Tour Program To Promote Kuala Lipis

A program was designed to promote Kuala Lipis as a tourist destination. This is timely as currently a lot of the Malaysian only know Kuala Lipis as the birth place of Siti Nurhaliza, one on the well known singer of Malaysia. Not many are aware of the attractions of Kuala Lipis, a town with abundant of natural endowment with the natural jungles are thousands of years old. It was also the capital of Pahang before it was moved in Kuantan in 1955.

In the effort to promote Kuala Lipis, KTMB (Malayan Railway) and Pahang Tourist board jointly organised a program inviting journalist to spend 5 days in Kuala Lipis, tour the town and its surroundings and promote it through writings in various papers.

The group departed from Kuala Lumpur, Sentral Station. The visitors were taken to visit the historic buildings left by the British. A jungle tour was also organised where they went to visit Kenong Jungle Park.

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Kuala Lipis is a town situated in the district bearing similar name in Pahang, a state in Malaysia known for abundant of tropical rain forest, untouched by human for millions of years.

It was the state capital from 1890 to 1955, when Pahang was under the administration of the British, before it was transferred to Kuantan. This had made Kuala Lipis, rich in history and heritage.

Realising the potential, The Pahang Tourist Board and Malayan Railways had joined efforts to promote Kuala Lipis as a Tourist Destination for eco-tourism.A group of media and local tourist agents were sponsored to experience the visit from 26 to 30 January 2010. They were then, to promote it to both the local and overseas visitors.The program named "Lets Visit Lipis" started from KL Sentral Railway Station, where the guests were introduced to 'Malayan Railway' hospitality in their trip to Kuala Lipis.

The five day program brought the journalist to personally feel the natural beauty of heritage town and venture its natural lushed jungle.

The natural resources had brought the British to select Kuala Lipis as the capital,the other reason, which not quoted was, political. The British was having strong supports from the local leaders. Pahang at that time were  following the old system of hierarchy of power. Being the state capital, you can find a lot of historical buildings in the town, which you cannot find in other towns in Pahang.  These buildings are still in good condition and
in used for its function.

Among the buildings are the Clifford School, built in 1913. The District Office located on a hill overlooking the school built in 1919. The Resident's House on the Resident's Hill (1922), The State Mosque (1888) and Post Office (1910).

The Clifford School has an history of its own. Officially opened by Hugh Clifford, the British Resident to Pahang in 1929. The original school was damaged by the big flood on 1926, thus a replacement had to be built. It was the first school to conduct the class for  School Certificate in 1936. During the time of Japanese occupation in 1940's, the school became the administration headquarter, and it became a place on interrogation and torture. What is unique, the original buildings are still in good condition and in use today.

The state mosque was built, with the foundation and lower half from brick. It is still in good condition, although, it is no longer used for congregation prayers. It was built by 122 years ago by a local Arab traders by the name of Habib Hassan. It had mixed architecture of Minangkabau and Melayu touches.

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Dalam pada itu, mungkin ramai juga terlupa bahawa Lipis telah melahirkan dua orang tokoh pemimpin negara yang amat dihormati dan disegani iaitu Perdana Menteri Malaysia kedua Tun Abdul Razak serta anak beliau yang kini ialah Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

Malah sehingga kini kediaman tempat kelahiran Najib masih lagi berdiri kukuh dan boleh dikunjungi oleh para pelancong.

Bagi penggemar hidupan semulajadi, Lipis juga tidak akan mengecewakan anda. Keindahan flora dan faunanya pasti memikat pengunjung untuk terus merehatkan minda di sini.

Ciri-ciri alam semula jadi seperti hutan simpan, kehidupan liar, aliran sungai, air terjun, jeram, tasik, gua dan gunung menjanjikan ketenangan jiwa kepada para pengunjung.

Antaranya ialah Taman Rimba Kenong yang memiliki keunikan hutan hujan tropika berusia lebih 130 juta tahun.

Di sini pelancong boleh melihat Keunikan formasi geologi rangkaian 20 buah gua batu kapur, kawasan sejarah kepahlawanan Melayu dan tempat penemuan pelbagai bahan purba.

Taman Rimba Kenong terletak 32 kilometer dari Kuala Lipis. Pengunjung boleh memilih untuk sampai ke sini sama ada dengan menggunakan jalan darat atau sungai.

Perjalanan darat mengambil masa lebih kurang 40 minit dengan menaiki kenderaan pacuan empat roda, sementara perjalanan menaiki bot panjang melalui sungai dari jeti Tanjung Kiara di Kuala Lipis memakan masa selama satu jam setengah.

Dikatakan hampir 13 peratus tumbuh-tumbuhan di Semenanjung Malaysia yang menjangkau 1,200 spesies wujud di habitat ini.

Aktiviti berjalan malam yang boleh diadakan di taman ini memberi peluang kepada pengunjung untuk melihat pelbagai hidupan liar seperti landak, kijang, rusa, tapir, gajah dan lain-lain lagi.

Namun, ketika melakukan aktiviti ini, terdapat peraturannya. Antaranya para pengunjung akan diminta tidak berbuat bising bagi mengelakkan haiwan takut dan berasa terancam.

Selain itu, apabila kita berada di dalam keadaan yang sunyi dan tenang maka keindahan panorama malam itu akan lebih dihayati tambahan lagi apabila kita hanya ditemani cahaya bulan, kilauan mata-mata binatang dapat disaksikan di sepanjang perjalanan.

Oleh sebab itu, semasa aktiviti itu penggunaan lampu suluh adalah tidak digalakkan.

Gua-gua batu kapur yang terdapat di Taman Rimba itu juga disifatkan sebagai sesuatu yang bersejarah kerana selain kewujudannya sejak Zaman Batu lagi, ia juga menyimpan sejarah kepahlawanan Melayu ketika menentang penjajahan Inggeris. Ia dikatakan telah menjadi tempat persembunyian Tok Bahaman ketika menentang Residen Inggeris, Sir Hugh Clifford.

Keindahan stalagmit dan stalaktit dalam pelbagai bentuk pasti akan mempersonakan para pengunjung. Antara gua yang tercantik di sini ialah Gua Batu Tinggi kerana menjadi habitat kepada pelbagai spesies orkid liar.

Di bawah gua ini juga terdapat sebatang sungai yang mengalir jernih dan tenang yang dinamakan Sungai Kenong. Pengunjung-pengunjung boleh menyusuri sungai yang tenang ini menggunakan tiub tayar untuk melawat sekitar dalam gua.

Di samping itu, rimba ini juga menawarkan pelbagai aktiviti lasak lain seperti merentas sungai, menuruni cerun bukit dan memanjat pokok menggunakan tali.Kepada yang tidak gentar dengan ketinggian ataupun yang ingin mencuba keberanian mereka, taman ini menyediakan 'Canopy Walk' yang berketinggian 20 meter dengan panjang kira-kira 100 meter.