Mount Stong
Geographically separated from the rest of the country by the Titiwangsa, the state of Kelantan in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia has numerous places of adventure for the wild at heart, due to its hilly terrain. One such place is Mount Stong.
C.C. gets a little loud on this one - must be from too much UV exposure doing the sun dance in Baha camp.
Situated in the heart of the Dabong Forest Reserve, Mount Stong boasts one of the highest waterfalls in the South East Asian region. Not only is the Gunung Stong State Park listed among the top five unique ecotourism destinations in Malaysia, it also serves as a significant conservation area with diverse flora and fauna.
I’ve mapped out the most crazy way you can take to go to Dabong. A total of 16 hours of train ride with a transit time of 6 hours in between trains. That’s from Penang to Dabong. Of course you’re not going to do something silly like this, unless you’re hopelessly in love with travelling on the KTMB train or one other possibility; you’re insane.
The actual time it will take you to go there should be 10 hours or less. You can take a bus/flight to KB and arrange for your 2 hour transport to Dabong, or go directly to Dabong by train. Now, let me say this again, the railway track goes down South on the West coast and up North on the East coast, so unless you’re in to torture yourself, it would make no sense to take the train if you’re in Northern West coast. Get what I mean?
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| The Jelawang falls |
4 hours
Make sure you have a good breakfast before you begin your journey. The hike up to Baha camp, at the peak of Jelawang waterfall takes about 2 hours, but it varies depending on how well-trained you are. Mind you, this is no child’s play. You can take a rest at the foot of the waterfall midway up the trail. So 4 hours is wayyy more than enough to get from Dabong town to Baha camp.
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| View of Dabong town from Baha camp |
6 hours
Set up your tent and cook your lunch with very basic utensils you can find at the campsite. Rest by the edge of smooth, large rocks and listen to the crystal-clear waters of Stong river rush down over the steep edge of the mountain. Then head over to Kolam Tuan Puteri for a dip by the falls.
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| Kolam Tuan Puteri - For the brave and imaginative, this can be a water themepark by itself |
Or you can be more adventurous and hike all the way up to the Last Waterfall, also known as the Y Waterfalls, where separate waterfalls from two mountains, Gunung Stong and Gunung Ayam, meet. On the way you will also pass by Seven Wells, a series of smaller waterfalls that empty into mini pools.
All these falls offer clean water that is safe to drink. And you’ll definitely want to drink from the Last Waterfall for legend has it that those who drink from it are said to retain a youthful appearance.
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| The Y falls |
We are not going to trek up to the peak. Conquering Mt Stong (or Mt Ayam, a more rewarding hike) would need an additional day.
12 hours
Go back to the campsite and prepare for dinner. You can spend the remaining time at night doing pretty much nothing. You would probably be tired by now and heading off to dreamland, but remember to set your alarm. You’re here for one of the most amazing sunrises; you’ll not want to miss it!
2 hours
Be sure to be awake and waiting by 6 AM. Trust me, when the sun finally rises, no matter how tired you are, or how many times you’ve vowed never to hike up that crazy strenuous trail again, all will be forgotten. It will just be you and the amazing sunrise. 2 hours. You need it.
3 hours
Make your breakfast and get ready to go back. The trek down takes only about an hour plus.
11 hours
That’s how much time you still have left. Now I’m going to leave you to find your own way back. You have enough hours to get lost and still make it back on time.
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Dabong lies in the fringes of Peninsular Malaysia’s backbone, the Titiwangsa Mountain Range. The mountainous backdrop is made up of a number of majestic peaks; Gunung Ayam (1500m), Gunung Stong (1400m), Gunung Tera (1556m), and Gunung Che Tahir (1415m), just to name a few. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might want to conquer all of them at one go! But let me tell you this, 48 hours will surely not be enough for such a feat.
Besides attracting mountain climbers and jungle trekkers, the Dabong Forest Reserve is also ideal for bird watchers, cavers and outdoor lovers looking for an off-the-beaten track adventure. With the assistance of a qualified and knowledgeable trekking guide, your exploration of the park will be made more meaningful as you can customize it to match your needs and also learn more about the flora and fauna of the park.
The fee for a trekking guide is around RM100-RM150 per day.
Some guides you can contact are:
Odie
Bob (+60199791099/+60129648918/ )
An informative guidebook on Gunung Stong can be downloaded from WWF.
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