HUTAN LIPUR SEKAYU - TERENGGANU

DESA TERCINTA 2010 (DT2010) TERENGGANU RECCE

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Dear friends, long time no see. After the long Ramadhan and Hari Raya break had passed, I started to plan some more interesting activities for myself and together with few of my friends.

On the last 10th-12th August, I and a few DT2010 committee members were in Terengganu doing recce and meeting with villagers and schools for our next foster parent program at Kg. Payang Kayu, Kuala Berang in January 2010.

Some of the interesting places that we went were:

1. Memorial Batu Bersurat (The Inscribed Stone) at Kuala Berang.
2. Hutan Lipur Sekayu (Sekayu Waterfall).
3. Masjid Kristal (Crystal Mosque at Kuala Terengganu)

Memorial Batu Bersurat is located at Kuala Berang (around 3 km from Kuala Berang town).. The stone proved that Islam had reached Terengganu around year 13xx i.e about 700 years ago. It was found here at the Kuala Berang riverbank somewhere around 1899. However, we can only find the replica of the stone here. According to the locals, the real inscribed stone is now placed at the State Museum in Kuala Terengganu.

At Batu Bersurat, Kuala Berang

Some of the wordings inscribed on the stone.

After meeting with villagers on the second day, we proceed to Hutan Lipur Sekayu. It is about 16 km from Kuala Berang and about 40 km from Kuala Terengganu. I've never been here before. At first, I thought Lata Sekayu is only a small stream with low rise waterfall where people can picnic and take bath there. However, when I reached there my expectation was proven wrong when at the upper side of the waterfall, we found a very interesting and very high waterfall. Since, it is quite dangerous to take bath there, I decided to go a bit lower. Eventhough it was quite shallow but still two of my students nearly got drowned here but saved by me. Hehe...

At Hutan Lipur Sekayu, the upper part.

Not so deep, but still can drown people.

On the last day, after meeting with the schools, we went to Kuala Terengganu and visited Nasjid Kristal. If you know State Museum in Kuala Terengganu, Masjid Kristal is not far from there....just follow the same route. The mosque look so big from a distant but actually it is quite small when we enter it. But, no doubt it's very beautiful. At the same area also you can find Taman Tamadun Islam or Islamic Civilization Park which houses replicas of well-known muslim architectural symbol such as Taj Mahal and Dome of the Rock. However, we didn't go inside since there is a certain charges imposed to enter.

At Crystal Mosque, Kuala Terengganu

After that we did some shopping at Pasar Payang and proceed back to Melaka.

Wassalam.