Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Total Relaxation.....

            I have been to many places. May it be  big cities or  small towns. May it be far- far away or just nearby. But there is one place that can give me a feeling of total relaxation of the mind and soul...... just this one.

             I had to drive at least 2 hours from home to be at this place. From home I took the  DUKE highway. Then passed the Gombak Toll and take the Karak Highway. After Karak Toll, take left towards Bentong on the state road. Take right towards Mempaga after Bentong and  then you are on  the Felda road until the last 3 kilometers of off road!  LTER can easily be detected through your GPS .  Like me, I use Waze and sometimes Google Map.  It helps alot especially for first timers. To feel the  real total adventure..... just crack your brain and try using map instead! This kind of place is nothing new to me because when I was young, this is the kind of road that I had to travel for 26 miles to school. When the weather is dry, the road became very dusty and during the rainy seasons , we had to move on muddy road and worst,  flood! But it was fun.  So, this place brings back sweet memories to me. The memories of my childhood which I spent in the jungle deep in Padang Kubu , Kemaman, Terengganu with my late parents and sibblings. We need no friends because we have each other! 




My family home in Padang Kubu.  I miss my arwah Mak and arwah Abah.
I had to fight back tears ..... down to memory lane!!!
             Recently, I attended a wedding in Bachok, Kelantan. I drove my Starex and my daughter with her family in another car. I took the PT2 highway and passed through Padang Kubu. I took my family to the place where I grew up and showed them what life was  before. Through that visit, they now understand why I love Lembah Temir Eco Resort very much! It is just like going back home in the  TDMB Palm Oil Estate, in the jungle! 







 


            Lembah Temir Eco Resort belongs to a family friend. The owner is Haji Che Din Sulaiman and his wife Hajjah Wan Remlah. A very nice couple and always welcoming friends to their 78 acres land with Temir River flowing and forming two  beautiful water falls, 1,500 durian trees which include D24 and  Musang King, Rubber estate, Palm Oil estate and varieties of fruit trees like the Mangosteens, Rambutans, Pulasan, Dokong , Langsat, Jack Fruit, Ciku,  Bananas and everything else!  During the fruits seasons , 4  pick-up vans full of durians were collected and sold daily! Not only durians  but  other fruits as well.




Some of the fruits  planted in LTER

              Lembah Temir Eco Resort is still under construction.  They started buiding from scratch five years ago with only one small little hut . But now, they already built 5 chalets  plus 11 rooms which can accomodate the most 60 person at one time. As for right now, the main lobby with 11 rooms on top is about to be ready soon. They hope to start business somewhere in the middle of this this year! I have been visiting LTER for many times now and everytime I went, there will always be something new. No wonder, Che Din just love to be there riding his motorbike around to see his employees working to make his dream come true.  Hajjah Remlah said that whenever he is at home in Damansara, he will feel latargic, tired and grumpy but he will be a total;ly different man when he is in LTER...... always on his feet or on his motorbike making rounds and looking for ideas to build LTER his way and his wants.  

          Latest , they even made their very own furniture from  Chengal wood which they found buried underground or just left aside in the jungle. They have Chengal benches, tables and chairs built for the resort. Chengal is a kind of wood that no termites will be able to destroy because it is very tough and hard. You can use it indoor or outdoor! Mmmmmmmm nice!  Hope to have one coffee table soon...... keep dreaming!!!! hahhahahahhaha




Kayu Chengal furniture add colors to LTER...
well done CDS!
            LTER is lucky to have Abang Zul who is in charge of the whole operation when CDS  is not around. A very down to earth man and very hard working. I can say that CDS is very lucky to have such a very good employee. Not only he works hard but he is a very creative person. Everything that he sees in the jungle is art. He was so proud when he managed to cut tree trunks into halves and arranged nicely as a wall panel and blended with ferns from the jungle. The outcome is mesmerizing!!!! Beautiful at no cost at all! The best part is, Abang Zul is Hajjah Wan Remlah's younger brother! Everything is meant to be!

Abang Zul assisting HWER to cut open the
 Musang King Durian for the guests.


                     Hajjah Wan Remlah's Kelantan food is another attraction to LTER. She will always sent me photographs of her cookings which she knew I cannot resist. If I gain weight, it is all because of her marvelous, tasty cooking. In the mornings in LTER, she will always prepare Nasi Berlauk..... ( one of the favourite food served for breakfast in Kelantan).  In the afternoon she will prepare many different kinds of dishes which comes with White Rice, Sambal Belacan,  Sambal Tempoyak, Petai, Salad and not forgetting...Budu!  She will prepare desert as well. It might be Jemput-jemput Durian, Curry Puffs, Pulut Manis, all kinds of Pengat and so on. So if you want to gain weight, this is the place! In LTER, food is totally home cook! She reminds me of my arwah Mak who just love to feed people with her finger licking good food. My daughter said that, when she missed her arwah Mak Tok, she will look at HWR's face and that helps! That is how I felt too.  They look alike.


The famous Nasi Berlauk


The most tasteful Laksam..... yummeyh!!

HWR always make sure that food is good and enough.
HWR just love entertaining guests.

CDS and his sons welcoming their guests with open arms.
            The 78 acres piece of land has much to offer for nature lovers. You can ride you 4WD into the jungle, ride on the motorbike, cycling, jungle tracking, fishing, swimming and just practically anything including playing Futsal . A Futsal court had been built and used ... but as I said, not all is  ready yet. Just wait and Insyallah, CDS will think of everything for his guests! 


Chalet number 9 is nearest to the falls. It is my forever favoutite.
                 Just underneath the lobby, is flowing the Temir River with a school, a big school of Ikan Kelah waiting patiently for us to feed them! It is a beautiful view when you see the fish swim and jump against the current to go upstream....... just like the Salmon! Very Interesting!


The school of Ikan Kelah in LTER.
You can even swim with them. 

Ikan Kelah will swim and jump upstream from this pond towards the falls.

                       What can I say? I just love this place very much.  When LTER comes in mind, I just drove there with my husband and sometimes even with friends just to be away from the noise. It is so peaceful in LTER. All you can hear is the sound of the water, the sound of the insects and  a total peace of mind.  Furthermore, because it is  away from the nearest town Bentong,  phone coverage is not easy to get. You need to be in one spot , the highest point in order to check your phone calls or messages which I think is good. We shoul learn how to enjoy the nature more. Life will be more meaningful and families can finally sit, eat and talk together as what  humans do!   Trust me, no regret! Almost all of my friends and  neighbours whom I introduced to this place, just love to revisit again and again. One even dream to ride horses in LTER! Hahahhahahahah. To me, LTER is one place, the best place for honeymooners! 






My Little Temir

                 Back at home in Shah Alam, whenever I miss LTER, I will sit by my fish pond and with my very own creativity, I made it looked like a tropical jungle! With my Koi swimming and the sound of the water falling and sometimes the sound of the  birds made me imagined of being in LTER. Meet my  Little Temir!!

                I do hope CDS dream will come true and hope many people will come and stay at the resort once it is ready. As for now, I will keep on visiting LTER to ease my pain of missing the good old childhood days of mine..... many-many years ago.......