I had been mentioning about the beauty and legend of the Mount Santubong in my previous articles, yet I have never shared anything about trekking in Mount Santubong, and the reason is simple: I have never got a chance to do it. It was then that I told myself: “Cato, get out from the chair and make something different in your life”. It made sense, so when, while attending the 2016 Rainforest World Music Festival I was invited by my teammates and media friends to join them for a morning walk there, I said yes, and so did my colleague Phyllis. I was so happy she was willing to join me on this adventure.

An amazingly shaped tree encountered during the trek

I must admit that at first we almost change the plans as we were so tired from the festival. The previous night’s concerts had lasted until 1am, and that night we were busy dancing and singing with the band, to the point I have to tell you that Phyllis and I made the perfect back up singers for them!! Hilarious isn’t it?

However, on meeting up with our editor Thomas and with a group of Indonesian friends, we still merged and went ahead with the planned schedule. We were slightly late doe to the indecision, but we still managed to start the hike. The journey was made easy by the fact that we were lodged at the Damai Beach Resort  – thanks Sarawak Tourism Board for that – which is less than a 5 minutes drive from the trekking starting point.

The suspended bridge

By the time we reached the information centre at the Santubong Forest Reserve Office, placed at the mountain’s foothill, it was already 9am. Matthew the kind officer gave us a map and we were on the way. We wrote our name down at the visitors’ list and were soon on the way up.

Crystal clear water

There are two trekking options: one, the shortest, is a circular route to the Santubong Waterfall; the other is the harsh trek to the peak of Mount Santubong. My friend and I opted for the shortest one, also due to the fact that the time in our hands was limited.

I could still feel exhausted because of the previous night limited sleep, yet my enthusiasm for climbing was still burning. Maybe it was because I could take lots of pictures to match my articles, or perhaps it was thanks to my friend Phyllis, with whom I chatted a lot along the way, or could it have been thanks to the cool air and clear breeze I was experiencing? Whatever it was, I was so happy about the trip.

Happy at the small river

It was when we arrived at the fork that Thomas, joining a group of students from Perah in Malaysia, continued the trek towards the top and we all continued as scheduled towards the Santubong Waterfall.

It was a tough journey at first; we passed areas covered in stones and some of the track was not so clear after all. Yet, we paid attention to the red and blue markings first and to the blue later and we were fine. To recap: red ribbons towards the peak, blue ribbons towards circular trek. We marvelled at the several species of trees, small water flows, armies of ants, bountiful plant and a few wild flowers. We negotiated a couple of rope-aided climb, which reminded us of Tarzan movies, but the walk was smooth overall.

Wild flowers along the way

Phyllis and I reached Santubong Waterfall in less than an hour. I must admit we walked pretty slow, the reason behind it being that we both wanted to appreciate our time in the jungle, enjoying the scenery offered by this amazing mountain. At the waterfall we found a resting place besides the suspension bridge that goes across the stream. From there, we took great shots of the waterfall.

People swimming and soaking at the Satubong Waterfall

Some may say this waterfall is too small, but I was happy with it. It is perfect for bathing and relaxing, and the water is crystal clear and really cool. There is the chance to clim to the top layer of the waterfall, but it is only recommended if you are sure-footed and experienced. Also, diving or diving in the pool is considered too risky. Phyllis and I did not have swimming costumes on, so we just cooled in it, refreshing legs and face. My Indonesian friends instead enjoyed to the full, swimming and bathing like kids. On the surrounding area, a few people were enjoying the peace and some had even arranged a BBQ.

We then faced the way back with the same enthusiasm, and managed to meet a couple of adventurous girls from Kuala Lumpur. It was their first visit to Kuching so we shared a few tips with them. The way back took us about 30 minutes. We were so happy with the experience that we are already planning a trek to the top of Mount Santubong, which should be rewarding to say the least.

But let me now share some information for those who are keen to visit this place in the future.

A rocky track

The Santubong Waterfall is located within Santubong Forest Reserve, which was gazetted in 2007. It covers an area of 1410 hectares and the main attraction here is the mountain itself. Its peak is at 810 meters above sea level. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the waterfall, and 30 minutes back (which mainly depends on your pace and level of fitness). The trek to the top of Mount Santubong should take 3 to 4 hours for the 3.5 km hike.

It is recommended to start early morning when the sun is not so strong, and to do a bit of stretching both before and after the trek. This should prevent cramps and injuries. Bring enough water and food, use proper shoes and bring insect repellent and sun block with you. The time to be back at headquarters to sign off is 3pm.

Me at the hanging bridge

DO NOT leave any rubbish behind, and DO collect rubbish if you see any, and take it down to the park rubbish bins. DO NOT vandalise facilities or remove ribbons, DO NOT collect any plant or living being. For information contact Santubong Forest Reserve Office at +62 (0)82370100. Access to Santubong Forest Reserve Office is free of charge. Happy hiking!

