Bukit Sisek and Pelepah Waterfalls

last weekend i went hiking with adventures unlimited for the third time. i opted for this trip because even though we're only scaling a relatively short bukit sisek (411 masl), the end game was to chill at pelepah waterfalls. and boy were we in for a 'treat'. 

we assembled 7am at the regular spot in woodlands mrt and waited for the merry holidays bus. sucan, the host from adventures unlimited, updated that today's bus driver is a noob and got a bit lost so we left quite late, around 7:45. 

this hike is on a saturday, and the following tuesday is a holiday in singapore, and it is typical for working folks to take monday off to have an extended holiday, so that was probably the reason why our bus was hardly moving from woodlands towards the checkpoint that the driver decided to detour to tuas instead.

from tuas checkpoint, kota tinggi is a mere 72km drive away. without accounting for traffic, google maps indicate that the drive would take only about 90 minutes. it was a big fat lie! we got delayed so badly we all had to take our lunch while on the bus so we could get started hiking as soon as we arrived there.

and we did only around 12:30pm. we got dropped off near kota tinggi waterfalls resort and started walking immediately. as soon as we got off the concrete road we had to cross a shallow river. then we walked past a palm plantation. 

the scale of deforestation that happens to allow the planting of palm trees was not obvious until we got to the vista point. on the one side where the plantation is, there's a lot of cleared area. 

luckily the other side towards bukit sisek is still full of green. if not for that big patch of brown, everything else was beautiful.

this group is comprised of only 22 trekkers and 4 guides, so it's a relatively small group. most notable in the group was that brave 9-year-old who came to trek with his dad. the trek to the summit of this hill was slightly harder than gunung arong. in fact, it's quite ironic since bukit sisek is considered a hill vs. arong which is a mountain, even though it is shorter. but we'll leave that argument to the experts. 

there were a few cases where we had to use ropes to pull us up/down and it didn't help that it was muddy and slippery. 

along the way we saw some wild flora like the carnivorous pitcher plant and this spiky-stemmed plant that seems suitable as an apocalyptic, zombie weapon. and of course, the jolly ol' leeches. but unlike in the previous hike, the ones here seem to be bigger. definitely more creepy.

it took us about 2 hours to reach the peak. the weather was not on our side and there had been short stints of sudden downpour throughout our hike. it was pouring when we reached the peak, so we only managed a quick groufie before we decided to head towards the waterfalls. since it was raining, the guides decided we were going to descend the same way we went up, as the alternate route to the waterfalls via the rivers may not be safe when it rains as the water rises. 

now the real adventure started once we took on the path towards the waterfall. if getting to the summit was physically taxing because of the steep, slippery slopes, it was a different ball game to cross the river and walk on the rocks, and across the rocks. 

it started out okay, with just the shallow waters and the small rocks. 

then the rocks became wider and more slippery.

then the rocks became bigger that we had to use ropes to keep our balance as we walk over them. 

then there were areas where the water is too deep for crossing but there's no defined path to walk, so we had to kinda walk across boulders. what's more, the whole time that we were traversing towards the waterfall, it was raining.  

miraculously, we made it. a group of us 4 were ahead of the others who needed some break. we wanted to reach the waterfall quickly because it was already past 4 and it was getting dark. it must have been past 5 when we got there.

honestly when i saw the waterfall, i got a bit dismayed. sure it was nice, but it didn't seem worth dying for. the trek was quite perilous for the reward. nevertheless, perhaps it was the badge of accomplishment that we actually pushed through. the others settled to chill on the river a few meters away. 

i was really concerned about the time at this point. it's very cloudy as the rain had been on and off, and it will get dark really soon. imagine having to trek back into that danger zone in the dark? that would be a big no-no. i convinced jamie (as pictured) that we should head back. she agreed, so the guide had no choice but to make a move with us. the others followed suit.

the rain was getting harder at this point and it was really hard to focus with water dripping from my face. luckily i was right behind the guide, and he helped by pointing to the spots where i should step on. 

it was a routine of crossing the river where the water was now waist-level, then walking up the muddy track, then using ropes to walk across rocks. there was a particularly difficult obstacle which didn't seem too hard as we were coming in, but was a lot worse heading back. going towards, we had to use this rope with knots to somewhat do a short rappel across this giant rock to head on lower ground to keep moving. going back, we have to use this rope to pull ourselves up, and basically plant a good foot and walk up to the path on higher ground. as i was right behind the guide, i had to mimic what he did. so i tried.

