Kenyir to Simpang Pulai

Permulaan sebenar laluan Kenyir ke Simpang Pulai ialah dari simpang ke Tasik Kenyir di Kuala Jeneris, Hulu Terengganu. Dari situ hingga ke simpang Jalan Gopeng di Simpang Pulai ialah +- 326 km. Kami ambil selama 5 jam untuk sampai diantara dua tempat tersebut, dengan kelajuan konservatif kami, dan juga R & R. Memang lebih dekat, dan lebih cepat, kalau nak dibandingkan dengan Lebuhraya Timur-Barat melalui Grik, ataupun jalan Kuala Lumpur mahupun Batang Kali.

Papan tanda ke Pengkalan Gawi, Tasik Kenyir, di Kuala Jeneris, dari arah Ladang Sungai Tong / simpang jalan KT - Kota Bharu.

Ada dua jalan untuk sampai ke Kuala Jeneris:
1. Dari bandar Kuala Berang. Belok kekanan di simpang tiga penghujung jalan selepas bandar K.Berang.
2. Simpang ke Kilang Kelapa Sawit Ladang Sungai Tong, belok kekiri dari Jalan KT-K.Bharu. (36 km dari K.Terengganu, selepas Felda Belara).

Jarak dari simpang Kuala Jeneris ke Tasik Kenyir lebih kurang 12 km. Akan jumpa simpang kekiri untuk ke Pengkalan Gawi. Jalan terus, kecuali kalau ingin bersantai di Tasik Kenyir Resorts. Jalan yang dilalui untuk ke Gua Musang adalah dipinggir "jejari" Tasik Kenyir. Jalan baru, masih elok. Merentasi pinggir atau puncak bukit. Pemandangan yang indah, dengan hutan bukit bukau yang masih belum teruk ternoda, dan juga kelibat tepian Tasik Kenyir. Bagi peminat alam semulajadi (macam pakcik), tumbuhan taraf pokok balak berbagai jenis dikiri-kanan jalan memang amat mengujakan.














Jarak dari simpang Kuala Jeneris ke simpang masuk ke jalan ladang kelapa sawit Felda Aring ialah 83 km. Tahap satu jam perjalanan lah, tapi kami buat sejam setengah sebab campur aktiviti sight-seeing dan berposing maut kat tepi jalan. Simpang Felda Aring ini penting sebab perubahan keadaan jalan. Biasalah, jalan ladang; kekadang OK, selalunya kureng sikit. Sebelum sampai ke situ pun, dah ada perubahan, iaitu semasa merentasi sempadan Terengganu-Kelantan. Standard jalan memang turun sikit, dan boleh rasa udah masuk sempadan lain sebab keadaan pemandangan di kiri-kanan jalan. Kalau sebelum ini keadaan hutan bukau amat menggiurkan bagi peminat alam semulajadi , sekarang bukit-bukau penuh dengan tanda-tanda ternoda - aktiviti pembalakan.

Boleh tahan juga jarak perjalanan melalui jalan ladang Felda Aring ni. Untuk sampai ke simpang tiga jalan Gua Musang di gugusan Felda Ciku, sejauh 29 km. Memang setengah jam lah untuk sampai, tak kira kenderaan jenis apa, maupun cara pemanduan.

Lebih kurang 3 km selepas masuk ke simpang Felda Aring

Kami pusing ke kiri untuk ke Gua Musang di simpang Felda Ciku. Berhenti seketika selepas 22 km, di R&R Gua Musang. Kemudahan tahap yang sepatutnya untuk R&R - gerai makan, tandas, surau, stesen minyak dll. Tak berhenti lama di situ; cuma "perbetul urat" sikit-sikit sebelum meneruskan perjalanan. Masih awal untuk makan tengahari - beli nasi ayam "to go" di gerai sebelah stesen minyak Petronas sebelum simpang tiga ke Kuala Betis.

Perjalanan diteruskan dari R&R ke bandar Gua Musang. Di simpang tiga jalan besar bandar Gua musang belok ke kiri ke arah SMK Indra Petra 1, mencari simpang ke Kuala Betis. Di persimpangan lampu isyarat berhampiran balai bomba di sebelah kiri dan Masjid Tengku Faiz Petra (tak sampai 1 km dari simpang tiga tadi), kami belok ke kanan. Dalam 200 meter jumpa lagi satu simpang tiga. Ada stesen minyak Petronas di sebelah kiri sebelum sampai simpang tiga tadi. Ada banyak papantanda di simpang tiga tersebut; belok kekanan untuk ke satu simpang tiga lagi, kali ini belok ke kiri pulak, menghala ke Kuala Betis.


