Hulu Langat, City escape. Morning ride

A good ride just out of KL...not as good as some say, but a nice quick fix all the same!

It makes for a good morning ride when you don't have the time or inclination to go too far. You can get to it by following Jalan Ampang out of KL. That in itself is pretty easy to do! Come to the end of Jln Ampang, make a right at the last traffic light and head for Hulu Langat.

Once off Jln Ampang, you'll be surprised how quickly the scene changes from cityscape, over a hill, through a Kampong and you wouldn't know you're anywhere near Kuala Lumpur. The road also changes after the first village and you'll be greeted with a nice twisty bit of tar that is nice and wide. Done a cog or two, and on the gas - you'd think this road is going to lead to something major or wind on for miles like all good Malaysian roads, but it's rather short-lived!

The road winds up a hill that has a rather good view of The City. The Hulu Langat Road runs along the ridge that forms the eastern section of the Klang Valley that contains Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately the day I took my camera along, it was hazy thanks to the Southwest Monsoon that streams the remains of Sumatra's forest fires into Klang Valley.

From this ridge, you've got a great view of the mass of KL. Naturally the Twin Towers are easily identifiable. Continue on the road and you'll make your way past a huge lake that stores lots of water for KL. This is a nice section of tar as well with some really fast flowing corners.

Basically the Hulu Langat area is pretty small, so you can ride most of the roads there in a couple of hours and end up in a small kopi shop for a break. It's quite normal to see a few superbikes there on any given weekend. From the lakeside road, if you make a right turn, you'll be in for the Hulu Langat treat! It's a really twisty bit that leads over from the lake to a small village. It's mainly 1st and 2nd gear stuff and wringing the motor out. The 'Cups' (125cc's) will probably get through this section faster than you will, due to their lightweight nimbleness. This section is short enough to do it a few times within an hour, then find a coffee shop.

It's worth doing and exploring simply because it's so close to KL. If you follow the signs, you'll end up at the Hulu Langat waterfalls and there are some really nice weekend homes in this area. The contrast between city and country is pretty stark and you just won't know that over the ridge lies a huge colourful city.

A good city escape - gotta be done!

Ultimate Console Inflatable

The Walker Bay name is a familiar one from way back when they first introduced 'plastic' boats to the world. This Walker Bay Genesis has just arrived and I can tell you it's the smartest RIB to hit the market since RIBS were invented! I must admit, I have never been a fan of 'plastic' boats but after having received this, I'm convinced it's the way forward!

There's so many innovative ideas that as you assemble it, you sort of wonder why no one ever did it before. Starting with the packaging, the box is so flat, relative to all others, that you wonder how it could possibly fit. Putting it together is a one-person job...and you don't need special tools of any kind.

The secret to the 'flat' packet is of course the folding transom. Yes, the transom has a hinge in it so the whole thing folds really flat. As you pump the air into it, the transom just moves into the upright position... cunning indeed. The Console and Bench seat come in another box. Each component box can be handled easily by one person.

The console, bench seat and the hull itself are all 'plastic'. Initially you might baulk at the thought of this, but the quality, fit and finish honestly make their fiberglass cousins look well... rather outdated! For starters, there's storage compartments everywhere - canned-drink holders are molded in and due to the moulding process, there are no rough edges anywhere! Neat things like the battery compartment hidden under a hinging steering wheel console is a nice feature often lacking on other small RIBS. In fact it took me a while to find the steering wheel as it was hidden in this very compartment!

But the really nice bit about the components is the way they fit into the hull. With the hull inflated, it was easy to pick up each component block single-handedly and place it in place. It secures by the smartest arrangement I've seen... 2 ratcheting straps on each side of the component loop through hoops built into the hull. Then click the ratchet and you're done. Two screws keep it fixed to the floor and that's it!

It gives the Gensis tremendous versatility. For those who prefer a tiller steered boat, don't order the console and you'll get a neat bench seat instead that secures in exactly the same way! Kool. The whole process from box to assembled boat was about 40 minutes, but I think I could do it in 20 now!

Before the boat arrived, I read the literature but it was only when the boat arrived that it dawned on me what a breakthrough in forward thinking it REALLY is. The hull is 'plastic' which means they can be produced by the hundreds every day - no fibreglass boat will ever be able to match that! 

