Sungai Lembing

http://fairfun.net/tour09/090922EastCoast/0909022EastCoast-index0900919-22.htm
My last visit to Sg. Lembing
Sungai Lembing
Sungai Lembing is a tin mining town 42 km
northwest of Kuantan in Pahang, Malaysia. Lembing is
Malay for spear, and "sungai" means river. Per local
legend, the local ruler saw a vision of a spear in the
nearby river and thus named his town after this vision.
Until the 1970s, Sungai Lembing was a major
producer of underground tin. Sungai Lembing town
developed in the 1880's when the British set up the tin
mining industry, although the history of mining in this
area extends much further back. From 1891, the
Pahang Consolidated Company Limited, (PCCL),
which was under British control, had a 77-year lease to
mine the area. PCCL managed the mine from 1906
until its liquidation in 1986 when world tin prices
collapsed.
The pit mines were closed in 1986 due to high operational costs and low yields, but during their
heyday they were among the largest and deepest in the world. The total tunnel length is 322 km,
with a depth of between 610 m and 700 m. A museum highlighting the tin mining industry was
opened in 2003. The museum is housed in an old bungalow once used by the mine manager. The
museum houses a collection of mining artifacts.
Today the town of Sg Lembing is in decline although it was
once the richest town in Pahang, known as El Dorado of the
East. In the 1940's about 1400 people worked in the mine.
Today many of the wooden shoplots are closed and people are
moving away. The town straddles the river, and the main street
on the right bank is split by an avenue of majestic trees. At the
end, an old wooden building overlooks the padang where
games of cricket and other social activities were held Nearby
Sungai Lembing is Bukit Panorama, which is a popular place to
watch the sunrise. 16 km from Sg. Lembing is Gunung Tapis
Nature Park, where one can camp, fish, and shoot the rapids.
Gunung Tapis itself is 1,512 m high. On the way to Sg.
Lembing at the hamlet of Panching[1] is Gua Charas, a temple
cave that is a popular tourist destination, also Sungai Pandan
Waterfall, which is 29 km from Kuantan.
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Sunrise on Bukit Panorama, Sungai Lembing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungai_Lembing
Sleepy town of Sungei Lembing
Sungei Lembing is a small township surrounded by hills on most sides except a single
outlet. This is the flood plain where the Sungei Kenau flows.
This remote hidden town is located near to the eastern coastline of the Peninsular and
28 kilometers inland from the state capital of Kuantan. This is within the area where the
annual monsoon season brings heavy downpours, which result in floods.
Sungei Lembing town is in a unique valley
where rain water from all the surrounding hill
collects into the basin and gash out to sea
craving out a broad flood plain. It is in this
basin that tin ores were detected and in
quantity large enough to support commercial
mining operation.
To appreciate the significance of this
deserted town, one must look into its past,
its glorious era. It was an outpost for the expatriates and in a boxed in town, the goingon was nothing but fun.
To avoid the flood, the old access road was built into the hills. There was a downside to
this decision; the town was hidden from outsiders. That was the scenario at the turn of
the century.
After the Second World Wars, the British miners returned to continue the mining
operations. There were many reasons for its prosperity; the demand then and the
subsidies given encouraged the high yields. The company dug deeper, eventually
reaching depths nearing 2,000 feet. This made the mines unique by any standards.
With its geographical isolations, the company
was also granted "duty free" status for its
residents within the 5 square miles valley.
Consequently, the town ship became selfsufficient; residents did not have to pay taxes,
cheap liquors and boasting of a nightlife that
was unseen in the remote Eastern States.
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That was the town’s heydays in the early ‘50s and a much-talked about mythical town.
Such prosperity lasted 20 years up till the early ‘70s, the recession swept in. Falling
prices, depletion of high yielding "veins" and the restriction in foreign labors were the
opposing factors that led to the scaling down of operations.
All this is history, with better flood control; the new road now runs parallel to the river in
the plain itself. The modern road still goes under water during the monsoon time but
such situation is inevitable.
Today the mines have ceased operation totally and the mining shafts flooded. The two
elevators were not replaced but stripped and sold as scrap.
All that remained is the telltale
signs of the glorious past;
Town Square lined with trees.
