Dabong - Adventures in Nature along the Jungle Railway

Next up, the mountains, jungles, caves and waterfalls of Dabong, Kelantan – an underrated gem along the Jungle Line in Kelantan, Malaysia.

Here’s a detailed account of our 4 day experience to Dabong/ Gunung Stong State Park. Other information that may be useful for planning your trip to Dabong/ Gunung Stong can be found towards the end of this post. It might be possible to do all the highlights of Dabong on one very packed day. We spread our itinerary over 3 days with one to spare, and also ended up skipping activities we initially intended to do.

In this post …

Our experience in Dabong

Useful information for planning a trip to Dabong
[Video] Dabong in 1 minute

Perhentian Islands/ Kuala Besut Jetty to Tanah Merah Railway Station

After our brief detour to Perhentian Islands, we got back to the mainland of Peninsular Malaysia at Kuala Besut Jetty. From there, we took a short Grab ride to the railway station at Tanah Merah. Not to be confused with Tanah Merah Station in Singapore. There were plenty of taxi drivers waiting at the jetty and as we weren’t confident of not getting ripped off, we booked our ride on Grab. As with some tourist hotspots in Southeast Asia, taxi drivers here aren’t friendly with Grab drivers and may cause trouble. Our Grab driver informed us to meet some distance from the jetty, away from the taxis and nearer to the main road. Fortunately, the rest of the journey was uneventful.

There are limited trains daily but seats were aplenty. We purchased our tickets at the station and had some time for breakfast and coffee. The train ride was comfortable and we were able to enjoy the amazing views along the Jungle Railway on this stretch. The train chugged through thick jungle, skirted massive rivers and crossed historic bridges. After about 2 hours winding through the countryside, we arrived in Dabong

Dabong – Introductions

Yazil from Stong Hill Resort was waiting for us at the train station when we arrived. After a warm welcome, we got into his spacious pickup truck and were on our way to our first stop. Up on a secluded hill, we stopped at some secret viewpoint to enjoy a panorama of Gunung Stong State Park. It was magnificent. The route there seemed a little off trail so I would not recommend attempting to find your way there if you are not familiar with that area. We were fortunate to have Yazil help plan our itinerary and to also be our guide for our trip.

Gunung Stong State Park and Jelawang Waterfall. Dabong, Kelantan.

After that brief stop, it was time for lunch. What better first dish to experience in Dabong than the famous Mee Udang (prawn noodles) here. There are many kinds of prawn noodles throughout Malaysia and Singapore and this version comes with large prawns with menacing looking pincers.

Lata Kertas

Our next stop was Lata Kertas, a waterfall that lacked in height in comparison to its well known neighbour, Jelawang waterfall, but definitely not lacking in energy. The waters appeared too high and violent for any water activity here, but it was nonetheless an interesting sight. Despite looking deceptively shallow, the plunge pool is actually deep and the current is extremely strong. Apparently people have drowned here so it is definitely a good idea to keep a safe distance.

Sungai Kenerong

Our last point of interest for the day was a more relaxing spot, along a serene section of Sungai Kenerong. The waters were gentler and shallower here. It was the perfect relaxing end to the day, surrounded nature and mountains in the distance.

Pasar Malam

Dinner time! Yazil brought us back to the commercial area just beyond the park, where there was a night market, with pop-up stalls lining the street. It wasn’t a large street market but still a bustling one. We managed to get a good variety of snacks and mains for our dinner and rest of the night.

Stong Hill Resort

We ended the day back at Stong Hill Resort. In our chalet by the waterfall, we had our dinner to the sounds of the forest at dusk. Not much to do after dark and that was perfect, as it was an early start the following morning.

Day 2 – Kem Baha and Jelawang Waterfall (Stong Waterfall)

Day 2 started at 4am as we had a sunrise hike ahead of us. Our guide Adam met us at our chalet, and after crossing the rope bridge at the end of the resort, we started our climb through the forest. It was pitch dark, and nothing could be seen beyond all that was illuminated by our headlamps. Unfortunately that included a leech that decided to hitch a ride. Adam removed the leech effortlessly and thankfully no one else attempted to join our adventure, although we did spot a pair of eyes in the forest when we were taking a break.

Kem Baha

The walk was short but slightly challenging, due to the inclune. With some time to spare before sunrise, we arrived at Kem Baha, the top of Jelawang Waterfall, and caught our breaths as we waiting for the first signs of the new day.

When it arrived, it did not disappoint. The sky was clear. Beneath us, a massive, magical carpet of clouds that blanketed the land for as far as we could see, yet remained low enough to reveal a magnificent mountain range stretching across the horizon. This was probably what most tourists came to Dabong for, but apparently not the view every tourist got to experience. We were filled with awe and gratitude. The spectacular view almost overshadowed the fact that we were standing on top of one of the tallest waterfalls in Southeast Asia, something that was not so evident with the carpet of clouds below, but would be clear as we descended the waterfall later.

