We’re always looking forward to visiting other people’s countries but oftentimes forget about our own.
This pandemic has forced us to rediscover the untapped beauty of our home, Malaysia. Explore your own backyard before you seek others! Grass is not always greener on the other side.
Luckily, we have someone incredibly passionate like Andrew Chen, who has been going out of his way to fill in the blanks on our “adventure list”.
In his latest outing, he brought the group to three points of highlight; the White Canyon Perak (Kuala Dipang), Japanese Carbide Chimney (Malim Nawar) and Limestone Pinnacle Lake (outskirts of Malim Nawar) to fuel our appetite for some adventure.
The intriguing feature of the canyon had my heart. I have always fancied a trip to visit the homes of canyons; Arizona, Utah and Colorado. I totally did not expect to see one in Malaysia. The structure of the rocks has a close resemblance to the iconic ones overseas.
According to Andrew, the structure emanated from the infiltration of rainwater which caused the sand to harden. The hardened sand then became compact and formed blocks. When one looks at the rocks close enough, tiny stones can be spotted merging.
The spiky form of the canyon also reminded me of the Dolomite mountain in Italy.
Japanese Carbide Chimney
On the way to the chimney, the drive led us through a friendly neighbourhood where we drove past a home-turned-into sundry store and a kopitiam (local coffee shop). It was a ‘one vehicle’ at a time road, so pay attention to oncoming cars.
The brick-walled chimney was breathtaking. Look up from the inside of the chimney and you will be able to see light shimmering through the hole above. There were also plants growing in a ring on the walls. But what piqued my curiosity is the purpose of the fireplace.
Chimneys are used in the west; almost every household owns a chimney to keep warm during winter. But in Malaysia? What did the Japanese need it for? To incinerate waste? Burn coal or cook food? Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to obtain an answer.
Limestone Pinnacle Lake (Another hidden lake in Malim Nawar)
Tucked away in an abandoned football field with overgrown grass, you will see a rock shaped like a resting elephant on the right side of the piece of empty land.
Just a short stroll from the elephant is an idyllic lake with clusters of floating rocks hidden behind the trees. You can also wander a little up the slope and through the bushes to get a closer view.
We had to be very wary of the surrounding trees as many of them have thorns, but a pair of gloves and our determination to keep going were rewarded with a breathtaking view.
According to Andrew, the rocks could have been the remnants from the mining days. The rocks had a unique appearance; like suevite rocks, they had a smooth surface with a gray body that reminded me of the decorations on my display racks. I wonder what minerals formed them?
These places are definitely a temple for those who enjoy the outdoors, as well as a perfect antidote to busy work schedules!
Do note that the White Canyon Perak is no longer accessible to the public.
If anyone has any information on the history of the rocks, do contact me at ipohecho.gisele@gmail.com.
Gisele Soo
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Hello, I am very interested to visit White Canyon Perak. May I know how to get there? Are there any GPS coordinates? Thank you.
Hi Hooi Koon, unfortunately we have just recently been informed that visitor entry into the location of the White Canyon is no longer allowed.
Oh! That’s so sad.. Thank you for your reply.