A solitary red British Post box
and rows of shops from the
bygone past remaining closed.
Visitors to this neat little town can still
enjoy a decent meal [non-halal] from the
Hoover restaurant located on the adjacent
road. The restaurant’s signboard reflects
the cool mossy atmosphere and the
neglect. Visitors can see many repeatedly
familiar scenes to typify this deserted
town. The hometown left behind by the
departure of the younger generation for
greener pastures.
Many visitors come here to see for
themselves the pathetic sights and
take the opportunity to climb the
famed Bukit Panorama. From
here, you can catch a glimpse of
the whole town, a breath of fresh
mountain air, or enjoying the sight
of the rising sun over the rolling
hills.
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This staircase besides the funeral palour leads to the viewpoint, one of the many that
surround the town.
The Waterfall
This is the Gunong Tapis Rainbow Fall
Gunong Tapis in a hill some 35 kilometers inland. There is logger’s trail that leads
to the foot of the fall but passable to off road vehicles only and also during the
dry season. The trip by 4X4 vehicle is 35 minutes. Rainbow Waterfall
This trip costed us
RM30 per person.
Very worth the
price you pay for
this trip. Meet
point was at Sungai
Lembing and we
took off on a 4WD,
leaving Sungai
Lembing at around
6.45am. We had to
leave early as to
see the rainbow at
the waterfall, you have to reach there before 11am.
The four wheel journey took around 1 hour to reach. We sat
at the back seat and you can see several beautiful sceneries
as we crossed small streams and stopped by at this hill top
for taking pictures.
We were stopped at this point where the four wheel couldnt go any further and we embarked our
journey of hiking on foot which took us around 30-45 minutes to reach the waterfall. Right when we
start our hiking, we had to cross cooling water of a stream to the other side. It was fun! :)
After that, we hiked on rocks especially slippery river rocks and muds.. We had to climbed across dead
trunk trees on the ground. Sometimes we had to duck under the trunk trees to cross over. It was fun
altogether.
When we reached the place, it was breathtakingly beautiful. We saw a rainbow at the waterfall. This
waterfall is taller than the one we went to, Panching Waterfall. And much more reserved and
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undisturbed, which is why it is so special.
After a very cooling swim at the waterfall, the tour guide cooked us noodle in cup. he brought gas and
cook right there right then! How cool is that!
Here the falls drop vertically, and as it splashes down the water is broken up and
reaches the bottom as mist.
With the sun shinning, a rainbow is present, and the period? Between sunrise and 11.00
am. Check up the weather before you go in to avoid being stranded by the rising water!
http://www.waterfallsofmalaysia.com/Nfalls/txn18rfd.php
Location: Sungai Lembing, Kuantan N3.92219 E102.94936
Sungai Lembing: Travel Back in Time
You don’t necessarily need a time machine to see into the past.
Sungai Lembing, 42-km North West of Kuantan is one of these
destinations that allow visitors to experience the wonders of a small
and old town.
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Sungai Lembing was once upon a time the richest tin mining town in Pahang. The area in Sungai
Lembing was the second richest tin deposit in the world after Bolivia. In its 100 years of mining
since 1888, the Sungai Lembing mines produced approximately 13 million tonnes of ore that was
able to produce 150000 metric tonnes of pure tin valued at $2 billion. During its heyday, Sungai
Lembing mines brought the town alive with some 15,000 people being employed creating a
unique mining community.
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Today, long after the end of the
glorious mining era, Sungai
Lembing has transformed into
a sleepy little town while
retaining some of its unique
sights that have become tourist
magnets for the town.
During the recent media
familiarization trip, we were
given only half a day to cover
Sungai Lembing which in
reality is not enough. We
started off with the Sungai
Lembing Museum.
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This is the place that any visitor should visit to better understand the stories behind Sg
Lembing’s glorious days of the tin mining activities. The museum building was formerly a
residence of a mine manager before it was converted to the current museum while retaining its
British architectural features.
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Plenty to see in this museum.
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From sample of rocks and minerals,
to mining equipments,
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to old ‘office’ equipments.
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I find this mining diorama very interesting. It gives first time visitor like me a rough idea how a
tin mine looks like.
