Rainbow Waterfall

Sungai Pandan, usually called the Rainbow Waterfall, is a wide multi-tiered fall in the forest beyond the old tin town of Sungai Lembing, and its name comes from a genuine and specific effect: when the flow is heavy and the sun is high enough behind you, the spray thrown off the tiers holds a rainbow across the face of the fall, most reliably between about ten in the morning and midday. That combination needs water, which means the wet season, and sun, which the wet season does not guarantee, so the odds are moderate at best. Getting there involves a four-wheel-drive ride and then a trek of a couple of hours with repeated river crossings; guides are required and organise the whole thing. The fall itself is large and worth the walk regardless.

What you actually see

• A rainbow in the spray - late morning, with sun behind you and heavy flow.
• A wide tiered fall - large and impressive even without the effect.
• River crossings - repeated wading on the approach trek.
• Sungai Lembing - the old tin-mining town at the start of the route.

When to go

November to March for water; ten to noon for the rainbow. A full day.

Honest expectations

The rainbow needs high flow and direct sun at once, and many trips see neither. Guides are compulsory and the trek is wet, muddy and about two hours each way. Crossings become dangerous after rain.

Nearby

Sungai Lembing museum and mine are at the trailhead; Kuantan is east.