Geological Assessment of Water-Based Tourism Sites in Jeli District, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Water-based tourism is an important part of nature-based tourism, and its features vary from one site to others. Jeli district in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia, is rich in water resources with attractive natural and geological/geomorphological features such as lake, river, waterfall, and hot spring. This study discusses the geological assessment of potential water-based tourism sites in the district, by selecting four (4) destinations i.e. Pergau Lake, Jeli Hot Spring, Rual River, and Lata Renyok Waterfall as case studies. Geological mapping and characterisation of these sites have been conducted in 2014. These sites contain some interesting geological/geomorphological features such as granitic mountainous and hilly areas (in Pergau Lake), exotic hot water spring in a small valley (in Jeli Hot Spring), beautiful landscape and features of a river valley (in Rual River), and wonderful cascading waterfall in the alternating bright and dark-coloured rocks (in Lata Renyok Waterfall). The geological assessment of these sites was carried out through qualitative and quantitative approaches based on some geodiversity values: scientific, educational, aesthetic, recreational, and some other values. To support the assessment, the in situ water quality analysis was conducted in mid of 2014 (June–July 2014) to show that these sites have different water quality classes based on Malaysia’s Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS) i.e. Class I for Lata Renyok Waterfall, Class III for Rual River, and Class IV for Pergau Lake and Jeli Hot Spring. All localities are potential water-based tourism attractions in the district which have some specific tourism and recreational activities e.g. swimming and bathing (in Lata Renyok Waterfall and Rual River), fishing (in Lata Renyok Waterfall, Rual River, and Pergau Lake), rafting, boating, and kayaking/canoeing (in Pergau Lake), and hot water therapy and skin treatment (in Jeli Hot Spring). It is recommended that all these localities should be conserved and developed properly as models of sustainable water-based tourism destinations in Malaysia.