Malaysia cycling videos Archives

Day 5 Cycling across Titiwangsa, from Jeli to Gerik

Cycling across Titiwangsa (蒂迪旺沙山脉) will be the toughest segment of our adventure. This is Day 5 of our East Coast ride.

Do read our previous posts from Day 1,2 (Kuantan to Dungun), and Day 3, 4 (Terengganu to Kelantan to Jeli) too.

Cycling across Titiwangsa YouTube video :

Our 11D10N itinerary: (Actual cycling is 8 days)

Day 0 – Van to Kuantan
Day 1 -125km Kuantan to Dungun
Day 2 – 76km Dungun to Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 – 160km Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu
Day 4 – 90km Kota Bharu to Jeli
*Day 5 – 121km Jeli to Gerik (via Titiwangsa mountain)
Day 6 – 55km Gerik to Betong (one segment is steeper than Titiwangsa)
Day 7 – R&R Betong (tuk tuk to Skywalk)
Day 8 – 106km Betong to Georgetown
Day 9 – Penang RI (Round Island)
Day 10 – 10 hours coach to SG (or Larkin)
Day 11 – Reach SG

Click below to view our 11D10N “Cycle to Penang” photos.

Custom Google Map 11D10N

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Do take note there are two Titiwangsas in Malaysia. We are referring to the one running parallel to Thailand, between Jeli and Gerik (also known as East West Highway)

This is the highway (route number 4) which is famous for elephants!
(We heard elephants are more active in the evenings)

Elephants will walk along and ON route 4, news reports below showing elephants visiting R&R! (Some say route 4 is famous for tigers and ghosts too!)

Wild Elephants Titiwangsa, Image credit Google Map

The highlights (or landmarks) of route 4 (Titiwangsa) would be :

-Kelantan Perak border
-Titiwangsa R&R (peak of first mountain)
-There are two huge climbs
-Banding reservoir (or Royal Balum rainforest in between the mountains)
-Expect to slog 2000m+ elevation over 120km

What do you need to know before attempting titiwangsa.

1) (Titiwangsa is not for newbies ). Not only about fitness but road handling confidence too. There are lesser road shoulders, and expect trucks. Exercise caution with high speed downhills, expect bumpy surfaces and sharp bends.

2) Constant climb 3, 5, 8% elevation (to confirm) for 40km till you reach the peak R&R. I am not sure of highest elevation. Those with Garmin or sports computer would know the elevations forecast, so they can prepare in advance.

3) No rest points after Petron stretch, 13km after Jeli town. For that matter, no shelters from the elements too (rain or sun). Ensure you have two full water bottles.

4) It took us 4.5 hours to reach the peak, and 10 hours to cross the mountain range (120km).

5) The road shoulders are narrow. And those segments nearest to grass can be mouldy and slippery. Cycling YouTuber Alvin slipped and crashed along B- road (Gua Musang).

*6 Refer Google Map link (image below, Right to Left). The first Red marker (18km after Jeli town) indicates start of 43km climb, until you reach R&R. The second red marker indicates climb 10km after Banding lake (Royal Belum).

7) Just follow route 4 for Cycling across Titiwangsa ( Strava link)

8) Titiwangsa mountain range also hosts a few of the G7 mountains for hiking. Maybe one day, I will climb “Gunung Yong Belar or Gunung Hulu Sepat”.

Cycling across Titiwangsa

Day 5 – Cycling across Titiwangsa started at 0700.

Whole stretch of road is enveloped by thick mist. Ensure good illumination so other vehicles can spot you.

Endless brutal climbs, followed by more climbs.
We were rolling 10-15kmh slow and easy, just keep the momentum.
Remember to hydrate.

(Ironically, I walk up the slopes only in Day 6’s (towards Betong direction). Slopes were steeper, but maybe I was tired after conquering Titiwangsa).

Front and rear smallest gear, and grind.
Slowly and surely, you will get nearer to the peak.

You will pass by the border between Kelantan and Perak (map).

Remember, it is the journey (and company) rather than the destination.
Want to go FAR, go with good kakis.

After 43km, 1037m and 4.5 hours, we reached Titiwangsa rest stop (aka the peak).

Lunch was Nasi Kerabu (blue rice). Load up our energy and calories.

After the PEAK and a good rest, expect non-stop downhills up to 10km! It is very easy to roll 60kmh+, but take note of road conditions.

We were rolling down fast, and you might hear your ears “popping” due to sudden decrease in air pressure. (this happens to me for both mountain descents).

