langkawi magazine
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Langkawi's Unique Rainforest Canopy Adventure
The Langkawi Canopy Adventure trail is an ambitious project. It is very impressive. It could also be called a dream come true.
The dream belongs to German-born Jurgen Zimmerer and his wife Sabariah Mohamad. And together with the full support of the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) and their Forestry Department, the island of Langkawi became home to one of only two rainforest canopy trails in the world. The other one is in Costa Rica.
This activity has been described as air trekking, aerial canopy discovery and canopy adventure. I prefer the term, Tarzan trail. It involves abseiling, rappelling, climbing, jungle trekking, and gliding high above ground on a cable system with safety and brake hand rails, platforms and a postman's bridge.Being suspended 30m (98ft) above the rainforest floor poses some danger which Jurgen is well aware of. He has given the highest priority to safety, equipment maintenance, and detailed instruction to participants.
In the spirit of ecotourism, Jurgen also made sure to install tree-protectors. Before the trail's installation, terrain, slope gradient and suitable tree species were assessed to avoid disturbing the existing ecosystem within the forest. There are two adventure trails available. The first involves air trekking between three platforms, crossing the postman's bridge which spans 10m (32ft) across an abyss, and abseiling 20m(65ft) down a huge boulder.
My husband Azlan, his brother Azmin and son Hafiz a student from Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, and their "G.I. Jane cool" sister Nur Aziemah a student from Maktab Sains Rimba went for the more exerting second adventure. I was not surprised particularly where my husband and Nur are concerned. These two have nerves of steel. According to Azlan, the adventure starts at the base of Gunung Raya where they proceeded to climb the mountain.
Then followed a trek through the jungle which brought them to base camp where the equipment is stored. As these "Tarzans" and "G.I. Jane" from Brunei geared up, Jurgen expained all the safety devices including the waist and shoulder harnesses. Azlan said, " It looks formidable but Jurgen and his assistant were with us all the way not only as guides but checking equipment and installation conditions. This second adventure covers the entire trekking system including the last run of 120m (394ft), and what has been called the "leap of faith" into a towering tree.
That was an awesome experience. It really literally took my breath away. Seeing the forest from up there while gliding is a fantastic experience. After this leap, there are no more exits. There's no more chance to turn back. We had to abseil from the 30m (98ft) tall tree." Many companies are sending their employees for the adventure. It is fast becoming popular for company team building and personal development schemes.
For information & booking visit www.langkawi-insider.com
Langkawi 8/7/2003
