September 2025 Camping Trip
13 September 2025 We finished all the packing the night before, loading the camping gear into the car so we could leave early. In the morning, we stopped by Pasar Borneo Seri Kembangan for breakfast before starting our journey to Camperz Hideout, Bukit Tinggi, Pahang around 10:30 AM.
The traffic was terrible. What should have been a one-and-a-half-hour drive stretched into nearly five hours. We finally arrived around 3:30 PM, greeted by a light drizzle. After setting up our tent, we cooked instant ramen for lunch. The rain stopped soon after, though a light breeze lingered.
Jazz spent the afternoon at the swimming pool since the river water wasnāt suitable for use. In the evening, I prepared the campfire, and Jazmine happily roasted marshmallows over it. She went to bed early, while the night remained cool and pleasant, with temperatures in the low 20s.
14 September 2025 I woke early and went to the toilet. The air was so cold I could see my breath. For breakfast, we made simple roti.
The day passed slowly and peacefully. Jazz spent her time playing and even made a new friendāanother camperās daughter. It was lovely to see her enjoying herself so freely. That evening, she roasted marshmallows again before going to bed around 9 PM. I stayed up a little longer, finally turning in at 11 PM.
15 September 2025 At 12:40 AM, I woke to the sound of wind picking up. Concerned, I roused my wife and told her it might rain soon before heading out to the toilet.
By 1:00 AM, I was back, checking the tentās stability. Everything seemed fine, but I decided to add one more guy line for extra security. My wife went back to sleep.
Then the rain cameāheavy, with strong winds. I didnāt feel right, so I woke her again. She asked, āWhatās that noise?ā I went to check and saw the river swelling. A ākepala airā (sudden water surge) was forming, the current becoming dangerously strong, though still some distance from the bank.
I marked two large boulders as my points of reference. If the water reached them, I knew it was time to act. When the first boulder disappeared under the rushing water, I told my wife to pack the most important things and load them into the car. I kept watch.
Soon after, the second boulder was just 30 cm from the waterās edge. I knew it was time. I told my wife to wake Jazz and get into the car, then drive to higher ground. At first, I thought of leaving the tent behind, but when I saw the water stop rising, I decided to act. The rain was still heavy, and danger remained.
I quickly started dismantling the tent, and other campers, who were also monitoring the river, rushed to help. Together, we managed to move our tent to safer ground, then helped others do the same. I wore a rain poncho, but it wasnāt built for such conditions. I was soaked through and shivering.
When things calmed, I went to check on my wife and Jazz in the car. I told them what had happened and admitted I was cold, wet, and needed shelter. I went to the toilet block for some protection, but the wind still cut through. After some time, my wife called and insisted I change into dry clothes and rest in the car. She had already prepared a set for me, and I gratefully changed. By then, it was around 5:00 AM. Jazz was back asleep, and we all tried to get some rest.
By 7:30 AM, the rain had eased and daylight revealed the river had recededāthe boulders were visible again. Relieved, I drove us back to our camp lot. We spent the morning recovering, cleaning, and drying what we could, then made breakfast. After such a long, stressful night, we were exhausted but hungry.
By the late morning, we had finished packing and tidying up our gear. The tent, still soaked and muddy from the storm, would need proper cleaning, so we planned to send it to a professional cleaner. At around 1:00 PM, we checked out and left the campsite, grateful that we and the other campers were safe. Later, we learned that some nearby campsites had suffered far worse from the storm.
