{"id":159540,"date":"2025-03-27T10:46:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T10:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/time-travel-in-malaysia-trekking-into-the-distant-past-in-ulu-muda\/"},"modified":"2025-03-27T10:46:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T10:46:25","slug":"time-travel-in-malaysia-trekking-into-the-distant-past-in-ulu-muda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=159540","title":{"rendered":"Time travel in Malaysia: Trekking into the distant past in Ulu Muda"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Matt Dunn sets out on a trip through an ancient Malaysian forest where it feels like you\u2019ve stepped into a world gone by to discover wildlife like elephants, gaur and an elusive lizard that\u2019s never been documented.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As we set out on our boat journey from the Muda Lake Jetty near the village of Gubir to the Ulu Muda Earth Lodge, I felt like I was living in some of the river scenes from\u00a0<em>Apocalypse Now<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0Our expedition had a much milder objective: to search for wildlife (particularly elephants) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/malaysia\">Malaysia\u2019s<\/a> Ulu Muda Forest, where nature is in pristine form.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like time-travelling to a distant, plastic-free past. A lack of phone and internet coverage only gives credence to the fantasy that you\u2019ve arrived somewhere that\u2019s totally been abandoned by the modern world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the country\u2019s northern peninsula state of Kedah, the 160,000 hectares of forest is contiguous with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/thailand\">Thailand\u2019s<\/a> San Kala Khiri National Park, forming a vast tract of land.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The trip to the Ulu Muda Earth Lodge \u2013 a back-to-basics outpost in the middle of the forest accessible only by boat along the Muda Lake and winding Muda River \u2013 was by far the most daring part of our tailored Intrepid family adventure through Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Cameron Highlands and Penang. Of course, we had expert guidance from our loveable local leader:<em>\u00a0<\/em>Thinagaar Sanmugam or as we called him, Thina.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My wife and two teenage children and I were sharing our escape with three other guests \u2013 a British couple and their adult daughter. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web.jpg\" data-rel=\"penci-gallery-image-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web.jpg\" alt=\"a lake surrounded by trees\" class=\"wp-image-69752 lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web.jpg\" alt=\"a lake surrounded by trees\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-69752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Darulaman-empangan-ulu-muda-boats-fishing-activities-landscape-shutterstock_2150353359-1080p-web-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Earth Lodge founder and co-director Hymeir Kem operates his hideaway less as a commercial interest and more as an attempt to guarantee the forest\u2019s future. A former World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worker, he first came to the region in 1997 to survey the forest, caves and waterways and talk to people in government about its protection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While he left the WWF in 2004, Hymeir\u2019s \u2018heart was still here\u2019 in Ulu Muda. \u2018I began bringing people here for eco-tourism activities, along with researchers, who were finding and mapping caves,\u2019 he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He also took residents camping to give them an appreciation of the diverse environment right on their doorsteps. \u2018This is a very important place for large mammal conservation, especially elephants.\u2019\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2008, the government gave the green light for the construction of Earth Lodge to attract international tourists to the region. Initially, Hymeir was unhappy with the plan, fearing the natural wonderland would be damaged. Knowing he couldn\u2019t stop it, he offered to help run it. Along the way, he ensured the forest and its animal inhabitants would protected, helping to scuttle plans to bulldoze a road to the location by insisting it should only be accessed by boat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite the lodge\u2019s success among travellers and as an employment opportunity for locals, Hymeir is candid when asked whether he still worries about the forest\u2019s future. \u2018For sure. It\u2019s under threat from logging. We need to guarantee the protection of the remnant forest.