The other hidden benefit is that 'plastic' is very good at absorbing impact, i.e. smack it with a hammer and it has no ill-effect on the hull. But more importantly, this characteristic also carries over when you're on the water. Wave impacts will be absorbed by the material and not transmitted to the occupants - a better ride in a small boat is a big bonus.

If you look at the round tube ends, they're different to the 'normal' cones. Now, the cones are there for a reason and that is to prevent bow lift when you open the throttle. I pondered this for a minute and then had a good look at the hull near the transom. There's a couple of molded-in trim tabs that will do a better job of controlling the bow - smart. The keel also features a v-pad that allows moving water to flow higher up the leg of the motor and stops cavitation in tight turns - smart! 

But I leave the best feature of the hull to the last... Wheels! Molded within the trim tab pad are wheelies - seriously, and these make it a one-handed job to move the thing around! Also molded in the hull is an extra rubbing piece so that when you put it down, it rests on the wheels and this bit - NICE! Oh yeah, the other benefit of plastic technology, lightweight as in this case, is that it's compounded resin and not just 'plastic'.

It's also smarter on the inside. Apart from the luxurious molded components, the nose is much wider. I compared this back-to-back with another fiberglass RIB of the same length and the space in the bow was a good 18 inches more! This means a bow-rider seat in the Genesis is a practical reality! There's a proper seat and a proper cushion to match the rest of the boat and naturally, a decent storage compartment under!

If you look at the details, you can see just how much thought has gone into this. The oar-locks are the most stylish to be seen on any boat. Engaging the oar is a simple push-button arrangement, but what I really like about it is that when it's not being used, it sits flush, like its aerodynamic style!

Walker Bay has invested millions in the molding machines. Unlike fiberglass boats, these will have exactly the same tolerance time after time. Of course, the benefit of this huge investment is... A BOAT EVERY THREE MINUTES! But in my mind, the major benefit is that it's 100% recyclable - an Eco-friendly boat. Now that's a lot better!

All of this forward thinking can be attributed to one Paulo Rista. If you Google that name, you'll see he's one smart chap, with lots of ocean racing experience to his credit!

Have a look here or better yet, check out the Genesis that I've got here...

Eco-Friendly

Ultimate Inflatable Kayak

I've waited ages for this to come along! An inflatable Kayak that doesn't fold up around your ear when you hit the waves with it! I subscribe to the inflatable kayak because it's easy to store and cart around. Years ago, I inherited a Sevylor and that was the best there was. The Airis is way different from anything before.

I spotted this while at the Miami Boat Show and what caught my attention was that it was almost as hard as a rigid boat. To inflate a 'normal' inflatable to this level would end in disaster. What Walker Bay has done is to create a whole new skin technology. It's hard to explain but when you look in the Air-Web window, you'll see millions of fibres linking the deck skin to the hull skin. The fibres look to be aramid in nature, i.e. lightweight and super-strong.

The Air-Web allows load to be dispersed across a wider area... sort of like the trellis frame does on the Ducati. It's light and stiff, and allows the Airis to carry 4 x the inflation pressure of the average inflatable.

It comes complete with double action pump, fits in its own backpack, weighs about 8 kgs and will go anywhere and do anything.

So how does it go?

We tried it in flatwater on a lake 20 minutes north of KL and it glides effortlessly across still water. It tracks true and straight, mainly thanks to the tandem twin fin arrangement on the back. But it does behave more like a rigid boat than a blow-up!

Then I put it in the back seat of the Ford and drove it to Kuantan. Kuantan, at this time of the year, is relatively flat water but come September, well, the surf starts rolling in. On the day in question, there was a small beach break...small being the operative word. 7 minutes with the pump and it was ready to go.

The Airis was real easy to get on to the small surf and, as the photos show, besides being fun, will support the weight of a man standing in the middle of it. If I tried that on my other kayak, it would simply fold in the middle and go nowhere!

Having it backpack-able is great for me as it does mean that conceivably, it will fit on the back seat of the Ducati - although it would look real weird! Malaysia has got some great rivers that are just begging to be explored. I came across a couple of old Aussie diggers that had re-opened a gold mine in Kuala Lipis (geographic centre of Malaysia) and they had built a raft to go down the river there for weekend entertainment.

