Hulu Tamu

By right, I should blog about this in My Neverland. But the subject matter, in my opinion, should be shared with many, thus the reason of writing it here. And while many have been there, many more have not.


Ever since Emak was afflicted by some rashes on her leg, she and I have been a regular visitors to the Hot Spring at Hulu Tamu, somewhere within the district of Hulu Yam, Selangor. Approximately 85km from my place, Hulu Tamu offers one a break from the drudgery of one's daily routine in life, apart from healing one from various physical ailments one may have. However, that healing part can be rather contentious to some, and I therefore, will touch very little on it except for a passing statement or two.

Ironically, when we first drove to Hulu Tamu, we were in fact, looking for the hot spring in Hulu Yam itself. But now that we found this, there's little chance for us to be going to other hot springs sites. Well, perhaps later, we'll check out one or two others which we have learnt about their existance from other visitors in Hulu Tamu. But for the moment, we have sort of fall in love with Hulu Tamu. Apart from being a quiet place, there's also an abundance of things to explore there, provided one is adventureous enough (especially for nature photograpers). There is also, sadly, a host of 'politically curious monuments' which, were one a reporter, could highlight some stories which the SPRM ought to look more into instead of...well, you know what since it became a headline today; matters, which ought be crystal clear to them. And talking of which, the water from the hot springs in Hulu Tamu are crystal clear, as seen from the picture below.

Taken from one of the 2 wells, from where the water flows to the 2 public pools there.

The history of the hot spring here is quite long and I don't think many would be interested. Suffice to say, it is supposedly managed by the local district council and does provide some amenities such as toilets and changing rooms. For some reasons though, Emak and I have never found any reasons to use them.

Steam rising from one of the 2 pools. In the foreground, is one of the wells built.

As with most public places, making friends with other visitors there is never a problem. And while the body is soaking in hot water, the mind follow suit but with tales told by visitors there. Astmatic people, gangrene induced by diabetes, mild strokes, rashes, and people with as many more ailments take a dip for about an hour, some daily, before resuming back their daily routine. Some, who claim to have had their ailments cured, become regulars there simply for recreational purposes.

Mind you though, the water can get almost piping hot especially towards noon. Thus, the best time to go there is early morning (like after subuh), or late at night (like towards midnight). As the ditrict council provides security personnel (2 at night and 1 daytime), the place is open like 24hours a day with one minor hitch. Somehow, the lighting for the pools is provided by a single solar powered lamp while the rest of the small complex are well-lited by street lamps, courtesy of the council. Thus, if there was not enough sunlight earlier in the day, the lamp concerned might not last till early morning, I have been told.

One thing which I ought to warn though, is that the cleanliness there can be much better with the help from the public. As it is, litter can be seen on the ground eventhough there are 3 big bins placed there. Many Malaysians could perhaps learn from the 2 gentlemen I met there, who, being regular visitors, take it upon themselves to clean the pools when the situation permits them. Previous to my last visit this morning, one of the gentlemen mentioned was cleaning the children's pool when we arrived.

Mr. Chua (left picture), cleaning the children's pool. Later, the Security Personnel assisting him to close back the outflow as it seems, some people had irreponsiblly taken the stopper away, perhaps as a momento.

For those who would some privacy while soaking the hot water, there's a small chalet nearby offering one with private pool (small), while a larger and perhaps more comfortable place of stay is being built next to the complex, by a local company with the name of Sepakat Hot Springs Resort. I apologise however, for not having the foresight to take their contact numbers nor the pictures of their place.

There several ways to get to Hulu Tamu. If one is using the North-South Highway, take the Bukit Beruntung then follow the sign. At Bukit Beruntung itself, one can either follow the Sungai Buaya then to Serendah road, or drive through Rasa where the travel is quite scenic at certain stretches. Or, if one does not like the Highway, then just take the road beside Batu Caves heading up north. Irrespective, all the routes mentioned will lead to Batang Kali. And from there, the road to Hulu Tamu.