GUNUNG Jerai, also known as Kedah Peak, sits majestically at 1,217m above sea level in the rice bowl state of Malaysia.
Located in Gurun, the massive limestone outcrop is one of the highest peaks in Kedah and it is a popular tourist attraction.
According to the information board on the mountain, Gunung Jerai is an isolated body of rock and is an unusual peak that sits in solitude close to the coast, suggesting that this was once an island, called Pulau Serai.
Its proximity to the coast has made it a landmark for sailors and traders from distant lands, who used it as a beacon for landfall from the 5th to 16th century to sail into the river mouth of Sungai Merbok to Lembah Bujang.
Almost all of Gunung Jerai, totalling 8,560ha, is a permanent forest reserve, which was gazetted in 1953.
At the peak of the mountain is The Regency Jerai Hill Resort, and on a clear day, one can take in the breathtaking view of the outskirts of town, padi fields, kampung houses and the Straits of Malacca.
The cool weather gives visitors a respite from the heat.
A few hundred metres from the peak is the Forestry Museum and Sungai Teroi camping site, where visitors can set up camp for the night.
If one opts to drive to Gunung Jerai, it is advisable to go in a well-maintained car, as the route can be tricky.
Spanning 13km from the foothill, the road is steep with a number of hairpin turns so a slight mistake could send a car down the ravine.
Alternatively, a private van service is available at the foothill. The van can be rented for RM80 a trip or RM8 per passenger.
Nurse Ellisa Ew, 31, who drove her family all the way from Bagan Ajam in Butterworth to enjoy the cool mountain air, said the place was good for children to enjoy the natural surroundings.
The 13km route up the peak is also a favourite with joggers, cyclists and nature lovers.
Marketing manager Andrew Ooi, 41, from Alor Setar, was among the hundreds of avid cyclists who chose the route because of its steepness.
He took some two hours to reach the peak and said the location was a favourite as it was tarred and there were hardly any uphill tracks in Kedah.
“The route is usually packed with cyclists on Friday and Saturday, which are the non-working days in Kedah.
“The cool air is a plus point for cyclists,” he said.
Grocery shop owner Hoe Hock Choon, 53, has been jogging until the mid-peak of Gunung Jerai everyday for the past 25 years to keep fit.
“Back then, there were more joggers but because of the increasing popularity of cycling as a sport, many have stopped jogging and taken up cycling instead.
“I always jog on my own as it is more convenient,” he said, adding that the high volume of vehicles during public holidays posed a danger to joggers and cyclists.
It was reported that hikers have gotten lost after failing to find their way out of the Gunung Jerai jungle.
In spite of the danger, a group of “young-at-heart hikers”, in their 50s and 60s, drove all the way from Taiping to conquer the mountain.
Led by a Kedahan friend, homemaker Hazel Chang Yau Foong, 63, and some 10 people started their hike from the nearby Titi Hayun recreational park and took about two-and-a-half hours to reach the peak.
Chang and her friends have been hiking Maxwell Hill or Bukit Larut in Taiping daily for the past 10 years.
She said the hike up the peak was not so difficult as there were signs along the trail.
“The jungle is magnificent. We saw colourful monkey cups and stopped by a waterfall,” she said excitedly and praised Gunung Jerai for its cleanliness.
The former MAS stewardess encouraged people to take up a sport, especially hiking, as Malaysia has a lot of beautiful jungles and mountains to explore.
“Exercise is the most selfish thing because when you work hard, only you reap the results.
“Hiking is free and you can do it on your own time,” she said.
Gunung Jerai is reachable by road via the North-South Highway through the Gurun exit and is about 45 minutes from Alor Setar.
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