Malaysia Peninsular National Parks, Johor, Tanjung Piai 丹戎比艾国家公园, 柔佛州属, 马来西亚半岛

Malaysia Peninsular National Parks, Johor, Tanjung Piai  

丹戎比艾国家公园, 柔佛州属, 马来西亚半岛

“Congratulations! You are now standing at the Southern Most Tip of Mainland Asia.”

The signboard beamed widely at me as I peered towards the vast landscape. As winds blew gently over the confluence of the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Johore, the sun beat wildly upon the skin.

Whew! Despite the intense heat, the view of huge tankers docking in international waters was a sight to behold.

Row upon row of ships anchored symmetrically, and all I could hear was the silence of the howling winds. It is an astounding scene, to face one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Its shallow seaway is used by thousands of tankers daily.

Is this really the tip of Southern Most Tip of Mainland Asia?

Its unique geographical position at the southern tip of mainland Asia, at 1° 16.00’ North and 103° 30.46’ East coordinates, is the reason the park is proudly referred to as the Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia.

The journey to Tanjung Piai National Park in Pontian, located 75 kilometres from Johor Bahru city centre is about an hour and a half away by car.

Upon entering the park, take note of the gargantuan obelisk at the entrance of the Tanjung Piai Johor National Park. Pictured on the stone, is a map of the world, pin-pointing the park as the Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia.

Covering an area of over 926 hectares, the national park consists of coastal mangroves and intertidal mudflats. Almost 526 hectares of land here is mangrove while the rest is inter- tidal mudflats.

According to Wetlands International, Johor holds 28.7% of mangrove forest in Peninsular Malaysia (27,733 ha) or 4.7% of total mangrove forest covers in Malaysia. Gazetted as a RAMSAR site in Januari 2003, the park is managed by the Johor National Parks Corporation*. (* source: Johor National Parks)

Its 8 kilometres shoreline borders the Straits of Malacca. The park also supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.

The Long-tailed Macaque peered cautiously as we sauntered across the boardwalk. It’s mischievous grin plastered all over its face. Be wary of the monkeys, sometimes peering from the treetops and sometimes following you about the park, probably in search of food. Just don’t get too friendly with them.

There are also other species of monkeys here such as the Dusky leaf monkey, shy and elusive to see. There are however sea gulls roaming the skies above the park, and other migratory birds.

Look too, for the mischievous hermit crab sliding in the muddy soil; little molluscs like creature scamper about looking for food while the tide recedes. There are lizards, cockles, and the jumpy mudskipper – the mangrove is indeed, an amazing ecological haven!

Park rangers are frequently roaming around the park on their trusty bicycles, ensuring the safety of visitors’ to the park.

Spending a day at the park is certainly a refreshing experience. The soothing calm of the waves and the endless greenery is spot on for nature enthusiasts. Do remember to read the following tips, and you’re set for a wonderful mangrove experience!

亚洲大陆最南端 丹戎比艾

关于亚洲大陆最南端这个说法，马来西亚和新加坡之间有着非常大的争议，去过新加坡圣陶沙岛人都知道在岛的南边有一块精心装扮过的小平台，头衔是亚洲大陆最南端点。从地理位置上来看，这确实是位于亚洲大陆最南端的马来半岛延伸下来的最南点，但是这种说法的前提是把新加坡当成大陆的一部分而不是小岛，新加坡方面的理由是新加坡和马来西亚有一条人造的长堤就是著名的新马第一通道相连，而且圣陶沙也和新加坡大陆有桥相连，所以最南点这个头衔理所当然该归新加坡所有。马来方面则认为只建座桥相连就没资格称作大陆，况且新加坡是个公认的小岛，如果岛也算大陆，那印尼横跨南北两半球，就没有什么最南点之说了。我是比较倾向于马来西亚的说法，实际上在马来半岛的最南角，还真有一处名副其实的天涯海角，马来名叫Tanjung Piai，这才是正宗的亚洲大陆最南角。

其实这里离新加坡的直线距离并不远，如果自驾车从新马第二通道走应该也就1个小时车程，可是第二通道的马来中转站没有公车直接过去，所以只能从新山的拉庆车站坐1个小时车先到新山西边的另一个城市Pontian，再转车到西南角的Kukup小镇，最后还要打车才能到最南角的Tanjung Piai。但就是这么一个偏僻的地方却是新加坡人渡周末的天堂，主要的目标是Kukup，这是一个临海的小渔村，整个村只有一条街，街两旁全是海鲜餐馆，由于价格要比新加坡便宜一半，所以这里全是拖家带口的新加坡人在享受汇率，除了大吃海鲜还可以在海上的小屋里过个周末，也算轻松快活。Tanjung Piai离Kukup还有7公里左右，没有任何公共交通，甚至连taxi都没有，实在想不通这么有名的地方马来政府也不多关注一下，可能这也是这里的名气要远远小于圣陶沙的原因吧。

Tanjung Piai确实是个值得一去的地方，并被马来政府列为国家公园，整个公园内长有大量的红树林和动物，都是非常珍贵的自然资源，公园在树林内修建了数条木制的走廊，可以近距离的接触这些动植物，由于交通的原因，来这里的游客都是自驾车,这附近还有一个建在海上的度假村，普通双人间一晚也就100多马币。Tanjung Piai最著名的就是亚洲大陆最南端这个卖点了，这里建了一个水泥的大平台，平台上安置了一个巨大的地球仪，两旁的栏杆上写着一些很激动人心的标语，比如恭喜你正站在亚洲大陆最南点，征服地球之类的标语，附近还有一些指示牌告诉你离各大城市的距离。不过虽然这里三面环海，但是并没有天涯海角的感觉，一个原因是这里的海比较平静，没什么大风大浪，水也很浑，二是因为这里是马六甲海峡新加坡段的出海口，是世界上最繁忙的航道之一，整个海域停满了大型货轮，一下就冲淡了海天一色的感觉。

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