Do you know that there is a waterfall in Selama whose beauty matches that of the Kooi Waterfall at Royal Belum State Park? This was one of the many hidden gems unveiled during the recent three-day Selama Fam Trip 2019 organised by the Selama District Council in collaboration with Tourism Perak.
It was attended by over 50 participants representing various media, tourism and governmental agencies. Kicking off the tour at Selama located at the north of Perak was the Selama Rafting Cruise @ Selama River.
Rafting at Selama River was all about adrenaline thrill as we manoeuvred the boat for 3km with class-3 rapids due to the light rain.
Then, we were introduced to the SME products made by the residents at Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) Seputeh where plenty of crafts and local nosh awaited. We got to taste the pickled meat with sticky rice and kelulut (stingless bees) honey from Felda Ijok among others.
Lata Putih Waterfall
Happening on the second day was an early morning car ride to Lata Putih along Jalan Sumpitan Kampung Masjid at Ijok followed by a 353m hike which took almost 30 minutes. We were rewarded handsomely with a magnificent waterfall as its mist from the water hitting the ground from a height of 40m created a miniature rainbow.
Soursop and Lobster
We were brought to Haji Ismail Soursop Farm brimming with soursop and longan trees to enjoy some fresh, nutritious juice at its orchard of hundreds of hectares.
Next, we dropped by the organic lobster farming enterprise run by locals where we tried our hands at catching some lobsters out of the tens of thousands at Kolam Udang Air Bukit Ijok.
Pak Din Komando Keris Gallery
Pak Din Komando Keris Gallery was one of the highlights on the final day where we witnessed firsthand the skills of Pak Din in crafting the sheath of the keris (traditional dagger) from serian batu wood which is touted to grow only in Larut, Taiping.
Over 100 keris and parang panjang (long knife) were displayed, each with their own story and historical significance.
Equally unique is the Sungai Atas Sungai (River Above A River) Bridge built by the British soldiers around 1936. It used to be a water channel for agricultural and mining purposes. It flows into the Gigantic Well in Kampung Bagan Baru, another British technological relic.
A stone’s throw away from the Gigantic Well is the Raja Bersiong Fort in Kampung Kota Raja Bersiong. According to history, the fort was built as a hideout for Raja Bersiong, the fourth raja (ruler) descending from Merong Mahawangsa who escaped from Baling, Kedah. His subjects at the time despised Raja Bersiong due to his horrible habit of feasting on human blood.
Towards the end of the trip, we went to Lata Tebing Tinggi waterfall which is a ten-minute drive from Rantau Panjang town. A paradise for nature lovers, its crystal clear water deserves a second visit.
Come and discover these hidden gems in Selama!
