the museum, everyone gathered at the garden fronting the Museums main entrance for dinner. While having dinner, we also enjoyed listening to local performers playing traditional music using bamboo instruments and a set of gong (similar to Kulintang in Mindanao). During our dinner with the local state officials, they served traditional Malaysian dishes and some famous Terengganu delicacies like Koropok Lekor.
Lekor or Keropok lekor is a traditional fish snack that is popular in the State of Terengganu in Malaysia. It is also called fish sausage, fish stick, or fish fritters. It looks like Kikiam in the Philippines but instead of pork, Keropok Lekor is made from fish and sago flour and seasoned with salt and sugar. It is slightly greyish in colour and tastes fishy.
After having dinner, we proceeded to Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa for an overnight stay… to be continued
Tourism Contact Info
Kenyir Elephant Village
Location: Tasik Kenyir Terengganu
Office: S Bina Management SDN BHD
Taman Cucai Utama
Jalan Kubang Kurus
24000 Cukai, Kemaman, Terengganu
Email: sbinamsb@yahoo.com
Terengganu State Museum
Tourism Malaysia Terengganu Office
Address: 5th Floor, Menara Yayasan Islam Terengganu,
Jalan Sultan Omar, Kuala Terengganu 20300, Terengganu, Malaysia
Phone: +609-622 1433 / 1893
Fax: +609-622 1791
Visit Malaysia Year 2014 is Malaysia’s biggest and grandest tourism celebration with endless wonders of events, festivals and activities all-year round. Malaysia Airlines is the official airline of the Philippine delegation to the Malaysia Asean East Coast Trail 2014. This is the perfect time to see, feel and experience Malaysia – Truly Asia! For more details about Visit Malaysia 2014, visit www.vmy2014.com
