Sungai Lembing

I always see people recommend to visit Sungai Lembing for Panorama Hill, also known as 林明 (Ling-Ming). Since my friend, Hooi promised to bring me to anywhere I want to go, I make it as my must-go place.

Before I go, I browse through web for photos and reviews about Sungai Lembing. Sungai Lembing is a small town which used to be tin mine last time. Now, people claim that we can see the best sunrise view with sea of clouds below your feet on Panorama Hill.

photo from web

We went Kuantan right after our clams dinner! It was already 12am when we reached and checked-in Hooi’s “villa”. I was so tired and the next morning we have to get up at 2am.


HEY!!! I thought I was here for holiday??!!


Nobody wakes at 2am. Haha!! Ended-up we departed to Sungai Lembing from Kuantan at 3.30am. When we reached Sungai Lembing, it was around 4.30am, and the place was already full with tourist buses and people. The sky is still dark, the wind is so cooling. With our torches, we started to go up the hill.


I thought it was a tracking route, who knows, it was stair steps. To reach the top, we had to climb stairs!! Aiya...I don’t want to climb stairs la!! At first I was tired, but after a while, I felt so energetic!! So I rocketed myself up to the hill. There were also many people going up the hill, the most are aunties and uncles. I really need to salute them for having the will and stamina to reach the top!!


We reached the top at around 5.30am. And not long after that, many people reached and the place turned into a market with all the noises. People were eating, smoking, listening songs, shouting, talking like bargaining prices when buying vegetables in market...............very annoying!! They ruined the peacefulness and calmness of the hill.

I was very disappointed and unhappy with it.

The sky is still dark, the wind is so cooling

After an hour of waiting, the sky turned bright without sunrise view. The sun should be behind this mountain, but was too cloudy and the sun was blocked. Sigh...too bad!

All the people on the hill today don’t have the luck to see beautiful sunrise, but we had the sea of clouds. Look at the clouds under us...clouds, clouds, clouds.

Honestly, I do not have much feeling to the clouds. I was like “Uhm..so-so lor” when others cheering that how nice and how fantastic the clouds are. I guess, maybe because I had too high expectation on how beautiful it is, or maybe due to I go to Genting Highlands too often?

Traffic jam when we came down. Our legs were trembling when we reached the ground. I wonder why come down is more tiring than hike up the hill...


Then we went for breakfast. There’s a noodle stall here, Ah Fung Noodles. It is famous for its Yeong-TauFu and noodles which made with water from mountain. The food is not to say very good, but not bad also, if only it can be a little bit less salty.

Then we headed for Gua Charas at Panching near Sungai Lembing.

When we see the staircase, we opened our mouth big big and “HARRRR?!”... want to go home already la~~ Staircase again???! NO idea, still need to walk up the stair to get into the big cave.

There is a sleeping Buddha inside the cave.

It was dark inside the cave, lighten up by spotlights. The pathway was wet and there were bats in the cave. I love the atmosphere here! Quiet, dark, mysterious... I couldn’t explain my feeling to it. I just love the cave with stalactites.

Here’s the Sleeping Buddha. 

And a “Guan-Yin-Ma” look-alike statue, it was actually a small rock on the big rocks.

We actually want to go to Rainbow Waterfall. We drove on the very bumpy track full of stones until we reached a stream. To get to the waterfall, we had to ford the stream, hike and wade some rivers. Then we gave up. If only we know earlier, we will come with 4-wheel drive. And it was already too late to book a guide with transport, so ended up we didn’t go. Plus, I don’t think a cloudy sky can make rainbow to appear.

So, it’s okay! We see the scenery from web’s photo lorr =P

Overall, the trip was well worth, although we missed the sunrise and Rainbow Waterfall. But at least we found the lamest Kolam Air Panas!! Don’t wanna talk about this kolam larrr...

next time you go, then you will know!