The next checkpoint would be roughly 30km away, Royal Belum (Banding Reservoir). You will pass this “tunnel” before the first reservoir sighting.

There is one more tunnel after the reservoir.

Scenic Royal Belum reservoir. Some folks would live in the resort (or boat houses here), just to soak in more fresh air and scenic views.

You will pass two bridges, which are narrow. Be careful of vehicles if you are stopping for photos or videos.

Immediately after the second bridge, you will start climbing again. I did not take any more photos, check out the videos instead (links).

Take note downhill from the second mountain has more potholes and uneven segments. It is definitely more risky to go fast.

Ride until 怀疑人生! (literally life doubting)
The green background (Petron) provided a bamboo-like zen space for us to chill. (no need to zoom into our cui3 faces)

Cycling across Titiwangsa is a CHALLENGE.
Cycling with our pannier and saddlebags made it tougher!

We are very near to our homestay in Gerik town.

Homestay for the night (photo taken after checkout).

We need a good bed and dinner to reward ourselves.

Gerik is a small town, but we did see some interesting sights. Shops, eateries. There seems to be a lot of food options.

We are only 50km from Thailand border, add another 9km to Betong town.

Hunting for dinner, we are starving.

Dinner at Restoran 113 Yi Yi Shan (Gerik).
Special shoutout to the fresh sotong!

This ends Day 5 of our trip. Happy that we have cleared the toughest segment. Day 6 and 7 will be R&R in Betong Thailand!

Blog summary:
Day 0, 1 and 2 – Van to Kuantan, then Dungun and Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 and 4 – Terengganu to Kelantan to Jeli
Day 5 – Jeli to Gerik (Titiwangsa)
Day 6 and 7 – Betong and R&R
Day 8 and 9 – Cycle to Penang, then Penang Round Island

Meanwhile, let us share more tips about bike packing in Malaysia.

It is a must to have some basic bike maintenance skills. We had 5 to 6 punctures (and one tyre tear) over 11D10N. Tubes (or TPU) and pumps are necessary, spare tyre maybe.

Going downhills for extended periods can wear off your rim or even disc brakes. Overheating would render the brakes less effective.

Sam is a master when it comes to changing tyres. He can change GP5000 tyres (on high profile rim) with his bare hands!

It is always good to have some weather forecasts ahead. This helps you to have Plan B, or maybe detours. I am using app “Windy”.

I have share more bike packing tips in my Seoul to Busan solo ride (from 2023) -> https://sengkangbabies.com/sports/bikepacking-4-rivers-day-2-to-yeoju

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*Do follow our cycling adventures here -> https://sengkangbabies.com/tag/cycling

11D10N cycle East Coast videos:

(Preview) Cycle East Coast Kuantan, Kelantan, Titiwangsa, Betong, Penang

Day 5 East Coast – Cycling across Titiwangsa

Day 6

Day 8 Cycle Betong to Penang (via Ferry)

Day 9 Penang Round Island

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YouTube: Additional videos from our overseas trips:

YouTube: Chill at Pontian 笨珍

YouTube :Cycling to Forest City and boat ride (my best Johor trip yet)

YouTube: Cycling to Elephant Rock (Bukit Batu Gajeh)

YouTube: Cycling to Malacca

YouTube:Cycling to Putuo Village

YouTube:2023 Cycle to KL (5D4N)

Cycle to Desaru and Sedili

Cycling In Taiwan (250km from Hualien to Taitung)

2023 Nov 7D6N Solo Seoul to Busan Four Rivers trial.

Do pop by our Road Trip to Penang 2022Dec YouTube:

11D10N cycle to Penang and Betong

Cycle to Penang has always been on my bucket list.
It will be about 800km from Singapore to Penang, route would be similar to my road trip (vehicle) back in Mar 2023 (blog).

2023 Road trip Singapore to Penang (Temiang Pantai New Zealand)

So when Sam text me about Penang via East coast (Peninsula), I say YES almost immediately. We are going to head North via Kuantan, Terengganu, Kelantan, Betong then Penang (anti clockwise). So COOL!

This first blog post will cover Day one and two of our adventure.
*You may refer to our custom Google Map here, for POI and F&B.

Many FIRST from this epic journey.

-First time cycle to Kelantan and Terengganu, never driven here yet!
-Cycle into Thailand. Novelty and WOW!
-Ferry to Penang and Round Island cycle
(My bucket list was to cycle West Coast to Penang)
-Climbing Titiwangsa from Jeli to Gerik, all 2000m elevation and 120km! (YouTube video end of page)
-My first touring trip with my Merida 🙂

Total distance was 885km , with elevation 4600m.

