Ep12 - Batang Kali-A Town less visited in Malaysia Doses of Malaysian Stories Thru' the Lenses & Senses of Deanna

Today my story centers around a rather small, unexplored town about an hour’s drive away from the main city of Kuala Lumpur- Batang Kali.
I want to touch on the road less travelled as this is where the real Malaysia will emerge.. And this is one place which rarely appears in the normal run of the mill itinerary., To prove my point, I made a random check with 2 friends and their answers is like 2 ends of a pole- from one, having no inclination of what Batang Kali has to offer - and the other knowing quite a lot having lived there before.
Most of us are the in-betweens – me included, who knows a little but not enough to trigger an exploration trip there. And I hope through this podcast, touristic activities would be generated in this little sleepy town, especially during this aftermath of the pandemic where everything has been slowed down. So- let’s get to know Batang Kali.

The name originated from the main river (Batang) that flows through the town. Batang refer to a thing that is long- eg a stick, a river, a pole etc.. and (kali) refers to the many smaller streams that branches out.
Located in the northern part of the state of Selangor, it is only an hour’s drive away from the city of Kuala Lumpur, you will pass by the Ulu Yam township. If you loves nature, listening to the sounds of water falling down from atop with lots of greens surrounding, this is where you would be able to get some Zen experience amidst the sounds of nature.
One spots you should not miss are the pristine waterfalls in Sungai Sendat. Managed by the Selangor state forestry department, this is a popular site for camping and picnicking among the locals. It is also here that you could be able to see an abundance of the Malaysian Raja Brooke butterflies, a rare species of butterflies native to this part of the world and recognized as the national butterfly of Malaysia. It is pretty easy to identify them with their large black wings with bright green markings!

Next is the Hulu Tamu Hotspring ! a natural hot spring with temperatures around 50c/112F. Locals believed that this natural hot water has medicinal values, especially skin aliments and rheumatism. There are several pools with differing temperatures of hot/medium/cool, with gazebos and walkways along it. Make sure you test the temperatures first before immersing yourself into i

Malaysia boasts one of the oldest rainforests in the world with plenty of wild orchids-. Batang Kali houses the 2nd largest orchid nursery in Malaysia-,_ The World of Phalaenopsis -a unique species shaped like a moth in flight - hence its common name -the Moth Orchids - They comes in a wide range of colors. It is really a feast to the eyes for orchid lovers.. The best time to visit this nursery is in the mornings between 9 – 10am – when the flower blooms at its best. Wild orchids are beautiful as each of them is uniquely shaped- one of them is the “lady’s slippers “orchids which is shaped like a lady’s footwear when it blooms. If you wish to witness plenty more different and unique wild orchids, you really need to explore our conservation and national parks of Malaysia.

You can connect with me either personally through my email at dosesofmalaysianstories@gmail.com or alternatively you could interact and engage with me by joining my private Facebook group under the same name : https://www.facebook.com/groups/dosesofmalaysianstories