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It is darn difficult to get Tibang waterfall in Ulu Slim. The people at waterfallsofmalaysia were not kidding when they rated this place as difficult in terms of accessibility. And having to bash through the muddy roads with 4 wheel drives for a two hours stay at the fall is just not enough.  Tibang waterfall, Ulu Slim Perak Having had some makan at the Slim River morning wet market, I hopped into my Vitara and started driving to the rendezvous point to meet up with the rest of the group. My next destination is Ulu Slim, roughly 16km away from Slim River town. The name ‘Ulu’ has always been associated with something ‘remote’. This place was no exception. Halfway in, I lost my mobile reception and the surrounding scenery started to reveal a more ‘traditional’ lifestyle. There were barely any shops in sight, no street lights, rarely anyone in sight and piles of wood at the side of the road for firewood. Strange though why the locals place them at the side of the road rather than stow they away in shaded area.  Firewood is still being used by the locals. Or are they used for something else? I wonder…
A few months back, I decided to join a group of adventurers to Tibang Waterfall in Ulu Slim, Perak. I didn’t really had time to write about it and was really occupied with other stuff. Tibang waterfall was listed as ‘difficult’ in terms of accessibility on the wtaerfallsofmalaysia website. The trip leader mentioned that off road (4WD) vehicles are necessary. I checked with them if my little Vitara is okay, they said Yes and we are all set.
Carpooling isn’t my best attribute. The thought of having a complete stranger in the car with me on a couple of hours drive is dreadful. I used to offer rides on public trips like these but after a few incidents of strangers wetting, littering and complaining about how my Vitara’s air-cond is not working and how bumpy it is…I now say to the world…get your own ride! Exceptions to my friends of course or at the very least people that I have met or correspond before.
 Some of the typical gear I pack for my jungle trips
An easy walk in the jungle to a waterfall is a dream come true for me. Unlike the 3 to 4 hours treacherous trek into Perlus waterfall and the hardcore (for me it is) 4WD ride into Tibang falls (I will post this a bit later on), my recent walk in the jungle was pleasantly easy. I doubt if I would have found this waterfall in Perting, near Bentong without nature guide HappyYen’s help. He has been there several times, so I felt quite confident that we weren’t on a wild goose chase.
While the Kota Tinggi waterfall itself is the main attraction at this resort, one can help but notice the presence of ‘Sunway Lagoon theme park’ here. The waterfall and part of its downstream river has been turned into a water park facility complete with artificial water slides.
This reminds me of Sunway Lagoon theme park!
As for accommodation, I was informed that the Kota Tinggi resort offers accommodation from the basic camping ground to the cozier hotel type rooms
The camping ground
Different types of accommodation facilities to suit different needs
Ample parking space, nice accommodation blocks, a naturally beautiful waterfall complete with water slides, this Kota Tinggi Waterfall resort looks very well maintained operated. The rivers are clean from rubbish and fishes can be seen in deeper pools, I would say that this place is well run and managed despite its location in the midst of the Malaysian jungle. Do I think it is worth visiting? I would say yes but not on weekends with 300 people around! Kota Tinggi waterfall is another waterfalls of Malaysia worth visiting. For a place that is so commercialized, the place really isn’t doing all that bad. Finding the waterfall isn’t difficult. Just head into Kota Tinggi and there are plenty of ‘air terjun’ signboards to guide you all the way. Off the main road towards the falls, the roads becomes narrower and a little bit winding. At one point, I was wondering if we took a wrong turn. Unlike the Perlus waterfall where one would have to hike for hours to reach the falls, getting to the Kota Tinggi waterfall can be done in the comfort of your motorized vehicle. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by an arch toll booth. Yup…you need to pay an entrance fee to enjoy this waterfall. I can’t really remember how much (my group got in free this time!) but I don’t think if it’s anything more than RM10 per adult person.
There are 2 main falls and several small cascades. The first fall is located just towards the end of the main road. To reach the upper falls, one would have to walk about 10 minutes via a specially built walkway. Visitors ought to be careful walking up the walkway as it is rather slippery.
The upper Kota Tinggi waterfalls is definitely much more impressive than the first one. The walkway will end closest to the falls for visitors to enjoy the cool breeze and beauty of it all. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall however is off limits. Due to safety and conservation reasons perhaps.
The Kota Tinggi waterfall is really nice despite the fact that it is highly commercialized. Perhaps the entry fee and private company running the place is helping the place to stay clean and attractive.  Perlus waterfall This is the Perlus waterfall. It is a magnificence tropical rainforest rainforest waterfall. For a location that is barely an hour’s drive away from the heart of KL city, I would say that I am impressed…really impressed. All things come at a price of course. This waterfall takes about 4 hours to walk. For someone who is fit, they can perhaps do it under 3 hours. I would consider this as a moderate trek. Not forgetting the trail was mostly up all the way on bush trail. Compared to the jungle plants of Perlus waterfall, I would have to say that the tropical jungle animals of Perlus waterfall have to be the highlight of this trip. This second visit to Perlus waterfall showcased some of the most amazing tropical animals I have ever seen. We didn’t have to explore off the trail to see these animals. They were like ‘exposing’ themselves to be seen, wanting to be photographs and appreciated. This is especially true for this particular snake. Not only was it lying low on some small plants but it was also right in the middle of the trail. With so many people walking pass it (some probably had a brush with it), the snake stood its ground and did not move much.  This snake is beautiful! There are a lot of interesting jungle plants on the trail to Perlus waterfall. A botanist will surely have a good time exploring this jungle for its entire flora splendor. Nature guide John Chan pointed out several types of Senduduk besides a variety of other useful plants.
It’s interesting to find out why the high concentration on bamboo in this area. Perhaps it is because of the soil and the terrain. As we walk further we come upon an opening with bamboos criss-crossing the entire trail.
The bamboo version of ‘Entrapment’? Bamboo is probably another one of the most useful plant one can find in the jungle. In a survival situation, bamboo can be used to obtain drinking water, build shelter, start fire and even provide food. The shoots of young bamboo plant is a popular local food, known locally as Rebung.
A Rebung The following are some interesting jungle plants I manage to capture during the trek.
Not a clue what plant this flower belong to
The shoots of a bamboo
Nice flower
A close-up of the flower
This flower looks like something from an alien movie
Ouch…not something you’d want to hang on to
Symbiosis or parasite? Okay…okay…the photos are not the best. Hey…I am learning. In any case, there’s simply too many things to just stop and photograph. I doubt if I will ever be able to arrive at Perlus waterfall that way. I reckon it would be even more interesting if I can be with John at the front of the walking party to learn as much from him. Throughout, I was behind…taking on the ‘sweeper’ role as a cover-up to my lack of stamina catching-up with the rest. Next…Tropical jungle animals of Perlus Waterfall  My leech sock and my boots This is a continuation to my recent Perlus waterfall trip. After my first trip to Perlus, I realize that I had to take extra gear with me. Leeches are aplenty along the trail to Perlus. They are everywhere. So…leech sock is a must this time. I make do without socks, tucked my pants in and had the leech socks up. Yup…I have my jungle boots on. It’s the only pair of shoes that will actually give me the support and grip that I need on the trail. The trail is mostly wet, muddy and slippery. Other things I packed extra for this trip was my UHF radio and my GPS. I want to record the route as much as I can. Cars were parked at local Orang Asal’s house. Sali was not around but his porcupine friend finally decides to show itself. It came out, though I doubt to greet the morning’s visitors, grabbed some fruits and quickly ran back to its hole in the cement walled ‘compound’. Click Nature Guides Malaysia to look for nature guides all over Malaysia. |
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