Immersing Air Terjun Pelangi (Rainbow Waterfall), Sungai Lembing, Kuantan

Air Terjun Pelangi (rainbow waterfall) is located near Sungai Lembing Town, Kuantan. Called by the local as Air Terjun 500 (because the fall is estimated at 500f height), it is a very beautiful waterfall with the unique rainbow will always appear around 9-11am every day as the mist produced from the fall would refract the morning light

In this trip on 28th Feb 2010, a total of 31 comrades from Luarbiasa Photography group went to camp and hike to Rainbow Waterfall. The outing were combined with a one day Photography Seminar (sponsored by NIKON) at UIAM Kuantan where majority of the comrades also doubled as the facilitator during the practical session.

Roughly our 2D1N itenary is as follows

DAY 1
5:00 pm - IIUM Photoseminar ended. All comrades start preparing for the camping & start moving towards Sungai Lembing Town
6:45 pm - Convoi reached Sungai Lembing town (once famous with tin mining). 4wd & modified hilux (so it can accomodate 12 passenger) already waiting for us. Parked in front of the Sungai Lembing Police Station. The road towards Air Terjun Pelangi is immediately in front of the Police Station.
7:00 PM - convoy (consist of 2 4WD, 1 hilux, 1 storm, 1 pickup lorry & 2 kembara) started the off road journey towards Air Terjun Pelangi camp site.
8:20 PM - reached the camp site. Performed the maghrib prayer then setup camp
9:00 pm - While waiting for the lamb to be fully roasted, few fellow comrades start to immerse under the river by our camp site. It is indeed refreshing and surprisingly the water is not too cool at all. Some even immerse until 1am before sleeping.
11:00 pm - Dinner time with roasted lamb.
12:00 pm - Majority started to sleep for tomorrow's adventure

DAY 2
5:00 am - a cafe opened by Wanoridz & uDa. Breakfast consist of scrambled egg,lamb roast & australian cheese served.
6:00 am - subuh prayer
7:30 am - start trekking to Air Terjun Pelangi. The trekking is mild with few hill to climb and we trek along a river most of the time. At first everyone need to pass through a river around thigh level (those with camera bag at waist level need to be very careful at this first river crossing,later were told that normally the water is around waist level but during our visit it was draught season a bit..)
8:30 am - after an hour trekking journey we finally reach the base.. some already starting taking photograph level by level until reaching the raiwbow waterfall. But since it was draught season, the mist produced by the waterfall is so little and only a few rainbow appear for a while during our stay there.

10:30 am - start to trek back to our camping area.
11:30 am - preparing for our journey to go home
12:00 am - start convoying to Sungai Lembing Town
1:15 pm - reached Sungai Lembing Town.
1:30 pm - have a quick lunch at one of the roadside restaurant and after that everyone start their journey to go home after 2D1N adventure.

We definitely would repeat Air Terjun Pelangi. I'm hoping to hike Gunung Tapis as well.

Some of the pictures from Air Terjun Pelangi Trip


The waterfall (draught season = smaller fall)


A small consolation rainbow for our trip


Immersion ceremony


Smaller stream/waterfall along the way

HOW TO GET HERE - Air Terjun Pelangi

If from KL - Use the Karak Highway towards Kuantan direction. Before Kuantan there will be signboard indicating Sungai Lembing exit. Exit there and follow the sign towards Sungai Lembing.

If from Pantai Timur - Just go to Kuantan and from Kuantan there should be ample sign indicating Sungai Lembing direction(if you didnt find any sign go to Indera Mahkota area, west side of Kuantan).

When you reach Sungai Lembing town, find the police station at your left side. The police station should be immediately found at the entrance of the town. Immediately infront of the police station there is a junction. That is the junction toward Air Terjun Pelangi. It is not advisable to go on your own if you never been there as there will be few junction without signboard along the way. Your vehicle must also suitable for offroad drive (from the Sg Lembing town-Air Terjun Pelangi journey) and be prepared for loads of scratches.

After about an hour plus, you will reach an open area by the river. Here is where the first crossing (trekking). You can camp here or at another place further up a bit from here.

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Broga Hill, Semenyih - Land of Grass

"And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance."

