Penang Hills and Trails - Titi Kerawang Explorer Part 1
The Path to Nowhere

This is one of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang, click here for the index. This is a Grade 2 walk. There is a sketch map at the bottom showing the route followed, click here for Part 2 and Part 3. 

Please visit my Penang buses page for information on accessing the starting point.

IMPORTANT - We have been asked to point out that the upper part of this route is private property and that visitors should seek permission to use the path shown to access the upper farm.

Everyone in Penang has heard of the Titi Kerawang Falls and many visitors stop off on their round-the-island journey to see them. At the right time of year they are probably worth five minutes of anyone's time. However, until recently I was unaware that there is a separate set of upper falls which are far more spectacular after the rains and with Peter van der Lans' recent reports, we were inspired to visit for ourselves. Access to the actual falls is not easy, I have heard it said that there is a path from the lower falls which has been closed off by the PBA on safety grounds. This report explains how you can view them safely and easily from the north side.

The kicking off point for this walk is the entrance to the Bao Sheng Durian Orchard, electricity pole JTK 9 just above the fruit stalls. It was a rare opportunity for us to enjoy this view out to sea. Note how Sungai Pinang is already being blighted by overspill housing from the other side of the island.

Lots of paths in Penang have unpretentious beginnings like this one, it soon shows its class as it rises slowly above the road.

There was the only zig-zag of the day before we reached a small hut. We were employing 'Hampton Court Maze tactics' and at every junction today we tried the right turn.

The hut's wood looked attractive from a distance, but then we realised that much has been removed by termites. If, like us, you are coming up in the morning, the sun might blind you to the sign, later Yuehong talked to the owner of this lower area and he, at least, had no problem with visitors.

It really was a delightful walk and again we chalked up the left turn for next time. 

In a perfect world this picture of the two sections of the falls would have been taken in the afternoon. Sadly by the time we came down it had completely clouded over, we'll hopefully have another chance. The Titit Kerawang stream divides just below the falls, this section leads to the Tiger Hill valley, the other minor stream leads towards Bukit Laksamana.

Further along were the remains of a swimming pool and behind it yet another turning to be explored another time.

Just beyond things started to get complicated. There was a junction beyond where Yuehong is standing and the path on the right not only went down to the swimming pool but branched again with a path downhill to the left.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do and off I went alone. You'll have to take my word for the fact that there was a concrete path underneath all that greenery. Eventually it flattened out and probably finished, in any case I was leaving the falls behind. Below me was been a steep descent through scrub without any guarantee of a better view close up so 20 minutes later I was back on the main path.

The path left at the next junction led up to this nearby house where we were offered an out-of-season durian for a bargain MYR 20, which was about twice what we would have paid for it. Note yet another path up the hill behind. Back down we went and took the other path and, blow me, it divided again.

This soon became a very different kind of path and as we crossed a small stream immediately after after which there was a minor obstruction to be negotiated.

Time for some 'Harry Potter stuff' even if Yuehong got bitten by one of the guardian insects hiding inside a piece of bamboo. The next section was indeed absolute magic even if we had no idea where were were heading for.

Below us we could see what I was sure was the Laksamana stream and eventually it came to meet us..

.Ahead was a durian estate in the process of replanting and much more...

That side was being done responsibly, the path was sealed with concrete and there were bananas planted temporarily and adequate ground cover. That looks to be Bukit Laksamana behind on the north side but I can't be sure.

.Near the top the immigrant contract farmers had a hut which was much better maintained than normal and it was good to see no rubbish at all. They had a lovely view out to Kuala Sungai Pinang.

Best of all there were no signs of chemicals in use which might pollute the catchment area, it is an 'organic farm' and there are bee hives all around and soon there will be plantings of herbs. That was the end of the good news.

All around virgin jungle is being cleared to extend the plantation, it will soon be two or three times its original size. No doubt it's all perfectly legal and this area is not protected but it begs the question as to whether it is appropriate for the island's future good environmental health. I don't have to say what I, a non-Malaysian who loves the place, thinks. For the time being at least it's looks awful.

I doubt we shall be back here, it's a dead end in every sense, but we will be revisiting the orchards below it which have been there a long time and in many cases have replaced rubber trees. Watch this space.

This had been chosen as a shorter walk than normal as we had been out guiding Mike Gibby round the Relau Pass the day before. As such we were able to catch the 14.30 501 bus from Balik Pulau.