1st large waterfall of Sungei Pelepah tributary

Discover the hidden waterfalls in a small forest stream and end the day star gazing on an open campsite. Sungei Pelepah is a river with several tributaries about 15 minutes' drive from the town of Kota Tinggi. The waterfalls described here are found in one of the tributaries of that river. The starting point of the trek is near to the entrance of the Kota Tinggi wet world resort where Sungei Pelepah passes through and it has a large waterfall in the resort. Unlike the bigger and more mature rivers of Berkelah and Jerangkang, the trek along tributary of Sungei Pelepah is either on the stream or the forest trail just beside it.

Pitcher plants are a common sight at the campsite.

The route along Sungei Pelepah tributary waterfalls is generally clean as few locals come on this trek. The first large waterfall is about five stories high and you can stand on the huge logs that lie across the base of the waterfall. There is no plunge pool for swimming but it is a different experience to stand right at the base of the falling water. The second large waterfall is just off the main trail. Visitors usually just catch a glimpse of it as they cross over the top of this waterfall. The last waterfall is a long series of cascading water probably seven to ten stories high and there is plunge pool at the bottom for swimming. You may even take a slide down the side of the rocks into the plunge pool. The main campsite is a large sandy and flat area. Pitcher plants form part of the sparse vegetation on this nutrient poor land. Small, centimeters tall vertical sand columns each with their stone shield to protect the sand beneath from rain can be seen on the sand bunds on the campsite. Some old rusty equipment can be found here which could be the remains of previous tin mining activity. The area of Jalan Lombong was known to contain tin that can be mined open-cast [1]. You may spend the night star gazing although it can get quite chilly in the middle of the night. Cooking and drinking water may be collected from the flowing stream about forty meters away. Although there is a pond near the main campsite, it is not advisable to use the water from there for drinking or cooking as it is stagnant.

2nd large waterfall on Sungei Pelepah

The starting point of the trek is near the entrance of the Wet World Resort where there are oil palm plantations. The Sungei Pelepah tributary runs by the side of an oil plant plantation. Although visitors usually walk through the fenced up plantation, there are some suggestions that the guards may not welcome it. The other way is to walk along the tributary until you to the end of the oil palm plantation and back to the trail. The trail can be slightly technically challenging as there are several places where you need to climb up rocks on the side of the stream. Some parts of the forest trail are less stable and have been swept away by small landslides and are replaced by new trails via alternative path. The campsite is on a flat ground further upstream and at a distance away from the last large waterfall. Across the stream from the campsite, there is a dirt road that leads all the way down to the plantation at the side of Wet World Resort. Taking this road will bypass all the waterfalls along the way although it is a shortcut back to the main road if you just wish to get down fast.

Sungei Pelepah main campsite.

This trek is generally pleasant although there are some things to take note of. The campsite, although comfortable for spending the night, does not offer much in terms of scenery. There are some mosquitoes and sandflies at the campsite but these can be quite easily kept away with mosquito coils. Food should be kept away in the tent as rats have been seen at the campsite. There are isolated encounters with leeches along the trek but they are generally rare. One part of the trek involves walking on the stream through a thirty meter long gorge. Although there is no report of flash flood, this is probably the most dangerous part of the trek in the event that there is one as the steep walls prevent any escape from the rising water. As with all river treks, one has to be very careful and not take things for granted. Although the stream is shallow on most parts, there was a report in 2002 of a Singaporean student who drowned there in 2001³.

The trek to this tributary of Sungei Pelepah is popular among Singapore students as the starting point of the trek is easily accessible and it is also near Singapore. It is still relatively unspoiled although there has been some complains of trash building up at the rest points and campsites. There are some technical parts for this trek but they can be overcome with the help of experienced members of the team. Although it is a small forest stream, it must be given due respect.

Last and the highest waterfall along Sungei Pelepah tributory