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The old bungalow effect makes it a great place for photographers as well. Plenty of photooportunities.
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After an interesting visit to the Museum, we went to discover another famous tourist attraction of
Sungai Lembing, the suspension bridge.
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Blends well with the ‘stuck-in-time’ image of the town, the Jambatan Gantung Kolong Pahat
Bridge is one out of few suspension bridges in Sungai Lembing.
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This suspended bridge action is definitely a must try thing to all visitors.
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It was quite hard for me to balance my ‘not-so-light’ body in taking good photos from the bridge.
All of us had fun laughing at each other!
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We were supposed to visit the factory of the famous Mee Sungai Lembing. Unfortunately it was
close on that day. Oh by the way when I mentioned ‘factory’, I was referring to this small shop
lot kind of factory
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Sungai Lembing is also famous for its Lembing Coconut Biscuits. We stopped by at one of its
bakery producing these biscuits. From outside, the house producing the biscuits look like a
normal kampong-style residential unit.
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Once we entered the compound, four dedicated workers can be seen busy producing the biscuits
to meet their orders.
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We were given lengthy explanation on the process of producing the biscuits. Check-out the tshirt!
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The end-product.
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No visit to Sungai Lembing is complete without spending some time at the town. This is where
you can enjoy the ‘stuck-in-time’ effect of Sungai Lembing.
If you ever get lost in Sungai Lembing, this is a good landmark to refer to. The only petrol pump
in the town. Classic.
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Which by the way if you ever get lost in Sungai Lembing, be extra careful. This is the location
for some scenes of the movie Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam II. It can get a bit scary at night
according to some locals
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Happy faces!
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We ended our Sungai Lembing trip with a quick visit to Gua Charas.
After a short 10 minutes walk climbing about 100 steps, we were greeted by this cool sight.
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The cave is well equipped with walkways and lighting making it accessible to visitors.
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Gua Charas or Charas Cave is famous for its temples and the reclining Buddha.
Besidesthe attractions above, it is also advisable for visitors of Sungai Lembing to stay at least a
night to visit the famous Rainbow Waterfall and Panorama Hill which we did not get to
experience. After a long day exploring Sungai Lembing, we made our way back to Kuantan to
explore other interesting places which will be covered in my next blog post.
Many towns and cities around the world are stuck in a time warp because of lack of funding to
catch up with modern times. However in the case of Sungai Lembing, I can imagine that the
people simply don’t want their hometown to be overwhelmed with modern developments and are
perfectly happy with their current way of living. It turns out to be a good decision in my point of
view. At least the people of Sungai Lembing can be proud that they still maintain their unique
identity of a ‘tin mine’ town.
Instead of driving all the way to Sungai Lembing, why not fly to Kuantan and take a short
taxi/bus ride to Sungai Lembing. Firefly Airlines fly to Kuantan from Penang, Subang and
Singapore – Head on to http://www.fireflyz.com.my for more details.
Fancy for a trip to Sg Lembing or any other places in Malaysia but not sure where to stay? Check
out AGODA’s website (click the banner below) for a one-stop comparison of all hotels from
budget to 5-star. I am personally an AGODA fan and have saved a lot on my accommodation
cost for my travels.
http://www.azuanzahdi.com/index.php/2011/12/08/sungai-lembing-travel-back-in-time/
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Sungai Lembing Travel Guide
Explore Sungai Lembing
Things to Do
Pebble river beach of Sg Kenau
Few kilometers away from Lembing town is the Sungai Kanau picnic area by the river
beach. There are millions of pebbles for you to pick as souvenirs. It is very popular for the
locals to have picnic and swimming in the shallow river. The cars can go right to the river
bank....
Hanging Bridge or Jambatan Gantung
Sungai Lembing have a few hanging bridge to connect the people from the other side of
the river to the main town.Jambatan Gantung mean hanging bridge and it is use by the
local to walk and you can even ride a motobike on this bridge.
