Swan song of the Telom River

The Telom River, one of the three main tributaries creating the Jelai River which in turn feeds the Pahang River is something to behold if adventure to the off-track appeals to you. Starting at Kuala Medang, a motorized boat can be hired from Hj Mat Adam and a trip to Pos Lanai will take about an hour and a half upstream if the river is swollen. Otherwise, the trip will be more cumbersome but interesting because of jutting rocks from the bottom of the river, making the river serpentine and agitated (but dangerous). What is appealing is the possibility of kayaking on a very agitated river downstream and also spectacular views of the virgin forest canopy pouring over the river banks creating tunnels and galleries of natural wonders. If you peel your eyes and try not to worry too much of the rapids, you can easily spot huge clumps of tiger orchids(or was it sugar-cane orchid?) dangling from the tree trunks as well as birds, epiphytic rhododendrons (if you're lucky and they're in flower) and ferns of all sizes and types everywhere.

The arching trunks of Neram trees create wonderful tunnels of green along the Telom River
A fallen blossom of a species of tree hibiscus found on the banks of the stream in Pos Lanai

A sad note though - the once rich aquatic life of the once clear river is now close to depletion due to agricultural affluents from the Cameron Highlands as well as over-fishing some time back in the late 1990s till the early 2000s for the aquarium trade. The famous Kelah was a very common fish in this part of Malaysia before its reputation as a formidable angling subject as well as the price attached to its head ( or shall I say scale...) made it a prized target for the aquarium trade. Orang Aslis as well as locals were recruited by unscrupulous traders to capture these prized catch using unethical methods and the result, a near depletion of the natural stock. Not only were the Kelahs threatened, dozens of other famous denizens of our rivers share this river as their habitat including the Sebarau, Patin Sungai, Lawang, Tengas, Kerai, Tenggalan, Genderak, Tengku Lolah, as well as the tinier members of the Botias, Rasboras, etc, etc... The unhealthy fishing methods used by the locals also contributed greatly to the dangerously near mass-extinction of fishes in these waters. I remembered back in the earlier times from the late 80s to the mid 90s where a kilo of Kelah only goes for RM14.00. Back then, the river was clear and one can see a myriad of colours from fishes playing on the edge of the banks, especially the red fins of the river Kepiat that lives in shoals of hundreds. There is currently some efforts to rehabilitate the river by the fishery department in which the banks of Kuala Medang are now off limit to angling and netting of fish. What remain to be seen is the continuity of this effort as well as the conscience of Malaysians in relation to their natural heritage. If you support the conservation efforts to rehabilitate our bruised natural heritage, practice eco-tourism and avoid, at any time, the desire to uproot anything in the nature...and please, don't leave any of your waste ( especially plastic bags) behind. A little goes a long way...

The fallen logs in Pos Lanai that also serve as a foot bridge to cross the stream. notice the cut bamboo on the side of the log, a raft in the process...

This video was made in 2008 on a trip with my friends Aurelie and Remi. The kayak was carried upstream on the motorized boat up to the tiny tributary at Pos Lanai and the descend began at this extremely beautiful and clear-watered stream after a simple picnic on a fallen log used as a bridge by the local Orang Aslis.

Flowering catkins : willow trees with their feet soaked in water along banks of the Jelai River is a co mmon sight

Traditional riverine boat-making is a dying cottage industry in Kuala Medang as there is a lack of interest in boat-building among the younger generation, compounded by the lessening dependance on the river as a mean of transport as well as the difficulty of the tasks themselves. The bottom and side panels of the boat are hand-hewn from a single piece of log- a time consuming task that requires both patience and skills. The boat mesures more than 35 feet in length, sitting two on a row and is a common model used along the Jelai and Pahang Rivers. Anybody who had been to Taman Negara on a boat ride from Kuala Tahan would recognise this boat...