Stong Waterfall
Baha's Camp - Mount Stong, Ayam, Baha
Stong Waterfall
The 270-metre-high, seven-tiered Stong Waterfall is reputed to be the tallest waterfall in Peninsular Malaysia. It is located in the 21,950 hectare 'Gunung Stong State Park' that was formerly known as 'Jelawang Forest'. The directions to the park can be found in the post about Baha's Camp, a camp that is located on one of the higher tiers of this waterfall.
Before we proceed any further however, I have to take a moment to make a disclaimer and to urge you to use common sense and caution when doing anything in the vicinity of the waterfall, and especially so when preceded by a bout of rain. Please also jot down the numbers that are listed below. If you do see any suspicious behaviour when out hiking, encounter things like traps and snares, or even see protected animals or their parts that are sold as either collectibles, pets, or for (so-called) medicine, then please do not hesitate to contact the wildlife crime hotline. Be sure to try and document it as best you can with photos or video without putting yourself in danger, and take note of the details: descriptions of those who are involved, as well as when and where it took place."The Wildlife Crime Hotline, managed by the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), provides YOU an avenue to report offences involving endangered wildlife in Malaysia. We protect the identity of all informants, only key info of the reports are forwarded to the authorities."
Emergency Numbers
Wildlife Crime Hotline 019-356 4194 Wildlife Department 1800 885 151 Kelantan Forest Territories 09-9556 055 Jeli Health Office 09-9440 333 Jeli Bomba 09-9440 444 Jeli Police Station 09-7867 222Getting There
Waterfall Sections
There are several notable sections of the waterfall that can be accessed. The lowest one lies a short walk away from the entrance of the Gunung Stong State Park. This level tends to be a bit more crowded as it is the most easily accessed and it lies very close to the chalets that are dotted around this area of the park.
The trail that leads up to the next section can be found to the left just before the bridge that crosses the waterfall. This trail ascends the hill heading west and follows the southern side of the waterfall. After about 10 minutes or so you will come across a gap in the foliage to your right where you can step out onto the rocks.
You can also make your way up the rocks towards the base of the waterfall following the rocks on the right side and either continue all the way on the right to the base itself or take an easier path through the tuft of trees in the middle. To the far right of this section lies another path that leads into the forest to a small shed that is located in the middle of the forest trail that leads up to Baha's Camp.
360 Panorama
Once you get to the base of the waterfall you will find that there are two pools on either side, both of which are deep enough to have a decent swim in.
360 Panorama
To get up to the upper section that can be found next to Baha's Camp, you can either take the trail that I mentioned earlier that leads into the forest to a small shed and then turn left to follow the trail uphill for another half an hour or so before reaching Baha's Camp, or you can descend back to the first waterfall near the entrance of the park, cross the bridge and make your way up the trail for an hour or so. Once you get to Baha's Camp, you can find a trail to the left of the entrance that leads to the rocky edge of the upper section that most people use as a viewpoint for the magnificent sunrises.
If you head deeper into Baha's Camp (heading west) you can find another path that leads down to the rocks on the left after you pass the wooden huts. This section is called 'Kolam Tuan Puteri' (Princess Pool) and is well known for the slippery section that people use to slide down (the dark section in the middle of the rock in the photo below) which can be accessed by clambering up the rocks from the left hand side of the waterfall There is also a boulder that you can jump from. Be careful however if you attempt this as there are sections of the water that are quite shallow.
You can also head up the trail for another half an hour or so to get the the upper sections of the waterfall that consist of the 'Y Waterfalls', which are named because this is where the waterfalls from both Mount Ayam and Mount Stong converge. The 'Telaga Tujuh' (Seven Wells), which are a series of narrow holes that one can submerge themselves in can also be found heading up this trail.
Waterfalls of Malaysia
Waterfalls of Malaysia
Whoaa!!! nice pictures. How long is the hike ?
It takes you about an hour to trek from the entrance of the park to Baha’s Camp (http://ramonfadli.com/2013/05/28/bahas-camp/) which is one of the points that give you access to the waterfall. There are several other points along the way up that also offer splendid views!