Hiking enthusiasts from around the world and locally are always excited by the challenging twists that nature has to offer here in Malaysia. If you’re traveling to south anytime soon, sweat out a bucket at these 9 IG-worthy hiking trails in Johor!
1. Gunung Arong, Mersing, Johor
This mountain is the 3rd lowest mountain in Johor, 898 feet high. Gunung Arong is located in Tanjung Resang, Mersing. Since it’s the highest landmark in the Tanjung Resang area, this hill is called a mountain.
The history of this mountain comes from a man named Harun, from Terengganu. He was the first person to reach the top of this mountain. Because Harun was from Terengganu, his nickname was Arong in the Terengganu dialect. That’s how this mountain got its name.
A forest reserve in the Mersing district, this is one of the hiking trails in Johor that is known as attraction for tourists who love the beauty of nature. There’s a beautiful view awaiting hikers from the top of Gunung Arong.
Address: Tanjung Resang, Mersing.
2. Gunung Pelepah Kiri, Kota Tinggi
Gunung Pelepah Kiri is located in Kota Tinggi, and is close to Mount Muntahak. The start of the trek is before the Kota Tinggi waterfall gate, entering through the palm oil fields on the left. Basically, you have to follow the creek until you pass the palm oil fields and enter the forest.
Like many challenging hiking trails in Johor, this mountain consists of many waterfalls. It’s low at first, and gets higher over time. According to the website waterfallsofmalaysia.com there are 12 levels of waterfalls and the most important is level 11. You need to be careful because at every checkpoint / level of a waterfall or even a pool, there are fallen logs that you need to cross.
Address: Gunung Panti Recreational Forest, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor.
3. Gunung Belumut, Kluang
Gunung Belumut is located in Kluang and is under the jurisdiction of the Central Johor Forest Office. This mountain has a height of 3,313 feet or 1009m above sea level.
At the foot of this mountain is a recreational forest and many people come on weekends with their families to have fun at the waterfalls and creeks. Gunung Belumut is also one of the most famous hiking trails in Johor that is often visited by hikers from Singapore. The Gunung Belumut area was closed for trekking activities a while ago because there were signs of tigers roaming around in the area. This area was reopened after Perhilitan stated that this area was safe for hiking.
Address: Gunung Belumut Recreational Forest, 86000, Johor.
4. Gunung Pulai, Kulai
Gunung Pulai is a mountain located in Kulai district with a height of 654m. It’s one of the well-known climbing locations for locals and Singaporeans. Visitors will pass through Kampung Sri Gunung Pulai which is the entrance to the recreational forest. The diversity of flora and fauna is an attraction for visitors to have recreation on the mountain.
Address: 81000 Kulai, Johor.
5. Gemilang Hill, Kulai
The beauty of the blue lake located nearby Gemilang Hill has now become the talk of many people, especially among netizens. The average Malaysian community including the residents of the state of Johor themselves don’t know the existence of this beautiful hidden lake.
The original history of the appearance of this blue lake is the result of a chemical reaction of rocks and quarry soil which is the source of the lake’s water. There are no aquatic creatures living in this lake.
Address: 81000 Kulai, Johor.
6. Cappadocia, Ulu Tiram
Want to feel as if you’re in Turkey but don’t have the money to fly over? Head to Cappadocia in Ulu Tiram! The sand banks here are almost similar to those that you’d actually see overseas and make for awesome pictures to share with your friends on Instagram!
Address: J11, Kampung Sungai Tiram, 81800 Ulu Tiram, Johor.
7. Gunung Lambak, Kluang
Located about 5km from Kluang Town, Gunung Lambak Recreational Forest is quite an interesting destination for visitors who are thirsty for the beauty of nature.
At the foot of Gunung Lambak, there’s a recreational forest that’s quite beautiful. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to swim in the pool and climb the mountain. For children, a playground is available. Accommodation facilities are also available.
Address: Kampung Dato Abdul Rahman Yassin, 86000 Kluang, Johor.
8. Gunung Banang, Batu Pahat
The height of Gunung Banang is 1402ft. There’s a tar road available to get to the top. As it gets closer to the peak, there’s no tar road. A dirt road leads you to the top. If you’re an expert hiker, maybe you can try going through the forest.
Address: Batu Pahat, Johor.
9. Gunung Ledang, Tangkak
Only 30km away from Muar and close to the main road, this place is often visited not only for its mountains, but also for its waterfall picnic area. Don’t be surprised because the number of visitors per day during holidays can reach up to 5,000 people.
For those who want to spend the night in a forest atmosphere but in a comfortable condition, there’s a resort at Gunung Ledang with 60 chalets and 30 forest cabins.
You can actually climb this mountain and return back to the foot of the mountain without having to spend the night here. This is because your hiking distance is about 5-6 hours.
If you don’t want to go all the way up, you can climb up to Puteri Waterfall which takes about 30 minutes to climb from Gunung Ledang Resort.
Address: 26 Batu, Jalan Segamat, Sagil, 84020, Johor.
Written by Kartini Kannan
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