Kemensah Waterfall..round I, II and III

You know, at the pace im writing my blog now, im writing so slow that by the time i write about my first time here (here @ Kubang Gajah), i have already visited this place 2 more times already..and it gets more and more interesting every visit..the best part is, you dont have to read three articles about three different visits of the same place..its all compiled into this one..

When i first read about this place in waterfalls of Malaysia, its a bit discouraging to know that the entrance to this place costs a hefty Rm5/person...Now that the place is abandoned, heck its FREE!! For your info, the entrance to the jungle starts from what used to be an UMNO camp retreat..and the greedy unscrupulous guards (prolly Nepalese) imposes an entrance free to which u duno to whom pocket it goes to.. Presently, its great to know that the guards arent there anymore.. But it is also sad to note that such a nice facility is abandoned..

I wouldnt say Kemensah waterfall is a nice waterfall; its just like any other ordinary waterfall but ill tell you why this place got me coming here again and again..to get there, just follow the road just beside zoo negara and keep going on..just keep following the road..dont take any feeder roads..and in doubt, DONT!..; )

Kemensah waterfall is also known as Kubang Gajah and sometimes, the name Laila Sari appears.. Both these names give the place a more 'local' and enchanted feel..but there is a folklore attached to it..It was believed that elephants once used to bathe here (hence the name Kubang Gajah) but if you would have come here, you'd wonder; how the heck did the elephants bathe here? (there is virtually no place to bathe here)...so, for those longing for a swim, you'd be disappointed..there is no pool large enough for even two strokes (or mayb even one)..the name Laila Sari on the other hand, got its name from a girl who had a mishap there..The story goes that she now lives in the water..Ive been told by many that the forest of Kubang Gajah holds many makhluk halus (which means creatures from another dimension)..even my boss told me that when we were having a chat one day..Whether youre a believer or not, its always safer to respect these so called "forces" of the forests..simple things like dont boast, dont simply spit or pluck things etc..youll never noe..

And so, for the reason why i made as much as three visits to the place? thats because there are hidden waterfalls to be discovered here..that makes it even more exciting, doesnt it..But honestly, after my third attempt and finally discovering all the hidden waterfalls, i dont want to come here anymore..LOL..i have enough! in a good way that is...

Well, on your first attempt into the forests of Kubang Gajah, I'd strongly recommend that you first find the Kubang Gajah waterfall itself..its not hard to find since a ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) path charts the course..this makes Kubang Gajah trails a relatively easy 1 hour hike and a no brainer (just follow the trail)..Cant think of any negatives except for the last part which is a steep downward slope..Going down wouldnt be a prob but going up WILL!! (when on your way back), Personally, i think Kubang Gajah waterfall is a great spot some BBQ activity by the steam; which my second trip was tailored to ..oh sorry, the first two waterfall pix (the one with the sun rays) are pictures of the Kubang Gajah waterfall..From the third waterfall pix onwards, what you see are the hidden waterfalls that i mentioned...If you were to check out other blogs/websites, you'd be discouraged to know that the only way to these waterfalls is to actually go against the stream from Kubang Gajah waterfall itself..yep, you make your own paths..a steady 40 minutes of these will then lead you to a Y-junction where the stream splits..following right will lead you to miserable waterfall shown here in waterfall pix number 3..the path on the left on the other hand is another 20 minutes (subjective statement cos it depends on how fast u hike and the group youre bringing) hike which ultimately lands you to a magnificent 8m vertical drop waterfall..but before that, you encounter Lata Gitar (shown as the 4th waterfall pic) and prolly named so because it looks like the fingerboard of a Guitar..both the falls are near each other..

As difficult as the off road course might seem (in fact, it really is), here is the good news..there is a path that actually leads to the hidden waterfall!..so its not so hidden after all!! damn..the problem is, describing to you the path is a little difficult..Here's a tip: If youre following the ATV trail and youre about to reach Kubang Gajah, there is this unused bicycle trail that exits to the left of the ATV trail..take the bicycle trail and endure about nearly an hour of gradual uphill climb..at times i even question the viability of it being a bicycle trail..its more like a torture/pain-in-the-ass trail to me..After hiking for sometime, you need to detour down to your right down a super steep slope..The question as to when to detour is the tricky part..I think two things will give you a hint..first, there is this log that partially blocks the bicycle path..Red white hazard tape tied on shrubs marks the spot where you start to detour and descent down the steep (hardly visible) path to your right..Second, the thunderous roar of the waterfall will definitely signal you to start searching for this hidden path..You cant see the waterfall but you can hear it..If you miss this turning, following the bicycle trail goes on and on to never never land..One group did this and they overshot the waterfall by 3 hours..suckers..haha..so good luck ya ; ) till then, peace..

p/s:well, if you notice the change in quality of the pix, im happy to say that im a proud owner of a new dslr..However, pictures in my articles to come might still feature some taken from IXUS 60