Penang Hills and Trails - Balik Pulau Explorer 7
The Continuing Search above the Town

This is one of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang, click here for the index. This is a Grade 3 walk but could readily be modified to be Grade 2 by using the other reports to find an easier route down. There is a sketch map at the bottom showing the route followed.

Please visit my Penang buses page for information on accessing the starting point.

See also our later 'Heaven and Hell' walk which broadly attempted to do most of this walk in reverse, but conspicuously failed.

This walk owes a lot to Peter van der Lans who advised on key parts of it. It was the first time on this trip that we had been east of the Air Itam Road out of Balik Pulau and unlike the other walks we have done on this visit, much of it was away from concrete trails. It was a special walk as 4 years earlier, in all innocence, we had set off along the same trail and ended up paddling down a muddy stream. That hike was neither photographed nor recorded for posterity on these pages, it was probably grounds for a divorce, except that Yuehong later inadvertently brought us to repeat the paddling. I have to remind myself constantly that while I can now set out on a 'new' hike with some idea of what to expect, such an outing was once a magical mystery tour where on occasions we were just happy to emerge into some kind of civilisation before it got dark.

We gave ourselves a head start by taking the 502 bus up to Anjung Indah. We climbed up the road to the restaurant and at the first bend we climbed up some steep concrete steps into what quickly turned into a forest trail. You'll know you're in the right place when you see the red warning notice about abusing the reserve.

If you're not a purist there's a rather gentler way in via the back of the restaurant. Ahead lies the 'jungle' which is the Bukit Relau Permanent Forest Reserve.

Compared to the earlier visit, even allowing for our greater experience, it did seem that the path was much easier to navigate, there were a few odd trees down but no significant blockage. 

I get no reassurance from seeing the warning signs, it's clear that enforcement (or lack of it) is not a recent issue, that rubber tree certainly postdates 1911.

There had obviously been at least one hash run along here a few months back, there was paper gently decomposing with the usual suspect's names on - the Penang Rainforest Hash, the Full Throttle Adventure Club and the original Penang Hash House Harriers. I'm pleased to say there was not a piece of plastic in sight. There was indeed one enormous tree which may well have been around 100 years ago, it was nearly 2 metres across at its base.

We took time out on a conveniently fallen log. Yuehong's eyes do not take kindly to the jungle, it's no fun wearing glasses here and the fact that she had also decided to forego the usual snack meant that progress was slower than expected. At this point the hash paper went right but when we checked it out it was clear that the Nanshan clearance was on our left and that was not what was wanted. Back we went to the tree and turned left instead.

I was treading very carefully, because it must have been around here that we went badly wrong previously, descending a steep slope and ending up in the abominable stream. However, it was impossible to go wrong this time, the trail was unmissable as it descended gently and again we could see Nanshan through the trees. In just a few minutes we emerged, it had taken rather longer than anticipated but we had experienced no problems whatsoever.

From a distance, it's doesn't look too bad, close up it's an environmental disaster. We felt that there were less signs of vegetables than before (the rest being weeds), but we didn't waste much time here. We walked along the wide path from left to right in the first picture and at the blue hut at the top turned sharp left.

The wide track had finished at the hut and we had followed the narrow path above the dahlias. We could now put Nanshan behind us and go back into what is left of the forest.

Compared to our earlier trail, it's much less used and there are more minor obstructions. There is just one key junction, at the point where a large tree has fallen. We had been right on our last visit, it quickly leads to rubber and a steep descent towards Balik Pulau. We were going left today where we had been just once before in November 2012. At that stage we were in something of a hurry to find our way down as we really had no idea where the path might lead to. It was two hours later than it was today and there was no time to record the gory details. 

While there are signs in places that it might once have been concrete, today's path is not for cissies. There are many trees down and at one point we had to take a loop some 20 metres from the path. It's by no means impossible but it's definitely unsuitable for beginners.

Inevitably as soon as we could see the durian estate ahead, the path became almost invisible ahead, we just had to trample the weeds. Finally it had been cut back but we still had to scramble down a slope. Someone took a tumble and I decided to make myself scarce. 

There was just one short overgrown patch which was harmless and then we were out on a proper path. Was that a semblance of a smile? 

It didn't last long, it was not yet 15.00 and in the interests of my health, I didn't want an extended drinking session in the Hometown. I had a Peter van der Lans 'special' up my sleeve, where Yuehong expected to go down at the next junction, I took a sharp left back up the hill behind the camera, the body language says it all. In fact there was almost no climbing and just before the path doubled back on itself we followed a terrace of young rubber on the right side (Yuehong is standing on the path which carries on up).

After a while it finishes, there are more terraces ahead and below, but at this point we climbed up the bank to the left (as we were walking, right as viewed) and entered a patch of old rubber which had a clear trail ahead, I've shown it as orange not green on the map as parts need care.

It was a much clearer trail than I had expected, no doubt it was helped by the fact some of the trees were still being tapped.

The path got steeper, the lack of a snack was telling but soon we came past the tapper's shelter and came out at the pond above Nibbinda.

This hilltop is all rubber, some new, some old and we walked on through the monastery and down the road out as far as just past the main gate. 

We turned left and made our way down through the durians. Instead of turning left into known territory (see Nibbinda Direct), we went down a short way further to where I had seen another path before. It was a bit steep and the knees were complaining bitterly.

It's actually quite simply the best access to Nibbinda we have so far used. There is a single junction where we ignored the painted suggestion and carried on straight down.

We agreed a temporary separation as I had visions of missing out on my refreshments. There is just one house along the way, unfortunately it has more than its fair share of dogs but my stick and their owner's voice kept them at bay. 

As I continued down, I could hear a second round of barking behind me so I knew Yuehong was making good progress. There's just one junction and since the path on the right follows the stream bed, there would be no temptation to follow it if coming up the hill instead.

The path effectively ends where you come round the side of a chicken shed (this is looking back). There are multiple ways out to the road, there are small houses all over the place, but two of them involve passing the famous 'spice house' where cloves were out drying. The best way is to the right of the house as viewed. I caught the briefest of glimpses of the interior as I passed, it's obviously very special and it's down for an inspection next time we come this way. In the UK it would have listed building status.

From the road, we could never have guessed that there was such a useful path behind the house and as it was now 16.30, the timing was just perfect. I had barely started to sip my Tiger when Yuehong came into view. I bullied her into having a Char Hor Fun like me and by the time we went for the bus, she was back to her usual cheerful self. She's discovering for herself that muscle has a higher density than other less desirable body material so her progress is not reflected on the bathroom scales.