while attempting to cross, i did an INVOLUNTARY tarzan-style, rope-grabbing, water plunge but not after i hit the said boulder and got a lime-sized bruise! it all happened so fast it didn't really sink in on me how bad it could have turned out to be. had i fell into the more shallow part of the river, or worse, where the rocks were exposed, it would have been a terrible ending. 

now in the water, which was luckily only neck deep, i quickly realized that i had to look around and find my flip-flop (i lost one) and to get off the water before the current pushes me. i lost my mi-fit band (thankfully it's cheap) and i realized how smart it was that i put all of my valuables and clothes inside the waterproof bag, which is inside my not-waterproof backpack that is now soaking wet. jamie looked at me, not knowing what to say, and i immediately just made it sound like no big deal and laughed it off, so as not to worry the rest who were gonna make that same pass. they all took their time and nobody got as unlucky as i did. 

everybody made it back alive, albeit bruised and bleeding from leech bites. while waiting for the bus driver to show up so we could get our stuff from the bus, i realized i had unwanted company. yes, a leech. damn, i really got the best of luck that day. 

the driver opened the bus and everybody was looking forward to a nice shower at the resort. but then a couple of the trekkers came back with bad news: the resort was now closed (?) and we were not allowed to use the bathroom, even if we pay. great. we then decided to just change clothes in the bus, with the ladies going in first. then we drove to a familiar restaurant for redemption dinner, and back in singapore by midnight. 

i am torn between deciding if this trip was a great adventure or a dangerous misadventure that should not be repeated. but i know that i will do it all over again. besides, my bruise looks kinda cute. i'm thinking MIFFY. 😆

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malaysia unlimited: bukit sisek and pelepah waterfalls
organized by adventures unlimited
may 26, 2018

some photos and all videos borrowed from sucan of adventures unlimited and other members of the group.

Trans Yam Tuan Antah hiking trail: Gunung Datuk, Gagak and Rembau

i went hiking again! my prior hike with adventures unlimited to gunung arong was quite fun and actually relatively easy, so i came back with them for more. this time it's a notch more difficult, as we were going to summit three mountains in one hike. and without proper sleep. today we were headed to negeri sembilan, a state in between KL and malacca, to conquer gunung datuk, gagak and rembau. 

pre-departure photo (from AU team)

we assembled at woodlands mrt at 9:45 and departed just before 10pm. due to the long weekend in malaysia (and everybody being quite happy with the election results) there was no human traffic in both woodlands and jb checkpoints. we had a 2am stopover for supper, where most of the folks in the group waited for half an hour for KFC to cook fried chicken, and continued our journey at 3am. we arrived on site around 4 and met our local guides. there were a lot of groups for today, and so we were a little worried about making it up there for the sunrise. at 885 masl, the estimate to reach gunung datuk's peak for average climbers is about 2 hours.

we started the ascend, after the other groups have left. most of us were moving too fast that we caught up with the other groups and were at their tail. it was a bit disappointing at first because we had to wait in line to get up, not having a good rhythm to pace the hike. eventually, we overtook the other groups. we reached the peak before the others did, so we got dibs on the best viewing platform in gunung datuk. hurray!

 it was a tad cloudy so we didn't get a perfect sunrise photo, but nevertheless lots of pictures were taken. 

we started to make a move around 7:30 to assemble near the summit's photo spot before we head over mountain #2: gunung gagak. the 'lead group' started and we followed the local guide, while groups 2 and 3 were slightly behind with the AU guides.  

the path towards gunung gagak was more muddy, and as we began to take notice, leech-infested. no wonder our local guide was moving so fast! him and three other people were leading the pack, they're walking so fast we couldn't even see them in front of us. then suddenly, we heard screaming. they encountered leeches! we had a bout with them ourselves, and it took me a while to realize one already got to me. luckily it was just a small one! 

video from rickesh

we pressed on despite the leech problem, and reached gunung gagak peak after perhaps an hour and a half or so. the group rested here for a while, but soon realized that the leeches were closing in. we managed to take a group photo before moving on to mountain #3. it was obviously done in a rush, hence a bit blurred haha.

grou-fie by sucan

there were a lot of creepy crawlies in this forest, but i was in no mood to stop and take photos frequently because i was afraid of becoming leech buffet. here's a few snapped by sucan of the things we saw (and a single photo from me of a giant beetle):

and here are some interesting flora too. my favorite: the one that looked like a mouth full of pearly white teeth!

