It was a rainy Sunday morning. Bed weather hahaha. Still enjoying the cool weather but I need to get up. I am on vacation and need to stroll around. Around 10AM I went to Hentian Bas Bandar Kuantan (I think it is the bus hub for Kuantan). Bound for Sungai Lembing. You need to ride the bus # 500. The bus left around 11:30 AM and it was an hour-long trip.
You will know that you reached Sungai Lembing if you see balete trees standing tall in the middle of the street. Laid-back town. I walked around 600 meters to get to Backpacker’s Village which is situated in front of Muzium Sungai Lembing. Apparently, no one was there. No receptionist. No guests. Literally, no one. I then called the owner and he said he was still in Kuantan and will be back late in the afternoon. He then allowed me to get a key and opened a room for me to put my things first then settle after. I got the Vasco da Gama room (room # 1) which is close to the gate.
It’s getting late and my plan was to hike Bukit Panorama. This hill is 271 meters and is famous for its sea of clouds. That is why it is best if you will hike in the morning. Around 10 minutes of walking from the dorm, I saw myself at the foot of the hill. I was literally alone…again.. No one’s there. The trail is 95% (my assumption only) mainly staircase with railing.
As they said, approximately 1,000 steps to the top. There are a few benches for resting. I heard birds chirping and it was delightful to hear. Some busy bees too. Good thing I didn’t see snakes. I might freak out.
I strolled through the town. It was really quiet. Only a handful of people were outside. You can see that the town was really old and they were able to preserve the structures.
Most of them were 2-storey buildings which were made of wood or galvanized iron sheets.
I went to a house where I can rent a bike. Unfortunately, the owner was out of town. It is in front of the post office. I continued walking until I saw a Chinese temple (I think).
Thean Hou Temple. I think that’s the only church there. I didn't see any other churches there.
After the long walks, I rested in front of a football field. Enjoying the game of some high school students.
The sun was already set and most of the players were gone. I decided to have my dinner somewhere in front of the post office. The place was almost full. Tables were scattered outside as well. I would say..tidy and presentable.
I ordered Thai fried rice and fried chicken while watching a local telenovela. I was entertained though I didn't understand any single word hahaha. Just killing time. The server checked on me if the food was great.
I left around 8:30 PM and it was dark on my way to the backpacker’s village. I was the only one walking along the tall balete trees. Honestly, I really felt that I was in a horror movie. Let me just emphasize. The place itself was not scary. I really felt secure. It's just the quietness, cool breeze and me walking alone made me think that I was in a suspense movie setting.
I arrived at backpacker's village. And to my surprise, the owner did not go home. I was alone. All alone. Anxiousness sets in. Having the thought that I am alone in an unfamiliar place made me aghast. I hardly sleep. The surroundings were so quiet. Imagine this..the backpacker’s camp was sandwiched by a house at the right and a mamak at the left. Unfortunately, no one’s there either. In front is a big open space. It was dark except for those lamp posts strategically placed in the area. I could hear the crickets and the sound made by the branches of the trees colliding/touching the roof. Time was running slowly.
It was a sigh of relief when I received a call (around 6:19 AM) from Rizal. He was on his way to fetch me going to Rainbow Waterfalls. Rizal, by the way, was the person who arranged my trip to the waterfalls. I heard he was the community leader too.
The Rainbow Waterfalls was the main highlight of my trip to Sungai Lembing. But in order for you to reach it, you need to ride a 4x4. I paid 70RM for this trip. We stopped at a nearby mamak for breakfast. I ordered 4 pieces of chicken hotdogs, 1 sunny side up egg and rice. Got some few chit-chats with Rizal as we wait for the others to finish.
We were 9.
I met **Ily and her family **(4 pax) from Melaka and Akim and his workmates (4 pax) who traveled from Johor Bharu. All locals. I sat at the back of the 4x4. It was really cold. I can't seem to see Bukit Panorama as it was covered with clouds. It was pleasing to my eyes though.
We then headed to the mountain. It was a rough and bumpy road. We enjoyed every bump hehehe. Few minutes later, we arrived at the view deck. That was the first stop. There were 5 4x4s and all of us were waiting for the sunrise. It was a great setting. Imagine, in a 4x4 with a sea of clouds? Couldn’t ask for more. Took some pictures and left.
We crossed 2 rivers and the view was perfect. After an hour (8AM), we finally arrived. At the jump off point, there’s somehow a house or resting place and a restroom.
We crossed the bridge going to the other side. The mountain is so rich with trees. You can see different kinds of birds freely flying around the area. It was a relatively smooth walk. I say easy, but some areas can be challenging to those with knee or balancing problems. You have to navigate through some massive rocks and streams in between. Be sure to wear shoes or sandals with a good grip. There were muddy areas and slippery areas too.
After 15 minutes of walking, you can see a small waterfall. I took some pictures and began to follow the group. There were ropes that you can hold because there were parts that the path was slippery.
Few more minutes, we saw the reason why we were there - The waterfalls. It was a sight to behold. Can't help but admire this waterfall in front of me.
The Rainbow Waterfall is one of the most prominent landmarks of the town. It was named "rainbow waterfall" because the sun reflects on the waterfall in the morning and produces a rainbow. That is why the trip was only in the morning.
I joined Akim and his friends in their area. Had a little chit-chat about anything haha. We instantly got along as they were working in a manufacturing plant. I used to work in a semiconductor company in the Philippines for almost 9 years. We decided to take our free breakfast. Shah, our driver/guide, prepared noodles and coffee/tea for us.
After we had our breakfast, we decided to take a dip in the freezing basin of the waterfall. The mist was adding to the coldness. We decided to go to the waterfall itself. Most of the people were taking turns for us to have a picture. We approached Ily to take some pictures of us as her phone is waterproof (I was charging my gopro and forgot to bring it).
I can’t remember how many shots we had. All I know is that we are enjoying the moment. It is safe for everyone as the basin is shallow. No deep parts.
Around 10:30 AM we decided to go back. We need to walk around 45 minutes to 1 hour going back to the jump off point. We reached the town around 12:30 PM. We exchanged numbers and bade farewell to them.
The owner was still not around. I took a shower and prepared my things. But it rained so hard. Good thing that we were already in the town before it rained. I was hungry. I want to visit the Sungai Lembing Mines but as per Dien, it is still closed. I was sad as I wanted to experience riding the original tram and go inside the tunnel.
When the rain stopped, I checked the next bus trip going back to Kuantan City. It was 3 PM and will be the last trip for the day. I just ate gardenia bread as I decided to just have my decent meal in Kuantan. Went back to the backpacker’s village and got my things. Left the keys and messaged Dien.
While waiting for the bus, I decided to sit in a waiting shed in front of the football field. 4 middle school students approached me and made some conversations. The driver signaled me that we can hop into the bus. The bus was full of students. Most of them live outside Sungai Lembing. We reached Panching (the next town) almost all of them alighted. I enjoyed the view going back to Kuantan City.
Join me again on my next trip. Let's wander the wonders and be on the loose.
Things to know:
- No ATM is Sungai Lembing so bring enough cash
- Wear shoes or sandals with a good grip.
- Backpacker’s Village Contact Number: +60 11-7039 2993
- Rizal’s (4x4 ride) Contact Number : +60 12-947 9516
- Wifi is good
- Check the bus schedule