Just as the sun cleared the mountain range and rose higher into the sky, the low clouds rose and engulfed Kem Baha. About the right time, as it was time for us to continue our hike to the other viewpoints in the vicinity.

The first was a waterfall. Not exactly small, but way smaller than the star of the show here. It was a pretty wall of water in the middle of the forest, surrounded by tall trees, and a beautiful sight.

Telaga Tujuh

The next stop, slightly deeper in, is Telaga Tujuh (7 wells), a waterfall that is wider but shorter. At the bottom of the falls, water carved a number of round depressions into the rock, and it is for these “wells” that Telaga Tujuh was named after. It was also another serene spot.

Then it was time to descend the mountain. Back at Kem Baha, the cloud/ fog had settled in, creating mesmerising scenes with rays of sunlight filtering through. The hike down the rugged, root bound trail felt less scary now that we could see beyond the path ahead. Gunung Stong State Park is home to a rich biodiversity of plants and animals. While we did not spot any rare plant or animal, we got to see some of the unique trees and hear the native primates in the foliage above.

Jelawang Waterfall

Finally, we arrived near the base of Jelawang Waterfall. It was jawdropping – truly a massive waterfall, and the pictures here do not accurately capture the scale of it. It was hard to imagine not too long ago we were all the way at the top of it, just beyond sight.

From here, most of the rest of the trail is along the rocks of the waterfall. Ropes and iron rod steps assist in the trickier sections. There was a short water crossing where we got our feet wet, thankfully nothing more although i nearly slipped. The trail from the waterfall led back to the resort, a different one from the one we took in the morning and definitely a fun one.

End of the hike

Back at our chalet, we washed up and had some rest before Yazil brought us out for lunch. We were fortunate that Yazil was free to bring us around as we might otherwise have to resort to having cup noodles for our entire trip. We stopped by one of the roadside stalls for some rice and local dishes, and had some wild picked durian next door. Dabong is in the vicinity of Gua Musang, known for its durians, and there are plenty of durians – wild and cultivated – across many areas here.

After that invigorating morning hike, we took the rest of the afternoon off to rest and enjoy the sounds of the waterfall and forest.

Day 3 – Gua Ikan Cave Complex

Our last day of planned activity here. We didn’t quite know what to expect when we signed up for the caving activity at Dabong. In the end we were glad to have tried this as it was a unique glimpse into another side of Malaysia I had not encountered before.

This activity was led by Yazil himself. We visited 4 caves that were close to each other, each with its own unique sights. Unlike caves we had visited elsewhere, these caves were not deep underground (still some steps but much lesser). Most of this tour was in large open spaces in the caves so there was not much squeezing through tight spaces.

Gua Pagar

Gua Ikan Cave Complex is a short drive away from Stong Hill Resort. There were a few stalls at the car park selling drinks and snacks. After a short walk through some vegetation we entered the first cave. Gua Pagar. All of the caves had many cool looking formations and features. It ended at a huge opening towards the forest, with plants creeping in.

Gua Keris

The second cave was Gua Keris. It is named after a rock formation at the entrance which resembles a Keris, a traditional dagger. The points of interest were spectacular here. One of them, called ‘God’s Light’, is a phenomenon where the sunlight focuses into a single beam straight down to the cave daily at around 11:30am. There are also other fantastic rock formations here.

Gua Gelap

The third cave was Gua Gelap. While the previous caves were large and grand, Gua Gelap was a small narrow one. This cave was where the caving part of the itinerary came in, as for a few minutes we had to squeeze through tiny openings and got a little wet as we wade through an underground stream. It was just a short section but nonetheless a fun one, and a nice way to end to main part of the caving itinerary.

Gua Ikan

The last cave is Gua Ikan itself. It is the most accessible, being next to the carpark. An underground river flows through this cave. There were fewer rock formations here.

Back to Stong Hill Resort

The rest of the day was again free and easy. After that long morning walk we were glad to have the afternoon free. On the way back we stopped by the Gunung Stong sign for some photos. As you might notice we were getting more relaxed with our planning and had most afternoons free. For those with more energy or less time, it is definitely possible to do the same activities in fewer days, or try out many more activities with the same number of days.

Day 4 – Unplanned Experiences

Our final day coincided with Hari Raya Haji. Yazil invited us to join in the witnessing of sacrificial offering ceremony. It is an important event in the Muslim calendar. I will skip the details here, but it was an eye-opening experience and we were very thankful to have been invited to the ceremony.

We initially planned to go tubing in the afternoon, but as the weather was not ideal, we ended up calling it off. We hung around the resort, soaking in the forest atmosphere one last time, before heading to the railway station in the evening to catch the train back to Johor Bahru.

Dabong Travel Guide (information as of May 2023)

Why Dabong?

