If one drives along the North-South Highway en route to Alor Setar, chances are that one will catch the glimpse of this isolated rocky mountains from Gurun with some coomunication towers on the peak... well, the curiosity gets the better of me and so I booked a night at the Regency Jerai Hill Resort at the false summit of the Jerai Hills.
A view from above the barren clifts at 1000 M above sea level.
Basically the hotel is very basic for the price and being the only hotel up there, there isn't really any choice for food, which was very average as far as hotel goes....the route up was surprisingly easy and hassle free (if you are used to bends and curves on the road). As we were there during the dryer part of the year, even at 1000 m above sea level, it was basically quite warm - and the fact that the rooms only has ceiling fans was not very convenient not comfortable.
The actual reason I went up for the trip was for a quick survey of the insect fauna - helas a disappointment with very little activities. The forest is basically dry, barren and the flowering plants do not have many butterflies on them.
Came across a flock of 5 Orange-Bellied Trogons on the way up to the tower.
and this Red Billed Malkoha on the side of the tarmac (there were 2 of them together)...
Lepidoptera activities was not very forthcoming for such an iconic collection locality in the past...
Above - the striking day flying moth Milonia brassolis visiting Lantana
a female Glassy Tiger fluttered by...
Another moth came to the flowers
The Common Earl, Tanaecia julii xiphiones was the "commonest" butterfly around the trail up the peak...
gnarled trees on the wind-swept clifts
view of the peak from Padang Tok Sheikh
Above the bloom of the Bromheadia orchid...
Moss and lichen abound near the peak
The red-trunked Eugenia is common...
