Kubah National Park refers to it simply as “The Waterfall”. Google maps lists it as Gunung Serapi Waterfall. Waterfalls of Malaysia dubs it Kubah Falls. Though it’s part of Sungai Rayu (Rayu River), calling it Rayu Waterfall risks confusing it with rapids of the same name further downstream. Whatever name you identify it by, this under-rated gem should be called upon when in Kuching.
It was my second visit to Kubah National Park with KL Hiking and it was an infernally hot day, even under the canopy. By noon I had already dragged my leaden body up the park’s tarmaced slopes to Gunung Serapi’s lookout point; cooling off in a waterfall sounded like the perfect hot day antidote. So, along with a handful of other KL Hikers, we legged downhill in the hopes of getting there and out by 3pm. That’s when our bus was scheduled to depart for our next destination.
Once at Kubah National Park, there are a few ways to get its Waterfall: along the Main Trail which starts just after the park’s headquarters; using the park’s designated Waterfall Trail, located 1 kilometre up the tarmac road; or from either end of the the Rayu trail.
Unfortunately, due to a recent landslide, the park authorities closed the Waterfall Trail and a new trail was created accessible through Rayu Trail, just 100 metres away (900 metres from the park entrance). Having thundered past countless streams and waterfalls that trickled off the park’s craggy northwest ridge, that’s the route we took. Like all Sarawak Forestry-managed parks, trails are colour coded for ease of navigation: Orange/Red for Raya, Blue for Waterfall.
It took 5 minutes to cover the 300 metres to the junction where the overlapping Raya/Waterfall trails intersect with Kubah’s Main Trail. Proceeding straight would take you out the other end of Rayu trail at Matang Wildlife Centre, a 2 hour hike away. We followed the freshly painted blue markers on our left.
A mix of flats and gentle descents through a dipterocarp forest thick with leaf litter, the well maintained single track trail crosses streams, often along wooden boardwalks. Signs of recent clearing and new growth were evident.
As Kubah National Park is totally protected, the area is a haven for wildlife including mammals like the bearded pig and mouse deer, and birds like Sarawak’s iconic hornbill, but all remained out of sight and silent, conserving their energy for later. Instead, the forest was engulfed in the low drone of cicadas and the occasional croak of a frog or the call of an unfamiliar bird. Kerangas forest, which is unique to Borneo, is also found in Kubah National Park. It flourishes on acidic sandy soils, but if I was wandered through it at any point on the trail I wasn’t aware.
After crossing the widest stream at around the 400 metres remaining mark, the terrain briefly became wet and water-logged. The heat and previous exertion had sapped all of my energy by this point but the milestones counting down to the waterfall was a welcome incentive.
Not long after, the sound of rushing water grew louder, and where a sign warned of strong currents and flash floods, the path curved to the left eventually revealing the upper reaches of the Rayu River as it rushed downhill.
The final stretch, after passing a pair of changing rooms, was a series of stairs that opened up to a stony plateau. It’s the perfect spot to drop bags and take an invigorating dive into a cool clear pool but I was drawn to what lay ahead.
Stepping stones and a rubber guide line helped me negotiate the slippery surface. Then a scramble up some boulders to a second wider pock marked plateau.
Gently cascading down 10 metres of mille crepe like layers of compacted sandstone, the main waterfall is split into 2, the wider section to the left, the narrower to the right, with both coming together to form an stream that plunges over the edge of the plateau into a shallow basin below. Another fall, similar but smaller in scale is hidden amongst the thick foliage to the left. All of it is breathtaking, paradise hidden away. Unable to resist its lure, Carol and I took a seat on one of the waterfall’s ledges and let the water wash over us. Our transport would have to wait….
Kubah National Park, off Jalan Akses Politeknik, Kuching, 93050, Sarawak, Malaysia. T: +60 082 248 088 F: www.facebook.com/sfcsarawak W: www.sarawakforestry.com Open: Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm; Sat-Sun & public holidays: 7.30am- 4.30pm. 10am cut off for entry to hiking trails. Join the Sarawak Forestry Whatsapp group for the latest updates.
12.35pm Enter Rayu trailhead
12.40pm Junction
1.25pm Arrive at Waterfall
1.55pm Leave waterfall
2.45pm Junction
2.50pm Exit Rayu trail
3pm Entrance
Visited March 2024
Distance and time 3.6 kilometres. 1 hour 10 minutes one-way (if coming from the park entrance.
Rating Easy.
Pros Not busy or difficult to get to.
Leech count Yes.
Permits Unless you are planning to herp at the frog pond or in the evenings after the park has officially closed (there are over 60 species of frogs here), you can hike in Kubah National Park without a guide and pay for entry upon arrival.
Cost Malaysians: Adults RM10, children (7 upwards) RM3; non-Malaysians: Adults RM20, children RM 7. Free for children under 6.
Getting there It’s a 40 minute car ride from the downtown Kuching, Hire a car and drive or take a Grab.
Parking Yes.
Facilities Toilets at the parking lot and HQ area. Drinks vending machine at HQ.
Tip Sarawak Forestry is strict on footwear so don proper hiking shoes. There’s a no slippers on the trails, not even hiking sandals.
GPS coordinates (parking) 1.614761, 110.198669
GPS coordinates (park entrance) 1.612701, 110.197097
You can review my AllTrails route of Gunung Serapi Waterfall here. The route is mapped is a return one-way.
Wanna hike exotic locations like this? Join KL Hiking here.
POKOK KELAPA 