There's also the huge river at Pekan, the old Royal Capital. I was riding the Duc' through Pekan on one of my many sorties up the East Coast. Two things struck me - 1) it was far cleaner than the average Malaysian small town and 2) it has the Watercraft Museum there and that's a real treat as it has virtually the complete history of Malaysian watercraft dating back 1,500 years. The Pekan River is just begging for an 'exploratory' trip, but for that, we'll need to have a few RIBs on hand as it's probably a week-long venture!

Simply put, now that we've had a try of the Airis, we're off in search of some more action. There's 4 kayaks in the range - 2 'Play' and 2 'Sports' models. The Play models are shorter and designed for mucking about in waves or otherwise. The Sports are longer and have more carry capacity, including 2 racks with a bungee net arrangement and a bag like whitewater rafting bags built right into the back section of the hull.

A lot of thought has gone into the making of this kayak. It's light, robust, packs up small and, price-wise, is a bargain, considering the quality. It costs US$ 850 - 1,000, depending on the model.

The next adventure is to hit some decent waves with it, but I'm thinking of wake surfing with it, i.e. endless wave..!

Cat Sailing, Singapore

If you have to be in Singapore, THE best time is during the Northeast Monsoon which blows from late December - March. During this period, the East Coast of Malaysia becomes too 'rough' for boating and all the resorts on that coast shut down.

But if you're into thrills and spills, head to Changi Sailing Club (CSC) on Singapore's NE tip. You'll be treated to the full onslaught of the Monsoon winds. Plus it's a bit of Singapore that time forgot i.e. it's still virtually untouched, unspoilt. The Club has the most rustic of chalets in the Island Republic and its most noteworthy item is the catamaran fleet which now has the most numerous and high-tech fleet of Formula 16 catamarans in the cat-sailing world!

Just 6 months ago an brand-new 'weapon of choice' came off the design board of Greg Goodall. Based on some 40 years of experience in the cat racing league, the Viper has caught the imagination of the world! Only trouble with it - it's slow to produce as it's a time-consuming labour of love!

The Viper is a wind machine. We recorded 15.5 knots of boat speed in just 8 - 10 knots of wind in pre-monsoon trials! There are now 6 Vipers in Changi Sailing Club which complements the fleet of some 25 F16's. F16's are the fastest 5 metre cats on the planet although there are a few different designs, all racing in the same class. The modern F16 cat turns just a little wind into a lot of speed. It's a high-tech piece of machinery but is not an unmanageable beast! On the contrary, it's been so finely tuned that all it takes is two fingers on the helm to control it, even in a stiff breeze!

Changi Sailing Club has a great location and a great social calendar to go with it. If you're a competitive sailor and like action, head for CSC and check it out. Besides, the drive down the highway can be an enjoyable one!

Frasers Hill. 2 Day Ride

This makes for a great ride and a good stay. I shy away from Cameron Highlands these days simply because after they improved the road into the Camerons, well, all the crowds go there. It's still a nice place to visit but too many folks, especially on weekends. It was better when the old "hazardous" road was still in operation as it kept a lot of people away.

Frasers, on the other hand, well, if you go up via the normal western approach, you're still confronted with the one-laner for the top ascent. Here traffic flows up/down on alternate hours. This section has countless hairpins but on a superbike, it'll just be too tight. It's still a worthy ride and one thing for sure...there won't be any oncoming traffic!

The first bike I rode into Frasers was my ZX1100 Kawasaki - as you might say wrong tool for the job. The Kawasaki liked the NS Ekspressway but not really the tight twisties of Frasers. The next bike I road into the Highlands was my Suzuki TL1000s. It's thumping Vee-Twin filled each valley with thunder - nice! When I got the Ducati, my friends said it would never run long enough to enjoy - eat dirt, it's done 50,000 miles on Malaysian, Singaporean & Thai roads and never missed a beat. The Ducati might not be as quick on the highway as some of the Japanese machines, but it sure is more accurate on the brakes and that's what counts on the testing back roads! Without the standard issue Brembo brakes, am sure I wouldn't be here today to waffle on!!

On the lower reaches, it's a narrow two-laner, complete with oncoming cars and trucks! The last time I was mid-corner only to be confronted by a huge semi-trailer with a trailer far too big for the road, so take it easy on this bit. It's a nice road that winds up about a 1000m so it gets nice & cool.

The main thoroughfare has big sweeping curves following an undulating path around a huge lake. It makes for a great getaway from city life. Frasers was a British retreat and still has the charm of an English Village, not that I would know what one of those are like but I guess it's something like Frasers!