Restaurants
Sungai Lembing tomato noodles The restaurant is just an average local restaurant
but the noodles was very delicious. Tomato noodles
Ho Wah restaurant: Dinner at Lembing
29
Jalan Kampung Java
Phone: 09-541104
Shopping
Biskut Kelapa Kampung Java: Lembing Biscult
Read more:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Malaysia/Negeri_Pahang/Sungai_Lembing1282115/TravelGuide-Sungai_Lembing.html#ixzz1xafMDs00
Sungai Lembing, one of the most recognizable places among young generation. A unique town
owns the largest, longest and deepest underground tin mining in the world. They got the oldest
suspension bridge in Malaysia, the perfect sunrise viewing on Panorama Hill, Historical
Museum, Rainbow Falls and varieties of popular local foods.
As history said, the name Lembing was an adoption of the event of spear that fell into Kenau
River while the hunters were hunting the deer. Another said the name of Chinese Hakka Lim
Ming (林明) translated to Malay.
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Sungai Lembing has become a charming town attracting loads of visitors especially on
weekends and during holidays. There is Sunday morning market, offering inexpensive goods to
the locals and the visitors. It’s a small town with elderly and children. Most youngsters have
moved to town for job and better life.
If there is only thing you can related to Sg Lembing is Rainbow Waterfall, you are wrong.
There are a lot to tell from my visit to Sg Lembing recently. Although it’s not a complete visit
this round, as I missed out few locations here. Hope it can use as guide to plan a trip to this old
mining town.
Cheers! ^_^
12.00am … Driving to Sg Lembing
We gathered at Tesco Ampang and depart to Sungai Lembing using East Coast Expressway
(ECE) within the 4-hour journey. We followed the Kuantan signboard that leads us to Karak
Highway. We passed Gombak and Bentong and reach Karak tool plaza. We did a rest at R&R
Temerloh where we had our supper until 2.30am.
Immediately after the Kuantan exit, we reached a T-junction traffic light, turn right to Sungai
Lembing. A left turn will go to Cherating/Telok Cempedak.
To summarize the way …
Kuala Lumpur (KL) – Karak Highway – East Coast Expressway (ECE) – Kuantan (EXIT 833) –
Sungai Lembing
Driving is the best way to reach there. Please make sure your car has enough petrol to return
from Sungai Lembing because the town has only one gas pump which operate from morning
until sunset.
The signboard of Sg Lembing are visible enough to be noted.
From there, the two-lane trunk road winds through scatter of villages, palm tree and rubber tree
plantations where it ends at Sg. Lembing. We drive with extra careful at night as most part of the
road is pitch-dark and many slopes which is hard to see what is ahead of you.
4.00am … Reach Sg Lembing
After 300KM from KL, I took a nap for a while as we reached earlier than expected. After wash
up, all of us were ready to hike up to Panorama Hill, a place where we’re above the cloud. By
4.30am we have reached the hiking site. Too early for a heavy breakfast. When we reached the
site, it was already swarming with people and we thought we were early. I guess not.
A quite town … but peaceful at night
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5.10am … At Panorama Hill
Panorama Hill is about 290m from the sea level. This was the place where we catch the
beautiful sunrise after trekking for 45 minutes (depending on stamina and speed). Even though
it’s not my first time seeing the sunrise, but we all wait patiently for the astounding atmospheric
phenomenon.
The journey to the top was jam packed with peoples!!! Luckily, we did manage to find a nice
spot to set up the cameras and tripods.
Around 6.40am … truly an amazing view, golden hued skies with seas of clouds
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Panorama Hill allowed us to stand … above the cloud
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A wonderful scene … of my life
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Without a good ‘stabilizer’ such as tripod, capturing such a moment wouldn’t be impossible. As
the golden hue emitted through the sky, everyone was very excited about it! Truly, a heaven on
earth.
from hill
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Breath-taking and bewildering … speechless
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Signboard mark the entrance … invisible in super early morning
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8.00am … Breakfast @ Lembing town
Finally, we back to where we belong to. A place where we had our breakfast. We went pass this
Chinese school. Lembing Public Library, located opposite the school.
At famous morning market … our breakfast place
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Nice road sign … Here is the one, Java Street!
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Famous Yong Tau Fu … cost roughly 50 – 60 cents per piece
Taufoo Noodles Mee is very smooth. So, please make an order with homemade noodles and
others Yong Tau Foods stuffs, you will surely be satisfied and will be back for more. Strongly
recommended!
