Gunung Fakir Terbang is located at Tasik Pedu, Padang Terap, Kedah.

It sits next to the Malaysia and Thailand border. You will witness a golden panorama view of Pedu Lake during sunset on Malaysia’s side and a gorgeous view of the green forestry landscape of the Yala province of Thailand during sunrise. The easiest entrance to the trail is through the Mutiara Tasik Pedu main gate. Mutiara Tasik Pedu Resort has long ago closed for business (closed in 2010) but the landowner is still actively guarding the area.

• Location: Gunung Fakir Terbang, Mutiara Pedu Lake, Tasik Pedu, Kedah (570 meter)
• How to go: Waze for “Seri Mahawangsa Boathouse” or “Gate Mutiara”, Tasik Pedu
• Attraction: Thailand and Malaysia border. Panorama view of Tasik Pedu during sunset
• Difficulty: Moderate hike
• Distance out and back: ~ 4 km
• Time spent: half-day trip
• Caution: Kutu babi/ tick and leeches during the rainy season
• Tips: Gorgeous view during sunset and sunrise. Discuss with your guide how to maximize your experience while hiking the mountain
• Leech level: Minimal during the dry season
• Entrance Fee: No
• Require Permit: Yes
• Local Guide: Abang Long Naser 019-506 8667
• Hiking date: 27 January 2024

My friend Amir, the owner of Pedu Lake Serimahawangsa boathouse used to tell me old folk stories about Banjaran Singgora/ Singgora range and Gunung Fakir Terbang. While cruising along Pedu Lake he showed me the peak of Gunung Fakir Terbang and in my imagination (after listening to his story) that the mountain must be tough to conquer. Through some research from some YouTube videos, I discovered that Gunung Fakir Terbang is only 570m in height, not that bad … right?

We could do a half-day trip to explore Gunung Fakir Terbang during sunrise or sunset, depending on your preferences

Our mission was to conquer the peak of Gunung Fakir Terbang during sunset. I don’t fancy long hours hiking so I tried to look for the best ‘available’ option to simplify our hike. I told my guide if there was an option to ride on a 4×4 to reach the peak we probably would happily choose the alternative.

Unfortunately, we do not have that option.

The best way to reduce our walking distance to the trailhead was to pay RM10 each for a jeep ride. The jeep will transport us to and from the trailhead, conserving our energy from a few kilometres (5+ km) walk. We were happy to comply 😂 .

The trail to the summit is not that bad but definitely not for beginners. The distance from the trailhead to the summit is about 2 km with no flat trek. The track constantly ascends on steep trails with several 90-degree angle slopes. We tackled the challenging slopes with the help of our experienced guides. Surprisingly 9 of us reached the summit in less than 2 hours, giving us ample time to enjoy the sunset.

Panorama view of Tasik Pedu during sunset

According to our guide, most hikers who followed his trip were interested in experiencing the sunrise over the summit rather than the sunset. They started hiking in the early morning (trailhead at 11 pm), hoping to witness the ‘awan karpet’ or thick morning mist over the summit during sunrise.

In my personal opinion, the panorama view from Gunung Fakir Terbang is the best during sunset. As I stood atop the mountain, the scenery of Pedu Lake below was magical under the golden light. The fiery hues of the setting sun reflected across the water, and the sky blended into deep oranges, pinks, and purples—the entire scene felt timeless. Nature quietly revealed its most intimate beauty, a moment of stillness where everything was in perfect harmony. Beautiful sunset … Alhamdullilah for the opportunity to FEEL.

We stayed a little longer at the summit. Some of us decided to hike down after dinner and some chose to stay for the night. Another group of hikers was scheduled to come tonight for the sunrise. I decided to stay and join the sunrise group. We slept in hammocks and woke up early to catch the first light over the horizon from the Thailand border. Around 8 am we packed our bags and headed back to the trailhead. We followed different trails to descend from the peak, the trek was a bit laid back, longer and less steep. We took less than 2 hours to hike down from the summit and when we reached the trailhead our transportation was there, ready to transport us back to the main gate (Gate Mutiara Tasik Pedu).

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We completed our 5D 4N hiking trip. I arranged for my team to stay for a night at Serimahawangsa Boathouse in Tasik Pedu for a quick rest before we drove back to Kuala Lumpur. At first, they were reluctant to spend the night here as they heard all sorts of ‘old folk’ stories about Tasik Pedu. I told them to be open and just give it a try as I have frequented this place for years.

I always enjoy my quiet stay in Tasik Pedu, the place where I bond with nature. There are a few hiking trails that you could explore in Tasik Pedu; Gunung Batu Merah (540 m) and Bukit Kerengga are some of them. To those who are new to Tasik Pedu, here are some links about Tasik Pedu:

• What to do in Tasik Pedu?
• Tualang Honey of Tasik Pedu/ Madu Tualang
• Mong Gajah, Tasik Pedu

It was a good hike and I am looking forward to more layback type hiking experiences in the future. If you have any comments or suggestions for my next hike, please feel free to leave them below.

Thank you for reading

Cheers

MM