First Visit to Penang Forest Park - Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang

Realized that it was the last week before I end my undergraduate study life, and I am still yet to have enough visit to this lovely island. There are too much of places that I am yet to visit them. When come back after internship, I told myself I wanted to go to Escape Theme Park but until now I have not yet succeed.

Last few days after my second exam paper, Sue Anne invited me to go for hiking, and I just remembered that I have not hike to Penang Hill yet, so we discuss on where to go. Penang National Park has been a favorite place for us to enjoy the nature and beach, but after the visit to lighthouse, looks like we have made our stories end there.

(Well, okay, I got to admit that it was a nightmare to us, as we took a bus from USM to Teluk Bahang, and due to the long waiting hours for the other, the trip was not so enjoyable and also the stairs to lighthouse was really a tiring one. We don't even make it to walk for the return trip. )

So initial idea was to make our first trip to Penang Hill by walking, as I search around the websites to look around of where is the starting point. Then realized that there are a few starting points that you can go to reach Penang Hill, two common trails from Penang Botanic Gardens, details please check at here.

When I read until the end of the article, I found a new place (at least to myself) to explore, which is just a short paragraph mentioned that if you are adventurous people, you can take a 10-km jungle track from Teluk Bahang Forest Eco Park to Penang Hill. The word "adventurous" strikes through my eyes, so I continue to search for more information, so I found the other link to tell more details about the park.

One thing that surprised me is this place is not available on TripAdvisor, which means that it could be a hidden and unexplored heaven for 'monkeys' like us.  

Sue Anne thought I have took wrong information, and even myself was doubt whether this track is exist. I tried to share in Facebook, and people thought I mentioning the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang, but the signboard are totally different, this is "TAMAN RIMBA TELUK BAHANG". (I am so upset that no one believe me, haha)

It is another reserved forest in Teluk Bahang, Penang, located at the Teluk Bahang Dam, to be exact, after you pass by the Escape Theme Park and Penang Butterfly Park, the Penang Forest Park is there.

Invited my "sister" and sister to join us, my sister told me to just drive the car if she cannot awake. I was afraid that the place is not available to hike as there was news on a case of bacteria contamination two years ago in The Star, so I took the car and go. (Yeah, without my sister in the car. XD)

There is a walkway and some herbs before you can enter the forest. The water there is clear and Sue Anne wish that she can jump inside, but for myself I dare not to enter due to the case mentioned earlier. Sigh...

With the aim to only try to explore this place to see the track condition, I am totally not ready to reach Penang Hill at the first visit, and initially it was a long long stairs to climb up.

Then it continues with the jungle track, it is considered well marked although refer to the second link I am not sure where the five stations located, from the place, it has ten stations but we met a few branch that we are blurred, (start from station no. 10, the first station is at Penang Hill, but we are not going to walk two ways Teluk Bahang - Penang Hill - Teluk Bahang), and the way are really steep, and seems no end, so we just entered to about 45 minutes journey and made our return already, most likely we have not reach any of the station. >.<

This is the place where we stop, the first photo is when we look down, the next one is the unfinished journey. (Photographer of the day: Sue Anne)

The signboard where we stopped, but no idea how far we have walk. 

(it is so discouraging.. Haha)

Anyway, it is a good experience of hiking there, we got to be more ready next time, with sufficient water and food supplies in order to succeed, and either we got to have transports at the two places or else will just take a bus to go there again.

There is a museum at the entrance, but we did not enter.

A place that I wished that I knew it earlier so that I can finish the journey up to Penang Hill before I graduated. Sue Anne ask me to post a detailed blog about it so that more people will go. (It is really less people compared to the Penang National Park, and we afraid we get lost in the jungle. >.<)

So, it add on to my wishlist for the adventures to overcome after the Botanic Gardens to Penang Hill, Escape Theme Park and the Escape Break the Code. With all these places that I am yet to explore, sadly that I am leaving this place soon. I am not ready yet, but even I insist to stay, the people that can accompany me to do all this might not be here anymore. Simply, I can't withstand this loneliness, so I decided to pack my things home and get ready for the next journey. But, I will come back again for this unfinished track, I promise!