MNS Boh Center Cameron Highlands (June)

We'd planned this trip for years but never got to it. Visiting MNS Boh had always been on our mind, mine especially, because it brings back really precious memories of a time I visited it as a college student with my friends. I remember trekking up the slope to the center in heavy rain, which drenched us totally, wetting all our bags and belongings. :)

Well this year, after 20++ years,  I brought my family along, together with 5 other families, good friends, and we spent 4 beautiful days there. The place is as lovely, though the shelter itself, a little run down.

To get there, you've to look for the junction to Habu Boh Tea Estate, and drive in. Thereafter there are signboards to guide the way.

You'll know you've arrived when you see a staircase . Don't miss it! (Children counted 78 steps in total, so that'll be the number of steps which you'll be lugging your belongings up! And we had to make a few trips!)

The Chalet is really a tiny room (twin size bed) with an adjoining toilet.

Walls are really thin, so thin you can hear the person next door whisper, fart or burp. :P

As for the toilet....it comes with very little running water, and you've to really let it run a while to get a bucket full. In fact when we first arrived, there wasn't any running water!! Thank God we brought a friend who knows lots about plumbing. So he did his thing and walla, we had water. He also had to go fix toilets in the dorm and in some rooms or there'd be no flushing! eeww.. I guess, that is the only downside to the centre.

Also sometimes switching on the heater caused electrical blackout! 

Dorms there can accomodate up to 30 people, and we really had a large group of children who ruled the dorm for four days and three nights! I'm sure they had plenty of riotous fun in there pretending to be pirates, mermaids and whatever.

 I've always bird-watched everytime I go to Frasers, but never in Camerons. Well I discovered lots of beautiful birds come to this area such as the Silver Eared Mesia and Streak Spider Hunter. The one in the picture, (Nilvata Grandis, I think) had caught a worm, 

 The Balcony along the chalet/rooms has got to be the best part of this whole place. We spent hours sitting there, enjoying the very cool, windy weather and scenery before us. Of course, conversations and coffee with friends made it all the more beautiful.

Because of the serenity and coolness of the place, we took walks when we liked, I mean...where else can you go to escape the maddening crowd and yet have beauty all around you.

The kids and even adults went exploring and discovered edible plants, insects, flowers and of course, tea bushes everywhere.

The children and I stopped ever so often to admire the beauty of wild flowers along paths there.

If only this lil house were mine, my children would have this whole terrain to explore everyday.

Behind the center there's a little trail that goes through the tea plantation.

 While we were there, we visited the mossy forest, and it was indeed beautiful, like my children described, a fairy realm!

To Book the place, I emailed Shazwani Noor Aziz at  mnsboh@gmail.com
In total, the place has -
8 chalets (tiny rooms actually) - total 16 pax
1 dorm 30 pax
1 kitchen and common hall/dining area. Kitchen comes with utensils and a fridge, but only the freezer is working.
BBQ zone

Pic below are rates sent by MNS

We'll definitely be going back, and as always, with the company of good friends. 

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015

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Camping on Perhentian Again.

Two years ago, we did a road trip east and camped on Perhentian Island. (Blog Post Here.) That trip remains fresh in our memory because it was so memorable. This year we decided to return to Perhentian, but to camp on Perhentian Kecil instead of Perhentian Besar.

But first a stop at Kuala Terengganu for delicious lunch, and a revisit to Turtle Alley, which we first visited on our road trip east 4 years ago!! While walking along China Town, we also discovered, a really tiny museum...mostly photographs, of Baba Nyonya heritage. I hope they grow that display.

 

We also revisited boat making workshops on Pulau Duyung

After  hearty lunch of Sambal Sotong dan Petai (yummmm) and nasi lemak for the kids, we made our way to Jerteh. I never knew there were padi fields in Jerteh.

Our GPS brought us to this vast expanse of padi fields and announced, "You Have Arrived!"  Hmmm!!!   

We eventually found our room for the night, a room above some shops, Emma Guesthouse . Very reasonably priced, and most importantly, clean and non smoking.

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Early the next morning we met up with our camping buddies at Kuala Besut Jetty and set off for the island!! The boatman called himself Schumaker of the sea, and true to his word, he drove like crazy, making the speed boat bounce way up high, causing our butts and head to ache with each "Thump" on the waves, and cracking most of the eggs we brought!!

First sight of our camping spot! Rainforest Camping Perhentian. The main tent belongs to Wak Lan, the owner of this camping resort. Wak Lan is extremely hospitable and a humble man. He told us that we were the first Chinese family to camp on his ground and he was surprised we wanted to camp.

Path to campground, some steps uphill about 100-300 meters away depending on location of tents. Not very suitable for the elderly I think. 

Tents were provided. We were privileged to have brand new tents and airbeds! Campground also has toilet facilities and running water. However,bath area is open so no naked bathing! :P 

Cute sign, but necessary....coz a trail of HUGE black ants. A bite from these ants sting like crazy! I know coz I got bitten. 

See the little kitten next to Nel? It bounded after her when she went to check out the blue waters. The beach here is secluded and private, which was lovely. However, our previous campground on Teluk KeKe had better corals, right where we camped.

