4X4WD EXPEDITION TO LATA BEREMBUN, RAUB, PAHANG.

This expedition is the first 4x4WD off road expedition from Kampung Cina Sg Chalit to Lata Berembun, Pahang organised by club for its members.  This expedition was joined by 4 advisors, 4 students and 2 grad students.  This is a costly adventure that requires each of members to pay RM65 to accommodate the rent of the 4x4wd and foods.

As usual all the members gathered at Twintech premise at as early as 7.30 am on Saturday morning.  Even though there were only a few of students joined this expedition due to almost end of the lecture weeks, and with lots of assignments to meet the due dates, it is best time to explore the area and the cost for the next planned expedition.

the members pose for picture while waiting for the 4x4wd...

“Located 38kms from Raub near Kampung Baru Cina Sungai Chalit is Lata Berembun, a picturesque waterfall that is also ideal for camping and picnics.  It is only accessible by 4x4WD that takes you past verdant fruit orchards and plantations growing guava, durian and cocoa.  Located almost 1000m above sea level and surrounded by thick forests, the water is icy cold.  Lata Berembun is located halfway up the slopes of the massive 2000m Gunung Benom which is still mostly unexplored and has seen few climbers.” - quote by other blogger

The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Raub, Pahang through Bentong took almost like 2 hours using north-east highway.  We've reached the village around 11.30am and immediately scouting for the 4x4WD for transportation to the waterfall.  Since we did not booked earlier for the jeep because confidently it will be easy to get one, it proofed we were wrong.  We nearly did not get the transportation because they were fully booked by other campers or tourist or hikers.  After asking around, our luck was smiling on us.  We managed to get 2 jeeps to accommodate 12 of us. 

The 4x4WD looks too small to accommodate 6 people.  But that is the maximum they can allow.  There were other types of 4x4WD that can accommodate more people and bigger in size but I suspected it must cost more.

this is the first transportation that we encountered that laden with palm fruits.

one of our 4x4wd... it looks small for 6 people, minus the driver...

our young members were too excited to experience the ride...

For this type of 4x4WD, it cost RM250 per vehicle on day trip.  But since we are going for camping a night at the waterfall, it cost RM320 per vehicle.  So after doing some calculation, it cost each person around RM54 just for the jeep.

Around 12.30pm we start the engine and off we ride the 4x4WD on the smoothly tar road passing the fruit orchards and housing area.  Not long after that the wheels were riding on the hillside plantation covered with dusty red soil and big stones.  The journey became tougher and tougher.

easy ride at first...

view at the hillside plantation... those are the roads that the vehicles drive thru..

the ride was dusty and uncomfortable.

The ride was fun and scary at the same time.  We couldn't sit straight or still as it keep jumping up and down and most of the time we have to hold to the bars tightly as possible or otherwise you could be thrown out of the vehicle.  After ½ an hour drive suddenly the first 4wd occurred some complications, punctured one of the tyre.

The driver managed to call one of the stations below to send us a spare tyre.  While we waiting for the tyre to come, we played some old traditional game that called ‘jet lalang’.  It is a game when you pick a weed and crafted them like a plane and throw them as hard as you can and see who flew the farthest of all.  It was fun at the time while there’s nothing else we can do besides waiting...

occupied ourselves with the traditional game...

After ½ an hour waiting, the spare tyre were here brought by another 4x4wd...

the tyre which cost about more than RM1,000...as we've been told...

The process of changing the tyre was fast.  It only took like 5 minutes and then walla!!! We are ready to continue the journey.  Below are the pictures which we managed to snap despite the difficulty to hold the camera while the 4x4wd crossing the uneven trek.

Not very far away, there were 2 vehicles (I think it may be of Toyota Hilux and Ford that has been modified becoming 4x4wds) stranded in the middle of the trek.  We thought we have to go back and just forget the plan to camp by the waterfall.  But suddenly the driver asked us to get off the jeep while he attempts to overtake the stranded vehicles, bravely.

What an experienced it was and how thrill it will be if I myself manoeuvre the vehicle in the difficult situations.  I can only imagine...

The journey continues and once in a while we came across with other jeeps that coming down from the waterfall site.  After reached the first bridge that bridging the calm river, the trek became tougher and difficult to ride on.  Sometimes we feel that it is impossible for the 4x4wd to drive thru.  There were also where the trek were covered with cement because it had at one point become worst with frequent used of the trek by 4x4wds.

After 1 hour drive to the waterfall site (excluding the ½ hour waiting for the spare tyre to arrive), we’ve reached the second bridge.  This is where the vehicles are not allowed to cross.  We understood that ourselves when seeing big boulders resting at the front bridge.  Not even a motorbike can go through the boulders.  However they can cross to the waterfall site through the gentle stream beneath the bridge.  Only 4x4wds and scramblers are tough enough to do so.

this is where the journey of the 4x4wd to end. here we have to trek to the campsite by foot.

the bridge to the waterfall.

