Banding forest trail

Twenty of us from the office went off for a weekend retreat to Banding Island.... on a team building program, that includes jungle trail and explore race. It was fun and tiring at the same time. This island is not out at sea, in fact within a large man made fresh water lake.

Temenggor Hydro Electric Dam was completed in 1977 and within a year of completion, the entire valley was flooded, creating an 18,000 hectare pool of water measuring 80km long, 5km wide and a depth of 124 metres (at its deepest). The flooding created 80 islands and Banding is one of them.

So after a month being discharged from Putrajaya Hospital, I am back with some enthusiasm! and of course I cant jump and run yet.... but rowing on a raft was a relatively simple and soft activity which I think the new tissues around the stiches can handle and absorb. Haha...

A few photos here to share the thrills and excitement and the natural beauty.

jungle trail
Most trees are tagged for research purposes.
There is a large tree by the name Merbau (Intsia palembanica).
It requires 3 person to circle the trunk with hands spread out.
Some trees go beyond 200 feet high and one of them is
Sepetir licin (Sindora coriacea)..
It was cool and damp in this jungle.

Rafting

It was one of the item in explore race.
I really enjoyed rafting as we sit
on the bamboo raft and push the way
with a little oar also made of bamboo.
What a thrill,
and forgetting for a moment
that the bottom of the lake
is 100 feet down! ....
Look!, we were practically sitting on water!!!

Rafting

friends having great fun

Belum Rainforest Resort

We stayed here.....

The backyard

with keladi gajah, the biggest callocasia
or caladium around. ( am I right?)
One can sit
on the wooden chair and
view the lake..

beauty

and of course, shots I enjoyed most, on flowers.

There are hundreds of shots on this retreat ... and I think it would be best to post in the blog from time to time ... for my records and for others who had never been there to see.