Thursday, March 14, 2024

Taiping Maxwell Hill Hiking

Taiping Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) hiking trip from 8 to 11 March 2024 ... Activities:

(1) hike up Bukit Larut via forest trails that start from an Indian temple;

(2) visit Terong Waterfall, Taiping;

(3) visit Lanno Valley 逍遥谷, Ipoh.


(a) Hiking team lead: Terence Phuah and Jimmy Teh;

(b) Waterfall team lead: Jimmy Teh;

(c) Lanno Valley team lead: Ewe Heng Teong;

(d) Organizer: ChanHN.

Overnight in Kevin's Dragon Place Guesthouse Taiping - a clean, cozy and comfy huge bungalow that has 8 bedrooms and 8 toilets. 

Trailhead and car parking information is listed at the end of posting.

Do CLICK HERE to view photos taken by yours truly, KC Leong.

Trailhead in front of an Indian temple

The hike this time has more forest trails with a mix of existing tar road: Trailhead to Rain Station 3 then Great Wall all via trails; from there, we took the tar road to Tea Garden. 

From Tea Garden, we followed the red electric-cable pipeline and hiked via trails up the steep slopes. The last part was walking on tar road to arrive at Bukit Larut peak.

One way up from trailhead to jeep terminal is about 7km with elevation gain of about 1,000m in 4 hours' hike.
A big waterfall in the background ... Josephine Lee and Gillian Ong

Taiping Bukit Larut will reopen to jeep passenger service this June 2024, complete with two campgrounds with 22 campsites. Bukit Larut has been closed for 4 years due to landslides and also Covid-19. During this time, only hikers are able to arrive at the peak. Most resorts here are in a run-down state. We went to Cendana Hut which I stayed there before, and were sad to see that it suffers the same fate. (refer end of posting for Cendana Hut photos).
Straight up is the trail for MMTF trail running event, and will arrive at Box Bungalow. We took the trail on the right, passing by a waterfall and lead us to Rain Station 3.
Cross this waterfall to arrive at Rain Station 3 ... Ong Soon Aun
The peak of Bukit Larut
A big and unique tree at the peak of Bukit Larut
Dragon Place Guesthouse Taiping; facing Bukit Larut.
Dragon Place Guesthouse Taiping - More information is listed in Google Maps. Click Here
Gotong-royong in preparing dinner 
Big living hall
At Taiping Lake Garden
A picturesque Taiping Lake Garden
Terong waterfall 
Terong waterfall
Sunrise at Bintang Range - The small "V" next to a wide "V" is where the peak of Bukit Larut is situated. Photo is taken at the top of the guesthouse where there is a 360° viewing platform. 
Fishing pond near Taman Panaroma Rapat Indah, Ipoh
Lanno Valley 逍遥谷, Ipoh

Hiking up Taiping Maxwell Hill via forest trails:

(1) Trailhead is opposite 'Thanneermalai Sri Thandayuthapani Alayam' Indian temple about 100m away, TNB pole #36 ... Click here.

(2) Park your car here, the 4-point junction before Kaki Bukit Larut. Refer to the Street View of Google Maps. From here to trailhead is 850 meters. Later, you can take bath in the toilet of Kaki Bukit Larut, about 200 meters away from this junction ... click here.


The Trong Falls - Terong waterfall, Taiping ... click here

Previous hiking of Maxwell Hill in 2017 ... click here

Run_hike up Maxwell Hill and overnight in Cendana Hut 2012 ... click here

Posted by KC Leong.