SARAWAK FORESTRY

Website: www.sarawakforestry.com 

Email: info@sarawakforestry.com

National Parks Booking Office: http://ebooking.sarawak.gov.my/

Asianitinerary stayed at the Damai Beach Resort: http://asianitinerary.com/damai-beach-resort/

The post Jungle trek to Mount Santubong waterfalls appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

In my previous article, I wrote about the legend of Santubong Mountain, once a princess transformed into a mountain by her father’s curse. See http://asianitinerary.com/the-legend-behind-mount-santubong-2/ . Thus, in this article I would like to share with you a range of Santubong activities and attractions. Santubong is a great place for outing and it has become one of the mushrooming tourist attractions in Sarawak due to ongoing activities all year round. Hence, Santubong area nowadays is home to famous hotels and resorts, namely Damai Beach Resort, Damai Puri, Permai Resort and One Santubong Hotel. Besides that, Santubong is also surrounded by a few traditional villages like Kampung Buntal and Kampung Santubong, popular with its seafood and sea products like dried fish and shrimp paste.

The magnificent beach at Santubong

But now lets talk about the activities. First of all, Santubong is well known for its beautiful nature: the hills are suitable for jungle trekking, and the waterfalls areas for swimming and camping. The area is also located right next to the sea, and thanks to its amazing beach, Santubong offers plenty of beach activities: fishing, kayaking, swimming, as well as partying, picnic and gathering. It is such a peaceful place that adapts itself to family gatherings or even class gathering and religion gathering. Santubong is the best retreat for those who want to find a place for relaxing and sightseeing as well as for some thrilling adventure.

I can still remember when back in 2009, when I was at university doing my bachelor program, my friend and I used to come here for picnic. We would usually choose Damai Beach Resort and found the area to be the best escape from our studying lives. When there, I would grab the opportunity to go for one of my favorite activities: kayaking. From out at sea, I had the chance to see the beach scenery from a different perspective, and I can assure you it is a totally different feeling! I also loved messing with the sand, playing volleyball and finally, swimming in the blue sea, always bewaring of the jellyfish of course.

BBQ by the beach

Apart from the various activities, Santubong has several attractions. When talking about Santubong, those who have been there always remember the Sarawak Cultural Village, or SCV, a place where to meet and learn about Sarawak, the land of hornbill, of culture, of traditional architecture, of food, dance and lifestyle from various ethnic groups. A place that tourists should not miss, and a must visit if you wish to know about the Sarawak people.

Finally, after offering a great deal of nature and culture, Santubong is also popular with the world-famous music festival known as the Rainforest World Music Festival, running yearly since 1998. This event is held precisely inside the Sarawak Cultural Village, right at the foot of Mount Santubong. If you love world music, don’t miss this great event. Check it out on www.rwmf.net

That’s all can I share for now. I hope you enjoy your trip to Sarawak, and the numerous Santubong activities and attractions!

Check out on our recent trek to Santubong Waterfall HERE !

The post Santubong activities and attractions appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Mount Santubong is one of the most famous tourist attraction places in Sarawak. Located 35 kilometer from Kuching City, and reachable in a 45 minutes drive, facing the South China Sea and with its height of 2,658 feet above sea level Mount Santubong is a great deal for those who love hiking and jungle trekking. According to history, Mount Santubong was discovered by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855 while he was collecting specimen in Sarawak. Mount Santubong has been gazetted as one of Sarawak’s National Parks, and its nearby beach is recognized as one of the biggest wetland areas in the whole of Borneo. I find it worth telling you of the legend behind Mount Santubong.

Mount Santubong crowned by clouds

When people pass by Mount Santubong, they usually comment that it has the shape of a woman’s profile; whether this is true or not we leave to you to discover. What we can do is relate the legend behind it. Once upon a time, two beautiful sister princesses from heaven came down to earth to bring peace to a dispute between two local villages. Santubong and Sejinjang were their names, and they were both very talented: Santubong had amazing weaving skills while her sister Sejinjang was known for her talent in pounding rice. These two princess had many admires but would accept nobody’s charm for some time until one day they met Prince Serapi.

Great sandy beach at Damai

Prince Serapi fell in love with both of them and wanted both to become his wives. Santubong and Sejinjang in turn both loved Prince Serapi, and a frightful fight ensued since each of them wished to become Prince Serapi’s only wife. The quarrel turned increasing violent, with Sejinjang hitting Santubong in the cheek with her rice pounder and Santubong fighting back and hitting Sejinjang with her belidak, a tool used to weave cloths.

When their father the King realized what was happening, he was extremely angry and came down to earth to curse the three of them. Both sisters were transformed into mountains, namely Mount Santubong and Mount Sejinjang, while the broken pieces of Sejinjang’s head scattered into the sea and became islands: Pulau Kerak, Pulau Satang, Pulau Talang-Talang, Pulau Lakir and many more.

Myth and history mix in the traditional folkloric tales of the legend behind Mount Santubong. If you plan to visit Santubong, don’t miss a visit to the surrounding attractions such as Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), Damai beach, Kampung Buntal and the waterfalls.

Check out on our trek to Santubong Waterfall HERE !

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