Category: Hiking

Hiking Baha Campsite, Dabong

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If you want to experience waking up to a breathtaking sunrise on the ridge of Southeast Asia’s highest recorded waterfall, then you should try a 3D2N camping trip at Baha Campsite, Dabong.

It’s a clean, well-kept site complete with toilets and a surau with ice-cold water running straight from a small waterfall right next to the camp, which honestly makes the whole process of enjoying nature surprisingly comfortable. You can just spend hours lying in your hammock, enjoying the morning mist wrapped among the tall trees while listening to the gentle roar of the falls. And if you’re lucky with the weather, you’ll get to witness a soft layer of awan karpet settling over the valley below.

  • Location: Baha Campsite, Dabong, Kuala Krai, Kelantan (450m)
  • How to go: Drive to Dabong, use Waze for “Stong Heritage Eco Resort”. Another option is to take a train from KL Sentral to Gemas (ETS) and Gemas to Dabong (KTM) to experience a different adventure.
  • Attraction: Camping at the ridge of Jelawang Waterfall, the tallest waterfall (recorded on paper) in southeast Asia
  • Difficulty: Moderate and steep, vertical hiking
  • Distance: 2-3 hours hike with load. 3.4km long
  • Time spent: 3 days 2 nights
  • Caution: Not advisable during raining season
  • Tips: Arrange food ration with your guide so you can focus being in the moment
  • Leech level: High
  • Entrance Fee: Yes
  • Require Permit: Yes
  • Local Guide: PakDo +6017 908 0884
  • Hiking date: 01.05.2025
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Hiking to Telety Pass, Kyrgyzstan

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

I went hiking with a group of kindred spirits in Kyrgyzstan in late August, when the weather was at its best … not too cold, not too hot, just the perfect balance for long, soul-stretching days on the trail.

Kyrgyzstan is, quite frankly, Mother Nature showing off. A land of dramatic mountain ranges, glacial rivers, and endless valleys that make you stop every few minutes just to take it all in. And the best way to truly experience it? Step right into the mountains.

For those with a good level of fitness (and lungs ready for high altitude), a multi-day trek across the breathtaking Telety Pass in the Terskey Ala-Too range is a must. The trail links Karakol Valley and Jeti-Oguz Valley in the Issyk-Kul region. A journey filled with postcard-perfect rivers, sweeping alpine meadows, and encounters with nomads herding their livestock.

It feels like walking through a living landscape painting … except this one comes with fresh air, curious cows and sheep, and a pair of painfully sore leg muscles to remind you it’s all gloriously real

  • Location: Telety Pass, Terskey Ala-Too range, Issyk-Kul region, Kyrgyzstan (3800m)
  • How to go: Drive to Issyk-Kul Lake. You can start the trail either from Karakol or Jeti-Oguz valleys.
  • Attraction: Stunning natural landscape of the Terskey Ala-Tau range
  • Stay: Jeti Oguz- Kok Jaiyk Camp- Telety Camp- Karakol Gorge Camp
  • Difficulty: Hard/ Challenging
  • Distance out and back: Total distance 50km
  • Time spent: 4 days, 3 nights
  • Caution: Unpredictable weather change/ High altitude trekking. Bring your thermals, it’s a must
  • Tips: Hire a local guide to be safe.
  • Leech level: N/A
  • Entrance Fee: N/A
  • Require Permit: N/A
  • Local Guide: Zahariz Khuzaimah (+6010 2269806) (Zahariz@gmail.com)
  • Hiking date: start 29.08.2025/ end 01.10.2025
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Horse Riding to Song Kol Lake, Kyrgyzstan

Matsuda Mashimaru1 Comment

This is my second time in Central Asia.

My first journey took me to Mongolia years ago, and now, I find myself in Kyrgyzstan, the land of the Celestial Mountains, often called the Switzerland of Central Asia.

It’s easy to see why.

Nearly 90% of the country is covered by mountains, from the mighty Tien Shan to the rugged Pamir range. In a place like this, anyone who travels here must surely come for the mountains.

The moment I stepped onto its soil, I felt a quiet stillness in the air.

Song Kol Lake during sunset

From afar, the mountain range stretched endlessly beneath the soft light, and in that instant, I knew that there was no rush here. The people of Kyrgyzstan seem to move at the same gentle rhythm as the land itself; calm, unhurried, and deeply connected to nature. I reminded myself to do the same here. To move slower, to listen deeper, and to simply be present in this moment.

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Hiking Gunung Pulai, Baling

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

Okay, let’s be real … this time, we weren’t hiking, but we were rock climbing. There, I said it out loud. Gunung Pulai may look small from afar, but trust me, this mountain is about 95% rock, basically a giant chunk of stone sitting proudly next to another chunk of stone called Gunung Baling in the middle of Baling town. And yeah, climbing it? Way tougher than it looks.

If you’re like me, the kind who’s always craving a panoramic view of the town framed by the sea of Butterworth and the Penang Strait, then you have to do Gunung Pulai for the sunset view. I know, I know, it sounds a bit odd to climb in the afternoon, but curiosity got the best of me. I just had to see the sunset from the Butterworth-Penang side.

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Hiking Gunung Alai, Gerik

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

Craving a fairy-tale kind of view from high up in the mountains?

Don’t worry, peeps, we have our own Malaysia dreamy landscape here from the top of Gunung Alai, located in Gerik, Perak. Trust me, the view from up here is wow. If you’re wondering how to truly soak in its beauty, I’d suggest hiking up for sunset, camping overnight to catch the Milky Way, and waking up early for a stunning sunrise.

View chaser … this is the spot you don’t want to miss.

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