Fairies in Kampung Kuantan
On Saturday, The Medicine Man and I decided that discovering an ancient mystery of nature and a unique nature’s treasure - thousands of twinkling little "fairies" lighting up the moonless night - on a river boat ride would a perfectly romantic evening.
So, we drove to Kuala Selangor town's quiet hamlet of Kampung Kuantan, site of one of the largest firefly colonies in the world.
Kampung Kuantan is a small agricultural village surrounded by coconut and palm oil plantations. The journey from Kuala Lumpur takes about 1 ½ hours. Taking the road from Sungai Buloh, driving though small villages, passing a mini-golf course and several oil palm plantations, we arrived at Kampung Kuantan. A huge sign proclaiming the Kampung Kuantan Fireflies Sanctuary welcomed us.
We had seafood dinner in Kampung Kuantan before proceeding to the Kuala Selangor River - fresh seafood cooked to perfection but not so cheap, it being a tourist attraction, and the fact that this place is famous for fresh seafood. After dinner, we bought our sampan tickets for RM10 per person, and excitedly hopped into our sampan, joining another Malaysian couple.
Our guide, Abang Man said, the best way to see the fireflies is on a sampan because sampan rides are propelled by human strength, avoiding smoke and noise pollution. It is a peaceful, quiet and romantic ride.
As our small wooden sampan gently glides down the river on this moonless night, I look to the distance and see a flicker of light. As we get closer, the lights grow brighter. It looks as if someone strung a handful of tiny white Christmas tree lights on the trees along the river. From our distance, it looks as though gold dust is being sprinkled on the trees.
Flickering on and off, as we draw nearer, I can make out the trees that line both sides of the river. The guide assures me that these tiny white lights aren't Christmas tree lights. These are the famous fireflies of Kampung Kuantan, which is about a ninety-minute drive northwest of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Deeper along the route, the trees are illuminated by thousands of fireflies. What draws them here, no one knows for sure. Perhaps it is the presence of the mangrove trees (Sonneratia caseolaris). Our guide, Abang Man, tells us that the fireflies like to feast on the young leaves of the mangrove trees. The mangrove tree is a type of oak tree that grows abundantly on these riverbanks. These trees thrive in a humid climate and swampy surroundings. The fireflies survive by sucking out the nectar produced by these trees.
While mangrove trees grow in other parts of the world, they don't attract large numbers of fireflies. It is here in Kampung Kuantan that one can see such a brilliant display. Fireflies only choose to congregate on trees with open foliage like the berembang, which grows in abundance along the Kuala Selangor River. Kampung Kuantan is one of the few places in the world where thousands of these shining stars cluster together.
In fact, it is one of two places in the world - the other being along the Amazon River in Brazil - where millions of fireflies can be seen to flash their "lights". However, the location along the Selangor River in Kampung Kuantan is special because it is easily accessible whereas the one along the Amazon is not.
Fireflies twinkle every three seconds to attract mates. The lights, which the male fireflies produce, are brighter than those of the female species. When the males find a mate, they begin to blink in unison. This is called synchronicity. Male fireflies flash at a higher frequency and intensity compared to the females. Females use their lights to seek sites for egg laying. All male fireflies seem to have an inbuilt antenna - flashing in synchrony.
The fireflies are not attracted to flashlights or flashbulbs on cameras. Oddly, enough our guide attracted two fireflies when he inhaled on his cigarette. He caught one and placed it in my hand. Fireflies are really little beetles. They are around 6mm in length. I held it for just a few seconds. Carefully protected by strict Malaysian laws, people are fined for harming fireflies. The firefly in my hand flew back to his tree.
The fireflies only come out at night. During the day, they retreat to nearby grassy areas. They will not illuminate in the daytime, even if they are put in a dark place. At sunset, they return to the mangrove trees to feed and display. Their "lighting-up" time occurs after dusk and continues until midnight.
According to Abang Man, the best time to see the fireflies is during the new moon, about one to four hours after sunset. At low tide, the fireflies are more spread out and during high tide, they gather. This is because if they fall into the river, the flies will die. For the same reason, the glowing stops when it rains heavily.
The Kuala Selangor Nature Sanctuary is one of the largest remaining fireflies area in the world. Around the region, the number of fireflies has dwindled significantly, due to use of biocides and insecticides. The Kuala Selangor Nature Sanctuary is a wetlands protected area, and efforts by environmental groups to maintain the fireflies' population have been quite successful.
Notes:
The best conditions to view the fireflies are on moonless nights. This way there is no competition from a bright full moon. The river ride is open daily from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is RM10 per person for a four-person sampan ride.
You'll be wise to wear non-slip shoes and put on adequate mosquito repellent for an enjoyable experience. The tiny mosquitoes, although harmless, can be rather irritating. Torches and camera flashes are forbidden because that would disturb the fireflies.
