Johor Waterfalls Pelepah hiking with family

Pelepah Waterfalls is one of the cool Johor waterfalls. Situated in Kota Tinggi, I had visited  Pelepah Waterfalls in Sep 2018, read the fun review here.

Our hiking Fun is in this video (YouTube) 🙂

We make a slight detour to Kiang Kee Bak Ku Teh 强记肉骨茶 (GPS 1.827193, 103.958769).

A=Kiang Kee, B=Pelepah Waterfalls trailhead

This is a popular pitstop for those heading North East to Mersing.  And Kiang Kee is now officially our best Bak Ku Teh in Johor (replacing Hwa Mei 华美肉骨茶  )

Must top up our energy before exercise, many families were here early to enjoy the herbal goodness too.

Yummy! Our table dishes came up to 80 ringgit only.

After a 30 km drive, Pelepah Waterfalls trailhead is just in front of Kota Tinggi Waterfalls entrance.  The carpark is just 20m ahead, a side entrance on the right (no need fees).

After parking the car, we backtrack and went under the bridge.

Kids were a bit hesitant about getting their shoes wet so early, but there is no ESCAPE haha.

You will only walk 30m before turning left and climb up to the gravel road.

10 minutes from the bridge, you should see this pond on your Left (below photo).

Alas, the trail markers (aka ribbons) have all been removed! Otherwise, hikers could just follow the red/white ribbon to the waterfalls.

We would not recommend first timers to explore this trail yourself, you could accidentally end up at Gunung Panti (Our 2016 blog, many steep climbs)!

No permit or guide is officially needed for Pelepah Waterfalls trekking.
You should go with someone who knows the way, or follow a Meetup group.

We had a friendly guide dog. But do not pet the wild dogs as we noticed its eye was infected.

5 minutes from the Pond, you will cross this stream.

10 minutes from the stream, you will hit a Y-junction. Turn right and walk up a small slope.

We only had two day bags. Do pack whistle, head torch, first aid pouch, water (we had 2 x 1.5l) and snacks.

Turn left over the small gap, and turn left to go down the slope.

You will see this “bridge” after about 10 minutes.

Remember the Y-Junction earlier, we took the wrong left-turn and nearly hike up to Panti! (Do not follow the yellow tags and signboard unless you are going to Gunung Panti )

Yellow is pointing towards Gunung Panti, not Pelepah Waterfalls!

Back to our trail, my first pair of Kampong Adidas.  I should have worn a pair of socks, my toes felt uncomfortable when walking downhill (lesser grip). Flat road and uphill no problems.

Once you see this pond, the way ahead is straightforward. And Beautiful!

Just be careful with your steps. Rocks (green algae) can be slippery, you should “tap twice” to make sure the surface is not slippery.

Make sure the water is clear (not murky) before you step down, you could accidentally slip and twist your ankle.

Be vigilant, go slow and everyone should be safe.

The rock wall is the first Major obstacle. Grip the ropes and slowly pull yourselves up. The stronger one can station half way and give a supporting hand.

This would not be a challenge for the kids, but Mommy need some reassurance. The climb looks intimidating but can be overcome.

On the other hand, I keep reminding kids to grip tight. One slip and you can land badly.

After 5 minutes, you will see this mini waterfall. Take a short break here and dip in the cool water.

There are ropes to mark the “deeper pool” areas.

Picture below (left side with ropes), this is the 2nd rock face.

Go slow, step properly, get a firm footing and you should be ok.

This rock faces is tough for Mommy as she never participates in a lot of outdoor activities. But it is super easy for those who have attempted Gunung hiking before.

5 minutes from the 2nd rock wall, a corridor of cool water awaits.

REFRESHING! Water can be up to 1 metre at some sections.

Climb up this ladder at the end of the 80m corridor.

Another waterfall awaits. This is the 2nd waterfall and we had our “lunch” here. Kids had fun trying to trap the fishes too.

The fallen logs demonstrated the power of nature. The trunks might have fallen during a thunderstorm.

If there was a heavy rain beforehand, you might want to avoid Pelepah Waterfalls (or other Johor Waterfalls hike). Water might suddenly gushed down.

There is actually a third layered waterfall, but we decided two waterfalls for the day is enough. The Mrs had struggled after two rock faces hee hee.

We had taken 2 hours to reach the 2nd waterfall.  If you are relatively fit, you should be able to reach the 2nd waterfall in under 1 hr 30min (estimate).

You may visit the 3rd waterfall in my previous Pelepah Waterfall blog.

Heading back.

More water fun and chills.

By the end of our trek, kids would prefer water walk over sand trail anytime!

Scenic water bodies.

We scored A for Team effort!
We need to look out for each other.

Someone topo (navigate) infront.
We swap the load around.
Pull each other across obstacles.
I had to play the Chief Motivator Role.

Mommy’s smile says it all. Although she is not athletic, she is willing to try  everything with the family. Kudos!

