Endau Rompin National Park Johor Adventure (Part 3)

4D3N Endau Rompin Adventure (Peta Entrance) from 20-23 Sept 2025 ... a fun and memorable adventure with water tubing activity, night walk, serious-stuff hiking, camping, river crossing, swimming at the cascades of Upeh Guling, taking boat ride and 4WD. Team members: KC Leong (organizer), Alice Siew, Ally Chong, Anita Mak, Iris Lee, Moon De Cerine, Gillian Ong, Sandra, Wey Tyng; Chan How Nean, Ernest Tang, Keong Wong, Ng Lay Keong, Tong San Hee. Chief Mountain Guide - Adil; Assistant Johor Mountain Guides - Syaiful and Ms Sue. Trip arranged by: Green Trekkers Sdn Bhd (details in the last image). Pejabat Pendaftaran Taman Negara Johor Endau Rompin (Peta), Kahang; For registration and also park your cars here overnight; click here for location. When the access road is ready, then one can drive all the way to the Visitors' Centre of the national park.

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

The registration office in Kahang (after Kluang) is just a shoplot and we parked our cars for 4 days just in front of the shop. Anyway, it was a safe parking.

The chalets for overnight are just behind this sign post.

All meals are included in the package - Ally and Wey Tyng

Visitors' Centre chalets where we spent one night here before the hiking

Water tubing activity for one hour

This is how we transfer the camping stuff to campsite. The 4WD service is vital in the national park to ferry people from/to the various places for activities. Most of us hop on at the truck bed (back of 4WD) - Iris Lee

The Chief Mountain Guide, Adil, and the assistant guide, Syaiful (with spectacles), heard conflicting warning sound created by birds and monkeys from far and near. They suspected impending danger with the presence of tiger as this is their territory; so they set up fire and smoke to scare away any predators or spirit, if any. They are not using firecrackers method as they believe that the spirit would harm certain members of the orang asli community.

Another lesson learn: bring along a lighter when hiking big mountains.

Endau fan palm - uniquely and abundantly found only in this region. You have to be here to see this unique landscape - Iris Lee, Wey Tyng, Ally and Keong Wong.

Time to enjoy our packed lunch cooked by the Cooking Team

Janing Barat (543m) junction - an important junction where the Full Trans (a new and longer trail starts from Visitors' Centre) and the normal trail that starts from NERC (Nature Education and Research Centre) meet.

Ms Sue (left of photo frame) - another Johor Mountain Guide. She was leading the Full Trans team (longer route, tougher terrain).

Due to heavy rain in the late afternoon – on special consideration for safety – we were allowed to set up tents here for one night.

Kuala Jasin Campsite and Chalets area

All meals in the trek are provided - Ally, Anita, Wey Tyng, Gillian, Alice.

Tents rental is available at an affordable price (the two 3-man grey tents at the far end); You need to bring own sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and pillow. 

Start of journey (from Kuala Jasin Campsite) to Upeh Guling Waterfall

Passing by Kuala Marong Campsite - Iris Lee

The Chief Mountain Guide, Adil, was sharing his knowledge and experience with us while flanked by two leng lui - Gillian Ong and Ally Chong. The Endau Fan Palm, other than an icon or logo, can be used as a fan.

Strewn logs mess - swept along during a massive flood in March 2023 (journey to Upeh Guling Waterfall). It needs another flood to clear these logs away.

Upeh Guling cascades and waterfall, and the famed stone bathtubs

Upeh Guling cascades and waterfall, and the famed stone bathtubs

Upeh Guling cascades and waterfall, and the famed stone bathtubs - Ally and Iris

Upeh Guling cascades and waterfall - Sandra

A group photo before leaving Upeh Guling cascades and waterfall

Nice to complete the adventure with a sumptuous Chinese food.

新客栈Xin Ke Zhan Restaurant, Kluang (recommended by Felicia Hew whose hometown is in Kluang).

This photo is from Keong Wong.

Feel free to form hiker groups to enjoy this adventure. In my opinion, best group size is around 14 hikers as there is the economy of scale.

And before taking up the Endau Rompin challenge, one must train 'kaw kaw' at Mini Tahan (of Bukit Dinding, Kuala Lumpur).

At Kuala Jasin Campsite - the cooking crew are from Kampong Peta (Visitors' Centre). Distance apart = 8km. I think during normal days when there are no visitors, Kuala Jasin Campsite is devoid of people.

There are chalets at Kuala Jasin Campsite; one can consider not camping (thus reduce the amount of stuff to bring).

Posted by KC Leong

Hat Yai _ Beruas Buddies

The schoolmates of Beruas (Perak) went for a holiday trip in Hat Yai from 27-31 July 2025, after the successful self-drive trip to Betong same time last year. During end July in Betong, there were abundance of durians; to our surprise, there was little durians in Hat Yai.

Generally, food in Thailand (Hat Yai and Betong) is cheaper. With my normal estimates, group funds is with a balance of 4,540 Baht (about RM600). Out of the 5 days, we have 6 meals of eating in Thai restaurants for Thai food - really heavyweight stuff. 

Do CLICK HERE for 318 photos taken by yours truly, KC Leong.

At Jerai Hill Resort

Itinerary:

Day 1 (Sun, 27 July 2025)

- Self-drive; lunch at Sawaddee Thai Eleven Restaurant (Sungai Petani);

- Overnight at Jerai Regency Hill Resort (colourful sunset and sunrise).

