| Kuala Selangor Historical Attraction | Bukit Malawati - Light House & Silver-Leafed Monkeys |
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 Owing to its strategic vantage, Malawati Hill was once the epicenter of many struggles. Steep in history, the story began in 18th century after Sultan Ibrahim built a mighty fortress on the hill to safeguard the state from Dutch. Soon after, the hill witnessed battles with Dutch. After Dutch conquered Bukit Malawati, the fort was reinforced with Dutch's cannons and it was renamed to Fort Altingsburg. However, a year later the fort was recaptured and returned to the sultanate during a night raid.  The fort however did not last as it was destroyed during Selangor Civil Wars. Blood was shed on the peak amongst the locals over the tin mining areas. With British intervention, the fort was hammered into pieces. The remains that we see today are merely the walls, a handful of cannons and the foundation stones.  Yet, visit to the summit offers a fantastic experience. The panoramic view of the sea, land and coastline is indeed spectacular. Do not miss to catch a good sight of the wooden stilts houses at Pasir Penambang across the Selangor River.  In addition to the scenic view, the wild Silver-Leafed Monkeys (Trachypithecus Cristatus) greet you gently as you get off your vehicle near the summit. This bunch of active mammals are roaming freely and sometimes the females are seen carrying their golden-furry babies. For extensive coverage on monkey business, check out the story here.  Aside from the nature's treat, there are several man-made attractions that are worth to peek. They are the ancient cannons, Traitor's Grave, Bed Rock (Batu Hampar), Poisoned Well, Traditional Museum, Royal Mausoleum and last but not least, Altingsburg Light House. The light house itself is certainly a beautiful sight, indeed worth to behold.   The entrance is free. On weekdays, visitors are welcomed drive up to the summit. Getting up to the peak on weekends are only allowed via the tram/train or on foot. Train ride costs RM3 for an adult and the journey takes one through the one-way traffic on the hill and the trail to Kuala Selangor Nature Park that sits at the foot hill.  Nowadays, driving to Kuala Selangor is a breeze if one chooses to cruise on the newly constructed LATAR Expressway. Compares to the much longer and heavy traffic trunk road, the distance via expressway is only 33 km between Templer's Park interchange to Ijok interchange. Generally speaking, the journey from the heart of Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Selangor is no longer than an hour on a smooth traffic day. Direction: |
