Day Trip to Pulau Banding (Tasik Temenggor), Gerik-Perak

February 26, 2012 was just another lazy Sunday for the family. We woke-up late and had brunch instead of the usual lunch…. While we were resting after having brunch, my husband suggests that we make a short trip to Pulau Banding which is located along Jalan Gerik-Pasir Puteh, part of the East West Highway.  I wasn’t sure as to where this place located and how to get there but that was not important because my kids just jumped in joy knowing they are going somewhere. 

We quickly packed some snacks, drinking water and kids clothing and loaded into our car.  My sister was also invited to join us and she was happy to accompany us especially together with the kids.

Raising water level of the dam

Pulau Banding is located within the vicinity of the Royal Belum Forest, a national park in North Perak spreading up to the border of Perak and Thailand.  Pulau Banding is situated somewhere in the middle of Tasik Temenggor, the largest manmade lake in Perak.  It has diverse flora and fauna complement the panoramic beauty of the lake.  The enchanting atmosphere is further enhanced by the unique jungles surrounding the lake.  The lake has a rich source of freshwater fish like Kelah, Tenggalan and Baung.

We left for Pulau Banding from Bukit Mertajam via Butterworth-Kulim Expressway at around 2.30pm and reached Pulau Banding at around 5:30pm.  The Butterworth-Kulim Expressway connects to Gerik, the destination that were are heading. The road was winding, going up and down hill on certain stretch of the road leading to Pulau Banding.  On the way to Pulau Banding, we passed through many villages and various junctions to towns such as Kulim, Baling and Gerik. In fact, Pulau Banding is situated about 41 kilometers away from Gerik town.  

There are two bridges that connect to Pulau Banding.  We crossed the bridge and stopped at the Royal Belum Rainforest Resort to take a rest after a long drive.

Coincidently, the delegates attending the Royal Belum World Drum Festival 2012 were staying in this resort.  After a brief stop at the resort, we proceed to the public Jetty to view the lake before returning home. 

Belum Rainforest Resort - Corridor

Belum Rainforest Resort - hotel rooms fencing