March 22nd: Exploring Day at Lake Kenyir
Day 160
Despite the heat during the day, the night was cool and breezy by the lake. We woke up at 8am, planning to start the day with a kayak tour around the lake. The tourist center right next to the campsite has kayaks for rent and we patiently waited for the staff to come to work. However, they didn’t show up. We ventured into the afternoon heat to check out the Buweh Waterfall and another campsite 6km away on our trikes. It was so hot that I had to abandon the mission halfway, leaving Chopper to discover the beauty of the waterfall by himself. He came back with a disappointing report – the waterfall was nowhere to be found, and the other campsite comes with a premier view of a construction site.
The government has made a lot efforts to encourage tourism around the area. However the infrastructure does not really match up with the tourism demand. We were the only campers at the campsite which could accommodate at least 20 tents. We later learned that they are building a water theme park on the island just across the water from the main dock. For now we are treated by beautiful unobstructed sunsets. I wonder if the sacrifice of the undisturbed natural beauty will bring Lake Kenyir more admirers.
Two days of free camping was good for our budget, and it was much needed since accommodation in Malaysia has been very expensive. We will be heading back to the cities and towns tomorrow, and the cool quiet lake will be missed.
