Penang Hills and Trails - Bayan Lepas Lollypop 2017
Bukit Papan

This is part of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang. Click here for the index. This is a Grade 2 walk if you had done it with Mike and Yuehong and a Grade 4 walk if you had followed my totally unnecessary diversion. There is a sketch map at the bottom showing the route followed.

Please visit my Penang buses page for information on accessing the starting point.

This is an update on a walk done in February 2013 (ie 4 years earlier).

Since our previous visit, the recommended starting point for this walk has changed owing to redevelopments in Bayan Lepas. It now starts at the end of Lengkuk Kelicap which is off Persiaran Kelicap, The former is served by the 302 bus from George Town. It's all clearly shown on Google Maps.

On this occasion we had a lift from our friend Mike Gibby which made life a lot easier because we avoided having to take buses via Komtar. The new condo, which was just a patch of trees in 2013, is not yet ready for occupation so it has a small sundry shop for the construction workers next to the path.

It's not a great start owing to the noise all around and the general lack of ambience but we soon passed the Khoon Tropical Fish Farm. By the time we got to the small Chinese shrine we had left the new Bayan Lepas far behind. We had come down the small path behind it on our walk past '541' earlier on this visit to Penang.

We kept straight on at the next junction, there are several houses on the right but no path beyond. We went straight again at the next junction, the plan was to come down on the road to the right.

The next junction on the left is described later in the report, we looked at it briefly but it seemed to be heading down, so we left it for later and stuck with our known 'up' path, ignoring all the next small paths off left and right until I caught up Yuehong who was waiting for instructions. No problem, turn left, as we did the last twice we were here, to be fair it was 4 years before and I had checked the previous reports before departure.

It's a very gentle climb and as we came to the next junction we were near the top and had been going barely an hour. The path to the left eventually leads back to the green mosque in Bayan Lepas.

One last gentle push and our climbing for the day was effectively finished. At this point a mature couple appeared on a motorbike. During the week he works as a taxi driver and whenever he can, he and his wife come up here to do some 'gardening', the older trees are gradually being replaced.

'

For Mike who is rapidly becoming one of Penang's scholars, it provided a view with a difference of his latest pet project, Pulau Jerejak:

Unfortunately, the view west is now sullied by the high rise in Teluk Kumbar:

Next we had to cross estate boundaries, it's not too difficult but there is a narrow ditch in between.

This is a small coconut plantation with associated bird's nest factory. We just kept on going.

Now this is an area we rarely visit owing to the travelling time from home, so this next view was of great interest to me. The cleared area in the middle distance is below Malihom and the ridge behind the rubber opposite leads to a col which we had visited once, long ago.

I took temporary leave of my companions and walked into the small rubber plantation and climbed up..

Ahead and up there was serious jungle, but to the left was potential although I know very few other people who would take that view. In this case what matters is that previously I have been within 500 metres of here and once the scrub is crossed, progress through what is almost certainly old rubber will not be too difficult. However, that one is booked for a later visit. 

The other two had clearly enjoyed my absence and before we resumed I needed some refreshment. As we had seen a motorbike come up, I was sure the gate would be open, but it's not as difficult as some to skip around.

This is not the best part of the walk, it's far too open. The most significant point is the small clump of oil palms which is where the path from 541 comes in.

The sun must have got to me because I called the next junction wrongly, left was not a good idea, instead the correct path went right and then immediately back on itself and just below the bird's nest factory.. Mike must have been demob happy because he raced off ahead as we approached the point at which we joined our route up. 

He had forgotten the plan to investigate the small path off and Yuehong gamely volunteered to go directly back to the car to tell him what I was up to. In the event it was pure serendipity. She went left and I went right. The start of my exploration was most promising, the path went up a little, then along and then down exactly as I wanted. However, well before the bottom of the hill, the well made trail finished.

I was already 10 minutes downhill and I didn't really fancy going back up especially as a small track led onwards. OK, it wasn't much of a path but it was clear and in another 5 minutes I came to a small cleared area with durian trees.

End of path and anyone with an ounce of sanity would have admitted defeat, turned round and trudged back up the hill. But this was clearly old rubber and there was plenty of evidence as I went first across and then down when I realised I was some way from the next ridge.

It can't have been too bad as I was happy to keep the camera out and working for its living. Soon I could hear water below and of course that meant things would get 'interesting'. I could see another durian estate on the opposite hillside which acted as a magnet to me. I crossed the stream and made my way to the hut above which experience told me would have a path to it.

Total success and I had spent just 30 minutes seriously 'off piste', I knew exactly where I was, but unfortunately it was on the path to the green mosque at the south end of Bayan Lepas which would mean an unpleasant walk through the building site that it is at the moment. So what better than to explore the small path to the left which I had always been curious about. It was a great path and when the people in the hut said "It can't be done!", I just ignored them, especially as I could see my destination across the valley.

Well, the path did finish and I had to take to the rubber terraces, but I found a way down at the end and came back to my stream. Importantly, there was a concrete road next to it on the other side.

My first instinct was to turn left but after just two steps I recognised a homestead which was 'dog friendly'. So I turned around, went down to the junction, turned left and soon had the required view of one of Penang's finest.

Yuehong and Mike had had their exercise and would rather not have waited for me for half an hour as they wanted their lunch. I had avoided boredom by doing a bit of bashing and I had a couple of ideas for future exploration. Never mind, Mike was only an hour late home as usual after we had been shopping and filled ourselves. Like me he's got a lovely understanding wife and if it were really a problem, I guess he wouldn't come back for more. Now that's not something I can say for most people who come with us.