The first trip to Bukit Tabur didn’t happen, owing to a bout of food poisoning. Fortunately, the second time worked out. The trip started off at 4:45am, reaching the start of the trail at about 5:45am.

Here’s some information on Bukit Tabur:

Bukit Tabur is a hill located in Taman Melawati. It is considered the longest crystal quartz outcrop in the world, making it a truly priceless geological wonder. Running in a semi-circle at more than 14 km long and 200 meters wide, this natural monument is made of pure quartz. On the peak of Bukit Tabur, you get an amazing vista of the Klang Gates Dam and surrounding mountains; look the other way and the city of Kuala Lumpur greets you in the far distance.

The experience climbing up this hill is unlike Broga or FRIM, it is as if you are walking up a long forgotten path. The underbrush is thick, and every now and then you have to hunt for the path.

We made it to the first clearing slightly before 6am. The city lights were still on, the sky in a purplish haze. It was beautiful, and I spent quite a lot of time on the first ledge.

Nearly an hour later, at 6:45am, the sky starts lighting up. Some of the city lights are still on, like fairy lights. The morning breeze and the view makes it quite a magical experience.

The view of KL city.

The hike took us about 4 hours in total. We left on a different path downwards, which exits at one of the apartments.

If you’ve not been to Bukit Tabur, you should, however make sure you take the necessary precautions and are not overzealous.

Directions to Bukit Tabur:
From Middle Ring Road II, turn into Jalan Melawati, and start to look out for the Klang Gates road sign. To reach there you will pass through two roundabouts and end up at Jalan Kolam Air. If you end up at a deserted guard house it means that you have taken a wrong turn into Jalan 1/4B. Go straight up until you reach a T-junction. Take the left turn into a non-tarmac slip road until you see a big car wheel on your left, painted with the word ‘Welcome’ . Leave your car here, as the trailhead is just few steps away from this wheel – same side as the wheel but rather obscure.

Here’s a handy checklist for your hike:
- A good pair of hiking shoes with good grip
- Long hiking pants to prevent the legs from getting nicked by sharp rocks or irritated by bushes
- Face towel
- Sunblock
- Hand gloves are ideal but not necessary
- Torchlight
- A bottle of water that can last you for 3 hours under intense heat
- Some fruit bars and handphone in case you get lost in the hill
- Keep a spare t-shirt, also a pair of slippers in the car for changing after the hike

After reading and hearing so much about it, I finally decided to catch the sunrise at Broga Hill.

The hill is located near the University of Nottingham campus in Semenyih — about a 45 minute drive from KL. Broga Hill is also known as Bukit Lalang, probably due to the abundance of lalang that scatter the hill. The hike is a fairly simple walk of about 45 minutes uphill.

After catching only 2 hours of sleep, I left for Semenyih at about 5:30am. I finally arrived at the foot of the hill at about 6:30am, after a series of wrong turns. It was rather shocking to see the number of cars already parked by the road. By a rough approximate, I’d have to say there were at least 40 cars at the start of the trail.

Regardless, I started the hike upwards.

The hike was relatively easy, just an uphill hike with a clear footpath. Unfortunately some of the hikers are a rather inconsiderate bunch and while stopping to rest, they tend to block your path. After being stopped several times, I lost momentum and resorted to a slow walk. Hence, I missed most of the sunrise.

Anyhow, here are some of the pictures from the hike:

The trail on the hill.

The view from the hill.

And it’s a new day…

Sometimes, the best place is on the sidelines.

No beginning, no end.

On our way back from Penang after Ben & Amelia’s wedding, we decided to detour slightly and visit the Taiping Zoo. We had seen the signage on the way up, but didn’t have time to drop by. Would it be as disappointing as Zoo Negara? I wanted to find out.

Much more habitable, I must say.

After weeks of planning and apprehension before the actual wedding day, it had finally happened! Not everything went according to plan, like the untimely rain and the last-minute change in plans. But all in all, it was an amazing experience.

I was honored to be part of such a special day, and to be entrusted to capture these once-in-a-lifetime moments, it’s something else.

My very first taste of Godiva chocolate.

Heavenly.

Need I say more?

I’ll sip my café au lait and watch the world go by.

While walking along Jalan Alor, amidst the helter-skelter of the neon lights, I noticed a tree adorned with fairy lights. It seemed so out of place, with cars parked haphazardly at every inch of the road and the throngs of people making their way along. But the tree, it emanated an aura of serenity. I had to take a picture. I quickly made my way below the tree, looked up, and saw this.

Magical. I especially love the out-of-focus bokeh.

Suddenly remembering that I wasn’t alone, I turned around and just about managed to catch my aunt snapping a picture of my Mum and Sis.

Maybe there is indeed beauty in chaos.

Congratulations, Ben & Amelia!