Pedu Lake

Pedu was created in the late 1960s by damming the Sungai Pedu to irrigate the Kedah rice bowl, and the result is about a hundred square kilometres of water among forested hills close to the Thai border, with drowned valleys making a ragged shoreline of inlets and islands. The catchment forest is largely intact, so the setting is better than most Malaysian reservoirs: hornbills, monkeys and the occasional elephant sign, with a waterfall reached by boat and hot springs at Ulu Legong not far away. Fishing is the main activity, chiefly for toman and other freshwater species, and boats are hired at the jetty. Resorts on the shore have opened and shut repeatedly, so accommodation is uncertain and worth confirming; many people come from Alor Setar for the day instead.

What you actually see

• A drowned valley reservoir - a hundred square kilometres among forested hills.
• A ragged shoreline - inlets and islands where the valleys flooded.
• Freshwater fishing - toman and other species, boats hired at the jetty.
• Intact catchment forest - hornbills, monkeys and elephant sign on the shores.

When to go

All year. Two days.

Honest expectations

Resorts here have closed and reopened repeatedly - confirm your booking exists. There is little to do beyond boating and fishing. Water levels vary with irrigation demand.

Nearby

Ulu Legong hot springs are south; the Thai border is just north.