It was my most extensive and longest ride to date. Thanks to company of Sam, Sheny and Samuel, every day was packed with fun and food exploration. So many Memories! (Solo Seoul to Busan was epic because it was solo exploration)

On a side note, do you know there are 4 entry points from Malaysia into Thailand? We took Gerik path to Yala. Many cyclists have entered via Perlis (Wang Kelian) .

(I took this image from somewhere, please let me know if you know the owner)

It will take me some time to finish my blogging and videos (152+ Insta360 clips!). Do ping me if you have any questions.

YouTube link: 11D10N Cycle to Penang, via East Coast and Betong

YouTube: Cycle 120km 2000m elevation across Titiwangsa mountain range

Our 11D10N itinerary: (Actual cycling is 8 days)

*Day 0 – Van to Kuantan
*Day 1 -125km Kuantan to Dungun
*Day 2 – 76km Dungun to Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 – 160km Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu
Day 4 – 90km Kota Bharu to Jeli
Day 5 – 121km Jeli to Gerik (via Titiwangsa mountain)
Day 6 – 55km Gerik to Betong (one segment steeper than Titiwangsa)
Day 7 – R&R Betong (tuk tuk to Skywalk)
Day 8 – 106km Betong to Georgetown
Day 9 – Penang RI (Round Island)
Day 10 – 10 hours coach to SG (or Larkin)
Day 11 – Reach SG

Click below to view our 11D10N “Cycle to Penang” photos.

Day 0 – Overnight van from JB to Kuantan

Packed and ready. So happy with my touring setup. Kang drove me near to Woodlands customs, and we cycled over for supper and van transport.

2115 – Huge motorcycles jam at customs. We cut in from car lane. Then squeeze under the barrier.

Supper while waiting for our van. It will be a 6 hour drive to Kuantan.
Sam, Sheny and Samuel are seasoned bike tourists in Malaysia.

2300 – Van depart for Kuantan
0200 – Breakfast fried rice near to Segamat

Day 1 – Kuantan to Dungun 龙运

It was cold inside the van, recommend to wear your long pants (rain) for overnight ride.

0450 0km – Roll from Kuantan Swiss Garden Resort.
Still sleepy, we have to cover 128km to reach our motel in Dungun.
(Chinese name 龙运 sounds cool)

It is all flat from here to Kelantan, some stretches are totally dark.
Instead of dogs, you might see sheep on the road!

Fyi, Route 3 will take us all the way to Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
(the same route 3 which will bring you to Kota Tinggi, Mersing)

From our start point, Terengganu state is less than 40km away.

Recommendations for Kuantan and Terengganu.

If you are nearby Mat turtle (Kuantan) in the evenings, you might even witness baby turtles being released into the sea (fees apply). The other famous turtle (rock) is further South.

Kuantan (and East Coast) is famous for steam rice (Nasi Kukus).
You will keep seeing Keropok Lekor (fish crackers) signs along the road and towns. Is this me or Kuantan population loves Curry Mee (so many references in GMAP).

Chukai 朱盖 (Terengganu) is famous for stuff crabs (two shops are famous “Restaurant Stuffed Crab Kemaman” and “Tong Juan Restaurant”). We missed both as were were too early.

There are many more happening spots in and around Kuantan (Google Map POI)

Weird retro music house we saw along the route

0730 – Our breakfast at Kedai Kopi Kemaman.

As mentioned earlier, there are two famous stuff crabs restaurants nearby, but we are too early.

Interesting Nasi Kuku and we love the coconut dessert.

Interesting (mini) wall mural nearby (GPS 4.23081, 103.42842).
We can identify with famous Local food in Terengganu.

The GPS location, 24000

After Chukai, we noticed most of the roads are dotted by petrochemical plants (many Petronas)!

My idea of Kuantan and Terengganu would be cycling along the coast, flanked by coconut trees. Instead. this stretch felt like TMCR, longer version :p

For those cycling North, do detour to kampong roads, which hugs the coast and sandy beach.

1025 – Random popup kopi. We needed our caffeine kick (Kabin Kopi Kemasik)

Roll into town of Dungun, where we will rest for the night.
Dungun is a small coastal town, famous for its pristine beach and rock formations.

1245 128km – Reach our hotel “Tamim Suite Group Hotel“.

Very basic amenities, no elevators. But hotel suits our needs, we just need a bed and room to keep our bikes.

1500 Grab to a Late Lunch at “Kedai Kopi Kuala Dungun“.
Food was good, but pity the F&B space was too warm and humid.

Meet Terengganu’s famous ‘Mee Kari’.

