Many hotels care for the environment by advising guests to preserve resources. But at Belum Rainforest Resort, under the EMKAY Group, they walk the talk by taking guests on a journey that showcases exactly what it is they’re preserving. Located on Banding Island in the man-made Temenggor Lake – just two hours from Penang International Airport – the resort serves as a gateway to the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest, which dates back some 130 million years!
Words: Stuart Danker
When I arrived, I was pleased to see that the accommodation was nothing short of luxurious, despite being right in the middle of a rainforest. Drawing on nature, the resort blended into its surroundings with a mix of wood and natural materials, and a design that allowed for natural ventilation and lighting.
I was boarded in one of the 110-room resort’s 32-square-metre Deluxe rooms where I noticed a distinct respect for nature. Instead of logging the area, the resort designed and built its rooms around trees, preserving much of the rainforest’s ecosystem. Bamboo was used as balcony awnings, and creepers twisted along these shafts, making for a beautiful and natural screen for privacy.
While the rainforest’s 3,000 species of flora and fauna – 14 of these being endangered mammals – looks impressive on paper, you have to be there to fully appreciate its magnificence. After perusing the recreation menu, which featured activities like fishing and kayaking, I signed up for the ‘Discover Belum’ package, a full-day tour with visits to Rafflesia flower spots, Orang Asli (indigenous) villages, salt licks (a salt deposit that animals frequent) and the Sungai Ruok waterfall.
The guide that walked me through these attractions knew everything like the back of his hand. He told me how the endangered Rafflesia flower was sensitive to touch, how the nomadic indigenous inhabitants of the area depend on the rainforest for food and medicine; and how animals frequent the salt licks for their dietary mineral needs.
I learned that this delicate balance of the forest’s ecosystem lies in our hands, and our everyday decisions can hurt or help nature. Belum Rainforest Resort wants its visitors to know that we stand to lose all this if we don’t play our part in conservation, and it was a message that I was grateful to take home. The tour involved long boat rides on the Temenggor lake, which gave me ample time to enjoy the scenery. There was a great deal of hiking to do as well, so guests need to be in decent shape to fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the rainforest.
When it came to relaxation, there was no better alternative to soothe my tired muscles than a massage at the Puteri Dewi Balinese Spa. The foot massage area was a cosy open-air cabin with a thatched roof, with the treatment bond with nature. This is a small initiative in the bigger picture that includes a diverse range of environmental programmes. Through the Pulau Banding Foundation, funded by the EMKAY Group, the resort supports intiatives such as scientific expeditions for forest inventory, as well as research projects that study the lives of tapirs in the area.
Dining at Belum Rainforest Resort is a straightforward affair. I enjoyed my meals at the Hornbill Restaurant where the signature dish – ox-tail asam pedas (spicy tamarind-based broth) with koay teow (flat rice noodles) – is a must. Other delights include nasi goreng kampong, a wholesome village-style dish of fried rice tossed with anchovies and water convolvulus; spicy Belum Chicken Curry; and my favourite, char hor fun, stir-fried rice noodles drizzled in luscious egg-y gravy and sprinkled with leafy greens called choi sum. The resort’s other dining establishment, Sidai Restaurant, reflects green building principles in its design – from its earth-packed wall that helps with insulation to its interior that makes use of light-diffusers fashioned from recycled bottles.
I left the resort being more aware and appreciative of nature. It was an education as much as it was a retreat. If you’re looking for an adventure that doesn’t require you to sacrifice comfort and style, there would be no better place than the Belum Rainforest Resort.
BELUM RAINFOREST RESORT & SPA
Address: Pulau Banding, Gerik, Perak Darul Ridzuan
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