She even brought back a leech souvenir to the car park.

Our trail was roughly 2 hours, super slow and easy pace.

Pelepah Waterfalls hiking distance
Pelepah Waterfalls hiking distance

AllTrails App recommendation

I would like to recommend another hiking app, AllTrails (Android and IOS)
-App allows us to Record our path and we can simply follow steps back , if we should be lost
-App offers trails recommendations from fellow hikers, with photos too. This would be good when I am traveling to a new place.

-Free version of App serves my purpose
-You only need mobile signal, 4G not needed
-GPS will drain faster, prepare extra power bank for phone

-Trails galore in Singapore, imagine the fun when I bring this app to Malaysia Gunungs

Johor Waterfalls mural at Kota Tinggi town.

Johor Waterfalls
Johor Waterfalls

We had wanted to enjoy famous Kota Tinggi Wanton noodle but shop was closed. Yap Fong Noodle House 叶芳面家 (GPS 1.727552, 103.899047)

Additional tips:

-More photos from a previous trip (blog)
-All our Hiking trips are listed here https://sengkangbabies.com/tag/hiking

-Do take note part of the track is on private property, if caught, please say sorry and do not argue

– Do not leave any rubbish behind, bring the rubbish out of the forest to bin

-Hikers can shower at the Kota Tinggi Resort (nominal fees). Small tap

-Permit and guide is not needed, but we strongly recommend you to follow someone up to Pelepah Waterfalls

– If you need reference for Malaysia Guide or permits, do drop me an email andy@sengkangBabies.com

-Although it is a day trip, I always pack emergency equipment like whistle, compass and night torch (just in case we are lost)

-Do take note of these emergency contacts:
a) 999 or 112-This will activate Police or Ambulance
b)994-Bomba (Emergency Rescue)

-If my Johor Waterfalls path suggestion is longer or wrong, please share the correct path with us. Thank you.

 

ps.. Follow our Instagram tag #SengkangBabiesJohor for more JB adventures

Tioman Road trip

In this blog post, we will share our Tioman road Trip and some family friendly activities.

Fun snorkeling adventure is only hours away, and this is our first visit to Tioman (刁曼岛) . Is Tioman the nearest snorkeling and scuba site from SG?

It is a 2.5hour drive from SG to Mersing (130km), followed by 90 ferry to Tioman island.

We always hear folks mention Tioman is expensive. This is true if you stay at  5* resorts, where all meals are in-house. But try a relaxing resort around The other less popular “kampongs”, and the expenses will be more affordable.

Tioman is definitely more affordable than some nearby Indonesia islands which only charge SGD or USD.

 

Refer Google Map above, most folks will take the Kota Tinggi route to Mersing Jetty (GPS 2.434173, 103.839365).  Desaru detour will take an extra 1 hour.

Just head towards Mersing and you will be ok. Do take note you will not find any petrol stations for a good 50km, 60km stretch along Kota Tinggi route.

The first BHP station will be around the 238/239km marker “Kuantan direction”. I would suggest pumping in Mersing town.

The same applies to toilet breaks, you will not find any R&R along Kota Tinggi service road. (ie no pitstops like those from North South Highway, with food, toilet, and prayer)

You will see some white pillboxes (WW2 bunkers) along the route, before reaching a famous Bak Kut Teh outlet.

Tioman Road trip
Tioman Road trip

The halfway point has a famous Bak Kut Teh, 强记肉骨茶 (GPS 1.827193, 103.958769). It was closed when we went on Tue, and they are not opened in the afternoons.

*Warning* Go easy on the meals as the second half of the journey towards Mersing is more winding (left-right and up-down).

(1)Driving and Overtaking tips

Road condition is good, with minimum potholes.
You will need to overtake, unless you wish to be stuck behind lumbering trucks.

The 1st tip for overtaking. Always check blind spot before overtaking, someone faster might be overtaking you.

Drive at your own comfortable speed. My average speed is 100kmh along the route and I may need to ramp up to 140kmh for overtaking.

Kota Tinggi route will be totally dark in the evenings.
If you have not done night driving before, go slower, let others overtake you. Your GPS map will indicate “bends” ahead, so you can anticipate better and drive safer.

The arrows signs, BIG or Small, will indicate whether the bends are sharp or normal.

*Slow down before “bridges”, as there are always bumps (or kerbs) before and after.

Try not to overtake near villages ( kampong areas), cars might be trying to exit from opposite access road. Besides goats and cows might stray onto the roads.

** Slow down if cars from opposite side overtake  into your lane, let them filter back safely.

If you feel uncomfortable about cars tailgating behind, keep left and let them pass. Ego has no place on the road.

If unsure, or not confident. Stay Put and do not Overtake. SAFETY first!

Tioman Road trip
Tioman Road trip

 

(2) Ferry Tickets

(2a) Get your Ferry tickets from Mersing Harbour Centre (picture below). You can buy tickets on the spot, but we would recommend asking the resorts to buy on your behalf.