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018One thing we need to do is get public support. This isn\u2019t a news story in Malaysia,\u2019 Hymeir adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem.jpg\" data-rel=\"penci-gallery-image-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem.jpg\" alt=\"elephants wading in the water\" class=\"wp-image-69756 lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem.jpg\" alt=\"elephants wading in the water\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-69756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-story_2024_elephants-photos-by-Hymeir-Kem-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ulu Muda is an important place for elephant conservation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite their abundance, the area\u2019s animals stay mostly hidden. The hothouse environment means it\u2019s a place teeming with life, where flora and fauna become giant overnight. And despite this gigantism, many of the inhabitants still manage to hide from clumsy visitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hymeir\u2019s longtime friend, Ahmad Zafir, whom he met while working for the WWF, is our guide during our stay at the lodge. He is also passionate about Ulu Muda and its protection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018One thing I\u2019ve learned from experience is people don\u2019t care if they don\u2019t know. I make it my personal mission to inform people about our wildlife,\u2019 he says. \u2018Only then will they want to spend their time and energy helping environmental causes. That\u2019s why I try and make people excited about seeing wildlife.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We ventured on foot and by boat day and night \u2013 checking saltlicks, bush tracks, hot springs and riverbanks \u2013 but the elephants eluded us. They teased us with their footprints and dung everywhere.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A few days after we left, 10 were spotted. It\u2019s the luck of the draw. Nothing in nature \u2013 especially in the Malaysian rainforest \u2013 reveals itself unless it wants to. In a timeless land, the machinations of nature don\u2019t yield to anyone\u2019s expectations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We also saw leopard footprints during our three days in the forest, but even they stayed well out of sight. Ditto, the Malaysian tapir, sambar deer, barking deer, wild boar and gaur (Indian bison). The monkeys (macaque and dusky leaf monkeys) hanging by in trees along the river are less shy, though they watch you with suspicion and keep a reproachful distance. Gibbons could be heard but not seen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the shyest of all is a never-before-documented type of lizard. While people have seen the creature, they have yet to be able to come close enough to photograph or properly identify it. The creature\u2019s eggs, however, have been discovered in the Gua Labu 1, a large limestone cave part of the Gua Kelem Cave Complex.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web.jpg\" data-rel=\"penci-gallery-image-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web.jpg\" alt=\"ulu muda cave \" class=\"wp-image-69753 lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web.jpg\" alt=\"ulu muda cave \" class=\"lazyload wp-image-69753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Malaysia-Kedah-Ulu-muda-cave-rainforest-daytime-dark-shutterstock_1909718440-web-585x329.jpg 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>On the second day, as we trek through the forest on our way to the cave, Ahmad is in overdrive as an educator. Surefooted as a Sumatran serow, he glides along the bush track. He points at the claw marks from a honey bear that scaled a tree to plunder a beehive, a giant millipede, elephant tracks and other examples of fauna and flora (fungi are particularly abundant). He points out that the smell of wild boar is in the air. I think I can smell it, but his suggestion may have triggered this belief.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While some parts have been logged in the past, the forest has made an impressive recovery. In the secondary forest or \u2018regrowth\u2019 areas around the lodge, it\u2019s challenging to spot signs of human intervention.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s only upon reflection that you truly grasp the magic of the place. As we slip back into the modern world, playing the part of tourists trying to cram everything we can into our remaining days in Malaysia, it\u2019s impossible to forget our trip to the natural past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My heart remains in Ulu Muda.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>You can time travel to the past on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/malaysia\/malaysia-highlights-159850\">this small group adventure<\/a> to Malaysia. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt Dunn sets out on a trip through an ancient Malaysian forest where it feels like you\u2019ve stepped into a world gone by to discover wildlife like elephants, gaur and an elusive lizard that\u2019s never been documented. As we set out on our boat journey from the Muda Lake Jetty near the village of Gubir [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11760],"tags":[23821,15831,65554,1231,542,9412,65553],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-159540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-distant","tag-malaysia","tag-muda","tag-time","tag-travel","tag-trekking","tag-ulu"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Time travel in Malaysia: Trekking into the distant past in Ulu Muda - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=159540\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time travel in Malaysia: Trekking into the distant past in Ulu Muda - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Matt Dunn sets out on a trip through an ancient Malaysian forest where it feels like you\u2019ve stepped into a world gone by to discover wildlife like elephants, gaur and an elusive lizard that\u2019s never been documented. 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