Gunung Panti, Lukut Trail
Gunung Panti, Kumpong Lukut
Gunung Panti. The summit is the peak on the left.
Location Kota Tinggi, Malaysia
Height 531 m
Terrain Forest trail
Recommended duration 2 days, 1 night
Ease of access Cab to the starting point of trek
Special equipment None
Good Relatively clean.
Not so good No drinking or cooking water at the campsite. Leech at the lower part of the hill.

Gunung Panti summit view
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. Despite having a height of just over 500 m, morning mists can be seen rising from the forests below in the early morning on the summit of Gunung Panti. The big rainforest trees on the lower half of the hill gives way to shorter shrubs, palms and smaller trees which is able to survive on the rocky steep section of the hill and the summit. Luminous fungi can be found around undisturbed perimeters of the campsite although they can be quite faint and difficult to spot.

Gunung Panti, Kumpong Lukut
Starting point of trek in Kumpong Lukut.

The trail from Kampong Lukut is less frequently used to reach the summit of Gunung Panti compared to the forest trail. It is much less technically challenging as there is no rock face to overcome but the trail may be less obvious. This route leads up to the eastern side of the plateau and it is a nice traverse to the western side which marks the true summit. The starting part of the trek is in a fruit plantation. However, after a few minutes of trek, the trail leads into vegetated area although tree cover is still quite sparse and it can get quite hot under the sun. After about half an hour of trek, the trail leads into the forest. Leeches can be quite common at this lower part of the hill. Nearer to the top of the plateau, the trail gets steeper as you trek up the plateau face. About twenty minutes of trekking on the plateau will bring you to the first campsite. There is a gully at the campsite which traps rain water. The true summit is another thirty minutes of trek where there may be some muddy sections to navigate across.

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.

Gunung Panti via lukut, start of steep ascend
Gunung Panti via lukut, start of steep ascend
To Nearest Town
Take a bus to Kota Tinggi bus terminal. You may check out the available bus services, prices and dates on http://www.busonlineticket.com

From Kota Tinggi to Lukut
Via taxi (March 2003)5:
Tell the driver that you are going to Gunung Panti via Lukut.
Cost: Approx. Rm 10 to 15 per taxi (one way)
Duration: 20 min Remarks: You may ask the driver to come back to pick you up for the journey back or go down via the forest route.
Duration(mins) Description Instructions Remarks
00 Plantation at the end of the road    
05 T-junction Turn right  
03 Wooden gate Cross the wooden gate  
05 Y-junction Turn left  
02 Stream Cross stream  
13 T-Junction Go straight This junction is not obvious
02 Y-Junction Turn right Uphill slope at the right side of the trail. Signboard at the opposite side of the route saying "Ke Gunung Panti"
20 Big rock   Trail continues behind the rock
05 Trail leads to the right   Start of steep ascend
15 T-Junction on top of plateau To summit, go straight.Turn left to see view of the southern part of Johor; End of steep ascend
06 Y-Junction [Sign board]"Ke Tapak Perkemahan" Turn left  
04 T-Junction Turn left  
10 Campsite Go straight Unreliable water source. Stagnant pool.
30 Summit, campsite    
Time taken to reach summit: Approx 2 hours.
Information courtesy of The MtTrekker5
Day 1:
Have lunch at Kota Tinggi town. Start the trek at about 2 pm
Set up tent at campsite prepare dinner
Rest for the night

Day 2:
Have breakfast and break camp. Depart campsite by 8 am
Reach main road and take bus to Kota Tinggi town for lunch.
There is no reliable water source at the summit. If you intend to camp on the summit plateau, bring sufficient water for cooking and drinking.
  1. Outdoors Sandals
  2. Light weight clothes
  3. Tent
  4. Groundsheet
  5. Gas stove and canister
  6. Lamp/torch
  7. Pots for cooking/ Mess Tin
  8. Small Shovel
  9. Water Purification Tablets
  10. First Aid Kit
  11. Toiletries
  12. Toilet Paper
  13. Extra clothing
  14. Kitchen utensils (Fork, Spoon)
  15. Rain gear
  16. Sleeping bag
  17. Cap/Hat
  18. Windbreaker/Jacket
  19. Lighter
  20. Swiss Knife
  21. Leech repellent
  22. Water for drinking and cooking

See map with contour lines here
References
  1. Lim K S, Yong D L, Lum W W, Lim K C. Birding the tip of the Malay peninsula: bird diversity and birding sites in Johor. BirdingASIA 2012; 17: 81.
  2. Li Y D. Preliminary List of Larger Vertebrates in the Panti Forest Reserve, South Johore (2002-2006). http://wildbirdsingapore.nss.org.sg/Store/Panti%20Vertebrate%20List.pdf. [04 Dec 2014]
  3. Panti Bent-toed Gecko. Ecology Asia. http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/lizards/panti-bent-toed-gecko.htm. [04 Dec 2014]
  4. Dinosaurs may have roamed in Malaysia millions of years ago - Central - New Straits Times. 28 January 2014. Read here.
  5. The Mountain Trekker - Gunung Panti via Lukut
[Date extracted]
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