[ Al Hijr verse 19]

Broga Hill is a love hate story for me. The first time i went there is the first hiking trip i join.  During that time, underestimate proved to be bad thing for first timer like me. I remember i bring my whole complete camera equipment up there. The total weight must be about 15kg (two camera body,  4 lenses, 3 flash,1 small umbrella,1 monopod, 1 tripod). While we start climbing in early morning, scores of people keep bypassing me include a group of elderly. What a shame. Hahahahaha.. (i remember swearing i wont repeat this madness again.. hehehehe)

But when you reached the top.. Everything is different... the beautiful land of grass is so majestic and peaceful.. Peak after peak (there is three major peak at Broga Hill),  you would simply admire this place. After the first trip i repeat this place for few times ( i think the total is 4 times). Once i went there during the weekday alone. Very calm and peaceful. But a major lesson learned is never bring your whole equipment on a hiking activity even thought its only a hill like Broga.

Here are some of the picture i'ved taken at Broga. I wish i have the opportunity to repeat hiking in Broga. The only thing stopping me is the distance (45 minutes from KL - Bukit Tabur is nearer!) and the crowd. Some how Broga's fame has grown quite high for the past year and crowd of people would be there every weekend making traffic jam on the single path. Some committee claimed to be representing the community even start charging for car park now (RM2) - which is quite ok for me as now there would be some people guarding around the parking area.

There is one bad memory at Broga, in one of the hiking to Broga led by me, one of our fellow hiker tear both his ligament accidentally. You can read about it here by Faiz Zaki. The incident is even featured in Harian Metro albeit with lots of factual errors. Accident can happen anywhere, even at Broga Hill where the slope & trekking path can be categorized as very safe. You need to exercise caution at all times and never take things lightly.

A friend of mine told that there is another small mountain beside Broga Hill called Gunung Tok Wan which is 3KM from the last peak of Broga. I definitely would repeat broga to visit this small mountain.

Here are some of the picture taken at Broga Hill from my several trips






Me @ Broga


Land of Grass


Ashikin Abdullah (visit her blog here)


Sir Mart exhausted after re-hike to bring ice & water for his injured niece (Visit his blog here)


Nature (IR)


Couple @ Broga (IR)


Azli from top of Broga overseing Bandar Semenyih (IR)


Me @ Broga (IR)


Entrance tree to Broga

How to get here - Broga Hill

Assuming you are coming from KL. Find the Kajang-Cheras Expressway. You will need to pay two tolls (as now - 2010 the toll stand at RM1 and RM0.90 ). Just follow the highway until you find Semenyih exit. Exit towards semenyih (left) - see google earth picture below. After few kilometers you will reach Semenyih Town.

From here you should go straight,
- you will bypass a BhP petrol station on your left,
- then a T-junction with traffic light ,go straight - immediately after the junction you can see Semenyih Police station on the your left and Semenyih Mosque on your right
-go straight until you see a petronas on your right, immediately after the petronas there is a T junction with signboard stating left is for Nottingham University & Broga. Take left here. (refer to the google earth picture below)

 - from there you just proceed until you see nottingham university on your left, go further ahead until you reach palm oil plantation (here the road would be reduced from 4 lane into two lane only). Here find an entrance road to the palm oil plantation on your left. If you came during weekend normally there would be other car parked there already.
- park you car there and just follow the trail into the palm oil plantation
- at one point the trail break into a Y junction. The left trail  heading further to somewhere while the right one heading upwards. Take the right one. And just follow the trail onward.
- you will reach your destination in between 30-50 minutes depending on your speed, stamina & how long you need to queue :D

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Save Bukit Tabur West Wing, Gombak - The Longest Quartz Ridge in the World

"And you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allah , who perfected all things. Indeed, He is Acquainted with that which you do."

[ An-Naml verse 88]

Bukit Tabur is world-class geological monument located beside Klang Gate Dam, Taman Melawati, Gombak. This is my favourite weekend recreation spot due to its proximity and the moderate challenge that it posed to every hiker that scaled it... Until now I've been there five times where four of it i hike the complete circuit from end to end...

