If you are travelling up to Penang or Langkawi in the north-western state of Malaysia, this little pitstop along the way is a tiny hill 140m with kick-arse views!
Bukit Kodiang, among the 6 limestone rocks that rises steeply from acres of flat land of paddy fields is a sight to behold from either aeriel or ground level! (Kodiang- some history of the village)
If you are travelling from Penang, it is about 1 half-hour away. And about 30 minutes away from Langkawi!
Starting point: car park area of Kampung Kodiang (pay RM2 at the booth per car) just waze BUKIT KODIANG TRAILHEAD
Hike Duration: 20-30 minutes up the peak and slide all the way down!
End Hike: Backtrack
Hike Difficulty: 2/5 although some part is rather steep!
Scenery Rewards: 4/5
What to bring
1. Good pair of hiking shoes
2. Gloves, as this hill is more climbing than hiking and rather steep
3. Check the weather forecast
4. A GOOD ADVENTURE SPIRIT
Start hike
Register yourself at the booth and pay the RM2 for the parking of your vehicle, and make sure you keep your distance under the Movement Control Order Rule.
The first 10 minutes of the hike is more like a clamber until you reach the ladders.
There are 3 ladders up to the peak:-
Blue Ladder: easy climb without nerves
Red Ladder: 90-degree climb hanging on rock-face, daunting!
Yellow Ladder: after the red ladder this one leading to the peak is full of anticipation and easy peasy.
Tip: There is a rope at each of these rock faces should you want to test your rock-climbing skills instead of climbing the ladder! In the past, there were no ladders and you would have to rock climb up!
If you are afraid of heights, it may be a problem as the red ladder hangs on a rock cliff at a 90-degree angle.
The views from here are breathtaking. 360-degree views of the paddy fields and the 5 other rocks Bukit Hantu, Kechil, Mulong, Kepelu, Kalong.
From this viewpoint, you could still clamber another level up for another view, but it was rather packed with hikers as the peak is rather narrow and steep! I can only imagine the colours of the paddy fields in October, it must be an intense yellow!
It is believed that the Kodiang Limestone was formed in the Middle-Late Triassic Age, which is over 200 million years ago! There are tales from elderly villages that this place was once surrounded by the sea! If you examine the rocks you would see deposits of marine shells and other rocks similar to those you'll find in the ocean.
Flora & Fauna
There were such a lot of different species of yam plant and prayer plants at the peak. There are native to the northern region in Malaysia. I hardly find any of these species in the central part!
At the inner section of the blue ladder area, there is a small cave with many bats. They could be flying around when you climb the ladder so do not be startled!
Return
After climbing down the 3 ladders carefully, it was a straight-forward and easy slide down with the ropes to where we came from.
Tips: Be really slow and careful at the ladder. There may be other hikers waiting to climb up, so make sure you let the other hikers know your intentions, as the area is very narrow and steep.
Reflections
This is a short climb and totally worth one hour of your travel time if you are in the north!
Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing. – Barry Finlay
Date visited: 20th July 2020
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