This Fireflies Park area unlike other Park is not a big complex. Occupying less than 2 hectares space, is furnished with amenities of a Park - short of living quarters. There are separate buildings for toilet, cafeteria, booking office shops, waiting lounge, departure jetty and even a small children playground.

Most visitors are arrival here are in the evening, just for a short time visit and for one specific reason - to watch fireflies! There is opportunity to use most of the facilities and also the darkness hampers the seeing around.

Read so much about the name of the place, see the real signage. This is a remote rural community without an actual center point such as market place. Behind this sign board are the quarters for the state employees and garden with orchards. The "T" junction faintly seen here as the red board is the center of the settlement.

Here, where the Tanker awaits at the junction is where the "red" signboard is. This is the Kampong Kuantan end of the Bukit Rotan-Kampong Kuantan stretch of road.

On the right of this picture are the couple of wooden shop houses. It was the settlement's provision shops and also the first contact point where visitor wishing to hire boats for the evening - needed to contact. The shops were since then replaced by blocks of concrete buildings, 150 meters after the "T" junction. The ticketing for boats in now formalized and a complex built at the place where the small whitish board on the right of this picture shows.

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Development in Kampong Kuantan is only limited to the replacement of these 2 old buildings.

The faintly seen junction on the left in the above picture! It opens up into a broad car park. Capable of accommodating a fleet of tours buses and still leaving enough parking pots for private cars.

Pass under the archway in the deep end and here is the Park entrance.

The first building beside the signage on the left is the ticketing office. Car or vehicle is not allowed beyond the Arch. This picture taken in daylight hours with cars seen inside the restricted zone may confuse the situation.

At last, you are here. This is the waiting lounge. See carefully you will be able to make out the 2 rows of bench seat On weekdays, you will just breeze through right up to the part where they will strap you up. On week ends, maybe it a good idea to bring along a magazine to accompany you while waiting for your turn. Mosquitoes? Not very sure, I have not sat there before. But you could walk around the unlighted part just outside the shed, there are a few strayed Fireflies.

& By night

A signboard to acquaint you with the moods of the evening and of course the nightly crowd queuing up for their turn to board the boats.

Flash light are not allowed as it will interfere with the nightly rituals of the fireflies. Pictures using flash are allowed in the lighted area and this could be the only moments where taking shots make sense. I may not be an expert, but this could be the type of picture quality a causal walk-in can get of the boat disappearing into the unlighted river.

The waiting lounge and this is a happy scene for you -if at that time of the evening.

While the Park opens at 8.00 pm, the peak time should be after 9.00 pm onwards when the crowd have finished their seafood dinner.

For safety reasons, every one needs to be strapped up.

Some of you may not like the idea but imagine the darkness and the flowing water, it a pre-requisite for safety. No- it is not because of the presence of Crocodiles - there is none but as a precaution against  your sudden disappearance in the darkness. There are enough life jackets for the circulation and as seen from the pictures, they are in good shape, clean and please imagine them as being over used.

The scenes selected and the comments inserted are prompted by  common FAQs that I received through the mails.

More scenes from the river banks

Another view of the river vanishing in the horizon. This is a downstream view from the departure point. I must stress again to remember the consistency in the type of vegetation.

 Here you will get mangrove, [Avicenna] lining up the river bank. This is critical as the beetle gathers on tree with the conventional type leaves. The palm forest has taken a back seat and further back the firm ground supports the large ficus trees. The Fireflies will be going down to area just above the water level and you will see the outline of the trees in darkness.

OK - this is the type of boats you will be going with. There 31 of such contraptions, plying every evening. Each comfortably and exclusively accommodate the 4 of you and the boatman.