Sleepy Kuala Selangor

Kuala Selangor is a quiet town at the river mouth of the Selangor river about an hours drive from Kuala Lumpur.

The fireflies is the biggest attraction of Kuala Selangor.Located at the coastal village of Kampong Kuantan, a typical agricultural village surrounded by fruits orchard, oil palm and coconut plantations. It is located on the bank of Selangor River, 56km from Kuala Lumpur. As you travel to this village, you will see the gradual change of the landscape of the countryside.

Just after dusk, cruising up stream on a boat, you will be fascinated to see the spectacular display on the mangrove trees. Here, millions of fireflies present you with a dazzling display of lights flickering in synchrony that resemble twinkling lights on a Christmas tree. However, the fireflies shy to appear if it rains. Most visitors travel here in the evening just to marvel at the wonder of nature before adjourning to a nearby restaurant for a good and delicious seafood dinner.

The second attraction of Kuala Selangor are the Silverleaf Monkeys. Those dark haired monkeys have a silver shining on their fur. The Silverleaf babies have orange fur as compared with the adults. After two months they get the silver colour of the elderly monkeys. The Silverleaf Monkeys are a delight to meet. They are gentle and seem to always have a thank you for every piece of food given.

Situated at the mouth of the Selangor River lies the Kuala Selangor Nature Park, haven of resident and migratory birds (from as far as Siberia and Northern China) and a host of other amazing wildlife.

Kuala Selangor Nature Park is a unique slice of landscape made up of 497 acres (201 hectares) of secondary forest; formerly a mangrove forest. After the land was reclaimed along the coast, the mangrove forest was unable to sustain itself. Thus the secondary forest is now mainly dominated by strangling figs and other coastal trees like the Cordia dichtama; along with the mangrove fern. Mangroves however still cover about 234 acres (95 hectares) of the park. These trees have been allowed to rejuvenate within the boundaries of the park.

There are four clearly marked trails varying from 30 minutes to 80 minutes - maps of which are available at the entry point. In the centre of the park, a bird wading lake stands picturesquely; the brackish water is taken from the estuary of the Selangor River. The lake provides a roosting and feeding site for the many bird species.



Here, at the height of the migratory bird season, normally around September - a large variety of birds find their way to this haven. Seeking respite from the winter months the birds come from as far away as northern China and Siberia. As many as 100,000 wading birds of 30-odd species have been recorded to converge here at the height of the season. The season lasts until April of the following year. At least 156 resident and migratory species have been sighted over the years. They include shrikes, kingfishers, pond herons, bee-eaters, water cocks and a variety of waders. The rare Norman Greenshank and Mangrove Pitta have also been spotted here. Avid bird watchers (as well as amateurs alike) should find quite an oasis here.