It's a good idea to go up on the western side and then come down via the back road - out to the southeast. This side is more prone to landslides than the drier west side. I counted 5 on my last road trip, but that makes it so much more exciting. Anyway, they're just small landslides!! Again this is a 2-lane road with tight 1st and 2nd gear corners for most of the descent and you'll feel it warming rather too soon. Once on the lowlands again, there's a few paths you can take so you'll need to look at a map or just follow the GPS. Either way will take you through some small towns and then dump you back on the Karak Highway.

While you can hop on the Karak, I prefer the road which parallels the Karak. This is the old road hidden in the jungle at points about 200m higher than the Highway. There's a big 'H" shaped intersection right where the Highlands intersection MacDonalds is. If you stay on the southern side of the Rest Area, you'll find the old road. It does eventually lead back into KL and makes for a good blast i.e. out of KL...onto the Karak...get to the Rest Stop...peel off and head south on the old road. This route will give you a mix of every type of road, speed and corner as well as some cool weather! The old road gets a few rogue trucks so keep an eye out for them!

Frasers itself is a peaceful place that is so nutrient-rich that every conceivable colour of flower has made its home there. Choice place has to be Ye Old Smokehouse. It's a charming old homestead that the Red Cross used as a retreat for ex-servicemen. Today, it's a great place to stay charmed by the old setting and even has a fireplace.

Frasers comprises just a few roads pretty much in a ring fashion. So you really can't get too lost (well, not for long) unless you wander off into the rainforest that is thick and lush! What's there to do? Soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the peace and absorb all that nature has on display. I did chance upon some professional bird watchers, but for the love of me, I can't figure that 'sport' out! !

Street ART, KL

It's hard to find good street art in Southeast Asia..but this is a good start!

Take a mountain bike, if you dare, and ride around Central Market KL and you'll come across this stuff. I'm sure there's more around and I'm likely to find it at some stage.

There's a few boutique galleries around the area so it makes quite a good tour and, if you do it on a long weekend, well, most of the KL traffic will be gone!

Lost World of Tambun, Ipoh. 2/3 Day Ride

Another good find on the roads around Ipoh! Make it a 3 Day Ride so that you can take in Ipoh Town, Clearwater Sanctuary and Kellies Castle plus, you just might want to jump in the hot springs at The Lost World after a long ride!

Tambun, or rather, the Lost World, is quite a place! It's nestled amongst some really nice limestone cliffs 20 minutes north of Ipoh Town and easy enough to find as it has become a Sunway development. The Needle of Ipoh is located here. The Needle is a really sharp rocky outcrop that is located within the confiines of the LOST WORLD. It's a challenging and popular rock climbing venue.

The Lost World is a theme park that features a nice natural hot spring pool. There are two other redeming features here:

One - the limestone valley and

Two - the tigers!

The real lost world however is just outside the gates of the theme park. Sunway has built some really nice residences here and surprise, surprise, foreigners have bought all the properties with the best views of the limestone cliffs! It's a beautiful setting and, as a holiday home, it will be hard to beat - there's just something so majestic about cliffs in your back yard! It's a sight that few places can boast (although I have found another one very close to KL, but more about that later in another post).

Malaysian property developers, especially the reputable ones, have progressed in their work when compared to the developments of a few years ago. Sure, there are still the shoddy guys but there is a good movement towards better quality. The choice properties of the Lost World are going to be the 7 homes on the upper ridges of the valley - whoever buys those is going to be buying a real treat, overlooking a multi-million year old valley.

Across the road from the bungalow development is a small valley that narrows to a pond. Lying on the water surface of the pond is a floating rope. The rope leads to a cave entrance that can't be seen until you're at the entrance itself. This leads to 6 mile tunnel. During the Communist incursion, the rebels used the cave as a hiding base but the tin miners also knew about the cave and their handiwork can be seen clearly in the cave.

Tigers - one of the good things Sunway has done is to create a natural enclosure using the limestone valleys and a moat. Of all the animal enclosures in Malaysia, this is the best one. The handler is also passionate about his charges and it's really good to see the big cats respond to him.

I had no idea what to expect when I first heard about the Lost World but have to say that I'd like a bungalow lot there overlooking the cliffs. It's worth the ride or drive, especially via the old highway.