Hugely underrated and with the potential to be one of KL’s must visit natural attractions, Taman Eko Rimba Kanching is a mere 35 minutes drive from the city centre, and boasts an impressive multi-tiered waterfall and forest trees found nowhere else in the world.
Part of a triumvirate of parks, or Taman Eko, in Rawang that border on each other, and include Taman Eko Rimba Templer and Taman Eko Rimba Komenwel, Taman Eko Rimba Kanching is nestled at the foot of the Rawang Bypass along Jalan Rawang.
Its star attraction is its multi-tiered waterfall, which reveals itself layer-by-impressive-layer, and tumbles down 7 near vertical drops from a height of 208 metres.
Cosetted by the verdant green of Kanching Forest Reserve, it’s also the only place in the world where you’ll find wild Giam Kanching or Merawan Kanching (Hopea Subalata Symington) trees. There are only 270 of these critically endangered trees, although the Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) is attempting to grow more.
I was there recently with Eric Chan, current Digital Editor of Robb Report Malaysia and a long-time friend. We met while working at now defunct men’s magazine Men’s Review and bonded over Star Trek and a 4×4 trip into the interiors of Pahang. It was a first time visit for both of us, and we were bowled over by Kanching Waterfall’s massive scale and the area’s natural beauty. Not the only ones that think so, Kanching Waterfall has been used as a backdrop of some stunning wedding photos, which you can see here.
That’s not to say the park is perfect; the trash situation is its most obvious and off putting problem. But more on that later…..
Taman Eko Rimba Kanching opens out onto a large field with a shallow stream that resembles a drain running through it. Popular with picnicking families, as it’s close to the park’s facilities, this section is also targeted by troupes of light-fingered macaques.
All 7 levels of Kanching Waterfall can be accessed, although with increasing difficulty. As a result, the higher up you go the fewer people you’ll encounter and the less litter you’ll be confronted with.
A concrete stairway and path connects lower levels 1 through 4, while Level 5 and 6 are reached via a well-worn footpath. Level 7 is the hardest and furthest away to get to and requires climbing up a steep and sometimes rocky trail. I’ve broken down the levels here, which were once signposted, but don’t seem to be any longer, so apologies if I get the names mixed up.
Level 1- Lata Bemban
Hidden in a rocky crevasse, Lata Bemban’s curtain waterfall comes quickly, less than 10 minutes after entering the park, and can be arrived at by deviating from the concrete path down a stairway or along a dirt trail that runs parallel to it.
Level 2 – Lata Terentang
A twin cascade, Lata Terentang gushes down gold and rust coloured rock into a shallow basin, part of which has been cemented and turned into a wading pool.
Level 3 – Lata Kapur
Lata Kapur is Kanching waterfall’s deepest pool and its most popular. Located at the bottom of an attractive drop surrounded by greenery, it has an elevated concrete seating area and several gazebos, while a submerged wall on its far side acts as a dam and prevents swimmers from getting swept away.
Level 4
Getting to Level 4 requires a spirited climb up a long flight of stairs, which may explain why Level 3 is where most bathers congregate; few will bother making the trek especially while lugging picnic supplies or with children in tow. For those that do, your efforts will be rewarded. A short detour right along a footpath ends at a puddle of a pool where photo subjects can avoid getting their feet wet while capturing a dramatic backdrop of rock and tumbling water that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Level 5 – Lata Tembusu
Where the stairs to Level 4 ends, a well intentioned set of concrete steps to Level 5 begins then inexplicably peters out seconds later. Forced onto a well trodden trail, once across the bridge and on the opposite side of the river, a short stroll along a flat trail will lead you to Lata Bemban. Pouring over a wall of crenelated rock, this secluded spot which is hidden by trees has a lovely but small, shallow sandy-bottomed pool.
Level 6 – Lata Gapis
Though the way to Lata Gapis isn’t obvious at first, it is once you backtrack to the trail, which takes you uphill along a narrow verge. Like Level 4, Lata Gapis has a view of ceaseless torrents of water rushing down seemingly endless waves of rock. It would be an amazing spot to cool off at were it not for the debris of fallen trees and boulders.
Level 7 – Lata Bayas
Located at the top of Kanching’s chain of cascades, Lata Bayas is a tiny slice of tropical heaven, with a small fall and an elevated view of the hills opposite.
The hike up to Lata Bayas from Lata Gapis is technical and increasingly steep and rocky the further up you get; having some experience, a level head and the right shoes will help you navigate the tricky terrain.
One particularly memorable section involves ascending up a root covered incline using rope as the full force of thousands of litres of water and gravity thunders past you meters away. Thrilling!
There are 2 interesting places en route to Lata Bayas: a plateau midway makes for a breathtaking bathing spot with views up and down the falls; and against a moss covered wall of rock just below Lata Bayas where you can sit under the shade of the park’s lower dipterocarp trees as a curtain of water rains down behind you.
River bashing and a secret waterfall
Adventure seekers can choose to venture further upstream of Lata Bayas for another 1 to 2 hours to a series of hidden waterfalls. Should you do so go in a small group in order to preserve the river’s relatively unspoiled ecosystem.
Becoming lost is unlikely if you stick to or close to the water as the river doesn’t branch off in different directions. Besides keeping an eye on the time, be mindful of changes in the weather. Unlike the path and trails up to this point, there is very little high ground to escape to should the river level suddenly rise.