For more information, contact Majlis Daerah Kuala Selangor, 45000 Kuala Selangor, Selangor Darul Ebsan or send an e-mail to mdksgr@pojaring.my. Telephone number during the day is 603-889-1439.
So, we drove to Kuala Selangor town's quiet hamlet of Kampung Kuantan, site of one of the largest firefly colonies in the world.
Kampung Kuantan is a small agricultural village surrounded by coconut and palm oil plantations. The journey from Kuala Lumpur takes about 1 ½ hours. Taking the road from Sungai Buloh, driving though small villages, passing a mini-golf course and several oil palm plantations, we arrived at Kampung Kuantan. A huge sign proclaiming the Kampung Kuantan Fireflies Sanctuary welcomed us.
We had seafood dinner in Kampung Kuantan before proceeding to the Kuala Selangor River - fresh seafood cooked to perfection but not so cheap, it being a tourist attraction, and the fact that this place is famous for fresh seafood. After dinner, we bought our sampan tickets for RM10 per person, and excitedly hopped into our sampan, joining another Malaysian couple.
Our guide, Abang Man said, the best way to see the fireflies is on a sampan because sampan rides are propelled by human strength, avoiding smoke and noise pollution. It is a peaceful, quiet and romantic ride.
As our small wooden sampan gently glides down the river on this moonless night, I look to the distance and see a flicker of light. As we get closer, the lights grow brighter. It looks as if someone strung a handful of tiny white Christmas tree lights on the trees along the river. From our distance, it looks as though gold dust is being sprinkled on the trees.
Flickering on and off, as we draw nearer, I can make out the trees that line both sides of the river. The guide assures me that these tiny white lights aren't Christmas tree lights. These are the famous fireflies of Kampung Kuantan, which is about a ninety-minute drive northwest of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Deeper along the route, the trees are illuminated by thousands of fireflies. What draws them here, no one knows for sure. Perhaps it is the presence of the mangrove trees (Sonneratia caseolaris). Our guide, Abang Man, tells us that the fireflies like to feast on the young leaves of the mangrove trees. The mangrove tree is a type of oak tree that grows abundantly on these riverbanks. These trees thrive in a humid climate and swampy surroundings. The fireflies survive by sucking out the nectar produced by these trees.
While mangrove trees grow in other parts of the world, they don't attract large numbers of fireflies. It is here in Kampung Kuantan that one can see such a brilliant display. Fireflies only choose to congregate on trees with open foliage like the berembang, which grows in abundance along the Kuala Selangor River. Kampung Kuantan is one of the few places in the world where thousands of these shining stars cluster together.
In fact, it is one of two places in the world - the other being along the Amazon River in Brazil - where millions of fireflies can be seen to flash their "lights". However, the location along the Selangor River in Kampung Kuantan is special because it is easily accessible whereas the one along the Amazon is not.
Fireflies twinkle every three seconds to attract mates. The lights, which the male fireflies produce, are brighter than those of the female species. When the males find a mate, they begin to blink in unison. This is called synchronicity. Male fireflies flash at a higher frequency and intensity compared to the females. Females use their lights to seek sites for egg laying. All male fireflies seem to have an inbuilt antenna - flashing in synchrony.
The fireflies are not attracted to flashlights or flashbulbs on cameras. Oddly, enough our guide attracted two fireflies when he inhaled on his cigarette. He caught one and placed it in my hand. Fireflies are really little beetles. They are around 6mm in length. I held it for just a few seconds. Carefully protected by strict Malaysian laws, people are fined for harming fireflies. The firefly in my hand flew back to his tree.
The fireflies only come out at night. During the day, they retreat to nearby grassy areas. They will not illuminate in the daytime, even if they are put in a dark place. At sunset, they return to the mangrove trees to feed and display. Their "lighting-up" time occurs after dusk and continues until midnight.
According to Abang Man, the best time to see the fireflies is during the new moon, about one to four hours after sunset. At low tide, the fireflies are more spread out and during high tide, they gather. This is because if they fall into the river, the flies will die. For the same reason, the glowing stops when it rains heavily.
The Kuala Selangor Nature Sanctuary is one of the largest remaining fireflies area in the world. Around the region, the number of fireflies has dwindled significantly, due to use of biocides and insecticides. The Kuala Selangor Nature Sanctuary is a wetlands protected area, and efforts by environmental groups to maintain the fireflies' population have been quite successful.
Notes:
The best conditions to view the fireflies are on moonless nights. This way there is no competition from a bright full moon. The river ride is open daily from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is RM10 per person for a four-person sampan ride.
You'll be wise to wear non-slip shoes and put on adequate mosquito repellent for an enjoyable experience. The tiny mosquitoes, although harmless, can be rather irritating. Torches and camera flashes are forbidden because that would disturb the fireflies.
For more information, contact Majlis Daerah Kuala Selangor, 45000 Kuala Selangor, Selangor Darul Ebsan or send an e-mail to mdksgr@pojaring.my. Telephone number during the day is 603-889-1439.
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