Kemensah River (2020, January)

On day 1 of 2020, some KL Sketchnation friends and I decided to have a simple picnic to celebrate the new year. It wasn't anything fancy - we were basically just hanging out at the river - but it was the most fun New Year's I've ever had.

(Credit: Anonymous child, using Hakym's phone)

See: Check out the map here, under Selangor/Kuala Lumpur.

I'm not fit enough for trekking (at least not right now) so the thought of having a picnic uphill (suggested by a friend, Jerome) initially scared me... but after after much discussion on where to go, Hakym suggested that I check out a a few places along the Kemensah river (close to Zoo Negara, i.e. National Zoo) with amenity we could rent to put our belongings.

Long story short, I went for Kem Rimba Jinbara. Here's a teaser of what the river looks like from our gazebo:

(Credit: Hakym)

I've never booked a gazebo by the river before (even writing that sounds funny, haha), so I wasn't sure of the procedure. By the time I found the right number to contact on their Facebook, it was already around 5am (on December 30th). I was afraid I would forget to contact the caretaker later, so I sent the camp caretaker (Encik Sani) a message anyway, hoping he doesn't curse me for contacting so early lol.

En Sani gave me a call around noon that day to say they had only one more gazebo left for Jan 1st. He also mentioned that another person is interested in the gazebo, but since the guy texted him at 11am, he prioritised me because I messaged him earlier. Phew! (and sorry 11am guy!)

In any case, after quoting a price for a set number of pax, he asked for a deposit to confirm the booking, so I online-transferred half of the quoted price and said I'd pay the remaining amount on the day, which he was cool with.

(Credit: Ubaidillah)

What the 'camp' looks like from the road.

I was the earliest to arrive, slightly before 9am. The water looked freezing and the 'neighbors' were all men, so I figured I might as well wait for the rest before going in. I didn't mind waiting though, because I barely got any sleep the night before and also because I woke up early to make quiche that day, so it was nice spending some time alone to soak in the atmosphere, when everything was still quiet and calm.

I forgot to take pics of my quiche, so here's a close-up of a batch, fresh from the oven.

Having said that, I thought I could just chill and kill time scrolling mindlessly on social media, but the phone coverage is pretty bad up there so I ended up reading ebooks I'd downloaded in my phone earlier, hahaha.

By the time most of the group arrived, it was close to 10am and everyone was already hungry, so we laid out whatever we brought for sharing and dug in.

(Credit: Imran)
The potluck picnic spread was noms. 

We swam and played in the river for hours, with some breaks in between to eat and rest. Some of  us played games, some of us took a nap, some of us sang, and some of us even painted the scenery as they sat by the riverbank.

(Credit: Not sure who took this on Hakym's phone)

(Credit: Not sure who took this on Hakym's phone)
This photo may raise a brow or two... just take it as it is pls, lol.

(Credit: Imran)

Charades, haha

Of course, a wefie was in order with these darlings, hehe

(Credit: Jerome Liew @jeromeartlife)

(Credit: @pelangidikalamalam)

We stayed till about 4.30pm, and by that time everyone was pretty much exhausted haha. After I confirmed with the caretaker of the final amount I had to pay, we headed home.

The drive back made me anxious a little bit, partly because I was groggy... but mostly because going down the narrow rural road was quite nerve-wracking for someone who is both claustrophobic and agrophobic like me, haha. I managed to reach home safe and sound tho, so woot! As soon as I did, I took a shower and pretty much passed out lol.

Although I left completely drained, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thank you so much to everyone who went also KLSN for sponsoring the gazebo rental! What a lovely way to kick off this year/decade! :)

Expenses

The gazebo we rented was RM60 for the whole day for 6 people, with an additional of RM3/pax after.  The price includes curtains for the gazebo, a trash bin, and foldable mats.

(Credit: Hakym)

Note: The chalets (for overnight stays) are a bit more expensive, but they also have barbeque  package (i.e. they provide the equipment and coal).

Interested? Here are the details for Kem Rimba Jimbara:

• Contact Person: En Sani
• Contact No.: +6018-248 9962
• Address: Chalet Rimba Jinbara, Kemensah, 68000, Selangor (close to Zoo Negara)
• Opening hours: 8am - late (check)

In summary:

• Rental for gazebo, per day = RM80 (after discount)
• Parking = free, but limited

So yeah.

By the way! Besides swimming in the river, you can also do other outdoorsy things in the Kemensah area, like ATV and fishing. Do check it out if you're into these kinds of activities!

See: What else I've written about Malaysia.

Last Updated: 2020-01-11