A complete set of breakfast … cost me RM4.40
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Famous Coconut Biscuit … people just buy in bulk
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9.00am … Check-in @ Guest House
Accommodation in Sg. Lembing is cheap and affordable as most of them are guest house type.
We immediately check-in and the first thing was laid on the bed. It’s the time to get our body to
rest. We immediately took a quick shower and prepare our next activity.
This was the place that we stayed in for the night. It’s pretty clean with air-con. Not bad at all!
Separate bathroom at downstairs with hot shower. First floor is living hall and dining room for
leisure. At top floor, there are about 9 rooms with 4-6 peoples on each room. It’s a pretty good
deal!
Stay at Country View Inn … a good and comfortable guest house
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A renovated Sungai Lembing town entrance gate … welcoming us
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Brief history … about Sungai Lembing
A scenic view … an iconic of the town
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Colorful grills … can see lots of colorful grills and buildings
Chee May … a poser at one of the colorful grills
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12.00pm … Lunch @ Sg Lembing
Food in Sg Lembing is cheap! It’s generally inexpensive compare to any other town. All foods
here are homemade, fresh daily cook without any preservatives or seasoning. Peoples here are
not spoil with food choices. and is a typical Chinese market place.
Have you ever heard about Ketchup Noodles? Try it and you will like it. Home-made noodles,
is exclusively found in Sg Lembing is a legacy passed down from generation to generation.
There are different ways to cook the noodles but try Ketchup Noodle, it is unique to Sg
Lembing.
Ketchup Noodle … a special dish in Lembing Town
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Chilly noodles … another famous noodle
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1.00pm … Depart to Pandan waterfall
We headed to Pandan Waterfall after lunch. In fact, it was also called as Sungai Panching
(Waterfall). We were paying RM1 per person before we allowed entering to the car park. The
place was well build with walk to waterfall from car park is just merely 5 minutes.
Entrance fees … as conservation fees to the park
Another name of … Hutan Lipur Sungai Pandan
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Drought season … barely look like a river
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River crossing … might just a big joke here
Children pool … also known as muddy pool
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Family park … I guess
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Young & dangerous park … everyone knows
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Bridge connected to both side … to view entire waterfall scenery
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6.00pm … Teluk Chempedak & Dinner at Kuantan
We hit the road again to go Kuantan town for dinner. Before that, we headed to famous Teluk
Chempedak beach for leisure and free walk.
White sand beach … a place for beach leisure
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Windy beach … best for flying kite
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Clear sky … best for all kind of activities
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At 8.00pm … dinner time
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Order juicy roasted pork (siu yuk) … for RM20 (half kilo)
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Then, we went back to the house to take a good rest for the next day’s hike.
http://dexxy.net/2010/05/sungai-lembing-the-hidden-treasure-day-1/
Sungai Lembing, The Hidden Treasure (Day
2)
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Sungai Lembing, one of the most recognizable places among young generation. A unique town
owns the largest, longest and deepest underground tin mining in the world. They got the oldest
suspension bridge in Malaysia, the perfect sunrise viewing on Panorama Hill, Historical
Museum, Rainbow Falls and varieties of popular local foods.
Sungai Lembing, The Hidden Treasure
Rainbow Waterfall
11 April 2010
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Rainbow Waterfall is part of Sg Lembing attraction. The tiny water droplets from this high
waterfall create a rainbow effect when the sunrise rays hits it, hence the Rainbow waterfall. This
phenomenon was at its best in the early morning, preferable around 8.00am. Getting to the place
was not an easy way as we woke up early at 5.30am and get ready to the 4-wheels vehicle or jeep
around 6.30am.
The wheel was waiting us in the early morning in front of our guest house. All of us boarded on
each wheel and start rolling to the rocky trek.
Cheers ^_^
6.30am … Journey to Rainbow Waterfall
We went to the market again for breakfast first. Many were seen having light breakfast as well as
famous Yong Tau Fu as their meal. I had simple bread as my breakfast.