The trek from the bridge to the waterfall site took only like 5-10 minutes trekking.  From far away we can see the glimpse of the beautiful waterfall shimmering under the heat of the scorching sun.  What a sight.  But to my surprise, modernization has set their foot to this once a virgin jungle 13 years ago of my last visit.  There were few gazebos has been setting up near the waterfall reducing space for campers to set their tents, and even toilet complete with water pipes and toilet bowls.  There were also tents were arranged at the roof of the toilet house makes us wondering if there were people doing business of renting them to tourist.  And the site were also creating eyesore with the rubbish dumping all around.  What a waste.  But somehow the waterfall still the same, unharmed and beautiful, the water were icy cold even under the heat of sun, the stream still full of fish which we enjoyed fishing them.

at the early trekking...

almost there... there is the glimpse of the waterfall on the right side..

surprisingly there are tents been set up on the roof of the toilet house.

our spot for our campsite facing down to the waterfall, quite far from the stream...

Somehow we managed to set up our tents and ground sheet at higher level distant from the waterfall but near to the toilet house.  We discovered that nearby there are water pipes convenient for washing.  Well, it is not that bad after all.

After setting up all the tents, and the foods were properly arranged on the ground sheet covered with flying sheet as roof, enough with all woods for burning, we had our late lunch.  But on every faces showed the anxious to dive into that tasty waterfall lake.  We couldn’t wait anymore.

The water was so cold I couldn’t even dive in.  Just sitting on the rocks admiring the beautiful waterfall with one hand holding the camera that just don’t stop capturing what my eyes captured.  It was a divine moment just looking at the God’s created.

view of the waterfall from our camp site.

Some of the members were already on the way up the hill by the side of the waterfall heading towards the most anticipating small lake complete with the famous water slide that our leader had told us several times for many months before.  It was a best kept secret of the Lata Berembun that not many knew about the place.  That is because you need to hike like 15 minutes before reaching the spot.  And the hike, even it is just a short hiking, it is not an easy one.  The routes were quite tough and tiring alongside the river on your left and you had this feeling that you regretted at first for joining this hiking at the first place. But once you reached the area, it was a huge satisfying and worthwhile.

the other route to the best kept secret of lata... it is on the right side  of the waterfall.

hiking to the secret spot... it is tough...

upon reaching, this is the view... seen our young members enjoying water sliding.

the water are cool and fun for swim...

....and dive....

....and water slide...

It was a beautiful place to swim and the most fun is the waterslide.  It is wide and the water is gushing rapidly creating the most joyful slide.  The members were enjoying them so much that kept repeating on sliding them again and again.  We enjoyed swimming there for ½ an hour before descending back to the main waterfall.

We continued swimming near the waterfall for more than an hour.  There were also other campers and tourists enjoying swimming at the lake for hours.  It was fun and joyful with the beautiful scenic of the waterfall at the back.  While some members did not come for swimming but instead they spent hours just fishing by the streams.  And surprisingly they caught quite a handful of fish for dinner!

While others were swimming with no sign of stopping, some of members were preparing chickens that we brought for roasting under the fire burning wood.  All the cooking preparations start earlier for dinner.  And the chickens looked good and appetizing.  We also had some other barbecues to dine in.  With these foods, for sure we will never get starving.

The next morning, after unsettling night with several visits to the toilets (Thank God there’s a toilet!) we woke up with no rushing, thinking there are no hiking expedition like other hiking before, we prepared breakfast with all the left food available.  After having the most hot and spicy breakfast, we dive in for the last time before packing heading back to Kuala Lumpur.  At this hour there were more coming tourists and campers arrived and the place becoming crowded.

While waiting for the 4x4WD to arrive (we had deal for them to come and fetch us at 3pm), we come across with a group of campers that had their own ride which is motorbike or scrambler.  It looks fun and yet envy as they were kind of showing off to other visitors of their toys.

Meanwhile our leader was observing the route to the peak of Benum which we spotted yesterday while riding the 4x4wd.  It was not very far from the bridge.  Only 2 minutes walking to the starting point of hiking which mark with a sign board.  It stated the height level of the peak which is 6942ft.  It will be 4 days of hiking ascending and descending with hired guide is compulsory.  This might be our next project.

Our ride arrived exactly at 3pm.  Again we had the fun ride with more adventures ahead.  Remember the 2 stranded vehicles in the middle of the trek?  Well, when we arrived at the same spot, there were few people were making some attempts in rescuing those vehicles.  Our boys were happily to join the attempts but unfortunately they only able to help by watching.

Because of the delays, it created some kind of traffic in the jungles.  There were some numbers of 4wds were on the way up to the waterfall stopping to allow the stranded vehicles to be rescued.  And at some further down there were time when the jeep in front us almost toppling upside down when trying to avoid the coming jeep in front.

just able to watch...

traffic jammed in the jungle..

almost toppling upside down..

We’ve reached at the parking bay around 4.30pm (a little bit late because of the traffic).  We continue the journey by car towards Raub for lunch.  After lunch we straight forward back to Kuala Lumpur with the same route taken earlier and again we stuck in the traffic but this time at Bentong town.  However we reached at our destination at 8pm.  With all the pictures taken, our members who were not able to joined will be envy and enthusiastic to join if we plan to go back there again.J