Gunung Datuk Recreational Forest — Attraction in Negeri Sembilan

Never have I felt this MOTIVATED to write a review, much less about a hiking trail.

Difficulty: Intermediate Quite a number of steep areas in this area, but most of them have ropes to help you traverse. I won't recommend this for first time hikers unless you live an active lifestyle.

Facilities: Have what you need I didn't check all of the facilities, but the cleanliness of the toilet is worth mentioning. Male toilet even had one "TOILET VIP", but the door was broken and you can't lock it. So much for the VIP treatment (at least it's free.) Oh, and you can shower here. There's a running mountain water spring near the entrance when you register. It feels heavenly after the hike, and I was told it's drinkable. As of writing this review I don't feel any discomfort, I'll update this if I do fall sick lol The new parking spot is "two-level" but it can be a little worrisome since it looks like a landslide ready to happen.

If you're not interested about how I felt about this hike, then you can stop reading at this point. . . . . . . . On to the juicy part of this review: I. AM. ABSOLUTELY. MALDING. AS. OF. WRITING. THIS. REVIEW. It's been a while since I've gone out of my way to hike, much less when I'm not from around here. So I was pretty excited to challenge myself to this hike. I only had Gasing Hill as reference, so it was quite a challenge for me. Fortunately I'm slightly active, so I took up the challenge. If you've tried Gasing Hill you know how much difference their difficulty can be. I had fun going through the steep areas, fellow hikers kept cheering on me as I stopped to catch my breath (thank you kind souls). Just as I saw the huge rock, my friend told me that we're just 2 more minutes away, and I felt the chilly wind coming my way. It felt absolutely rewarding, even though I was drenched in sweat.

The view was amazing. You wouldn't have thought that you'd be able to see a view like that in Malaysia. No photos will be uploaded to avoid spoilers. You have to see and feel it yourself. I guess that's how people felt climbing Kinabalu, Everest etc.

But my reward was short-lived. Pretty soon I heard a buzz. Then there were two buzzes. Three buzzes.

Then my friend shouted "Dude you should check the view from up here!", and I gave myself one last push and went for the top. You could only imagine the horror of seeing 50 bees at the apex. I wanted to take out my phone to take a picture, but even a simple wish like that was not permitted as a bee stung on my palm. There were lots of people sitting on top, enjoying the wind and the scenery with the bees. But I snapped. Internally ofc. I went down, leaving my friend behind after telling him I'm done. On my way down, I warned people about the bee situation, giving them some time to mentally prepare themselves. A kind lady mentioned that it could've been the red shirt that I was wearing, so it did help clear a little of my frustrations. It was a one straight descent without any stopping. The frustration and the desire to leave the place overcame my want to rest and stop. Just as I reached the entrance, I noticed the mountain water spring, and a guy told me that it was the drenched sweat that attracted the bees. He said that he brought long sleeves to combat this problem, and wiped off his sweat and he was fine. You may choose to attempt it if you want to, but at your own risk. Apparently it's a recent thing since this guy went during Hari Raya and the bees weren't there. I'd never hike this place again as long as the bees are still there. If you're kind enough to leave an update, please do.

That's all for my review. I need to find back my motivation....

1. Went on 25/2/24 (Sun), arrived at the registration point at 12:15pm. The abang there said the last entry is strictly 12pm. Despite us pleading as we came all the way from KL (and we have hiked here before so we're familiar with the terrain), he was cocky and insisted that we cannot hike because we might need rescue to come back down. Based on his logic, somehow if we started the hike at 12pm, we would be able to come down safely; but if we started hiking at 12:15pm, we would be lost and will need the rescue team's help. Anyway, our trip were wasted as we were forced to head back.

2. Went back a week later 3/3/24 (Sun) and we made sure we were there at 11am. This time it's a different abang, who's friendly. We hiked up and down despite the rain. After we came down, we chatted with the friendly abang and found out that the last entry is actually 1pm. He told us that the guy from the earlier week must have been wrong as the rule set is clearly that the last entry is 1pm, and this has been stated on the board at the entrance. True enough, we checked the board and it says last entry is 1pm (photo attached).

3. So we have been cheated/misled by the previous guy at the registration. I don't know whether this is out of pure malice, due to racism or some wicked thought, or if there is just some internal miscommunication. But the fact is our time (at least 3 hours to and fro) was wasted and our day ruined. Even worse after we knew that it's not our fault, but purely because someone wrongly denied us entry (with or without malice). Not sure which department is in charge but it is a huge shame to have such things happen....

The trail is approximately 2 km from the trailhead to the summit. The ticket counter at the trailhead opens at 7:30 AM. Be there by 7:00 AM to queue up—the wait is usually no more than 10 minutes. For foreigners, the ticket price is RM20, and for Malaysians, it’s RM5. Don’t forget to carry your physical passport, as it’s required for verification at the counter. It’s also a good idea to use a waterproof passport cover to protect it in case of rain or any fluid leakage in your bag.

The elevation gain is over 600 meters, and the trail can be challenging for beginners. The first checkpoint, CP1, is about 700 meters from the start and involves tough climbing, including rock faces and tree roots. Fortunately, ropes are provided to assist climbers.

After CP1, the elevation eases slightly, but the trail remains rocky with almost no flat sections. There are also CP2 and CP3, but we didn’t stop after CP1.

The view from the summit is breathtaking—you can gaze out over the Straits of Malacca, see the ocean, ships, and enjoy a 180-degree view of Malacca. The ascent takes about 2 hours.

The descent is equally challenging and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Up to CP1 feels long and tiring, but the real challenge starts after crossing CP1. It takes about 1 hour to return from CP1 to the trailhead.

After the hike, you can take off your shoes and relax in the refreshing, cold stream—it’s a perfect way to cool down.

Make sure to wear hiking shoes with a good grip, as the trail is steep and slippery in...