Breakfast in the early morning … light or heavy meal depends on yours
Morning market … also in front of our guest house
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At the back of 4-wheels seat … enjoy the fresh air
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Our friend, Dan San and his girls … on the wheel
Rocks & bumpy … but still driving fast
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King of the wheel … fearless on any path
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Rough ride … amazed everyone
River crossing … salute the way uncle drove
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One, two, three … Vroom up to the road, knocking hard on stone
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At last after 50 minutes rough ride … reached the starting point
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CM … simply excited the road ahead
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Starting point … river crossing
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Towards the trail hiking … not easy as you think
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An hour later … finally at Rainbow Waterfall
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An obvious rainbow … formed by tiny water drop with sunlight
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Having fun around the water dropping area … enjoy the head massage
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Included complimentary lunch … Maggi Mee & 3-in-1 drink
12.00pm … Drove back to Sg Lembing
We headed back to Lembing town where we had our lunch after clean up ourselves and get
ready to check-out. Again, we had another hour of bumpy ride under the real hot sun. We were
not managed to make it our way to mini hot spring and deer park which our 4wd had already
skipped without informing.
However, time was rushing a bit due to another activities follow after that.
2.30pm … Visiting Sg Lembing Museum
We headed to Sungai Lembing Museum, in just 5 minutes from the marketplace. The museum
is used to be the mining manager’s bungalow. It houses mining tools and equipments, mineral
samples that were mined in the area, mining attires, dioramas and a lot others. Just like any other
museums, to preserve its history, it’s their rich mining history they are preserving.
Entrance to the museum … free of charge but need to register
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Inside the museum … with air-con, if you keen to read the story, please go ahead
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Old type writer … I remember I had one similar type when I was child
Tin material … don’t know real or not, gold is one of those
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Wine pot … for drunken master, lol
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Speechless … intruder of the museum
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4.00pm … Crystal House (Museum)
All the marvelous collection of crystal by an old man who he was working as tin miner during
his younger days. An entrance fee is RM 2.00.
House look alike … crystal museum
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Old news extracted last year … brought some fortune to him as tourist spot
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Small religious place … Not deep, but there is where coins are found everywhere on the walls
Entrance to mining tunnel … a real imitation
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A vast collection of crystal … found everywhere in his house
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Leaving Sg Lembing … headed back to K.L
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5.00pm … Gua Charas
Our last place to visit after we departed from Sg Lembing town; Gua Charas. This cave is
located not far from town. We needed to climb a short flight of steep stairs before we can reach
the caverns inside the top part of the hill.
This cave comes with many stairs, almost from starting until reach the top are all stairs. The cave
is quite big and in certain part, it’s quite windy. Shooting photo is not that tough when there is
enough light in between the cave.
Charas Cave … a Hindu cave temple
Parking fees … not cheap
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Climbing up to the cave … need to pay reservation fees
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Climb half way … the entrance where Sleeping Buddha located
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Climb some more to the top … found a large cave Cave is housing … a Sleeping Buddha in
deep inside
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Found nothing … just a view with really nothing
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At the end … dark side of the cave
This concludes the entry of my trip to the enchanted Sungai Lembing. A very good and
enjoyable trip where I get to know a lot of new friends and fellow photography enthusiasts. I will
definitely be back in Sungai Lembing!
http://dexxy.net/2010/05/sungai-lembing-the-hidden-treasure-day-2/
Other adventures in Kuantan
AIF Cherating Boat Services
26080 Cherating lama,
Kuantan Pahang.
H/P: 013-9099683 (Nazrie)
Show you the daily activities he has:
River Cruise
Leave at 9am/4pm
Duration 2 hours
RM20/per pax
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Fire Fly
Leave at 8pm
Duration 1 hour
RM20/per pax
Snake Island Snorkeling
Leave at 9am (Negotiable, i think. Because we went there at afternoon)
Duration 3 hour
RM40/per pax
Fishing Trip
Leave at 9am
Duration 4-5 hours
RM350 per boat (max. 4 people)
Turtle Watching & Release Baby Turtle to Ocean
Departure depend on turtle
Duration 1 hour
Jungle Trekking
Leave at 9am
Duration 2 hours
RM45 per pax
Transportation service and Batik lesson on request
Watersport rental facility,
Jet ski,
Banana Boat (max. 7 pax)
Para sailing
Water ski/Catamaran
The prices stated above are negotiable if you have a lot of people.
Just call Nazrie to confirm or further information.
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