Gunung Panti. The summit is the peak on the left.

Morning view from the summit of Gunung Panti.

Spend the weekend at the "garden" on the plateau of Gunung Panti. Gunung Panti is located near Kota Tinggi town and is easily identifiable by its plateau. Although Gunung Panti is more of a hill than a mountain, the air at the summit is cool and refreshing especially at night and in the early morning. At night, you may be able to find luminous fungi around undisturbed perimeters of the campsite although they can be quite faint and difficult to spot. In the morning, watch the mists which looks like low hanging clouds above the forests below as they slowly rise and overtook your campsite at the summit. You don't have to go up to the high mountains to experience being in the "clouds".

The forest trail is the most commonly taken route up Gunung Panti. The entry point is relatively easy to find as it is the right turn about 50 m before the Kota Rainforest Resort. If you have missed the turn, just stop at the Kota Rainforest Resort and backtrack. After a few minutes of walking on a muddy trail, you will come across a sign that says "Hutan Simpan Panti". You will know that you are on the right track. Soon, you will reach a stream and this is the last water source for the remaining of the trek. The terrain is still relatively flat as you walk through the secondary forest. After trekking for about forty minutes, you will reach a rock face and this mark the beginning of the steep ascent up the face of hill to the top of the plateau. There are ropes on some part of the trail which will help you with the climb. However, it is wise not to put the full weight of your body on the rope as the conditions of the ropes are unknown. Once you have get pass this part of the trek which will take about thirty minutes, the summit is just a short ten meters away.

The forest route is an interesting route to take with a slight technical section towards the summit. It is simple enough for any healthy individual to attempt although the technical section may be a challenge for young children. Leeches are often encountered on this route and you are advised to bring salt, vinegar or any other repellant to get them off your skin. Apart from possible infection of the wound from the bite, there are very few evidences, if any, of leeches transmitting human diseases.

Start of steep ascent.

Ropes to faciliate climbing up the steep section.

Gunung Panti is more than just a hill for avid trekkers who are looking for a weekend getaway. It is also frequent by bird watchers¹ and is also known for its diversity of plants and animal species². There is even a lizard that is named after it, Gunung Panti Bent-toed Gecko ( Cyrtodactylus pantiensis )³. It has also been reported that fossilized ancient plants from the Jurassic and Cretaceous period has been discovered on the Gunung Panti. While a trip to Gunung Panti can be completed within a day, it may be worth extending it to a two days one night trip to enjoy what nature has to offer. You may even chance upon a fossilized dinosaur.