I got DIRTY today!

Today I did one of the most exciting things ever. I rode an All Terrain Vehicle or fondly known as an ATV. The company that provides this service is called ATV adventure park (website below) which is located in Kampung Kemensah right in the interiors of Ampang (I don't think however that, that is Ampang anymore as there were Selangor flags)

How to get there: take the MRR2 all the way to Ampang to Zoo Negara. Next to zoo Negara, there is a road called Jalan ZooView. Keep going straight on that road although you may think that it will end in a parking, it will however take you into Kampung Kemensah. The road is small and single lane. From zoo Negara, the distance is about 5 KM. You will pass villages and at least one chalet before reaching ATV adventure park. Once you are at the venue, park your car by the sleeve of the road ad you cannot take it into the adventure park because I tried and realized that my car is not an ATV.


















The whole package costs about RM150 per pax which includes the ATV and the gears (gears is only helmet la actually), off road ride through the lush forest up to a waterfall where you can spend some time bathing/picnicking and also the ride back to base. Oh, and also a guide!




 They will provide training at the base which is very simple and the ATV itself isn't difficult to handle. An aunty at about 60 years of age was trained to ride one (although am not too sure if she made it through the jungle or quit). The picture is the ATV I rode.

Once done with the training, you will go through a test ride and if you're comfortable, then you can start heading to the falls with the guide of course. There were 8 of us in our team so we were split to 4 each with 2 guides. The ride I tell you my friends is an experience you will never forget. You would want to go again.

The waterfall itself is such a beauty. If you are a nature lover, this is for you however, if you are a tree hugger, you may not be too happy because the vehicles are like bikes and they emit carbon because it is fuel based and not battery operated. You have been warned.

What to expect: fun, fun and more fun! And also getting dirty with mud and also collisions of ATVs because the track is slippery and you may langgar belakang your friend's or stranger's ATV. Also you may get yourself in a ditch if you ride too fast and cannot control the vehicle. Expect to be mauled by mosquitoes so bring insect repellent. Wear sports clothes and remember it is not a fashion show, no blings, high heels, designer clothes. Best to wear three quarters and sports shoes.

This adventure has to be one of the best I have done at least for this year.




Trust me an ATV is easy and safe to use if used correctly. My wife probably rode the ATV better than me because she is a joki jipang of Bayan Baru! On the left is a picture of me after the ride. Do not comment on the helmet, I had no choice.

Here is the website for ATV adventure park: http://www.atvadventurepark.com/about.htm

Enjoy people. Hope you had as much fun as my friends and I did. Don't do drugs or alcohol before riding these machines. You may do alcohol after the adventure and talk about it over and over again ;)

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In City-A-One and Back to KayEl in 12 hours

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was in Sitiawan today an it was a good trip. Drove past the kampungs and the trunk road kept going on and on which reminded me of Donkey in Shrek "are we there yet?!"

I was contemplating to either take the Bidor exit or the Ipoh exit because Bidor distance wise is much nearer but the trunk road is annoying to drive on because it is only one lane to go and one lane to come. Whereas Ipoh, you get to drive faster on the highway and then take the road to Sitiawan which would take about 45 minutes from Ipoh. I however was forced to take Bidor because I wad told that Ipoh would be jammed up. Bidor, Teluk Intan, Langkap and all the towns around that area were jammed up anyway due to the holidays.

Finally reached Sitiawan after 4 hours. Did what I had to do, visited one of my relatives as well and headed back and that is when the "adventure" started. Before I move on, I seem to remember the roads on Sitiawan better than the roads in KL where I have been living for the past 8 years and I have only been to Sitiawan like maybe 4 times or so. Well, one reason could be that there are no new buildings in Sitiawan every 2 seconds which changes the landmarks. :)

Anyway, back to the story of heading back. So once again, I was thrown the choice of using the highway to go back or using the trunk road all the way from Sitiawan to Klang. Now, this is a tricky situation. It is indeed nearer to take the trunk road because these two towns are coastal towns however, the trunk roads aren't that great at least until Sabak Bernam which is about 40 odd KMs from Sitiawan. But, using the highway would mean backtracking all the way back from Sitiawan to Teluk Intan to Bidor and hop on the highway back. I decided to take the trunk road because I have never used it before and I wanted an adventure which I would regret anyway.

So the journey started of fine, I saw some weird signboards and road names for example "Menjual benih tanaman dan haiwan" I was baffled; didn't know you could grow animals from seeds and the super hilarious road name I saw was "Jalan Mat Rojak". I tell you, these are only things you can see in small towns.

Then, the nightmare started, there was a jam that begun somewhere in between Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang that lasted until Kuala Selangor! All because of a traffic light which was not programmed for heavy volumes of vehicles. It was bot pleasant as well because my son was not feeling comfortable started to cry for the same distance!

A journey that should have taken 2 1/2 hours top, took 4 1/2 hours which translates to KL to Alor Star at an average speed of 120 KM/H on PLUS.

So there you have it. If you plan to use the trunk road, not on festive seasons please. However, the trunk road from Sabak Bernam to Klang is pretty decent. Advisable to drive in the day time for two reasons, one is the scenery, two is the safety as only some parts are lit. I by the way travelled at night; someone kick me please!


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I will be in Sitiawan tomorrow

Folks, I will be in Sitiawan tomorrow for some personal event and it is going to be a long drive from KL. on the highway is not too bad but once you have to take the trunk road is when the excitement takes place.

I usually like taking the trunk roads because it is more picturesque and you get to see all the kampungs on the way which is becoming rather scarce due to urbanization.

Sitiawan is indeed a unique place especially when at least one of my friends calls it CT-A-One/CT-A-1. The story behind how Sitiawan got its name is even more unique.

So the story goes on to explain that there were once these 2 elephants in the area who were bosom buddies. One unfortunate day, one of the elephants got stuck in quick sand and was fast drowning. Not being able to see its friend suffer, the other elephant stretched out its trunk to try and pull the other elephant. However neither made it and the elephant that was trying to help did not want to let go of its friend hence the name "setia kawan" or now over time, "Setiawan". This story may not be true but it serves a strong lesson in life such as trust and loyalty. These are some qualities that are fading and people have become more impersonal.

I hope I have entertained you thus far or maybe put you to sleep but either way, you benefit ;)

Will post something if anything interesting happens in CT-A-One.


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