Luxury Hotels in Mount Jerai, Gurun

Mount Jerai or formerly known as Kedah Peak is a mountain located in the state of Kedah, Malaysia, with its position in between both the districts of Kuala Muda and Yan. Upon climbing the mountain and arriving at the top, there is an information board on that top stating that it used to be an island called Pulau Serai before the sea levels receded letting it form a mountain as it is in present. The mountain in itself is a lone feature that is isolated from the surrounding geography, being a massive limestone outcrop of 1,175 meters in height. Therefore, it can be said that this mountain is the highlight of the state, since it is the only protruding structure that is striking enough among the flat paddy fields which are ubiquitous in the state.

Due to the height of this mountain in comparison to its surroundings, the mountain is visible even from the neighboring state of Penang which are hundreds of kilometers away, however this is dependent on the weather situation. In fact, traders and seafarers from India are able to use the mountain as a navigational point way more than 1,500 years ago. At one point, the mountain was considered as a sacred place by the ancient Malays, which lead them to build temples from the foothills up to the summit. Most part of the mountain is covered by hill and upper hill dipterocarp forests where the average temperature is around 19 °C to 24 °C yearly.

How to Get There

By Plane

There are flights to Sultan Abdul Halim International Airport from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which are provided by both Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. Upon touchdown, from the airport, guests can go to Mount Jerai using bus, taxi or renting a car.

By Car

People driving from Kuala Lumpur may drive via North-South Highway/E1 for immediate access to Mount Jerai. The journey could take up to four hours and forty minutes depending on the current traffic situation.

By Bus

The nearest express bus terminal is the Ukir Square Terminal which is located at Jalan Kuala Ketil, Sungai Petani. Take the trip directly to Sungai Petani from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) terminal using express bus services such as Sri Maju Express, Mayang Sari and Transnasional Express. From here, hop on a local route bus, taxi or rent a car to go to Mount Jerai.

Tourist Attractions

Jerai Forestry Museum

As visitors hike to the top of Mount Jerai, along the way, they would be able to find Jerai Forestry Museum is located in the middle of the road. Managed under the Orissa Forest Department, the museum has a huge collection of information about the local forestry, where there is a multitude of flora for viewing such as Tongkat Ali, kacip Fatima, Eye Mouse deer, Wild Orchid, Pitcher Plant, Chinese tree Maki and many more. In addition to that, there are a variety of collection of preserved fauna such as butterflies, moths, beetles, spiders, crickets, scorpions and other insects. A wide range of handicrafts made from the forestry produces are on display too. The museum is typically open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and there is no entrance fee being charged to the visitors.

Alor Naga Waterfall

Alor Naga Waterfall or literally translated as Dragon’s Creek is a waterfall located just nearby to the top of the Mount Jerai, around 900 meters above sea level. Considering its location, it may seem that it would be less visited. However, access is actually pretty easy since there is a pavement made of concrete from Jerai Regency Resort going down to Gurun, where a brisk walk through these stairs will take a travel time of 30 minutes. The waterfall here is mesmerizing and the setup is still lacking of touch from the human development, therefore it is a sight to behold upon arriving here.