Penang Hills and Trails - Sungai Ara Explorer 2
Filling the Gaps in our Knowledge

This is one of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang, click here for the index. This is a Grade 2 walk. 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.

In December 2016, when we had 'wheels' we had entered the Sungai Ara valley from Jalan Kenari and explored the south side in some detail, these are covered in our Sungai Ara - 541 and Sungai Ara - The Blue House reports. Later we returned with our friend Mike Gibby.

Today we were back in our Myvi to try to fill more gaps especially as I had read a report by Peter van der Lans that suggested we had more to learn... Hence I parked up near pole OJK 40. We looked for a path off the small road to the left which curves back and goes to a small temple but weren't greatly impressed. In the end we settled for a not very well used path which went up beyond a small hut. Like most of today's paths it didn't photograph well.

For the next 40 minutes we continued uphill through youngish rubber which the world seems to have largely forgotten. Ground cover was provided by what we assume is a kind of ginger, by and large we avoided areas without trees. Finally we came across what we assumed would have been a durian net and very soon after we had to make our way through a stand of bamboo which had been part cleared.

Almost immediately afterwards we came to a path, which was very interesting as it was not one I recognised. It could have been the 'Gibby path' but it looked too flat to me. We had to choose and opted to go right away from Sungai Ara, we found the path quite clear. Along the way there were signs of a tree brought down by nature and a lot more brought down by man. After the steep climb it was relaxing walking.

In just under 15 minutes we came to a hut and behind it was the main path we had used a couple of times previously - today's path was effectively hidden behind it. That was one mystery solved, but where did the path go in the opposite direction? So back we went and not very far past when we had emerged we found a junction. We had come from the right and this would be the 'Gibby path'.

Up would be more interesting than down (which would end up in Sungai Ara), but we found the path barely used and parts more than a little overgrown.

When we got to the main path junction, I was so frantic for my refreshment that I forgot to take a picture, so here's one from last time, the famous shirt has since finally died. Anyone with any sense would now have just gone straight down, but we had time to spare for a little bit of speculative investigation.

We took the first concrete path left, it wasn't one of Penang's finest. Built to serve a seemingly now abandoned fruit orchard, it wound around the side of the hill probably crossing a stream on the way and then it finished.

I would have quite happily gone back, but Yuehong had yet to burn her daily quota of calories. She could see 'fruit trees' ahead, I could also see some rubber but I don't think any human being had been near them since they were planted. So we ploughed on, the secateurs were working well and slowly we made our way along and down. Suffice to say that there is a 40 minute break in the photographic record, there was simply nothing worth recording. It's never a good idea to go right down and try to follow a stream in such circumstances as the vegetation along it tends to be rampant. On the other hand sooner or later, the farmers will tap it and where that happens most likely there will be a path. All we had to do was look for a slightly clearer area below us and when we found it we did drop down. Fine except that the expected path was nowhere to be seen and we didn't fancy just following the pipes. Given there was a path not too far away on the other side, it made sense to climb up slightly and indeed we came out on a side trail which barely qualified as overgrown. The young lady was feeling very pleased with herself.

Just round the corner was a small tank with a supply of running water which was just perfect for getting cleaned up. Next to it was an upside down unwanted bath which was perfect for sitting on to quaff my second refreshment. I wasn't allowed to finish it properly, Yuehong was off.

Shortly after we rejoined the main path and then passed the house which would presumably have belonged to the farmer whose land this was.

It was my turn for a good moment. In the past, at this dip, we have continued up to the big junction and then down past the Fig Tree. That's the 'long way round' and I said as we approached that there ought to be a path on the right. Yuehong's sign shows that I was right even though the start was covered in grass. It soon joined another path from the aforementioned junction and thereafter was excellent.

There was a U-bend to negotiate as we dropped down and after all we had seen today it was great to see that someone looked after this path.

Soon we went past a small hut and emerged at pole OJK 52 from where it was just 5 minutes back to the parking spot.

Last time we were here, Yuehong had greatly enjoyed the vegetables that came from the 'Economy Rice' at the Yoyo Huat back down in Sungai Ara and she was not disappointed this time. We agreed to go the long way home via Sungai Pinang as neither of us had enjoyed coming down the east side of the island. Bayan Lepas has been totally ruined and Teluk Kumbar is following fast, but the rest was pure delight. The bonus was that we could pick up a small bag of unwanted rambutans in Sungai Pinang and I could restock the fridge from the Magic Tiger Tree nearby.

It was good to get somewhere 'different' and there should be more discoveries to be made on the same side of the valley but further up.