View photos here: http://www.jamiesoon.com/tambun.htm

Went to Tambun on Sunday, to do some caving. Big group, about 20 of us. Carpool with Meeling, Ong, and YK. Started early, met up at 6am, parked the car in a Shell/Mcdonalds station in Desa Aman Puri, then proceed on NKVE towards Ipoh.

It rained heavily last night, so that morning was a beautiful morning with misty clouds floating above the tropical jungle hillslopes along the highway. Got an SMS from Chia enquiring about our location. According to Ong, we were almost reaching the Ipoh Selatan toll. Chia was having breakfast in Bidor. So, arrived in Ipoh Selatan toll, quite easy to get to the ‘Tambun Lost World’ because got clear signage. Its a new residential area, by Sunway. So there’s a Theme Park similar to Sunway Lagoon.

Ok, since still early, went to look for a place to have breakfast. Had some nice chee cheong fun and the barley/soyabean drink (pak kor yee mai ). After that proceed to meet up with the rest of the group, at the Tambun Lost World themepark carpark at 9am. Met up with Chia, Andrew, Mr Chin, Edwin, Saw Hoon, NG, and some other friends etc. One couple from Ipoh, I haven’t seen for about 2 years, since meeting them in the Gunung Rinjani trip.

Get ready our stuff. Going to get wet, so have to either waterproof your bag/camera with plastic bag, or put in waterproof bag. I choose not to bring anything, so I didn’t bring my camera along. Wore my Kampung Adidas shoes, with t-shirt over my swimming suit.

Briefing
Met up with coordinator and the guide. First, the guide do a short intro, and ask us to warm up. So there was a short warmup/stretching session. Then he show us the equipment. They already laid down the life jacket, headlamp, mineral water and 2 cereal bars, on the floor. So everybody take one set and put on the life jacket. Oh yes, got helmet also, very important otherwise you will knock your head in the cave. The headlamp you can take home, included in the package.

So, after everybody all geared up, have a photoshoot, with Mr Chin’s big camera. Actually the place is very nice. Imagine a theme park and housing estate next to some famous ipoh limestone hills.

Everyone get on the back on a small lorry, and take us to the 6 Mile Tunnel Cave.

6 Mile Tunnel
Get down from lorry and admire some of the semi-D houses and look at the famous ‘Tambun Needle’. Got some construction going on in front of the cave, must be building toilets or something. Guide gave another short briefing, and check if everyone is ready. He said some of you are wearing ‘kasut mahal’, so be careful because most of the time, the soles will come off, since we will be walking in water for about 600 meters.

First thing to do, have to cross the small pond. So one by one have to swim/float across, about 20 meters to the cave. Muddy water, teh tarik. At first when I step and try to walk to a more deeper part before floating with life jacket, but the bottom is so soft and muddy, so, leg sink into the mud immediately, so I screamed. But no worries, got Edwin the lifeguard.

So just float backwards and kick or paddle with your arms. Then will reach the otherside, no problem. Actually this is the most exciting part of the 6 Mile Tunnel.

Into the Tunnel
This is really a tunnel, straight all the away to the otherside. Guide show us some crystals on the cave ceiling, and some baby stalagmite formations, and bats. Alot of small bats flying around on top. Also saw a centipede and a frog.

Walking in water, at first up to thigh level, then after that not so high, maybe walking in a few inches of water. Walking againts the flow of the stream. Straight all the way, will be a nice easy walk if not for the uneven bottom, with all the rocks.

Throughout the cave got some stones laid out and arranged nicely. Last time they had to chip away the stone to make a way through the cave, so that can go through.

Walk walk walk walk walk .. with headlamp. Ok finish ! Come out the other side, into a jungle. Have some snacks. Some of them disappointed that the 6 Mile Tunnel was not so challenging, too easy for our ‘hardcore’ team of regular trekkers.

Short jungle trekking
Next in the itenarary, the guide took us on a short jungle trek to a small waterfall. Can leave the life jacket, just trek with helmet and headlamp. There is another cave there, that not many people go, so see if they can take us there.

We come to the small tiny waterfall, some of the participants start posing and taking photos, while the guide explore the other cave to see if we can go in. But, not advisable, since very narrow and have to crawl all the way, and it will be another 2 hours to go in. Anyway, the guide check, and something was blocking.

Ok, after group photo, go back to the 6 Mile Tunnel entrance. Getting hungry, and Fong was producing all kinds of food out of her little waterproof bag. Banana, apple, biscuits etc.

Trek Back
Put on life jacket and go back into the tunnel, and walk all the way back to the other side. This time no need to float across. There’s a small bamboo bridge, which is submerged underwater about 1 feet from the surface. So just walk across using the bamboo bridge. Yay finish, and wait for the others. While waiting can see some Raja Brook butterflies flying around.

Next Cave: Gua Datuk
Since we finished the 6 Mile Tunnel quite early, about 12pm already finish, guide decided to take us to another cave. Some of the participants already had enough so they went home, left about 10 of us.

Walk through the housing area, got some fish in the pond. The pond got alot of lotus flowers, ate some lotus seeds. Ok, so had to jump into the lake and swim across about 10 meters. Still wearing our life jacket so no problem. Had some snacks first before we start, because it was already lunch time.

So start trekking, into some bushes. Not wearing the right shoes for this, still wearing kampung adidas and others wearing old shoes and diving shoes with not much grip. Up up and up the limestone hill, using ropes… slippery mud and ants etc… this is the most challenging part of our Tambun tour ! Good thing the guide brought us here otherwise no challenge no fun.

The cave is somewhere on top. Nice cave, something like the Dark Caves in Batu Caves. Very big, so no need to crawl anymore. Inside are some concrete steps. The way out is much easier, no need to go down by the same way we came up. They already have a nice staircase for tourist. Quite long way down.

Hot springs pool
Later, went to the hot water pool inside the theme park, shower… then had a late lunch.. nasi lemak….

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