For “return” trip, just wait at your Tioman Jetty, there is no need to pickup any tickets. The operators will validate your tickets on the way back to Mersing.

Return Tickets pricing are Adults RM70 and Child RM60

For pre-orders, arrive at least 1 hour beforehand to pickup your tickets and boarding pass. If you are late, you might need to wait an hour for the next ferry.

*Take note boarding starts 30 to 45minutes before departure, families who board late might need to split up or could end up standing! Go early.

Use backpacks instead of luggage, otherwise your luggage will be at the bottom, and last one to disembark.

**There is another Ferry Terminal at Tanjung Gemok. Those arriving from Singapore should use Mersing Ferry Terminal.

There are three Ferry stops (jetty) in Tioman. (1)Kampong Genting, (2)Kampong Paya and (3)Kampong Tekek.

The boat trip from Mersing to first jetty “Kampong Genting” will take 90 minutes.

If you arrive earlier, snack and rest around nearby cafeterias, maybe Kluang Coffee?

..or Port Cafe (Picture below)

Left – Rawa Island Carpark
Center – Ferry Terminal entrance
Right-Port Cafe

 

 

Image credit Google Map

There are two or three carparks at Jetty. Most will recommend parking at Rawa Island Resort. We spotted many SG cars too.

RM18 per night, there is a security post and some shades. Carpark is locked in the evening. Our cars were infested by ants after 3 nights! Do check carefully where you park your car.

(2b) Below image is the Ferry Terminal entrance. You will collect Boarding pass here.

 

Beautiful waters and mountains greeted us when we dock. It can be sunny and hot, but mist constantly cover the mountain range.

 

Can we dive in straight and chase the shoal of fishes?

 

Walk straight along the jetty and find your resort. Kampong Genting is only 2km end to end. We will share more activities in the following Tioman blog posts.

 

 

 

(2c) The Return Ferry trip would be more challenging.

Always arrive 1 hour earlier, the ferry schedules are not really accurate.

Logically, the ferry route is likely in reverse, but this might not be the case (!) The ferry can either be early or late, ours was 90 minutes late. Our delay could be due to Hari Raya Holiday (peak season).

The safest way would be to ask each inbound ferry “Mersing Jetty?”

If you are taking a coach from Mersing back to Singapore, please buffer extra time for the Ferry.

 

 

Tioman ferry
Tioman ferry

 

During peak periods, the return jetty will be packed! This was Paya Jetty with at least 100 visitors. Hold on to the kids.

Once back to Mersing, seek out some delicious seafood. One famous dish would be salted egg squid. Most restaurants will sell delicious zhi char (煮炒).

Go easy on the snacks, as we will be facing the winding Kota Tinggi roads (again).

Tioman food
Tioman food

 

additional tips

-Avoid the Monsoon season between October and March, beach activities might be closed. Check with your resort.

-Tioman tourism website provide additional details (http://www.tioman.org)

-We stayed at Kampong Genting. This is generally less developed and more humble compared to Kampong Paya. Kampong Paya will have the 4* 5* resorts and private beach.

-We prefer the small eateries around our kampong rather then restaurants. It is more authentic and delicious too!

-Map below will indicate some exclusive (read Atas) resorts perfect for that romantic stay or luxurious indulgence.

Tioman map
Tioman map

We got two apps to recommend for easier commute.

– Beat the Jams – This app predict congestion at both customs Woodlands and Tuas. App can forecast the “best time” to visit Malaysia too.

-WAZE (from Google) – Plot your journey, let fellow app users warn you about traffic conditions and speed-cameras (thank you!)

We will end this post with our favourite resort in Tioman.

When we were researching for Tioman accommodation, X Rector  (无名导游) kept popping up with 5 stars! (Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Google Map and Facebook). The friendly hosts are the reasons for the high rating.

X rector Minsu is the main reason why we chose Kampong Genting instead of the other Kampongs 🙂

Only one small problem, you need to book months in advance!

Recommend Tioman home stay
Recommend Tioman home stay

Driving to Malaysia for the first time? Below tips will help you explore further and find more gems. You can explore nearest Johor town before planning for your own Tioman Road trip.

Just remember to exercise more vigilance and common sense once we travel out of Singapore.

https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/driving-tips-for-malaysia (Tips)
https://sengkangbabies.com/automotive/how-to-prevent-car-theft-in-malaysia (Common sense)
https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/google-map-hacks (Google Map)
https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/gps-i-hear-you (Car GPS)

Do pop by our Facebook album (link) for all our Tioman Road Trip photos.

How to go to Tioman
How to go to Tioman

 

Video : Tioman Fun activities (Youtube Link)

Tioman 4D3N blog posts :
Tioman Snorkeling –https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/tioman-snorkeling-and-x-rector-minsu
Tioman Road Trip –https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/tioman-road-trip
Tioman Family Itinerary –https://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/tioman-family-itinerary