Wak Lan our kind host provided the children with an inflatable mattress which they played with hours on end.

We also borrowed a Kayak from the next beach

Snorkelling was awesome as usual. I think the children were most excited at seeing rather large sharks (Blacktip sharks). However, we did notice that in some areas a large part of corals has been destroyed. Swimming there, my husband found and collected beer bottle and cans, which we discarded off properly after. I felt sad for the fish. :(

Sunset was beautiful......and at night we lay on the rocks and watched a sky filled with stars. It was MOST awesome, that while we were there, we saw a really big bright shooting star, travelling quite a distance over the dark sky. Mesmerizing!

Meals are provided and campers are not allowed to cook own food on this campground. Most meals cost about RM 10 per person, and drinks RM 4 and above.

Total Cost:

Boat Ride 70RM per adult (round trip), 35RM per child (round trip)

Camp Site - Two Men-Tent  - RM50/tent

Snorkelling - Adult RM50, child RM30

Food on campground est about 90++ per day for a family of four.

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After three days, reluctantly we left campground and headed back to KT, where we spent a lovely day with close friends. What a change to have delicious Austrian food instead of camp food (although camp food was pretty good too!)

Goulash and baked Wild boar, followed by delish Ricotta Mango dessert.

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015

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Learning- Renewable Energy (Sg. Congkak)

Co-op had a lovely outing, where mums got to rest, and the dads took over the teaching for the day!

In the warm morning sun, they learnt about Solar Energy (taught by my dear hubby who did a great job!)  Then they went on to learn about wind energy (taught by another dad), and kids made a model of a wind turbine. As it wasn't a really windy day, they had to use a hand fan to make it move.

That done, (phew so many lessons.....but they were each kept short) we went to the river, where they learnt about water energy. Some of these lessons are repeats, but was worth a repeat, especially since class was conducted outdoors!

fast flowing water caused the attached bulb to light up

Classes done, it was time for the best part, picnic and a swim in the cool water!

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015

Land Animals

Co-op Science learning has been going great! After completing about 6 months of lessons on forensic science, we moved on to study land animals.

The children did not find this module as interesting as Forensic Science, probably because Forensics involves mysteries, solving them by looking at clues, chemistry etc.

However, we did have several highlights, including :

1) A herping trip with MNS to learn about amphibians and snakes.

2) A trip to the zoo to observe and learn about apes and bears.

.......But before that......can you colour in a panda without looking at it?

AHEM!!!!! 

The poor pandas looked so sad and tired in the zoo enclosure.

3) A project about hamsters in which children created a maze for hamsters and timed how long it'd take them to find food.

First video: First attempt by hamster to find food. It took about 3 mins and 30 seconds.


Second video: Second attempt by same hamster.  Took it less than 30 seconds to locate food!


The rest of the classes were in the form of presentation by the children. They were sometimes nervous, as they were actually teaching their peers. However, most did well for a first try. :)





@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015

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Roller Blading

After attending lessons on and off, both Nel and Jo finally passed level One and are on now to Level Two. We must learn to be more consistent with lessons. They're really enjoying skating and like some of the instructors from Skateline.

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015
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Templers Rainforest Air BnB

Once a year we get to holiday with this lovely group of friends. It was a lovely trip that came and went by too fast. At the end of it, the children asked if this could be a monthly affair. Hmmm.....

The main organizer, dear SN,  decided we'd try this new place Templer Park Rainforest Retreat. At first I expected it to be somewhere deep in the jungle, but it was really in a housing estate. The area however, is large, 3 acres in total. That meant lots of space for the children to run and go wild.

As for room arrangements...since there were so many of us,  and ALL the children wanted to be together.....we decided that the largest room would go to all the girls, the second largest room to ALL the mums and babies, one large room for the boys, and one for the men. But do you think men being men, would mind  sharing a room? Of course not. Like anti socials, they placed themselves far as possible from one another, and only one took the room, my dear hubby. :)

 It was an interesting night. Felt like I was a teen again at a girl's camp, sharing a dorm.... except that we were all women bunking in the same room and helping to soothe waking babies at night. :)

Food was again prepared by our dear friend Lattifah, who runs a catering business.  All in all..good food and good company always makes a really lovely holiday, and it certainly was!

 

The look-out deck where the children hung out at a lot.

Four main rooms in this chalet. 

Large room which ladies shared. Comes with extra sofa bed and canvas beds.

Lots of Hammocks 

Two small rooms here. Very small rooms, and very low ceiling.

Largest caterpillar I've ever seen, the length of my hand.

Lovely place to breakfast and rest in the hammocks....overlooks the golf course.

The pool that kept the children occupied most of the day.

Spaghetti for the children, and BBQ chicken and fish with sambal for the adults.

The trip happened to coincide with Nel's birthday so we ordered a cake for her from Lattifah.  Nel is a beginner at German, and requested that this be written on the cake. Well...we learnt now that this is not the proper way to say Happy Birthday... Still this was a really delicious cake that the children gulped down immediately.

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2015

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