After the previous unsuccessful trip, I finally made it an effort to rediscover KL's backyard. Unknown to many, Hulu Langat is situated "behind" KL, separated by a hill which hosts the prominent Ampang Lookout Point. Hulu Langat is home to numerous waterfalls and hot spring which is gaining popularity among urbanites. After hearing many stories, it was time to see it for myself.
The view from the hillslope
As I made my way up the hill, the presence of cool, crisp mountain air was becoming more apparent despite the afternoon sun. Once at the summit and descending downhill, the scenery changes from an urban jungle into lush greenery; like stepping into a different world, or a tourist brochure. There was no sign of civilisation apart from the tarmac and the barricade, only miles and miles of blue mountains disappearing into the horizon.
life's a journey
verdant jungle, blue mountains
It was interesting to see so much greenery just minutes away from the city. At the foot of the hill lies the town of Hulu Langat. A somewhat small town with a history of its own. However, the traffic here can be chaotic as nearby developments have brought heavy vehicles along with it and the narrow roads further add to the congestion. Finding the hot spring was a challenging task. Poor signage is to be blamed. I was driving up and down the same road only to realise that a small sign enveloped in thick mildew is perched on the entrance of the hot spring. At first glance, the whole site gave an unwelcoming feel to visitors, which explains the desertion of the place. Piles of human waste were collecting at one end while the main pool itself is filled with plastic chairs of irresponsible parties. Nevertheless, I was a little fascinated as it was the first hot spring I've ever came across to. A check at the temperature of the water proves it to be a hot spring indeed. Not boiling hot as other hot springs though.
Sungai Serai hot spring
bubbles emerging from the bed of the pool
After the long journey of hunting for the hot spring, it was time for a light snack and the countless roadside stalls proves to be handy. Many of these stalls sell the same items ranging from sweetcorns, sweet potatoes as well as fruits and herbs from the forest harvested by the nearby indigenous tribes. I decided to stick to something safer like sweetcorn, boiled right before my eyes in a blackened pot, steaming with flavours. Simple yet appetising.
Glutinous rice cooked in bamboos
The pot of goodness
The freshly boiled sweetcorn that I munched on while tackling the bending slopes leading to Tekala Falls. Oops.
From the hots spring, I headed North East, edging nearer to the border of Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. My next destination was Tekala Falls. Fortunately, signboards were clear and even in the absence of signboards, there were stone markers on each side of the road. Just before reaching Tekala Falls, one will encounter the Semenyih Dam which is very far from the town of Semenyih as the name suggests. This is truly a sight to behold.
blue waters at the foreground, blue mountains at the background
One of the many miniature waterfalls by the road
After driving about 30 minutes from the town of Hulu Langat, I found myself at the second destination. Upon entering the compounds, I paid a visitor fee of RM1 and made my way into the jungle. With the amount of gazebos and manmade structures as well as human waste here, it is easy to conclude that this is a very popular recreational area especially during weekends. Unamazed by all the manmade stuff, I hiked even deeper into the jungles till there were no more steps but pathways left by previous trekkers. As the trail leads higher, the stream seems to disappear into the thick jungle making it difficult to keep up. The falls weren't that majestic but it's still popular among locals probably due to its accessibility.
towering trees at the entrance of Tekala Falls
hardy trees growing in the middle of the stream
Tekala Falls
upper Tekala Falls
butterflies searching for minerals from teh ground
wild mushroom
the jungle claiming parts of the stream on the upper falls before disappearing
more wild mushrooms
As the day was still young and with plenty of time to waste, I embarked on a journey to Gabai Falls which is approximately an hour from Tekala Falls. This time the road took me through a scenic route around the dam and into the hills. From here, several aboriginal settlements could be seen along with several odd-coloured trees amidst the thick forest. The whole scene looks like autumn.
monitor lizard in a pond
a canoe would come in handy now
More of Semenyih Dam
Aboriginal Settlements
autumn in Malaysia?
An ealge hovering majestically in the sky
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Signboards again were missing in action and I nearly found myself in Kuala Kelawai, Negeri Sembilan. I made a U-turn and finally i managed to spot the extremely minute signboard at a junction leading into the waterfall. The road was extremely narrow, filled with potholes and the distance from the mainroad to the waterfall is about 3km. Parking can be a problem here during weekends as most of the road has been cordoned of for unknown reasons. Similar to Tekala Falls, adult visitors have to pay a minimal fee of RM1 to visit the falls. Gabai Falls was definitely much better in my point of view. Facilities were in good shape, probably because they are still new. The lower falls seems to be very inviting but small amounts of rubbish can be seen at the upper falls.
Sungai Gabai
The lower falls boast a high drop but less inclined than the middle falls. From here, a flight of steep stairs on the left leads to the middle falls. As I made my way there, an apparent smell of shisha was in the air. In a nearby gazebo there were dozens of shishas lefts unattended while a huge Arab family can be seen frolicking in the water with their robes. yaiks. It was a perfect picnic spot indeed, shaded from the sun by towering bamboos with ocassional sprinkles from the falls.