Setelah +- 39 km sejak bertolak dari R&R Gua Musang tadi, kami ambil simpang ke kiri di simpang Kuala Betis. (Kalau terus, sampailah nanti ke pekan Kuala Betis). Perjalanan diteruskan menghala ke Tanah Tinggi Lojing dan ke simpang Cameron Highland. Selepas kira-kira 87 km dan hampir sejam setengah kemudian, kami sampai ke sempadan Kelantan-Perak.


Kami tahu kami telah sampai ke Lojing, apabila di kiri kanan jalan dipenuhi dengan pemandangan penanaman bunga dan sayuran. Memang satu projek yang unik, a very grand scale of activities...


















Yang pastinya, sekarang kita sudah tahu / sampai ke simpang untuk ke Cameron Highland, untuk projek kami yang seterusnya.

Perjalanan diteruskan untuk ke Simpang Pulai. Bahagian laluan ini agak menggerunkan, buat kami. Dengan selekoh yang berputar-putar dan kadang-kala sempit, mengingatkan saya pada laluan lama Bukit Karak. Sekurang-kurangnya di jalan lama Bukit Karak tak pandu kenderaan sendiri!


Mujur tak lama - 45 minit kemudian selepas 47 km dari sempadan, kami pun sampai ke Simpang Pulai. Akhirnya. Di simpang tiga (di depannya kedai kain Jakel), kami belok ke kanan masuk ke Jalan Gopeng untuk ke Ipoh, dan sampai ke destinasi 15 minit kemudian, 1o km dari Simpang Pulai.


Aktiviti kami di Ipoh, lain tahun boleh cerita.

Paka To Ipoh Through Kenyir - Simpang Pulai

Got the chance to use the Kenyir - Simpang Pulai route a couple of months back, when on a business trip to Ipoh. Had intended to write an extensive blog about the trip, but since it's already passe, decided just to write the details of the route that could be useful to others who happen to pass through this site.

The details (distances, checkpoints and other pointers) can be found in the Bahasa version of a different posting.

The business to Ipoh was average, but the trip itself was very happening. Made the decision to use the Kenyir - Simpang Pulai road for the first time, and convinced the family to come along. All seven of us. Could've been eight but the eldest daughter was busy with college exams. Heard about the route from friends and relatives. The advantages were shorter and faster route to Ipoh from Terengganu, but with the disadvantages of uncharted and ungazzetted pathway.

The trip was extensively planned. Apart from the words of mouth from those who had been through it, searched the internet for some needed info. The Wikimapia and Google Earth were very helpful, as did several other blog and forum sites. The most helpful was the Bumi Sepi site, thank you very much.

The route was not really a highway, per se. It's a connection of different types of roads to Gua Musang, Lojing and thru' the Cameron Highland approach road until Simpang Pulai, Perak. Even the intended new stretch to reach Gua Musang was closed due to landslides, so had to pass through the oil palm plantation road of Felda Aring before reaching the proper Gua Musang road at Felda Chiku.

After passing through the Gua Musang town, took the road to Kuala Betis for the connection route to Lojing / Cameron Highland, onwards to Simpang Pulai. It was the first time for the whole family, so the views along the road were very pulsating to us. Bought some flowers and plants from the roadside shops on the way back.

One of the most exciting things that we did on the way back was stopping at the Orang Asli stall to buy a hard to find fruit that my wife and I used to eat. We call it buah "ngeker"; it's smaller than a tennis ball, with a thick outer shell and the inside that looks like buah rambai but less soft.

Most part of the Kenyir - Simpang Pulai route was literally uncharted. Latest maps were not available, and both Wikimapia & Google Earth were not updated on the area. Having benefitted from the blogs and forums of the area/route, felt that it would be very value-added for us to detail our journey, with added info not available from existing sites, that could be helpful to anybody who need it.

Again, the Bahasa details in different posting.

Just Got Back

Again, it's been a while since I posted anything here. Got a bunch of things to say but alas, (tut-tut, cliche warning!), so little uninterrupted time to spare. It's back to post-technology period - mental loggings only.

Several materials relevant to this R I P 'spective blog surfaced in the past three months. Wonder if those are still relevant to blog about. Had intended to write about the trip to Ipoh from Terengganu, using the Kenyir - Simpang Pulai route. Thoughts came up related to the Mamma Mia show. Several 'stuck-in-the-80's' materials too. Also some items on the book series that I intend to complete next year - the Wheel of Time final novel. A lot of things to write.

Oh well, let's re-start blogging...

The pic was taken from the FEI exhibition at Kuala Ibai, Terengganu.