We had decided to travel the Jungle Line, and Dabong stood out as a destination with great hiking, amazing views, slightly off the usual tourist path and right on the Jungle Line! If you don’t mind something less polished and comfy, slightly off the beaten path yet somewhat accessible and with pretty amazing sights, Dabong might just be for you.

How to plan a trip to Dabong

As we were on a pretty long trip, we were happy to book everything through Yazil from Stong Hill Resort. That includes accommodation, activities and transport. Yazil made a good itinerary, and was able to accommodate unexpected changes due to the weather. The start of the trail to Kem Baha, Jelawang Waterfall and the mountain peaks is through the resort itself so it is likely that you’d come across Stong Hill Resort as part of your planning. I believe there might be other tour operators around but it sounded a little bit of a hassle arranging the activities, transport and accommodation separately so I did not explore many options there.

Stong Hill Resort Facebook Page (with Whatsapp number)

Our itinerary (planned, with deviations):

First Day

1:30pm – Arrival at Dabong Railway Station
2:00pm – Jelawang

2:30pm – Lunch
3:30pm – Check In
4:00pm – Lata Kertas

4:30pm – Sungai Kenerong
6:00pm – Dinner and return to Stong Hill Resort

Second Day

4:00am – Start sunrise hike to Kem Baha
6:00am – Reach Kem Baha/ Wait for sunrise
9:00am – Telaga Tujuh

10:00am – Free and Easy
2:00pm – Kaki Air
3:00pm – Free and Easy

Third Day

9:30am – Caving at Gua Ikan Cave Complex
1:00pm – End of Caving

1:30pm – Jelawang View
2:00pm – Free and Easy

Fourth Day

2:00pm – Start tubing
4:00pm – End tubing
5:00pm – Free and Easy

11:00pm – Travel to Dabong Railway Station
11:30pm – Depart towards Johor Bahru

2 time sensitive activities that may affect the itinerary planning is visiting Gua Ikan Cave Complex and the sunrise hike, both of which occurs in the morning. The sunrise hike for obvious reasons, and the cave complex because one of the highlights, God’s Light, occurs only for a few minutes a day on clear, sunny days, at around 11:30 am. It’s probably not possible to do both on the same day so do take note if you’re on a tight itinerary.

Activities

Here’s a list of activities offered by Stong Hill Resort (as of 2023). There may be other activities may be offered by other operators.

Caving at Gua Ikan Cave Complex: 35RM per person
Tubing: 70RM per person

Rafting: 70RM per person
Zipline: 30RM per person
Big Swing: 30RM per person

Kaki Air: 35RM per person
Kem Baha Sunrise hike: 65RM per person
Via Ferrata: 250RM per person

Rock climbing: 200RM per person
ATV: 60RM per ATV
River Boat Cruise: 150RM per person

Car rental: 120-150RM per day
Other possible itineraries: 2 to 3 day hikes to Gunung Baha, Gunung Ayam and Gunung Stong, with or without meals (price unavailable)

Accommodation

We stayed at Stong Hill Resort, but there are a few other accommodation options in the vicinity, including Airbnbs.

Stong Hill Resort

Stong Hill Resort is a small cluster of chalets build at the base of Gunung Stong/ Jelawang Waterfall. The resort is decades old and has changed hands a couple of times. From what I understand, the high turnover may be related to the high cost of upkeeping the chalets, as the humidity and environment results in frequent moisture or insect related damages. As of my visit, Yazil, the current owner, had decided to focus his efforts on a few of the chalets in better condition. You can still see the rest of the semi-abandoned ones as you stroll through the resort.

We stayed at the Bonda chalet (150RM per night) in Stong Hill Resort. It is a standalone sturdy wooden hut next to the waterfall and comprises of a spacious room with a simple queen sized bed, an attached toilet and small balcony. There are other similar huts in the resort with various capacities. Stong Hill Resort does not have any modern facilities and luxuries, but is clean, sufficient for a short stay, and perfect for enjoying the tropical rainforest in relative comfort. The huts were built around the base of the waterfall, providing a close up experience with the jungle and waterfall, but also a close up experience with the critters of the jungle.

What we liked

Being very close to nature, falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the river and forests

Similar to the experience of camping, but in a relatively more comfortable environment – dry, with a roof, a comfortable bed and some basic room amenities
Toilet was sufficiently clean
The small mart in the resort providing all the little comforts – soft drinks, snacks, cup noodles and more

What might be of concern (things to consider)

Due to the humidity and building materials, there is inevitably some termite damage in the huts.
Insects may get in to the hut (we didn’t have much issues with them but it may be a good idea to bring along an electric repellent for mosquitos)
While tables and chairs are available outdoors, eating outdoors is not so feasible due to the insects around

Shops and restaurants are about 1-2km away
Rooms are basic (we liked it that way though)
It is not really feasible to get beyond the resort without your own transport and Grab is not available here too