Lake Kenyir (Tasik Kenyir)

Spanning almost 210,000 hectares, nestled in the heart of the east coast state of Terengganu, Lake Kenyir is Southeast Asia’s largest man-made lake.

Stretching as far west as Kelantan and as far south to Pahang, Kenyir reminds me of Belum/Temenggor in Perak, where the primary mode of transport is by boat. With 340 islands dotting the lake, there are some 14 cascading waterfalls, and home to a sanctuary of freshwater fish, Kelah.

The principal port of entry is Gawi Jetty, established in 1991. It also serves as the nearest access point to Taman Negara via Tanjung Mentong. Similar to the Royal Belum, compulsory entry permits must be obtained via the Wildlife Department.

During the week-long Terengganu International Squid Jigging Festival 2014, Lake Kenyir was one of the highlights of the attractions that were introduced to us. Whilst I have been to Terengganu four times in the past three years, it was my first visit to Lake Kenyir. I was instantly blown away by the size of the lake, and its exotic array of flora and fauna.

The day-long visit to Lake Kenyir saw us island hopping to the Tropical Garden, Orchid Garden and Herb Garden.

We also had the opportunity to swim with the Kelah fish at the sanctuary, or at least dip our feet into the cooling water and have them nibbled by ’em fish! The feeling is difficult to describe, therefore, one has to experience that first-hand!

This Kelah Sanctuary is only open to visitors from March to October. Located at Petang River, fishing is prohibited here to maintain the natural spawning grounds.

Another attraction that we visited was the Kenyir Elephant Village (KEV), to our delight. I will be writing about it in a separate post tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Obviously, due to time constraints, we were unable to fully enjoy all that Lake Kenyir offers.

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