Driven by curiosity we decided to keep going, briefly deviating up a verge on the right river bank. You can also turn left where the path there meets the rubber water pipes – it leads to the same spot.
Bordered by scrub on either side, and tapered down to a thin silvery ribbon, the river, now a picturesque stream, is incredibly inviting.
Having repeatedly tried to locate a trail and failed, the stream’s flat, mostly sandy stream bed became our trail. It’s a pleasant one, shallow – up to our calves at most – and cool, with a mere suggestion of a current. Only occasionally were we forced onto dry land due to obstacles like fallen trees and branches.
A small still pool 20 minutes away from Lata Bayas was assumed to be a dead end until Eric spotted the the stream veering off to the right. Were it not for Waterfalls Of Malaysia‘s description and images of a series of waterfalls an hour’s hike from Lata Bayas, we might have called it quits, but they had become our intended destination, so we forged on.
After the turn, the stream became windier, rockier and began to make an almost imperceptible but steady climb upwards.
1 hour 15 minutes from Lata Bayas it widened into an unpleasantly squishy marsh, possibly the most dangerous point in the journey should there be an unanticipated downpour.
Just around then I was contemplating calling time when we came across our largest impediment yet – a dense tangle of forest detritus with no discernable way over or under it. Eric volunteered to find a way around it, up a steep scrub covered slope, while I got ready to turn around. As it turned out, the waterfall was just round the other side.
Rewarding our final scramble up and down the 75 degree incline with a dip in the water, we sat wedged between a rock and the tumbling spray of our final waterfall, with the water swirling at our feet for the next half an hour.
Despite the river’s near pristine quality and remoteness we were surprised not to spot animal prints in the sand during our journey. Somewhere in the treetops we could hear the howl and hoot of gibbons communicating with one another, but until then had only experienced some bird song and the screech of insects above the gentle burble of the water.
More falls lay beyond this one, but with no obvious trail, and no parang (machete) on either of us, this was as far as we’d go.
Rating Easy to Moderate.
Time Entrance-Level 7 aka Lata Bayas: 0.96 Kilometres, a leisurely 1 hour 15 minutes there, 45 minutes back; Lata Bayas-hidden waterfall: 1.2 kilometres, 1 1/2 hours there, 1 hour back.
Open 8am-6pm.
Entry and parking charges
Facilities Several food and drink stalls by the park entrance. There’s also a surau, toilets, showers and changing rooms. Use of the washrooms costs RM0.50/entry as do tissues. Though clean they are poorly maintained: the seated toilets don’t flush – you need to throw a bucket of water down them, and the showerheads are busted.
Tip The park is mobbed on weekends so visit on a weekday if possible. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. We were there at 11am on a Tuesday and saw a mixture of foreign tourists and a smattering of locals enjoying the surroundings.
Pros Naturally beautiful and impressive multi-tiered waterfall. Most levels are easy to access. Proximity to the city.
Cons Okay, get ready for a rant. Besides the marauding monkeys, occasional thefts and poor maintenance of otherwise clean washrooms, there are two other bugbears I want to highlight:
- The rubbish situation
Kanching Waterfall is naturally beautiful but it is marred by rubbish. Most of it consists of plastic water bottles, empty snack packets and styrofoam packaging, but it also includes beer cans and cockle shells. What’s worse is that this is a recurring problem.
Intermittent clean ups have attempted to give the park and its visitors a renewed sense of pride but this never lasted long. Poor management and zero enforcement may be to blame but our ugly Malaysian attitude is really the source of this nasty habit. In comparison, community forests like KDFC and Setia Alam, and my own playground Bukit Wawasan where its users have a sense of ownership towards the trails are near spotless.
Besides very strict policing of waste disposal, Taman Eko Rimba Kanching should consider emulating Erawan Falls in Kanchanaburi, Thailand which has a cut off line beyond which no picnicking is allowed and a deposit is charged for plastic water bottles to ensure they are brought out of the park. I personally think a no bin policy should be practised where wild animals such as macaques and wild boar roam. This will prevent them raiding bins, tipping over trash and potentially reducing their association of food with humans.
2. Animal attractions
At the entrance to Taman Eko Rimba Kanching are two animal attractions – one featuring a snake, another a row of exotic birds. It’s not the only place I’ve seen exploitative animal attractions, but with the word “eko” in its name, Taman Eko Rimba Kanching shouldn’t allow attractions that use animals as photo props to operate on its grounds. Doing so undermines any attempt to engender a love and respect for the environment and the wildlife that depends on it. It also does nothing to educate visitors about the crime and cruelty of animal poaching and the removal of wild animals from their habitat to be sold into the pet trade. These traders may have a permit to own these creatures and a license to operate but they should not be allowed to operate here. Frankly it’s a regressive practise that should be no longer accepted. For a shining example of how it could be done look to Free The Bears a bear sanctuary for rescued captive and injured bears at at Kuang Si Waterfall in Luang Prabang in Laos.
Address Taman Eko Rimba Kanching, Kilometer 17, off Jalan Rawang, 48000, Selangor, Malaysia.
GPS coordinates 3.298559, 101.619039
POKOK KELAPA 
Very good info and very detail with pictures and all…thank you so much…keep writing, all tbe best and stay safe! ❤️
Thanks Shafiza! Happy exploring! x
Do we need to apply permit or just pay at entrance fee?
Pay at the entrance. Enjoy!