Lower falls
In between the upper and lower falls
Hiking all the way to the upper falls was extremely challenging and tiring as it is constantly heading upwards with almost no intervals. Several facilities has been built up here too but signs of vandalism are beginning to appear. There was a trail leading deeper into the jungle but the dark skies meant it was time to call it a day.
upper falls
Pool at the upper falls
The view from the hillslope
As I made my way up the hill, the presence of cool, crisp mountain air was becoming more apparent despite the afternoon sun. Once at the summit and descending downhill, the scenery changes from an urban jungle into lush greenery; like stepping into a different world, or a tourist brochure. There was no sign of civilisation apart from the tarmac and the barricade, only miles and miles of blue mountains disappearing into the horizon.
life's a journey
verdant jungle, blue mountains
It was interesting to see so much greenery just minutes away from the city. At the foot of the hill lies the town of Hulu Langat. A somewhat small town with a history of its own. However, the traffic here can be chaotic as nearby developments have brought heavy vehicles along with it and the narrow roads further add to the congestion. Finding the hot spring was a challenging task. Poor signage is to be blamed. I was driving up and down the same road only to realise that a small sign enveloped in thick mildew is perched on the entrance of the hot spring. At first glance, the whole site gave an unwelcoming feel to visitors, which explains the desertion of the place. Piles of human waste were collecting at one end while the main pool itself is filled with plastic chairs of irresponsible parties. Nevertheless, I was a little fascinated as it was the first hot spring I've ever came across to. A check at the temperature of the water proves it to be a hot spring indeed. Not boiling hot as other hot springs though.
Sungai Serai hot spring
bubbles emerging from the bed of the pool
After the long journey of hunting for the hot spring, it was time for a light snack and the countless roadside stalls proves to be handy. Many of these stalls sell the same items ranging from sweetcorns, sweet potatoes as well as fruits and herbs from the forest harvested by the nearby indigenous tribes. I decided to stick to something safer like sweetcorn, boiled right before my eyes in a blackened pot, steaming with flavours. Simple yet appetising.
Glutinous rice cooked in bamboos
The pot of goodness
The freshly boiled sweetcorn that I munched on while tackling the bending slopes leading to Tekala Falls. Oops.
From the hots spring, I headed North East, edging nearer to the border of Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. My next destination was Tekala Falls. Fortunately, signboards were clear and even in the absence of signboards, there were stone markers on each side of the road. Just before reaching Tekala Falls, one will encounter the Semenyih Dam which is very far from the town of Semenyih as the name suggests. This is truly a sight to behold.
blue waters at the foreground, blue mountains at the background
One of the many miniature waterfalls by the road
After driving about 30 minutes from the town of Hulu Langat, I found myself at the second destination. Upon entering the compounds, I paid a visitor fee of RM1 and made my way into the jungle. With the amount of gazebos and manmade structures as well as human waste here, it is easy to conclude that this is a very popular recreational area especially during weekends. Unamazed by all the manmade stuff, I hiked even deeper into the jungles till there were no more steps but pathways left by previous trekkers. As the trail leads higher, the stream seems to disappear into the thick jungle making it difficult to keep up. The falls weren't that majestic but it's still popular among locals probably due to its accessibility.
towering trees at the entrance of Tekala Falls
hardy trees growing in the middle of the stream
Tekala Falls
upper Tekala Falls
butterflies searching for minerals from teh ground
wild mushroom
the jungle claiming parts of the stream on the upper falls before disappearing
more wild mushrooms
As the day was still young and with plenty of time to waste, I embarked on a journey to Gabai Falls which is approximately an hour from Tekala Falls. This time the road took me through a scenic route around the dam and into the hills. From here, several aboriginal settlements could be seen along with several odd-coloured trees amidst the thick forest. The whole scene looks like autumn.
monitor lizard in a pond
a canoe would come in handy now
More of Semenyih Dam
Aboriginal Settlements
autumn in Malaysia?
An ealge hovering majestically in the sky
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Signboards again were missing in action and I nearly found myself in Kuala Kelawai, Negeri Sembilan. I made a U-turn and finally i managed to spot the extremely minute signboard at a junction leading into the waterfall. The road was extremely narrow, filled with potholes and the distance from the mainroad to the waterfall is about 3km. Parking can be a problem here during weekends as most of the road has been cordoned of for unknown reasons. Similar to Tekala Falls, adult visitors have to pay a minimal fee of RM1 to visit the falls. Gabai Falls was definitely much better in my point of view. Facilities were in good shape, probably because they are still new. The lower falls seems to be very inviting but small amounts of rubbish can be seen at the upper falls.
Sungai Gabai
The lower falls boast a high drop but less inclined than the middle falls. From here, a flight of steep stairs on the left leads to the middle falls. As I made my way there, an apparent smell of shisha was in the air. In a nearby gazebo there were dozens of shishas lefts unattended while a huge Arab family can be seen frolicking in the water with their robes. yaiks. It was a perfect picnic spot indeed, shaded from the sun by towering bamboos with ocassional sprinkles from the falls.
Lower falls
In between the upper and lower falls
Hiking all the way to the upper falls was extremely challenging and tiring as it is constantly heading upwards with almost no intervals. Several facilities has been built up here too but signs of vandalism are beginning to appear. There was a trail leading deeper into the jungle but the dark skies meant it was time to call it a day.
upper falls
Pool at the upper falls