but at this rate people are getting sick of the leeches, so we all somewhat rushed to get to the third peak and then head back to re-convene at gunung datuk for our break before the descent. no group photo was taken then as people were literally just walking to the peak to take a photo and immediately leave. leeches were everywhere. 

video from way peng

it was past 11 when we reached gunung datuk summit base. there were a lot of people there at this time, mostly students on an outing and some families. i quickly had my lunch and tried to squeeze in a power nap, only to be awakened moments after that everybody wanted to leave. and so we started the painful way back down.

we are now making our descent towards the same trail we followed to trek up. coming up it was very dark so it was not so obvious how steep the trail was, but coming down was a killer! i was very exhausted but kept pressing on, thinking it would end soon, but it took a lifetime before we reached the end!

video from raudhah

a sigh of relief came as i heard the people in front utter in delight that we have reached the trail entrance. i saw a couple of AU folks who assured us that there is a stall selling all sorts of cold beverage and ice kachang and that of course, there was a toilet. 

i downed a can of ice lemon tea in record time and relieved myself in the toilet. i have successfully avoided wilderness peeing today from 3am to 2pm. that was probably the achievement of the day 😃

our next destination was the R&R so we can take showers and change out of our stinky, sweaty clothes. then a good nap in the bus on our way back home. as we walked towards Merry Holidays, our trusty bas persiaran, we looked back at the mountains we conquered today, feeling satisfied.

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malaysia unlimited: trans yam tuan antah
organized by adventures unlimited
may 11-12, 2018

some photos borrowed from AU team; all videos from other members of the group. thanks for another good hike!

Sumatran Jungle Trek

some time in january i met a guy via linkedin over matcha latte (totally random, and an entirely different story). we talked about our travel experiences and he shared about jungle trekking in sumatra to see orangutans. he was very thorough and detailed about it that i could imagine myself being in it. i was so inspired that i immediately checked for flights to medan. it was dirt cheap (at that time, $119 roundtrip) i decided to do this for labor day. i casually asked my friend siti if she's interested to jungle trek and see orangutans and she replied with a "yes i wan!" and i went my merry way planning this trip.

we booked flights via garuda indonesia. we were all set by march, and then garuda decided they won't fly singapore-medan direct anymore. we were reassigned to a flight that stops over jakarta. we weren't pleased because the direct flight would have been just over an hour, and now we have to spend a few hours in layover before we arrive in medan. and then weeks later, they changed our flight back from medan-SG to have a layover in jakarta too! aaargghhh! luckily mine was a redemption flight and i could cancel it without fees, and i was able to get a redemption via silk air for just 15,000 krisflyer miles. garuda paid for siti's new silk air tickets.

it was around 9am when we got out of the airport to meet our driver. he told us it would be a 4-hour drive to get to bukit lawang. more, if there's traffic. and there was traffic. and occasionally we'd drive past unpaved roads which sucked when you have to pee. we arrived at the ecolodge past 1pm to meet lilix, the tour manager for bukit lawang tours & trekking. he explained everything while we were waiting for our room to be ready.

our jungle adventure started the next morning. when we got to the reception, our guides sandi and zanet were already waiting for us. 2 more ladies were joining us for this trek. girl power!

as we walked past our immediate surroundings, sandi explained that we were in a rubber plantation. the bark of the trees are scraped to let the sap flow, and a coconut husk on the ground collects the sap. for our first water break, we remembered to take a photo of us in uniforms, before we sweat on it!

when we got past the plantation, and into the 'arya' area of the jungle (and apparently we were not in gunung leuser yet) sandi and zanet started making orangutan 'calls' - mimicking the sound they make. not long after, we spotted ratna and her baby. sandi said we were the lucky ones - first to see orangutans that day.

since we weren't far from the town at this point, the guides have good network reception and have announced that apes have been spotted. in no time, all the tourists flocked to our spot! some are doing just day treks (3 hours), some are camping like us, all elated by the first sighting.    

we pressed on, and walked past some trekkers who are having a break and enjoying some fruits. "how come they get fed?", siti demanded 😮 i can't blame her though, trekking is exhausting and makes you hungry. it was a cue for sandi to find us a good spot and feed us fruits too. 

after the break, we spotted another orangutan and shortly after that, another guide informed sandi that mina and her offsprings are nearby. we approached with caution, but it was a bit daunting, knowing about her history and what she's capable of. the rangers had to feed her constantly to make sure she doesn't do anything silly to us civilians.  

