Flowing from Mount Besar Hantu in the heart of Negeri Sembilan, the 1462 meter-tall mountain sends her chilly water all the way down passing Sungai Gabai, which is the first waterfall in Malaysia safe to slide down the small stone-slopes of baby waterfall.
Situated in Hulu Langat, Selangor, the Sungai Gabai waterfall was once one of many in Malaysia that attracted both locals and tourist. Maybe she might not be able to compete with other famous waterfall site. However, she is still well visited by the numbers.
Even till today, the waterfall is still quite famous according to the number of visitors in a day. People from near and distant places would rather climb up the 336 concrete flight of stairs for a moment of privacy with Mother Nature and enjoy in dipping into the chilly water, especially during the hot season. I tried entering the water myself and I could actually chill a can of beer!
The flight of stairs starts from the bottom where you will find about three little shades with table and stools, with the view of the first waterfall in sight. For safety purposes, the steps of stairs are made all the way up with non-slip edging, accompanied by separately made hand-rail.
Along the way up, we could see the beautiful stretch of waterfall on the right, gushing downwards a few distances away from the flight of stairs. Going up the steps with weak legs, they had previously build wooden shades for people to take a break before continuing the journey up. But it seems that the years of exposure in rain and hot sun that eats away pieces of wood, even the roofs had collapsed.
How to get there:
There are many routes you can follow, depending to where you are coming from. Majority would choose to drive as it is accessible by car, either by taking the B62 from Ampang, or the B52 from Cheras. Whichever routes you take, you just have to head to Kampung Gabai and there will be signpost of the waterfall.
What you should be expecting before heading out:
Normally I would do my research of the place on the Internet, reading other people’s experience and comments, looking over at their pictures of the waterfall. Especially when my purpose of going there is to take loads of pictures. Much to my surprise when I got there, gosh, I cant even find the right words to put it. It was just unexpectedly shameful that we humans cant even take care of what is naturally given to us. Mind you, I didn’t get to do my own research, but took both my camera and a set of clothes to change into if I eve got tempted to enter the water, which I eventually did.
However, I deeply advise that we do not be deceived by all the beautiful pictures posted on the net about how beautiful Sungai Gabai is. No doubt that it is the first waterfall where I am able to slide down the rock with the water current, but people need to wake up and grow up.
To my horror when I visited the place for the first time, honestly, I was thinking to myself that it might just be the last time I set foot there. The place was not only badly maintained, but it was even harshly vandalized and awful lot of littering.
If you see the picture of a building with graffiti that says ‘Rosak’ (spoilt) and thinking to yourself that it looks hunted, wait till you at the insides. This is actually a toilet, with broken doors where people can see you peeing, there are no lights, not even a single pipe to clean yourself, and I don’t even think they have a shower room.
Did we just pay them only to get this kind of maintenance? I doubt they have a proper management, but the visitors should also know that it is their responsibility to take their own trash when leaving.
Open daily from 8am – 7pm
Entrance fee – RM1 per person
Address:
Air Terjun Sungai Gabai
Jalan Sungai Lui,
Kampung Sungai Lui, Hulu Langat,
Selangor
/// Written by Kimberly Yeo, Malaysia
