Tanjung Piai National Park: the southern tip of Continental Asia

I’m not being dramatic when I say my lust for adventure has taken me to the very ends of the earth, because Tanjung Piai in Tanjung Piai National Park is exactly that. At 1°15’34.80″ N 103°30’23.39″ E this Johor headland it the the southern most tip of the Asian mainland.

Singapore would disagree and dubiously counter claim that Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island deserves that geographical accolade. But seeing as that’s an island on an island nation, it’s unlikely any cartographer would describe it as being part of continental Asia. (Blogger Nomadic Dragon explains here.) So suck it, Singapore….

Piai Raya, the fern after which the village and national park is named. Able to thrive in brackish water, its red coloured shoots can be harvested for food.

Getting to Tanjung Piai certainly feels like a journey to the end of the earth. Situated 75 kilometres from Johor Bahru, the 1 hour 20 minute drive takes you over highways, then along B roads through small towns and nondescript palm oil estates. But, if you’re a nature lover, geography nerd or suffer from FOMO, this half day excursion is worth it.

The very end … of Continental Asia.

The exact most Southerly spot is situated at the end of a concrete walkway within Tanjung Piai National Park, a 926 hectare area of protected coastal mangrove forest and intertidal mudflats. Navigable via a 1.2 kilometre network of wooden boardwalks, when I got there, it was thrilling to know that at  4.20pm MYT on Tuesday 21st May 2019, I was the most southerly person in all of Continental Asia. 10 minutes later it was some other bloke in the park.

At the visitor centre. Lots of useful information here, plus a gift store.

The viewing tower. It’s blocked by treetops so it’s best for birders.

There are multiple shelters built along the well signposted boardwalk around the park. Each is named after a different species of plant or animal found inside a mangrove forest.

Until you’ve had your eyes open to the wonders of nature, a coastal mangrove forest  can appear to be an uninterestingly dark and muddy place inhabited by weird unattractive creatures. I know, because I used to think this. But now I don’t….

I can’t begin to overstate the importance of a mangrove forest and why they should be preserved. Tanjung Piai National Park’s mangroves stretches 8 kilometres up Peninsula Malaysia’s Western coastline towards the fishing town of Kukup (Kukup also happens to be the jump off point for another mangrove reserve, Pulau Kukup National Park).

Who says mangroves are just wet smelly places? Me? Oh yeah. I did. But I was wrong….

Weathered by the elements, this particular section of the boardwalk has seen better days but on the whole the park is well maintained despite requiring constant care, particularly after storms.

Some of the trees have been labeled for ease of identification.

The root system that creates a barricade from incoming waves.

Frequently cleared for development including prawn farms, coastal mangroves offer protection from storm surges and tsunamis, prevent the water table from being inundated by salt water, create a safe space for fish to spawn and sea mammals to birth, and a place for migratory birds to rest before their onward journey, and resident birds to live. Mangrove forests are as important to the fishing villages and farms around it as is to the wildlife that resides within it.

Declared a Ramsar Site in 2003 and an Important Bird Area (IBA), Tanjung Piai National Park is home to  over 20 species of mangrove tree, some of which have been labeled for easy identification. It is also habitat for several species of monkey, smooth coated otters, fiddler and mangrove crabs, mudskippers, a variety of molluscs, and the endangered Leser Adjuntant Stork.

A long tailed macaque.

A periscope snail.

Spot the mangrove crab.

A mud skipper guards his puddle.

Not sure what bird this is but it was hammering away at this dead tree stump.

Lured by the possibility of food, I spotted a few shy long tailed macaques near the designated campsite area, but the dusky leaf monkeys remained elusive. I had no luck with the common monitor lizard either, and only spotted its tracks, along with that of the periscope snail.

The mangrove tree nursery. Tree planing activities are organised at the park upon advance request.

The forest however was filled with sound. Above the baritone hum of tankers passing though one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, was the high pitched drone of insects, the chirping of birds and the intermittent pop of mud clams (known locally as lokan), a mollusc that expels air out of its shell to propel itself forward. Different areas of the park seemed to be dominated by different animals, mudskippers on one side of the fishing jetty, fiddler crabs on the other.

Tankers on the horizon making their way north along the busy Straits of Melaka.

A view across the Selat Tebrau to a land reclamation project.

Once out of the forest the boardwalks scythes a path around the breakwater with views along the Straits of Melaka and Straits of Johor to Singapore, the Indonesian island of Pulau Karimun Besar and some local land reclamation project. The end of the Jetty of Three Kingdoms (Jeti Tiga Negara) is where visitors usually go for this view but it was under repair when I went.

Just beyond the mangrove forest a breakwater and this stony beach has been designed to prevent soil erosion.

Litter, most of it plastic, brought in on the tide.

Due to to exposure to the elements and storm damage, the park requires constant upkeep, which it does reasonably well. What it could do better is manage the rubbish situation. The sole viewing tower was littered with tissue paper. And though the trash ensnared in the roots of the mangrove trees are swept there by the tide, it would be nice if park staff patrol the area could pick up any of it which is  within eyesight on either side of the boardwalk when he die goes out?

Besides the boardwalk there are two trails to explore on either side of the Visitor Complex:  the Jambu Laut trail (1800 metres) and Berbaru trail (600 metres). Unfortunately it was late and the park was closing so I gave it a pass.

Recommended for nature lovers, geography nerds and photo opportunists.

Open Mon-Thu: 8am-5pm, last ticket: 4.30pm; Fri-Sun & public holidays: 8am-6pm, last ticket: 5.30pm.

Conservation fee Malaysian adults RM5; students and seniors RM3; Non-Malaysian adult RM20; students and seniors RM10; Free to all children under 6 and the disabled. Parking is free.

Camping platforms on the edge of the park’s grounds.

Activities The visitor centre has lots of information and a shop for souvenirs. Enquire about activities here. Camping, night walks and firefly tours require prior arrangement.

As the park closes before sunset, drive back towards Tanjung Piai village by way of Jalan Tanjung Piai to where the two rovers meet. Or make the half hour journey north to Coxn Cafe by the sea.

Sunsets The park closes early so head back along Jalan Tanjung Piai to the where the rivers Belukang and Perpat Punggor meet. Alternatively drive a half hour to Coxn Cafe in Kampung Rimba Terjun, Pontian.  This small beachside shack serves simple food and fruit juices.

Tip For maximum wildlife encounters, come during birds migratory season in March and September. If it’s a splashing good time you’re after the park floods with sea water for a brief couple of hours over a period of  3 days in December during an annual high tide phenomenon purportedly due to global warming. Check the park’s social media for updates.

Getting there There are no direct buses from Johor Bahru. Instead you’ll have to catch one to Pontian and hire a taxi there.

Tanjung Piai National Park Mukim Serkat, Pontian, 82030, Johor. T: +60  7 696 9712 / +60 13 744 0956 W: http://www.johornationalparks.gov.my/v3/tanjung-piai/  F: http://www.facebook.com/tnjtanjungpiai I: http://www.instagram.com/tanjung_piai/