Mount Pulai Day Hike (Jungle Trail No. 2)

About Mount Pulai

Gunung Pulai, or Mount Pulai is a 654 meters tall mountain located in Johor. Located in Kampung Sri Gunung Pulai, about 12km south-west of Kulai town, or 19km north west from Johor Bahru central, it is a popular hiking spot among the locals and Singaporean hikers due to its proximity and easy access.

Last month, after returning from my 2-weeks long Sri Lanka trip (which I promise I will blog soon), and to celebrate the historic change of government of Malaysia, Jesy and I joined Ykai and Damo, whom we met during our March’s Angsi trip, on their Sunday Pulai day hike.


Despite being the closest Malaysia’s mountain from Singapore, I’ve never been to Pulai. This marked my first visit to this Johorian training ground, while it’s Jesy’s third or fourth visit. 

Never too late to start. Never too early to return

The 4 of us travelled from Singapore to Bukit Indah on Saturday afternoon, after which we grab to Pontian, where Ykai stayed. The next morning, we drove to Kampung Sri Gunung Pulai where Huiwen and her running guru joined us. 

Ascent via Jungle Trail No. 2

At 6:50am, the 6 of us started our hike from trailhead, which is just about few dozen meters away from the carpark. Instead of following through the asphalt road, we turned right into the jungle, following the so-called Jungle Trail No. 2. The terrain is typical of those Malaysia rainforest, and the it started with gentle slope which is not that steep.

About 7:30am, we reached a mini waterfall. Right up to this point, it is still a relaxing walk, though I did feel quite tired as I had only just recently recovered from my 10-days flu. The route thereon gradually grow steeper and I did find my pace decreasing, but overall I was still doing fine.

About another hour after the waterfall, we reached a flat resting ground with several benches. Interestingly, there’s a Pakatan Harapan’s flag proudly standing there. 

The group did not stop for any rest but instead kept walking ahead until we reached a Big Rock 10 minutes later. We also didn’t stop here as we were nearing the “summit”, but apparently, this checkpoint is a popular resting place for hikers. We even met some hikers who were hiking towards Pulai Blue Lake, who were making a stop there. 

Picnic in the rain 

By 9:10am, before my exhaustion kicked in, we finally reached the so-called “summit”. It’s actually not the highest point of the mountain, but rather a (possibly) camping site. This is where the MMC’s group (and possibly many others) stopped. My Suunto movescount clocked only 574m as opposed to the actual Pulai height of 654m, so it’s 80m below the summit.

Many sources cite that the summit is not accessible as it houses telecommunication towers. This is true in the case of the asphalt road, but I was told that there is a way to reach the summit via the jungle trail, although not many has actually been there. Maybe next time, I asked the group to guide me to the real summit.

As I made a short stop at the Big Rock for photos, the group has already set up a ground sheet at the site by the time I reached. There, we meet another group of 3 local hikers whom are the friends of Ykai and Damo. We shared the ground sheet, where Ykai prepared wraps, Damo cutting fruits and Huiwen’s sifu making his cup of coffee. 

We can always make up to the lack of summit view with a heartily satisfying meal

There isn’t any view that day as it was extremely cloudy and it later drizzled before we decided to make our descent. 

Descent via Jungle Trail No. 1

By 9:50am, we decided to descent before the rain got any heavier. We split into two groups, where Huiwen’s sifu followed the other hikers on a faster shorter asphalt trail, while the 5 of us went back the same way. 15 minutes later, we the junction, where we diverted to Jungle Trail No. 1.

Though the way out is shorter, it is stepper with more root steps and this was where it slowed me down the most. A sick person is a sick person and I could feel my legs giving away as I struggle to gather energy for them. 

Merging into Asphalt Trail

Thankfully, by 10:55am, we finally exited from the trail and out to the asphalt road. It’s another 600m walk from there to the trail head, but going down on hard asphalt ground could be hard on the knees. Not a fan of asphalt road, I dashed down in a zig-zag fashion until I reached the trail head. It was a 15-minutes walk in total. 

Lunch and Goodbye

Next to the carpark is a Malay warung where one can use the bathroom for a fee of RM1 per entry. The toilet is rather clean and the water pressure is quite good. I really don’t mind paying that amount of money for this well-maintained facility.



We took a quick shower, before we drove to Man Ting Fang at Kulai town for Hakka’s Thunder Tea Rice. 

Ykai then dropped Jesy and I at Pontian bus station, where we boarded a bus back to Singapore.

Epilogue

Despite staying in Singapore for years and have a strong passion for hiking, I couldn’t believe that I have never once hike Mount Pulai. Though not a very difficult mountain, it’s suitable as a training ground and regular maintenance work out. I can see myself returning to Pulai over and over again. Next time, I would want to explore other routes, and even hike all the way to the Blue Lake. 

Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits

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Thank you for reading all the way till the end. Too much info and you just want a summarised itinerary but too lazy to scroll back up? Well, here’s a summary I’ve drafted up for you. Hope it helps you with your planning.

Itinerary:

**Disclaimer: Below is my timing according to my speed. So please take it with a grain of salt, as everyone is different. Have fun hiking this mountain.

Day Hike (13/5/2018)

Total distance hiked: 10.4km

06:50 Start hike from trailhead / carpark (via Jungle Trail No. 2)

07:30 Reach waterfall

08:50 Reach flat resting ground

09:00 Reach Big Rock

09:10 Reach “summit”

09:30 Breakfast (wrap) at summit

09:50 Descend via the same way

10:05 Reach Trail 1 and 2 Junction (continue via Jungle Trail No. 1)

10:55 Reach Asphalt trail (continue via Asphalt road)

11:10 Reach trailhead / carpark

Alternative hiking route:

***Disclaimer: The following tips are formed based on my personal opinion. As I’m not a mountain guide nor professional hiker, please exercise your own judgment before following. 

🔼Asphalt/tarmac road 

This is the easiest and most known trail. Beginners and first-time hikers will normally choose this route especially if unguided. Just follow the 5km marked asphalt road from the car park and it will lead you all the way to the gated base at the summit which houses telecommunication towers. This road is actually the service road for the Telekom Malaysia communication towers at the summit, and therefore, the summit is out of bounds. 

🔼Jungle Trail

➢Jungle Trail No. 1

This is the route we took for our descent and it is the easiest of all three jungle trails. It’s shorter in distance albeit a little steeper compared to trail No. 2. 

➢Jungle Trail No. 2

This is the one we took for our ascent and is slightly longer in distance compared to trail No. 1, but less steep. The two trails shared the same trailheads and at some point diverge into two. 

➢Jungle Trail No. 3

This is the most difficult trail among all three jungle trails, and not known by many hikers. I’ve only heard of this from a seasoned hiker, who doesn’t recommend anyone who are not familiar to attempt. No further info is provided, so I guess I need to hike this to know. If I have the chance… If I have the chance…  

Ps: Please be reminded not hike on your own as the jungle trail is unmarked and chances of getting lost is pretty high. Be a responsible hiker and hike in a group, with someone familiar leading the way. 

Safety first, joy is secondary

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-Thanks for reading-