Wonders of nature at 3,000 ft high
Gallery, Place of Interest 10:26 PM Text Size : [+] | [-]
It is strategically situated on the Penrissen Range which is about an hour’s drive from Kuching city by tar-sealed road.
Since its inception in 2,000, many local and foreign dignitaries including the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng, Chief Minister Pehin Sri haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, the Sultan of Brunei, kings, prime ministers and ambassadors, among others had visited the pristine resort for rest, relaxation and a perhaps game of golf.
Without a second thought, I immediately accepted it, packed my kit in advance and waited for the day to come with child-like enthusiasm.
Journey to the heart of the highlands Upon arrival at the main entrance arch way, I was directed to the designated car park by a cheerful guard. Shortly after that, I was greeted by the resort guide Kally Teo.
From there, we were transported by a three-tonne lorry for the ascending journey to the resort which took a mere 15 minutes. It was an exciting experience as the open sided passenger seating area was actually the lorry’s refurbished rear bucket equipped with safety side railings and stable bolt-on rigid seats.
On the way up, I got to enjoy the cool morning breeze caressing my face and having my hair massaged by the wind.
Once we arrived at the resort, I noticed the extensive use of no-expense-spared high quality timber from the building structure to the furniture, which gave the place a pleasant mild scent of wood.
Likewise the decorations at almost every corner smelt of golf, from the pictures adorning the walls to the wrought iron staircase railing complete with golf club and golf ball motifs. even the keychain to my room was a golf ball.
The first impression that struck me was the serenity of the nature resort that gave its visitor a sense of peace and tranquillity accompanied by the constant presence of melodic bird chirping from the nearby jungle.
The absence of television was compensated by the beautiful scenery and surroundings that bombarded the senses with vibrant colours of nature that one can never imagine or normally have the time to appreciate and notice in our daily hectic city life.
It is a therapeutic treat to spoil yourself with the relaxed and worry-free atmosphere that make you feel reluctant to leave the place.
After a sumptuous meal comprising of tomato soup (made with tomatoes organically grown at the resort) with garlic bread, spicy Sarawak ‘rojak’ and fried noodles, we proceeded with a casual tour of the vast resort area. A note to visitors; the resort does not serve meat or allow meat at its premises because of its emphasis on being an eco-friendly facility.
Our first stop was the famous Kalimantan point. The view overlooking the mountainous side of Indonesia was simply breathtaking.
The rich dense and luscious untouched virgin forest 600 metres below looked like gigantic broccolis.
Not far from there, Kally showed me the jungle path that leads to Mount Penrissen which is the highest peak in Kuching measuring at 4,000 feet above sea level. Near the path was a cement peg that marked the border dividing Sarawak and Indonesia.
“You don’t need to have a passport to enter Indonesia from here,” Kally beamingly said.
Well, I for one stepped over the demarcation zone a few times just to make my trip up the highlands worthwhile. After all, you don’t get to go to Indonesia that easily by just extending your foot over the boundary every day.
At this juncture, I was also enchanted by the sight of the sun’s ray that penetrated through the dense jungle foliage of the nature walking path, which emitted golden needles of light as if paving the way and guiding us to another time and place.
Alas, we had to move on and so we continued to our next destination, which was the flower nursery and organic farm.
I was amazed by the size of nursery and the species of plants that the resort had successfully cultured. Thereat, I also get to see first-hand the large varieties of farmed vegetable and grapes.
The grape nursery was especially interesting because it reminded me of a picture I saw somewhere in a magazine, which made me felt like I was walking through a French vineyard.
We spent quite some time at this location just admiring the vegetables and later made our way to the majestically landscaped tea garden decorated with flowers of many colours with the mountains as its backdrop.
Situated not far from there was the herbs garden, where local plants with medical properties from the mountainous regions were collected and cultivated.
One notable plant was the ‘ngiwang’ or cordyline (cordyline fruticosa) which was said to have the ability to cure stomach aches, lower blood pressure, tuberculosis and ward off malevolent spirits.
Next, Kally went on to provide me a quick tour of the famous 18-hole golf course. We rode the golf buggy through every one of the course’s signature spots and it was at one of these locations that I spotted a lone fox making a speedy run across the greens from a distance.
As we travelled through shaded areas along the buggy route, the air seemed to have changed. We discovered that every time we passed these spots, apart from the fact that the surrounding air got cooler, the smell of the jungle was noticeable different.
We, however, could not put a word to describe the change and after a while, Kally jokingly decided to call it the “Borneo Highland effect”. I sort of agree to that because at that point, the feeling, view, sound and smell were overpoweringly beautiful.
During the buggy joy ride, gorgeously constructed european style homes were seen along the route devoid of perimeter fencing, with huge neatly sculpted gardens and grassy compounds.
As the evening drew close, the exotic sounds of insects started to fill the night air thus ending a colourful day 3,000 feet up.
After dinner, I retired to my room. As I peered out of my window, I could see the distant lights from the city below while appreciating my quiet time with a cup of hot coffee.
Everything seemed so small here in the resort, as if embraced by the surrounding greenery and the presence of the mountains in the background. I wished I could stay longer and draw in more of the healing effects that the place seemed to generate, but I had to grudgingly leave by the following morning.
I told myself, “I shall return” and yearned once again for that day to come.
The passing minutes and hours within the highland paradise was indeed magical as if I was lost in another realm, never realising how fast time could pass.
Posted by OM
on 10:26 PM.
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