Royal Belum Kelulut Experition 2 Part 2: Exploring One of the Oldest Rainforest in the World

The Royal Belum rainforest

 On the first leg of the expedition,we visited a remote orang asli village on the island. The boat ride took three hours but we loved the scenery all along the way. The Temenggor Lake was a beautiful emerald green and lined with thick virgin forest the the whole way. It was an exhilarating ride to say the least, yet so serene at the same time.

The boathouse called Mystical.

Dr. Shamsul, always thinking ahead.

Paricipants took this time to get to know one another and of course discuss matters pertaining to stingless bees abd sharing experiences. But for many of us it was the first trip there and many were just sitting on the outer deck gazing at the scenery, mesmerised by it all. Thee air was clean and fresh; the sun was behind the clouds but it didn't matter. Royal Belum had captivated our hearts.

Marzia handing out biscuits to the chilgren of the orang asli.

Kg. Chuweh 2 ia a tiny village inhabited by only eight families comprising all of 46 people. The men from this village had a tribal dispute with those from the main village and separated themselves to another location. We were given a briefing by Jad aka Royal Pirate's our trusted guide as soon as we landed on the settlement. It was strangely quiet and we found ourselves talking in almost a whisper. Only a few men and children were visible. Apparently, orang asli women are extremely shy and stayed in their huts they call their home. 

What will they grow up into?

Jad, our very enthusiastic guide

The children were all sitting in a group huddled together; they must be quite familiar with visitors as they stood ground when we approached them. They didn't respond when we spoke to them though. We still think about them till today, as we wonder about their lives and livelihood, and most important their future, if there is any.

The huts that are home to the orang asli of Kg. Chuweh 2

Can you taste it on your taste bud?

Eager and raring to go.

After a hearty and delicious lunch prepared on the boat by Dr. Shamsul's wife, Puan Zayda herself, we set out in motorboats for a jungle trekking trip to the Sg. Tujuh waterfall nearby. 

This was the highlight of the expedition as this was where we had hoped to find stingless bees, especially from the very rare species. As we were delayed by the rain earlier and the sky was cloudy, Dr. Shamsul decided to call-off the trip for safety reasons. He, however, together with Hj. Najib, Dr. Nur Azura from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia and five other abled men  proceeded as planned, in search of stingless bee hives which are prevalent near waterfalls and riversides.

Crispy fried fresh fish caught by Taufik 

The night wasn't any less eventful. Before dinner, there was a short talk given by Hj. Najib on meliponiculture after which the floor, or rather the deck, was open to questions which the kelulut keeper duly answered without reservation. It started to drizzle again that night, threatening to upset our plans, everyone remained hopeful and positive.


Dinner was a barbecue of delicious, succulent chicken and lamb, a contribution by Mohd Khairul aka Matkentoi. a lumber and jack of sorts. The night ended with Jad's fascinating stories about the animals in the forest, and all the wonders of one of the oldest forest in the world.