Slim River White Water Rafting Perak

White Water Rafting Slim River
Slim River white water rafting in Perak, Malaysia was my second rafting trip in just under 3 weeks of doing this sport at another location.

This time around, we were all in for a dramatic water rafting experience at Sungai Slim Water Rafting where rapids are from class or grade 1 to grade 3 and occasionally grade 4 in this first part of my rafting story.

This white water rafting circuit is located near Slim River town and deep inside Kampung Ulu Slim. in the state of Perak, north of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Getting here was pretty easy as after heading North on the NKVE Expressway, we turned off at Slim River and met our friends Ivy and Ramlie after the toll booth. From there, we were lead all the way into Kampung Ulu Slim in a convoy which took about 20 minutes from the toll booth.

White Water Rafting Experience At Slim River

Uli Slim River Perak
Kampung Ulu Slim and the simple lifestyle there
Arriving at the Slim River Hot Springs, we parked our cars just outside where Ramlie instructed us to change and bringing only what we needed for the white water rafting. 

Someone was also stationed at our car park to look after the cars. Once changed and ready, we hopped on to the Four Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicles as the journey to the start point can only be accessed by 4WD.

Perak 4WD Vehicles
The Four Wheel Drive vehicles that took us to the rafting point
Driving there was pretty exciting as some of us had never experienced off road 4WD action. Well, for my friends, it was something new, and for me, this was another off road experience.

Of the two units of 4WD vehicles, one was a closed type while the one I sat in was a pickup type 4WD.

Having being the first time for some of us, we were told to hold on tightly during the bumpy journey that took about 30 minutes to get to the start point. 

Slim River Orang Asli Passing some Orang Asli homes

Videos Of Slim River Water Rafting And The Journey There

Below are a series of videos taken during my journey here, and they are in low resolution, but do take note that this was in 2009, where technology was still relatively new. Below are some of the journey videos and also water rafting videos. 

Video of Orang Asli Settlement and arriving at the 4WD obstacle

Video of a 4WD going up a muddy hill

Reaching our first challenge, we stopped and watched the other 4WD make its way up a muddy hill, which again, was something new for those who never experienced this before. 

It looked like a lot of skill was involved here, and if it was me driving, I would not have managed it at all. 

Video of our 4WD going up the muddy hill

Sitting at the back of the 4WD, we could see how hard it was to maneuver through the muddy hill. No way any other vehicle would be able to achieve this.

Passing an local Ambulance 4WD at Slim River
On successfully going up the hill, we met up with another 4WD and it was an Ambulance 4WD which served the area inside Kampung (Village) Sungai Slim where mostly local Orang Asli (Indigenous People) live.

Transporting a Raft at Slim River
A 4WD transporting a water raft
Preparing For Slim River Water Rafting

Arriving at our starting point, we were pleased to know that everything was laid out ready for us. It is common for the raft company, in this case Uhuru Rafts, to prepare everything ahead before the rafters arrive.

This is a standard procedure in order no to waste time, but again, it also depends on the weather and amount of people that are rafting on that day. 

Malaysia White Water Rafting Equipment Proper white water rafting equipment

On the ground, there was standard water rafting equipment like safety jackets, paddles and helmets were laid out for those participating.

Some of the rafting helmets can be adjusted according to your head size, and yes, this is a fact. The safety vest is also adjustable to your size, and if you are extra large, you need to consult your raft operator about this. 

Perak White Water Rafting Equipment Pumping air into the raft

While walking around, staff were seen pumping air into the rafts at the starting location. They use brute strength to do this and trust me, it is no fun as I have tried it before.

It took me about 30 minutes to just pump air in manually while for the locals doing it, it only takes them half the time. 

White Water Raft Uhuru
One of the pumped water rafts from Uhuru
With everyone geared up proper, the safety briefing starts with Ramlie the chief raft captain. He ensures that everyone gathers around as it is crucial to know what to do while rafting.

Examples of how to paddle, what to do if you fall over and other safety rafting procedures are conveyed to all participants.

No matter how many times you have rafted, the raft guides will still give you the same important session as each river is different, so please listen carefully. 

Photo of Slim River White Water RaftingSafety Briefing before we begin

The safety briefing for our Slim River water rafting trip goes on for about 20 minutes, and we learn that the entire rafting process will take about 4 to 5 hours depending on the waters.

From the rafting guides personal experience, the water levels were pretty good on that day, so we were looking at about four solid hours of rafting.

Making our way to the river
Video of us carrying the water raft to the start of the river

And our journey begins from here, and you can read my second posting and also see some videos on Slim River water rafting where there are raft overturns, people falling off rafts, stuck in whirlpools, going down a waterfall and much more.

Price for White Water Rafting in Kampar River:
  • Minimum booking is 10 Persons
  • Inclusive of a packed lunch or restaurant lunch
  • Transfer from Hot Springs to Slim River and back
  • Not suitable for children under 12 years old
  • Prices vary from operators and start from around RM130 per person
Water Rafting at Slim River - Timings
  • Meet up just after Slim River Toll Booth at 8.30 am
  • Journey to Slim River by 4WD 9.30 am
  • Start white water rafting about 10.30 am to 11.00 am
  • Finish rafting about 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm
  • Lunch at Hot Springs cafeteria
Amenities at Slim River Hot Springs
  • Car Park available near Hot Springs
  • Shower/Bathroom available at Hot Springs
  • Stalls selling light snacks and drinks
Do's and Don'ts
  • Do bring sunscreen or sunblock for the ladies
  • Do bring a waterproof bag if you want to carry your valuables
  • Do bring a waterproof camera if you want some dramatic pictures
  • Do bring a change of clothes and towel for after rafting
  • Do bring along a safety rubber for your glasses
  • Don't put anything in your pockets
  • Don't wear jewelry or expensive watches
  • Don't panic when you fall over! Listen to the raft captain.
Getting to Slim River by car
  • From KL, head on the NKVE Highway North
  • Exit at Slim River turn off to the left (1 hour drive from KL)
  • After toll, meet the rafting company on the left of the road
  • They will guide you to the parking at the hot springs
  • If you are from the North, head down South via NKVE and exit Slim River
  • There are no sign boards for water rafting at Slim River.
Conclusion 

Personally, I have done white water rafting all over Malaysia, and they include some easy ones, and also some higher grade circuits. They can be found in Peninsular Malaysia and also in Sabah Borneo Malaysia. 

Among them, my favorite is still the Padas River water rafting in Sabah as this circuit is touted to be one of the best in Malaysia. 

If you are in Sabah, and want something fun and easy for all ages, then you can also try the Kiulu River water rafting as this is just two hours from Kota Kinabalu city. 

In the state of Perak, there is also the Kampar River water rafting which is recommended for those who are around Kuala Lumpur or Peninsular Malaysia. 

While there are several water rafting rivers around Malaysia, Perak has about 3 to 4 rivers that are fun to explore.

For this experience, I contacted one of the more popular companies running this show and one of the challenging rivers for beginners to intermediate is the Slim River water rafting in Perak. 

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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