Bukit Tabur is very unique where it you can see from afar especially from MRR2 that it is built from quartz ridge... According to some sources on the net.. they claimed that the Klang Gate Quartz Ridge is the longest in the world.. at about 16km total.

However this great natural gift to our nation is under threat... the planned KL Outer Ring Road (KLORR) will cut through this Klang Gates Quartz Ridge dragon backbone citing this option has the minimum cost compared to other alternative... yeahhh.. rite! (read this article by thestar). Best cost when you failed to acknowledge the invaluable heritage of this place.. I'm deeply saddened with this turn of event.. just five years ago they gazette selangor park where Bukit Tabur is part of it and now they want to destroy it forever..

In this article by the Edge few month ago it cite that the Selangor Goverment is pushing for the inclusion of two sites (one of it Klang Gate Quartz Ridge) in the prestigious United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage List. I prayed for this to be a reality.

MNS Selangor has response swiftly to the proposal.. read their comment here, really hope it would be championed by MNS Malaysia as well as we need every helping hand to stop this from happening.

You can also do you part a bit.. sign a petition here .. at least

Here are some of the picture i taken while hiking there...









Tabur Hill during golden hour


Bukit Tabur East from West Wing (IR)


Petualang Bukit Tabur


Misty morning at Tabur Hill


Arey @ Bukit Tabur West Wing (IR) (the person who introduced me to this hill)


Carpet Grass at the 2nd last hill



More picture here

How to Get Here - Tabur Hill (West)

If from Gombak - Use the MRR2 road toward the Ampang direction. You'll be passing Karak Highway entrance (on your left) then Taman Melati (on your right). Go further 1-2km and you'll see Taman Melawati on your left. Take the left turn at the junction under the flyover (see picture) into Taman Melawati.

If from Ampang - Use the MRR2 road toward the Gombak direction. After a petronas station on your left you'll see signboard to Zoo Negara. Stay on the left side of the road and follow the Zoo Negara signboard. The signboard will bring you to the junction under the Taman Melawati flyover. Instead of U-turn to go to the Zoo Negara, take right turn into Taman Melawati.

Not long after entering Taman Melawati you'll see Caltex & BHP petrol on your left and also a school at you right (see picture above). Keep going straight until you found a roundabout. Take 9 o'clock at this roundabout. (see picture below)

After about a kilometer you'll reach another roundabout, take 12 o'clock. Then you'll bump into T-junction. Take right turn and immediately after that another right turn (if you miss the another right turn you'll go to Bukit Mas Apartment). (see picture below)

From here just follow the winding road until the end. You'll find  the entrance to the dam (Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd). Park anywhere nearby and hike up the starting point not far from the entrance.

From the hiking point, you'll reach the first unblocked sunrise point after about 10 minutes. A better sunrise point is available along the way. The higher the better the view. If you want to do a complete circuit (end to end) you'll need about 3 hours to do it. If you intend to do the full Tabur West circuit, just follow the hiking path to the end. Immediately before the last hill there is a path to the left. This path lead to an orchard. Follow this path until you found an orchard hut. Keep to the left. (There is one case in 2009 where some hiker got lost when they take the right turn and thinking that they are lost they request for help from the authority. A whole group without anyone knowledgable about the place should never hike an unknown area or you'll risk the safety of the whole team)

While you were on this path you should be able to see Bukit Tabur ridge beside you on your left. Sometime you can also hear the other hiker at the hill talking loudly to each other. Just follow the path until you found a kampung house. The exit is very close already. Follow the tarred road downward until you reach the T junction. That is the end. (Your car probabily at the left junction near the dam entrance)

SAFETY NOTE Tabur is not an ordinary hill. Even though its height is only merely 442m (unconfirmed height) the hiking consist a lot of rock climbing with few steep 70-90 degree slope waiting for you. Few rope will assist at several dangerous point. Any fall could be fatal. Remember the case of two doctor from a private hospital in Ampang. Both of them fall to their death here. If you scared of height (gayat) then this place is certainly not suitable for you.  Read this blog posting of an another incident happen there (east side) witnessed by the blog author. Just follow the common track and you'll be safe and make sure one of you team member has been here to guide the way.

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