Tour of Pahang - Watching Sunrise in Panorama Hill, Sg. Lembing

On most weekends, Sungai Lembing sees a steady stream of visitors - especially younger and more adventurous travelers - who come for two main reasons: to climb Panorama Hill for the sunrise, and to visit the famous Rainbow Waterfall.

We had to make a choice, and ultimately decided against visiting the Rainbow Waterfall after hearing just how demanding the journey could be. It involves a 45-minute ride in a 4WD over rugged, bumpy terrain, followed by a 45-minute jungle trek, which includes crossing a stream with water waist-deep - and yes, that’s the only way to get there. While undoubtedly beautiful, we figured it might be a bit too ambitious for us this time around.

Instead, we set our sights on the Panorama Hill sunrise hike - thinking it would be the easier of the two. As it turned out, even this climb was more challenging than we had expected!

Thankfully, the manager of our hotel, a cheerful and helpful Vietnamese lady, kindly offered to accompany us on the hike. We set our alarms for 4:45 a.m., and by 5:30 a.m., we were ready to begin the climb. Luckily, our hotel was just a 2-minute walk from the foothill, so we didn’t have to venture far in the dark to begin our pre-dawn ascent.

In full gear for the climb. It turned out we were over-dressed for the climb.

The ascent up Panorama Hill has been made more accessible over the years, thanks to the concrete steps and handrails that now lead almost all the way from the foothill to the summit. But don’t be fooled - the climb is still a challenge.

Step after step, it felt like a never-ending staircase into the sky. The darkness before dawn, combined with the humid air and steep incline, made it a true test of stamina. We weren’t alone - a crowd of eager early risers had gathered, all hoping to witness the famed Sungai Lembing sunrise.

All drenched in sweat by the time we reached the peak.

Exhausted but triumphant once we reached the peak.

With Ah Lan our Vietnamese "guide" .

Unfortunately, nature had other plans. Thick clouds loomed overhead, a lingering result of the previous night’s bad weather. As dawn broke, the golden rays we had hoped for never appeared on the horizon. The much-anticipated, “magnificent view” remained hidden behind a blanket of grey.

There was a collective sigh of disappointment among the crowd. But despite the anticlimactic sunrise, there was still something special about being on that hilltop in the early morning stillness, surrounded by mist, mountains, and the quiet energy of people who had made the same climb with the same hope.

This is what we should have seen if the weather was good that morning! (Photo from website)

Still, the view was spectacular!

 

The descent was much easier.

 

Happy that we managed to 'conquer' the hill.