Tanah Aina is about conquering new frontiers

Despite being told that Tanah Aina is a beautiful place, we were initially hesitant to check it out. For nearly eight months, we had to battle with questions like,

“What about security issues? What about the mosquitoes and the leeches? What about snakes?”

The thought of leeches was enough to scare us from going jungle trekking. We also could not bear the thought of having children play in the waterfall where all sorts of natural disasters could happen at the spur of the moment.

We have heard of even adults drowning in waterfalls, when at the spur of the moment, there is a sudden rush of water coming from heavy rain up on the mountain.

That is why I admire the parents of 3-year-old Jaymee Ang. During our stay there, we met Dennis Ang and his wife, Jo who took Jaymee and her 5-year-old brother, Jayden to the camp. Apart from another younger baby, Jaymee was probably the youngest camper during our stay last weekend.

Eight Acres was more of a farm than a jungle resort, but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience ourselves; it was getting us one step closer to Mother Nature.

Great Experience

The moment we arrived, I started to love the idea of being in the jungle. Just listening to the sound of birds chirping and crickets producing their sound at night was simply mesmerising. The sound from a nearby waterfall added to the untold beauty of Mother Nature herself.

I was beginning to enjoy the environment the moment we arrived at Tanah Aina. There was no traffic jam, no Internet connectivity and no distractions from phone calls and Whatsapp messages.

On Day 1, the kids were complaining of boredom as it had been raining in the morning and they could not join any jungle trekking or water trekking activities. However, on Day 2, after a few hours out in the jungle, to our amusement, they told us that they loved the adventures they had had in the tropical rainforests.

The only thing that no one dared to attempt was the leap of faith, which was a plunge into the green emerald lagoon from a 6-metre high platform. I repeat: A free fall from some 19 feet (for those who are more familiar with the Imperial system) splashing right into the water!

With the safety vest and the guides always there to haul you up, in case you were about to drown yourself in the lagoon, yes, we knew it was safe – especially since hundreds, if not thousands of others, have done it before – yet none of us dared to take up the challenge.

The leeches? Yes, they will always be there, but the children were taught by the guide how to avoid being bitten by the leeches. They now know that apart from sucking our blood, leeches are not that harmful after all.

In fact, my son had done some research on his own before we went to Tanah Aina. He showed us (be prepared to cringe as you watch) a video clip on YouTube that taught him how to deal with the bite from 12 leeches.

For most parts of the jungle trekking, there were safety features that children and adults alike could depend on. At some spots, they have to learn to do their balancing acts but of course with some help from the jungle guides.

It was like living in what I imagine to be a ‘mahligai’ (palace) during the ancient Malacca sultanate era. The interior decorations transformed the chalet into a posh little palace bedroom by the riverside. They also have dormitories for singles who wanted to camp out at the eco-resort.

Its water is crystal clear on most days but whenever it rains, the water is slightly murky, but not to be mistaken as being ‘dirty’ or ‘polluted’; or else, all the ikan kelah and tengas in the river would have died!

We had the mosquito repellent which was more than enough to keep the few mosquitoes away. As for snakes, none was spotted at Tanah Aina, except one which ironically crawled under my wife’s car when parked in Lorong Travels, Bangsar!