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Beautiful Tasik Chini. Such strong will to survive the ravishes of humans. It's been several years since our last visit to Chini lake, and she is still as beautiful as when we first laid our eyes on her in 1996. She is a little sicker. Everywhere, we see life clinging on to a fine line of survive or perish. The old fig trees in which the jungle birds and animals feed off fruits are around but fewer. Palm oil plantations encroaching into the area, illegal logging, introduction of alien destructive plants like the 'ekor kuching' and that damned dam - they're all tightening the noose round her neck.. and the authorities are not heeding to it's melancholic call.

Tasik Chini, the country's second-largest freshwater lake, is contaminated with high levels of e-coli, the bacteria that may have caused rash and diarrhoea among the orang asli living near it.

The state government had warned the 400 villagers, including 100 children aged six and under, not to drink water from the lake and wells but they do nothing to improve the situation... The orang Jakun (indigenous tribe who lives around and on the lake) believes that the lake is slowly suffocating and the spirits of the lake and the jungle fringing her are upset with the state of the lake. As it is, the lake people have been complaining of poor fish harvests recently and that the stagnant lake water is giving them much worry that soon the juvenile fish stock will die off and the river fishes will no longer return to the lake for spawning. There is only one way to resolve this and it is to do away with the dam.

The orang Jakun are still keeping their chins up on the matter in hope that the situation will be reversed. They believe that the problem is rectifiable and if things happen soon, the lake can be saved and their livelihood restored. With the restoration of the lake will also come the restoration of their folklore and their tales of the good old days where water was so clear and clean one could drink straight from the lake! That would be nice....

Lake Chini Resort is a favourite haunt for fishing enthusiasts and at times, corporate team building trips. But this Resort is not for the fainthearted... just be sure to bring a pair of rubber slippers, a bottle of dettol or bleach, your own toilet roll and towels, and lower your expectations.

But once out on the lake and into the narrow sungai or river chini, life becomes clear..this is it...this is worth the trip ... just to be at one with the lake..Birds can be heard all round..deep behind the veil of vines and foliage, melodious singing lures strangers like sirens of the mermaid.

Let's hope that due to the insensitivities or perhaps greed of a few, this gift of life is not taken away from us..

Tasik Chini

Deep within the still, dark waters of Tasik (Lake) Chini lies an ancient kingdom that once ruled vast tracks of land around the lakes. It is believed that the Khmer regime pushed their way down as far as Malaya as they swept through the Indochine during their reign in the early 5th century. Legends told by ancestors of the local indigenoues tribes describe the deliberate flooding of an ancient city to avoid being invaded by enemies. To this day, the underwater kingdom has remained elusive to mankind. Perhaps this city of gold, hidden in the deepest, darkest waters of the lake is the legacy left behind by a great empire.

Aerial photographs taken of the lake show unfamiliar formations on the bottom that suggests presence of structural foundations or canals. However there has never been any in-depth archaeological studies made in the area to verify such grounds but the existence of this mysterious underwater city remains strong in legends and myths of the people living around the lake.

For centuries, the Jakun (one of the many indigenous tribes in Peninsular Malaysia) people have lived off the land around Chini lake, gathering jungle produce (such as rattan), fishing, tapping rubber and planting crops. The Jakun form one of the main Proto-Malay groups - a blend of early Mongol and Indonesian. The original home of this race is traced to Indochina based on linguistic similarities but recent evidence on comparing cultural similarities suggests that they came from as far away as Northwest Yunan in China. These people are dependent on the lake and its surrounding forests for their existence. Although the younger generation has pretty much lost touch with their natural habitat, the older folk maintain great respect for the jungle and lakes and continue to weave the tales told to them by their forefathers.

A place to stay

A nightjar

Visitors come to Tasik Chini for a variety of reasons. To reflect, to ponder, to rediscover, to reap the harvest of the lake, to appreciate.. and others, well - just because it's on their tour itinerary. But there is more to Tasik Chini than meets the eye. The area is now under the protection as a vital water catchment site with about 1,000 hectares... 200 hectares of open water and 700hectares of swamp forest and freshwater swamp gazetted as reserve. There are several places to consider if you're thinking of staying overnight at Chini. This depends on the type accommodation and the budget. Tasik Chini Resort is a more established set-up with chalets, team-building activities and a restaurant. Rajan Jones Chalets and Kijang Mas Gumum Chalets are what you could describe as homestays. Rajan of Rajan Jones runs a basic longhouse concept and doubles up as a trekking guide as he speaks English pretty well and knows the Chini Lake area intimately.

The food van that supplies local folk with fresh produce and groceries comes to the nearby village once a week but is known to be pretty unreliable. There is the Saturday morning market just down the road from the chalets which is a great place to go for food shopping but a little pricier than the food van.The market runs from 8.30am till 10.00am. The only place now to stay at Kampung Mas Gumum is at Rajan Jones Guesthouse

If you are coming a long way without own transport, there is no need to burden yourself with gallons of drinking water. Bottled mineral water is available at the sundry store run by a chinese family down the road from the guesthouse. But if you do have mosquito netting, bring it along although Rajan has mosquito netting in the rooms.. just in case.

more on tasik chini story...

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