Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu

This popular Ecotourism destination caters to purely nature, fishing, camping, and trekking, and it is a beautiful resort, a top-rated destination for locals and tourists. This mega-manmade lake was also constructed between 1978 to 1985.

Pengkalan Jawi entry point.

Tasik Kenyir is also home to numerous species of freshwater fishes and exotic wildlife. The 38,000 hectares lake (about four times the size of Singapore) is one of Malaysia’s most popular fishing spots.

About 300 species of freshwater fish are found in Tasik Kenyir Lake, which many fishing enthusiasts call the mecca of freshwater fishing in Malaysia.

Private boats are parked at Pengkalan Gawi.

Getting to Kenyir Lake is quite simple if you self-drive, as it is about an hour’s drive from Kuala Terengganu town. Here are road signs to guide you there.

On arrival, you will see Pengkalan Gawi, the main gateway to the lake, where a tourism centre, wildlife park office, shops, and boat operators are based.

It is here where you will park your car and then make your way to the main jetty area. If you have booked a fishing or tour package, this is usually the meetup point for your boatman.

Kenyir Lake.

For nature lovers, Kenyir is the perfect getaway place for just about anyone. This means solo, couple or even family travellers.

Operators from various companies sell multiple packages to Kenyir Lake, and some of the more popular packages are:

• Quick one-hour Saok Waterfall and Dead Trees boat trip
• 2 to 3-hour boat trip to the Saok Waterfalls, Dead Trees and Herb Island
• 4 to 6-hour boat trip to various waterfalls around the lake
• Full-Day Trip to the Taman Negara National Park
• Various freshwater fishing packages. Some for a few hours, some up to 4N/5D

Kenyir Wooden House Boat for Fishing.

Fishing at Tasik Kenyir

This spot is trendy, where fishing trips are booked for 2N/3D in the Boathouses (or Houseboats). These boathouses are floating boats where you can live-in while the boats take you out about 4 to 6 hours deep into Kenyir Lake.

Some of these boathouses are wooden. Some of the more luxurious ones come in fibreglass, with air conditioning, a good kitchen, bathrooms and even satellite television or Wi-Fi.

The picture above shows you a very basic wooden boathouse with satellite television, which most hardcore fishermen will prefer to book.

There are also many options to choose from, and usually, they range from super budget-friendly to a little more comfortable houseboats.

A local Kenyir budget houseboat used for fishing trips.

For fishing, the prices range from RM800.00 (USD 200.00) daily to around RM1,500.00 (USD 380.00) for the entire boat, which usually fits approximately 6 to 10 people.

Most of the time, groups of 6 to 8 fishermen take these packages where everything is taken care of. All you need to do is just bring your fishing equipment.

Among the types of fishes found here, species such as the big Lampam Sungai (Barboides), Kelah (Malaysian Mahseer), Toman (Snakehead), Kawan (Friendly Barb), Kaloi (Giant Gourami) and Kelisa (Green Arowana) are found in waters and around dead trees.

There have also been reports of the Giant Arapaima (Arapaima Gigas) found here, one of the ultimate challenges for the local and even foreign fishermen.

In other words, Tasik Kenyir or Kenyir Lake, is one of Malaysia’s top fishing tourism spots and attracts anglers from all over the world.

Dead trees sticking out of the water in Tasik Kenyir.

At Tasik Kenyir, flora and fauna are also on the high side for naturalists as there are about 8000 species of flowers, 2500 species of plants and trees, 800 species of orchids and 300 species of fungus.

You can find lots of monkeys, birds, snakes, insects, and even the rare tiger and elephants for the fauna. But one has to travel deep into Kenyir to experience the rare fauna.

Bird watching in Tasik Kenyir is also one of the top things to do as avid birders come here to spot some of the Peninsular Malaysia birds.

One of the much larger houseboats that can accommodate over 20 people.

On my last trip to Kenyir Lake in 2008, I saw a massive and huge boat hotel parked near the waterfalls.

However, on checking with my guide, that boat hotel project was put on hold and pending further funding. I hope they finished this project as it looked unique with its double story feature.

A smaller wooden houseboat at Kenyir Lake.

As for the people working around here, most of the locals at Kenyir Lake are from around Terengganu, so they know the area well.

My guide was a pure local from the villages around here, and he knew almost everything you needed to know about Kenyir Lake, which was an added bonus for me.

More dead trees are seen, and this is a common sight here.

Cruising around the lake, you are bound to see a lot, and I mean, a lot of dead trees sticking out of the water everywhere.

This is because Kenyir was just a hilly land area back then and was forced to flood to create the Hydro Power Plant.

There are also 14 waterfalls and two caves around Kenyir Lake for those who want to explore further in this area.

Entrance to Saok Waterfalls.

Saok Waterfalls or Air Terjun Saok

One of the main waterfalls to visit at Kenyir Lake is the Saok Waterfalls, which I explored and found really natural and beautiful.

On arrival at the main jetty area, you will disembark the boat and make your way up to the waterfalls. There is a concrete walkway with wooden railings and an easy three-minute walk-up.

These waterfalls are suitable for all ages and are easy to get to.

Saok Waterfalls viewpoint.

Once you reach the top, you will find an extension to a wooden viewpoint that serves as a shelter in the event it rains.

You can see the Saok Waterfalls, which lead into Lake Kenyir through a small river. As for swimming here, please check with your local guide.

A millipede was seen at the Saok Waterfalls.

My guide showed me one of the resident insects, a giant millipede, along the walk. It was about 8 inches long and about half an inch thick.

This simply means that you should always look for insects like this on the ground when walking in the rainforest. And just to add on, there were no leeches at the waterfalls when I was there.

Saok Waterfalls at Tasik Kenyir.

Reaching the top, I finally arrived at the end of the trek, and I saw the multi-tiered waterfall, which was a beautiful sight. The waters here are so clear and clean that you think you want to drink them.

Honestly, the water’s primary source comes from the mountains here, and there are no villages nearby, making the water very pure.

Kenyir Lake has beautiful scenery.

After exploring the waterfalls and moving around part of the lake, it was time to head back as I headed out to Perhentian Island the next day.

Along the way back, my guide mentioned that there was once a golf course on one of the islands, but it did not do too well, so they stopped it and started a herbal garden known as herb island.

My Conclusion to Tasik Kenyir

It is a must-visit for nature lovers. No shopping or anything city-like here. Pure, 100% natural and the best place to stay would be the Kenyir Resort and Spa.

There are a few ways to travel to Tasik Kenyir, and depending on which you prefer, they are listed below.

For locals, the best is self-driving here and then exploring Terengganu or visiting the islands. But for tourists wanting to come here, you can rent a car and self-drive, or take a bus here.

By Bus:
A direct bus service, the Tasik Kenyir Express, departs daily at 8.00pm from Hentian Putra in Kuala Lumpur to Tasik Kenyir via Al-Muktaffi Billah Shah Town and Kuala Berang.
Tasik Kenyir Express counter telephone: 03-40444276 or 09-681 6276

By Car:
Drive towards Kuantan town. Before reaching Kuantan town, there is a signboard indicating Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan Airport. Drive towards Ajil town and then to Kuala Berang, and you will see signboards to Lake Kenyir here.

By Air:
Fly to Kuala Terengganu and from the airport, take a taxi to Pengkalan Gawi in Kenyir. The journey is about 55 kilometres and will take about an hour to reach there from the airport. The flight to Terengganu from Kuala Lumpur would take about 40 minutes.

I stayed at the Kenyir Lake Resort and Spa for my visit here as it was the best place in the entire area. [Update] The resort has been closed for several years, and no news on reopening.