Tanarimba

by Segal

"Phone Lucy Wong when you get to Kuala Lumpur", a colleague said, pressing a slip of paper containing a name and phone number into my hand as I darted from the office en route to the airport. "Shes a like minded woman. Oh, and ask her about Tanarimba", were her parting words.

Not one to impose myself upon friends of friends, generally I would have dispatched the note into the nearest bin. But for some unknown reason I tucked it into a pocket instead.

Cool and relaxed after resting in the air conditioned comfort of my hotel room in KL, I decided to walk the 1.5kl to KLCC, a huge shopping mall built adjoining the stunning Petronas Towers to meet an old friend for coffee. Half way there I started to question my sanity. The heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur were stifling. As the sweat trickled down my back I started to ask myself What am I doing in this place?

Arriving fashionably late, my friend; an ex-pat Aussie, now the managing director of a KL architectural firm, ordered coffees as we caught up on the latest news. "What's Tanarimba?" I asked him.

His answer prompted me to rummage through the pockets of my discarded laundry after he had driven me back at my hotel.

The following morning Lucy arrived in her black 4x4 to pick me up from my hotel and less than an hour later we were there. Just 35 km from Kuala Lumpur, yet a world away, lay Tanarimba; a breath of fresh air in an otherwise hot and humid region. In our ever changing ecological climate, Tanarimba is leading the way in sustainable development. A special place; with hills, rainforests, cool clean air, crystal clear streams and waterfalls, in the foothills of the Main Range close to Janda Baik, at an elevation from 1500 ft to 4500 ft above sea level. Covering a total area of 7,299 acres, only 1,400 acres of Tanarimba will ever be developed, leaving plenty of green spaces and spectacular forest views. Its a great place to live; a wonderful place to escape to for a week or just a weekends retreat from the hectic pace of Kuala Lumpur.

We arrived at the majestic visitor centre located at the entrance. With a capacity of 300-550 people it would make the ideal venue for a seminar. After a guided tour of the facility it was time for lunch. A group of us drove the few kilometres to a restaurant in a nearby village. A sumptuous feast was served and washed down with fresh coconut juice, straight from the coconut. From there Lucy showed off her pride and joy; the organic vegetable garden. Their own on-site nursery provides them with seedlings and the vegetable refuse heap supplies them with an endless supply of fresh compost. Then it was on to the elegant Pine House which sleeps up to 15 people in comfort making it the perfect location for a peaceful retreat.

After sipping some of Lucys own lemongrass and passionfruit punch on the spacious veranda overlooking the forest and valley below, we headed down to take a refreshing dip then while away afternoon lazing by the tranquil pool. I was more than a little reluctant to farewell Tanarimba and return to the hustle and bustle that awaited me in Kuala Lumpur.

Visit Tanarimba's website http://www.tanarimba.com.my and see how Tanarimba is setting the bench mark in sustainable development.