Friday, September 10, 2010

Sungai Tua,Selangor State Park (Ulu Yam)

All this hiking must be doing me good.
And,it is great to get out of the city every now and then.
Sungai Tua Park is about a half-hour drive out of KL heading towards and then behind Batu Caves.
It consists of a stretch of river,close to the road with various car-parks and access points along the road.
It's really nothing special but as I said, it makes a break from the concrete jungle of KL to see some proper greenery.
It's also a lot cooler,which goes to show that cities like KL are hotter because there are no trees.
Like most places worthy of a visit there is no public transport to get here so you will need to drive or charter a taxi.
The journey there is "interesting" as you get to learn how confusing and poorly sign-posted directions are in Malaysia.
Head towards Batu Caves and then follow the signs to Ulu Yam.
Go past Batu Dam and the multiple park enterances are on the right about 8km before you arrive in Ulu Yam.
The road is a pleasure to drive and the long,sweeping bends and ever-changing gradients make this a favourite for sports car drivers and superbikes.
Park at the top-most car park,No.3 and follow the very steep descent down the valley sides via  concrete steps to reach a suspension bridge and once you cross there are a few picnic areas that allow easy access to the very cold water.
There are no impressive waterfalls but a series of cascades over boulders with waist-deep water.More for splashing about rather than actual swimming.
If you get bored here,jump in the car and drive down to the main park entrance where it's easier to access the river as there are no steep stairs to climb but still lots of small cascades.
The main park enterance is being "developed" which here can mean "ruined" by building a food-court and retail opportunities so it's probably best to head for Car Park 3 which remains relatively unspoiled.
The park is popular weekends and unfortunately many locations are strewn with litter which spoils the whole experience.
How wet you get is up to you.
Oh,and watch-out for leeches.

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