Canopy Walk at Poring Hot Spring

At Poring Hot Spring, where we spent the afternoon of 12.07.2022, four of us - spanning three generations - decided to take on the Canopy Walk.

I had done it many years ago, though my memories of that first attempt are hazy at best. This time, I felt a twinge of apprehension when told it would be a 30-minute climb from the base to the starting point. The thought of my legs carrying me up a steep slope for that long was daunting. Still, I decided to give it a go.

Not long into the climb, we encountered a senior couple, perhaps in their 60s, making their way back down. They had decided not to continue, doubting they could make it to the top. A short while later, we met a middle-aged lady with a younger companion who also turned back, saying they were probably not even halfway and unsure if they could finish the steep ascent. Fortunately, these encounters only strengthened my determination.

What truly kept me going, though, were my two grandchildren. My grandson, Nathan, kept glancing back to check on me, calling out, “Gung gung, are you OK?” That simple encouragement was a powerful motivator. In the end, we reached the starting point in just 20 minutes - ten minutes quicker than average. Still an achievement, I reckon!

Walking the narrow strip of timber boards suspended more than 200 feet above the forest floor certainly set the heart racing. My last suspension bridge experience was at Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge five years ago (Read here). That crossing felt far more relaxed - wider, shorter, and with much less sway.

From the canopy, the view was nothing short of breathtaking - layers of emerald-green treetops stretching as far as the eye could see, sunlight breaking through gaps in the canopy, and the distant call of birds echoing through the forest. For a brief moment, all thoughts of the climb melted away, replaced by awe at the beauty and stillness of the rainforest below.

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The downhill walk was comparatively easier. In the end, it was the youngsters who led the way!

A typical tall tree used to support the suspension bridge. This one named "Octomeles Sumatrana Miq" is 58m (190ft) tall with a diameter of 1.5m (5ft) and a circumference of 4.8m (16ft).