Escapade into Bukit Gemok, Tawau

Day 6  – 9 August 2011

Bukit Gemok (The Fat Hill) is about 10 km from Tawau town. The peak of Bukit Gemok is about 425m above sea level. This is a gazetted and protected forest. But as we saw everywhere in Tawau, it is surrounded by oil palm trees owned by private companies, encroaching right next to the forest.

The signage to Bukit Gemok

Bukit Gemok has the second longest Canopy Walk in Sabah at 231 meters, also known as 'Titian Selara' in Malay. This the its main attraction. The canopy actually hangs from tree to tree. It was built in a very eco-friendly way without damage to the trees.

Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve - the entrance

And this is what the boys wanted to try, the canopy walk. For me I was just tired of seeing miles and miles of oil palm trees, and was eager to see Sabah’s more natural side.

So, we had a quick breakfast at a Chinese coffee shop in Tawau - red bean pau, mee soup with fish and nasi lemak. We didn’t quite like the taste of the mee soup and nasi lemak.

Nasi Lemak Sabah style -wrapped in plastic (in West Msia usually banana leaf is used)

Mee soup with fish inside

Bukit Gemok was quite easy to find. Look out for Merotai Road in the Town Centre and follow this road till you reach Kuhara Road intersection. Then turn left and drive about 5km. You will soon reach a signage that welcomes you to Bukit Gemok.

The signage inside the Forest Reserve

But it gets a bit confusing as you turn left after the signage, as the road splits into two and you need to decide which one to take. We took the road that seemed to go uphill and ended up at a dumping ground – Tawau’s dumping site (kawasan pelupusan sampah). Can you believe this? Plastics bags of rubbish were scattered miles and miles away and more and more garbage lorries were coming up the road.  A dumping ground beside a gazetted forest?? Whose brilliant idea was this?

We headed back to the junction and took the other road which led us to Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve.


As we stood talking to the forest staff, we could smell a strong stench in the air. We realised the source was the dumping site.  A dumping site right beside a Gazetted Forest!  Sabah State Government – pleaseeeee, what’s going on?? DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.  According to the staff, there has been many complaints but no action.

The pondok (rest hut) to refresh

They provide chalets for those wishing to stay the night. The staff cautioned us about monkeys and snakes, and fallen trees due to rain that may obstruct our trail. They gave us their mobile number in case we got lost. We were asked to keep to the trail and to look out for 7 stations/rest huts (pondok). These are the landmarks.

Station No 3

Station no 6

The hanging canopy and the mighty tree stops

The canopy walk starts from the 7th station. Seems there are 7 to 8 canopies but we were advised to stop at the 5th canopy as the others were under repairwork.

Wah..some more can show off ...

Harish

We bought a few bottles of drinks and started trekking at 10am. We came down at about 12.30pm. About an hour to trek uphill till the 7th station (many obstacles due to fallen trees) and an hour to complete the Canopy Walk.

But well worth it because….

1. I could now say that I made it all the way up ..my first complete finish of a hillclimb….yahooo

2. The boys enjoyed the jungle trekking and canopy walk

At the last canopy stop

Will you stop taking my pictures?



3. We got an aerial view of Tawau Town from the Canopy tree stops

An aerial view from atop Bukit Gemok

N at the 5th Canopy stop

Tawau town and its coastline

4. We saw many insects and lots of butterflies

5. The stench from the dumpsite didn’t’t permeate the air in the hills

6. We had the jungle all to ourselves (as there were no trekkers that morning)

7. We got some beautiful shots of the forests

  

8. The boys successfully completed their mission..

Just before trekking back downhill



Warrior dance

We cleaned ourselves in the washroom provided and rushed to get back to our hotel for check out. By the time we reached the hotel, our car rent friend was already waiting and tried to raise the rent a bit as we were a little late. But when I told him there is still fuel left in the tank worth about RM20, he left.

As for the hotel, we were charged RM10 for every hour after 12pm. Luckily we checked out before 4pm as the full rate for late check-out is due after 4pm.

We went for lunch at the nearest Chinese Restaurant, and had fried rice and noodles. They charged us RM0.50 for one glass of ice water!

We wanted to make one final stop at the Pasar Tanjung Tawau (also known as Tawau Hanging Market). So we walked all the way with our bags. But although I had read much hype about this largest indoor market, what I saw was a worn out market. The unique concept of hanging their merchandise is okaylah, kind of attractive ...items sold were mostly dried fish, squid, anchovies etc.

  

What's unique about the market is products are hung neatly in rows after rows using rafia string...

Even the salted fish are hung..

Since our flight back home was delayed till 10pm, we arranged for a cab to pick us from the ‘Esplanade’ at 6pm. So while the children spent the time at the playground, N and I just sat and soaked in the breeze from the Celebes Sea.

N



The boys lost in their own world at the playground



Tree pose

Okay now they are seriously modelling

Rishi

The esplanade

Against the moonlight

Sunset in Tawau

At about 5pm, I took a walk to Yassin Curry House (only open late afternoon as it is Ramadhan month) and bought 2 packets of chicken briyani at RM6.50 each. Really tasty.

At 10.25pm, we flew out of Tawau.

Tawau Airport

 

While all of us slept or at least tried to sleep in the plane, I saw Harish writing his own Sabah travel story. I will share this in the next post...look out for 'Harish's Story of Sabah'.

 

Engrossed in story-writing in the airplane

Some tips :-

1. Do go with proper gears meaning shoes, comfortable shorts or tracks, water bottles, etc

2. It isn't humid in the hills, but the climb up will sweat you out

3. We didn't see any leeches

4. Be prepared for obstacles along the trail like fallen tree trunks; you need to either go over it or around it

5. There are parts where the trail becomes a bit blur, look out for the plastic bag tied to the trees (the landmark)

6. As you reach Canopy Station 6, you can hear the sound of monkeys; but we didn't see any come our way

7. We spotted a snake on one of the canopies; and we let it pass before moving on

8. The scenery from atop Bukit Gemok is really worth the climb up - you can see the town centre and the coastline

9. Look out for thorn trees and plants ; quite a number around

10. Look out for spider webs and use a long stick to clear it; otherwise it will end up on your face

11. The Admission Fee is RM1 for Adult and RM0.50 for Child (Malaysians)

All photos are copyrighted. I can be reached at sivakay2009@gmail.com.