Lata Kijang Waterfall

We came here with no plan at all to recharge. The water falls three thousand feet straight down, like the Milky Way pouring from the sky! Listening to nature’s running water, the river clear enough to see through, fish swimming in the water, a light breeze blowing, everything so green, mind completely empty! Get off the car and you’re right at the waterfall, loved it. Climbed Gunung Bujang Melaka, and the next day kept going to Lata Kijang Waterfall. Another 8km round trip. Can come back again next time! Operating hours: 9.00am - 6.00pm. One-way hike about 4 km. Hiking time about 1 to 1.5 hours. Round trip about 8 km. Difficulty: easy to moderate, 3 out of 5 stars. After leaving the hipster cafe, we drove to Kampar’s most spectacular natural spot, Lata Kinjang Waterfall. Before even reaching the waterfall, you could already hear the roar of the water from far away. Walking closer, that wave of cool mist swept all the tiredness from the trip away instantly. Lata Kinjang is one of Malaysia’s tallest waterfalls, with a drop of over 850 metres. Standing at the base of the waterfall, the water pours down from the mountain, the scale of it is overwhelming. The mist it throws up hits you like natural air conditioning, really refreshing. In that moment you feel how small you are in front of nature, and yet so tightly connected to it. This isn’t just a great spot to look at the view, it’s also a popular weekend hangout for local families. Below the waterfall there’s a small natural pool, perfect for taking your shoes off and standing in the cold stream water. In the clear water, small fish swim freely around your feet, you can’t help but smile. A lot of families bring picnic mats and snacks and spend a relaxed afternoon under the shade of the trees, the whole vibe is easy and unhurried. Tip: go in the morning or the evening, the light is softer and photos turn out best. Be careful, the water flow is fast, don’t go wandering into the deep sections. There’s a car park at the entrance, the fee isn’t high, very convenient. Lata Kijang Waterfall is in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, also below Gunung Besar Hantu. Looking at photos beforehand it didn’t seem like much, but once I actually got there I realised it’s really impressive, worth the trip. But the waterfall is a long way in, the car hadn’t even reached the trailhead and people were already dizzy twice over. Rested by the river for 2 hours plus, there were a lot of water spiders, praying mantises, and some creature I couldn’t identify. The waterfall is about 80 metres high, and it’s roughly 7km plus each way from the trailhead to the waterfall and back out again, some sections are quite steep, fairly hard going. Before entering the park you need to buy a permit at the guardhouse, RM5 per person, or buy it online. Parking, on Waze search Gunung Besar Hantu Trailhead. It’s not really climbing a mountain though, since you’re on a path the whole time. Counts as easy, just constant slopes up and down. Still worth it once you get there, just a lot of people. Lata Kijang, Negeri Sembilan.