we continued on until sandi found a clearing and announced "welcome to jungle restoran!" it was finally time for lunch. we had a simple meal in brown paper, eaten with just a spoon. after lunch i saw a few giant birds fly past and sandi said those were horn bills. we also saw a baboon up close and a couple of gibbons high up on the trees. no more orangutans were seen post lunch. before 5pm we reached our campsite for the day. we were so stoked! the sound of the river rapids was so soothing after an exhausting day of hike. 

our camp area was quite secluded. guests of other tour companies are camping about 100m away from us, as seen from the photo above. we were quite happy about the privacy (or maybe this was an after thought, once we've seen what our camp site for day 2 was like). the water was very cold, and a lot of huge, flat rocks were on the surface, making it so nice to just lie down and enjoy the natural spa. bliss! when it got dark, the place turned into nothing short of magical. there were lots of fireflies! 

the next morning, while having our breakfast, we saw a troop of monkeys invade the river for some playtime before they traveled further up the banks. it was quite amusing, though all of us were feeling sluggish because we didn't sleep well the previous night no matter how tired we were. i suppose we're not pros when it comes to jungle sleeping just yet.

then it was time to leave for second day of trekking. we wanted to take a different route so sandi told us we'd walk through the river first before hiking up. getting through the river was definitely no walk in the park. we had to be really careful because we're walking on rocks and if anybody slips then it's definitely going to be a bad time. we thread for maybe half an hour, until we came into an intersection where the river splits into two directions, and there is a large pool of water where we saw people were swimming. 'we stop here,' sandi said, 'and then we trek up'. 

there was no visible path to hike up to, and then we realized it was going to be a wild vertical climb right next to where we sat to rest. sh*t just got real. 😫

by the time we stopped for a break, i was sweating profusely that it was dripping from my chin. yuck! luckily we have enough water and our usual fruit platter for replenishment.

sandi asked if we're ready to go up, up, up and down. and he wasn't kidding. while going up was pretty hard on the legs, going down was equally challenging. it was mostly muddy and slippery, so our legs have to be tense and steps very calculated so we won't slip down and possibly knock someone else out haha. 

it was only around 2 when we spotted our first orangutan mom-and-baby for the day: jaky and her baby. unlike mina, jaky was more prim-and-proper. she was not demanding at all haha. we quietly admired them swinging all over until we had to move on.

after a very grueling trek down, so steep we have to sit and step down on some occasions, we finally reached camp site #2. when we got to the river, there were a lot of camp sites and people. booo! there were a couple of orangutans hanging around. sandi said they come daily, because of the tourists. they knew they'd get fed. 

our camp site was further down the river bank from where we descended. on one hand that's great, because we are somehow away from the big crowd. on the other, we are downstream from these groups. siti was so worried that those guys are going to pee and the water coming our way will be contaminated lol

we were told that they would sell beer. so when we went to take a dip into that cold water, all 4 of us shared 2 beers. we didn't drink more though, because each beer is $6. besides, after an exhausting day drinking lots of (warm) beers didn't seem too appealing. 

there were no fireflies in the evening. but since it was our final night, and no more treks were planned the next day, we had more fun that night. we played all sorts of funny guys, like that crazy danish game where we pretend to be roosters. sandi brought out more card tricks and all sorts of magic with his fast hands. it must be almost 11 when we retired to our tents.

the next day, i was the first to wake up again. but this time it was a bit later, at past 8. we all had better sleep than the night prior. today was just going to be breakfast and chill, then head back via tubing. sandi said that normally guests stay there to relax until after lunch before heading back, but we were going back early because the danish girls had to travel back to medan in the afternoon for an early flight the next day. 

and finally we're off! i don't have a waterproof camera so i couldn't capture all the fun as we floated downstream and back into ecolodge. here are a few photos snapped before that.

we had the rest of the afternoon free so we opted to do a village tour to see bukit lawang. we saw rice fields, cocoa trees, women chopping betel nuts and visited a rice and tofu factory. we finished off with fried bananas and young coconut. after an early night, we had to leave before 4am to travel back to the airport and fly back to singapore.

it was such a great first experience to sleep in the jungle! it was tough, but definitely empowering to know that i could do it. so maybe, more jungle adventures to come. 

if you want an awesome experience like this, check out more at www.junglesumatra.com / www.bukitlawangguide.com. you can also directly contact lilix via +6281364108007  to plan your trip: he could also arrange for airport transfers, accommodation and other tours. ask for sandi and zanet if you want to have amazing guides!