Sunset at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 2 (Mon, 28 July 2025)

- Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant; check-in Aura Hotel Songkhla;

- Visit Old Town Songkhla Gate, Hub Ho Hin (Red Rice Mill);

- Visit Samila Beach, Golden Mermaid Statue;

- Dinner at Koh Yor De Lagoon Restaurant for sunset view;

- Overnight at Aura Hotel Songkhla.

Next morning sunrise at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 3 (Tue, 29 July 2025)

- Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant;

- Visit Cable car Hat Yai City Municipal Park and Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple (same location);

- Lunch at Bon Khao Restaurant City View;

- Visit Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol: The Stainless Steel Temple & Pagoda;

- Dinner at Kan Eng Restaurant 甘英餐室 (known for its delicious Southern Thai cuisine);

- shopping at Lee Gardens Night Markets;

- Overnight at Hatyai Midtown Hotel.

Next morning at Jerai Hill Resort

Day 4 (Wed, 30 July 2025)

- Shopping at Kim Yong Market (eat prized Kan Yau Thai durians at a stall by the roadside);

- Visit Mahattamangkalaram Temple (Wat Hat Yai Nai): massive statue of a reclining Buddha;

- Lunch at JJ Chicken Rice Hainam (with air-cond);

- Visit Central Hat Yai (largest shopping mall in Songkhla Province);

- Visit Four Face Buddha Shrine;

- Dinner at Jaelek Thai Restaurant (good Thai cuisine and Chinese food);

- Overnight at Hatyai Midtown Hotel.

Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant

Day 5 (Thu, 31 July 2025)

- Breakfast at Chen Loong Boat Noodle 成龙面条;

- Drive back to Kuala Lumpur;

- Detour to 中華面馆 Zhong Hua Restaurant (Alor Setar Chinatown) for lunch. 

Lunch at Maimoke Restaurant

Team Members (14 persons):
KC Leong (organizer) & Annie; Kee Huat & Le Yoan; Thomas Yau & Loo Kui Hiong; 

Nyoke Khuan & Swee Ho; 

Belinda Chong and Wendy Tan;

Captain Roy; Chen Hock, Chee Liong and Yow Choi.

Visit Old Town Songkhla Gate

Visit Hub Ho Hin (Red Rice Mill)

Visit Samila Beach, Golden Mermaid Statue

Dinner at Koh Yor De Lagoon Restaurant for sunset view

Aura Hotel Songkhla - second hotel that we stay

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit SeaVerse Cafe & Restaurant

Visit Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple

Visit Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat Temple

Lunch at Bon Khao Restaurant City View

Visit Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol: The Stainless Steel Temple & Pagoda

Shopping at Lee Gardens Night Markets

Midtown Hat Yai Hotel - we stay here for two nights; the adjacent building is Diana Shopping Center

We managed to eat a bit of Thailand's prized Kan Yau durian at New Kim Young morning market @ 100Baht a kilogram

Visit Mahattamangkalaram Temple (Wat Hat Yai Nai): massive statue of a reclining Buddha

Visit Central Hat Yai (largest shopping mall in Songkhla Province)

Do CLICK HERE for photos of Betong_Beruas Buddies holiday trip in July 2024.

Posting by KC Leong

Mini Tahan of Bukit Dinding Hike

Bukit Dinding Hike

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Distance: 10km;

Elevation gain: 721m;

Total time: about 6 hours.

(Data from Strava)

CLICK HERE for WikiLoc trailmap of KL See See and Kazumi Otai trails.

Photos below: click on the image for actual bigger file size display. (Photos courtesy of ChanHN, Helen Khoo).

Group photo at the trailhead

After completing the challenging hike of Mini Tahan trails, the team emerged at a junction of a tar road for refreshment break. This tar road leads one to the peak. After that, we walked to the peak for photos shoot. 

We entered the KL See See (for KLCC) trail to return to carpark. We passed by the first view point: City View Look-out Point. The trails are well-marked; we just followed the pink markers.

Mini Tahan trail is with steep uphill and downhill slopes

We arrived at another viewpoint: Setiawangsa Viewpoint. Here, there are tables and chairs for resting or enjoying the nice view of the city skyline. After that, we followed the orange markers for Kazumi Otai trails. Returning to carpark via this trail is challenging: other than the steep descent, there are a few steep ascents. Imagine when one is already tired, one still has to hike up a few steep slopes.

The iconic tree of this Mini Tahan trail

This combination of trails – Mini Tahan, KL See See, Kazumi Otai – is excellent for tough training, even better than Bukit Kiara or Apek Hill. The Mini Tahan trails are not suitable for beginner hikers - tough and technical. There were two mobile drinks stations selling drinks. If the elevation gain is still not sufficient, one can always do another reversed loop. 😀 

Having refreshment break after emerging from the Mini Tahan trail. The tar road leads one to the peak of Bukit Dinding

In high spirit

We enter this trail to return to carpark ... homonyms: KL See See = KLCC Building

The first look-out viewpoint

The second look-out viewpoint - Setiawangsa Viewpoint

Kazumi Otai Trail - with steep slopes

Descending the challenging rock face 

Yeah, we did it !!Compare Blue Trail and the KL See See Trail and Kazumi Otai Trail

When we were hiking Mini Tahan trails, at one point, we would see the convergence with Purple Trail. From the trail map, the Purple Trail starts from the other trail head (where vehicles can follow the tar road to the peak).

Posted by KC Leong