Some promises are meant to be broken, especially those we make to ourselves. After hiking Gunung Besar Hantu and vowing, with aching legs, nausea, and a spooky experience, never to return, it took only a month for me to find myself once again at the entrance of Taman Alam Liar Kenoboi. This time, though, I wasn’t heading for the daunting 1,462-meter peak of Gunung Besar Hantu, but to a hidden, gargantuan rock waterfall deep in the jungle—Lata Dinding. #gununghantubesar
Although this was my second time to Kenoboi, the journey felt just as winding, misty, and mysterious. The morning mist drifted in waves like white smoke curling in the darkness and the drive was punctuated by a flying owl, the eerie howls of unseen dogs, and strange noises from wild animals. The drive, already filled with anticipation, had its own air of excitement.
Taman Negeri Kenobi
Starting point: Taman Hutan Liar Kenoboi
Hike Length: 19km
Stream Crossing: 3 small stream
End Hike: Backtrack
Track condition: muddy at parts
Hike Difficulty: 3/5
Elevation Gain : 1200m
Facilities: Public Toilet ( constantly with no water), Camping Site, Rest House, parking area, Chalet, Dorm. Contact the forestry for bookings
PERMIT: 5rm permit at the park (for now, guides are not mandatory, on line permit is available)
Break it into 4 parts,
Part 1- Never ending log road (5km)
Part 2- Kem Sungai Kering (cross river)
Part 3- Never ending road 2 (4.5km)
Scenery Rewards: gargantuan rock waterfall with lost world vibes
What to bring
1. Basic first aid stuff such as disinfectant, ankle guard in case you sprain your ankle, band-aid.
2. Walking stick
3. Raincoat and Poncho,
4. Head-Torch, if you start before 7am
5. At least 2l of water, pack lunch, snack!
6. Change of clothes
7. Good pair of hiking shoes is absolutely necessary
8. LEECH repellent
9. Cap
PART 1 - Never ending log road to Lata Dinding Waterfall
From the entrance to the Y-junction, it’s about a 20-minute trek. The straight path leads to Lata Kijang, while the right fork takes you to Gunung Hantu Besar and Lata Dinding. Our plan was to visit the farther waterfall first, letting the weather dictate whether we’d continue to Lata Kijang afterward.
The initial stretch from the Y-junction starts on a semi-paved road, perhaps an abandon logging trail, before transitioning to red earth and mud. You'll pass a bamboo hut, where the 'orang asli' gather their fruits or fish harvest before passing it to the middleman.
At the 2nd fork stay left toward Sungai Kering.
As this area is home to many 'orang asli' some of the trails may lead to their settlements.
The trail consists of long, steep ascents, followed by brief flat sections, only to climb steeply again—repeating this pattern more than ten times until reaching Sungai Kering, around 5 km from the entrance. This section of the trail is semi-shaded but can get hot on the return journey, so it’s wise to ration water for the way back.
This part of the trail, still vivid in my memory, felt muddier than before, with more fallen trees and increased soil erosion—likely the result of the relentless thunderstorms over the past month. One constant, however, was the trail's difficulty. If anything, it felt tougher to climb, made more slippery and treacherous by the rainfall from the previous night.
PART 2: Sungai Kering
If you haven't had breakfast, Sungai Kering checkpoint is a good place to refuel before continuing.
Although the next 5km is less steep than the first section, it is undulating terrain and more raw, without overgrown thickets and bushes at some parts.
PART 3: Never ending road 2
This section of the trail, more shaded than the earlier part, was scattered with various fallen fruits. On our way in, we encountered some Orang Asli traveling out on motorbikes, carrying jungle durians to sell to local landowners.
After crossing the stream, we reached a fork in the trail and were tempted to go straight, but we needed to turn left. Luckily, large branches blocked the straight path, and our helpful friend with the GPX reader guided us in the right direction. There were no signs at this point, making it a bit confusing. Parts of the trail were quite exposed, with minimal tree cover. I would advise to download the GPX before embarking on this hike.
We continued trekking along a meandering, muddy trail for about 2 km before reaching another fork. This time, we took the right, which was noticeably steeper than the other option. A little further on, the trail re-entered the jungle. The ground was littered with an array of fruits in all shapes and colors, though we weren’t sure which were edible. Then I stumbled upon something remarkable—a life-changing discovery: tropical chestnuts! I had no idea chestnuts could thrive in the tropics, yet here they were, growing wild in the forest. ( on the return we picked some and roasted them, absolutely delicious)
The fruit-littered trail had us so captivated that we didn’t realise we had already covered around 9 km of the hike. Although we heard the gurgling stream at ever bend, but no sign of the waterfall.
Soon, we reached a clearing and passed a house made of bamboo and umbrella palm leaves. There were evidence of this palm tree at every junction, but sadly I did not spot them. In Batangsi, there is a Johannesteijsmannia magnifica forest which is thriving in it's natural habitat and truly and Alice in Wonderland moment when you stumble into a forest with diamond shaped leaves spanning about 2m and 3m long.
The palms are ideal for thatching roofs or walls as seen in orang asli homes and they typically last for a few years. These palms are also listed as 'endangered' and 'threatened' species in Malaysia. #umbrellapalm
A barking dog stood guard, ensuring we didn’t stray too close to their cozy home. As the trail bent around, it revealed the rolling mountains beyond, framed by overgrown ferns. Then, we heard the unmistakable splashing of water, and moments later, the gargantuan waterfall finally came into view.
We quickly refueled and took the obligatory photos, all while dodging the many hungry leeches lurking around. Our original plan to head to Lata Kijang was foiled by the pouring rain. It seems it’s my fate to return here for a third time.
Relfections
The waterfall hike is nearly a half marathon, covering 19 km with a total elevation gain of 1,180 meters. Although we had planned to visit Lata Kijang when we reached the Y junction, most of us were relieved we didn’t—rain saved the day!
It’s never advisable to hike in the rain, especially near waterfalls, as a sudden surge of water can flood pools within seconds, known as kepala air.
Instead, we made our way to the exit, eagerly anticipating our lunch plans.
Time reference Checkpoints
0745 - Start Hike
0930- Sungai Kering
1100- Lata Dinding
1330- Sungai Kering
1410- Exit
This spray here works wonders! My friend Jerry used up half the bottle spraying these creepies at this hike! Don't forget to bring it along the next time! (click here to get)
Date visited: 12th October 2024
Comments