We took a tour around the old neighbourhood. Many houses have seen better days.

Beach area at ‘Pantai Teluk Lipat’. This stretch of road is popular for picnic and chill walks in the evenings, mini pasar malam. Morning market sells all sorts of kueh (cakes) and food.

1830 Grab to dinner at “Restaurant C.B.Wee“. We were craving for Chinese zhi char (煮炒, 小炒) style dinner, and this restaurant did not disappoint.

Popular with regulars. If you are driving or cycling, you will just pass by without noticing this low profile restaurant.

Day 2 Dungun to Kuala Terengganu

Recovery day for us, just cycle 80km to Kuala Terengganu. Good news was Eastern Route (be it Route 3 or small roads) are FLAT all the way to Kelantan.

But I have a minor concern. We will always encounter stench from overnight rubbish bins from Kuantan to Terengganu (ironically idyllic holiday spots).

Cyclists need fresh air, communities and residents need fresh air!
And some of these stench are nearby resorts and scenic beach areas.

Is it too much for Government services to clean up more frequently?

Is no one complaining? (Ok, enough rant from me).
Back to our routine.

We gingerly carry our bike down the stairs.
After a good night rest, we are in high spirits!

Simple old school breakfast at Yuan Jie Restaurant. The 药材鸭 mee was the signature dish. But the cai4 po4 (radish) porridge was simply subtle and delightful.

Old school shop next door selling some old-school merchandise. Collector’s Items anyone?

Climbed this bridge (Jambatan Kuala Dungun) and bid farewell to Dungun.
Then, we saw mini Supermen!

These kids were pedaling their small bikes up the bridge, only to SUPERMAN down the other end!

Sheny could not resist wefie with them :p

Superman in action!

Fyi, there are two interesting POI (Points of interest) nearby.
– Tunnel to nowhere (Terowong Bukit Tebuk)
– Teluk Bidara Beach (Rock formations to the most beautiful coastal views and perhaps lighthouse)

Instead, we went further North and dipped our legs at “Pantai Batu Pelanduk“.

Crystal clear waters, nice for a swim.

Rolling towards Terengganu.

We stopped by one of the roadside stalls, and we tried “Amir Black”. Not yucky, but novelty. We still do not know whether it is sea coconut or something from the mangrove. We know it is expensive at RM6 per bottle!

Along the east Coast, petrol stations are less common. So we will stop every 30km along warung (Malay f&b shops) or road side stalls.
As we got nearer to Terengganu, I noticed more coaches.
Perhaps they are heading to offload tourists heading for Redang?

Cycling along one-lane roads along the coast, you will feel the Draft, when bus and lorry pass from the opposite lane!

Cyclists should be alert to vehicles overtaking from the opposite lane too, they can cut into your lane Head on. Ride safe 🙂

Indulge in McDonald lunch (at Marang), and cold sweet Sundae.
Actually, we were hunting for an aircon F&B joint.

1410- Reached ARENA Boutique Hotel Kuala Terengganu

As we were early, we pop by nearby cafe for some ice coffee.

Our room is considered luxurious (both space and amenities), compared to the one at Dungun.

There are many eating and convenience stores within walking distance.

We grab 20km to a famous “Fried seafood” joint.

Believe us, Warung Pok Nong(fried seafood) is famous from Kuantan to Terengganu. Their name was recommended at least twice from passer-bys.

Expect long queues, but it moves pretty fast.

Table full of fresh seafood, for only Rm99.
We were satisfied with our protein and calories intake.

Enjoy the sea breeze , before we headed back to town.

Requested our Grab driver to send us to Terengganu’s iconic drawbridge “Jambatan Angkat Kuala Terengganu“. It will look even more majestic when we cycle under the bridge next day.

Relaxing walk down Chinatown.

Cute toys which endure the sun and ride together with us. Each of them carry family’s best wishes 🙂

Terengganu (and for that matter, Kelantan) has much more to offer for 3D2N. But it was touch and go for us.

Another popular Mosque nearby would be Masjid Kristal (Crystal Mosque).

Stay tune for the next blog post, as we share more of Terengganu and Kelantan.

Blog summary:
Day 0, 1 and 2 – Van to Kuantan, then Dungun and Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 and 4 – Terengganu to Kelantan to Jeli
Day 5 – Jeli to Gerik (Titiwangsa)
Day 6 and 7 Betong and R&R
Day 8 and 9 – Cycle to Penang, then Penang Round Island