Gunung Reng

Gunung Reng is a karst tower standing on the bank of the Sungai Pergau near Jeli, rising abruptly out of flat ground and water with the sheer, undercut sides that limestone in this part of the world produces, and it is one of the sights on the east-west highway across the peninsula because you drive almost directly past its foot. Caves run into the base, some accessible on foot from the riverside, and local tradition attaches the hill to a legendary kingdom said to have been swallowed by the earth, with the rock as what remains. The river below is used for swimming and picnics by people from Jeli and there are basic facilities. The hill can be climbed, though the route is unmaintained, sharp and steep, and most visitors stay at the bottom.

What you actually see

• A karst tower on a riverbank - rising sheer out of flat ground and water.
• Caves in the base - openings reachable on foot from the riverside.
• The Pergau river - swimming and picnic spots used by people from Jeli.
• A lost-kingdom legend - the local story attached to the outcrop.

When to go

All year; avoid the north-east monsoon. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Facilities are minimal. The climbing route is unmaintained and the limestone is sharp enough to cut. The river rises hard in the monsoon and the area floods.

Nearby

Jeli is close; the east-west highway runs on to Gerik and Tasik Banding.