Small Hike, Big Story on Bukit Arang Para & The Hermitage

8/13/2019 Small Hike, Big Story on Bukit Arang Para & The Hermitage

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Small Hike, Big Story on Bukit Arang Para & The Hermitage

Photo credit: Basman

While "arang" is charcoal and "arang batu" is coal, and very often interchangeable in usage, it isinteresting to note that the combined words "arang para" in Frank Swettenham's Vocabulary of theEnglish and Malay Languages mean the shelf which, in all Malay houses, is placed in the smoke ofthe fire and on which the salt and other things which ought not to get damp are kept.(Swettenham 1887). There is no English equivalent word(s) for it. Arang para itself is rarely used inthe Malay language nowadays.

Bukit Arang Para

The hill of 3,245 feet (989 metres) that is located in Kuala Kangsar district is named after this item,called Bukit Arang Para; it is in the Bubu Forest Reserve. In the topographical map, the height,however, is stated at 999 metres. Our exploration teams GPS devices seemed to record the height

closer to 989 metres; perhaps we should have climbed the boulder to get a more accurate reading.There have not been too many hikes to this hill to date. The terrain appears raw. The entire track isbasically muddy but with leeches innumerable. As it is seldom trekked, the trail is littered withfallen leaves. There are a couple of small streams where no one has to get their hiking shoes wet.Few sites are available as campsites due to flat surface, the rest is slopes, with some steeper butnone of the stretches require all four limbs to climb up; there are a few short, gradual downslopeson the way up. Some stretches are slippery with no trees that can provide grips, so it isrecommended that one carries along the trekking pole. Overall track is not particularly challenging;there are tape markings especially from the second half of the journey onwards. For a distance ofbelow 6 km per way, it takes about 3 plus hours at a leisurely pace to reach the summit, and less on

the way back down. When one is close to reaching the peak, one may stumble upon what look like


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border stones (see BAP BS01 at Fig. 1 below) but which are not as they are really stone markersdemarcating the forest reserve area.

Fig 1: GPS tracklog for Bukit Arang Para (terrain map source: Google Map).

During the early years, it is noted that Arabian coffee estate was to be developed at Arang Parafollowing the works on experimental gardens at Kuala Kangsar (Swettenham 1893). It is laterreported in The Straits Times (1932) that Arang Para had been surrendered back to the jungle, andthe track up the mountain is overgrown, as were the coffee estate and tea estate that onceflourished on its slopes. The cultivation on Arang Para has been abandoned and even the bungalowwas still in existence on the summit, and where Hermitage is still marked on the map, it is

inhabited only by ghosts (The Straits Times 1933). More about the Hermitage at the next section.

Perak possesses some very enviable health resorts, duly appreciated and patronised by theEuropeans of the State, but hardly ever visited by strangers. That is curious, for, on Gunong Ijau andArang Para (the Hermitage), will be found a climate, little if at all inferior to that of the Riviera. Thethermometer varies between 59F (i.e. 15C) in the early morning and about 73F (i.e. 22.8C) in theheat of the day, that is in the shade of course, quite cold enough for fires; the scenery ismagnificent, the air balmy and heavy with the scent of roses and violets which, with many otherflowers of temperate climes, bloom here in profusion all the year round. From June to Augustspecially; but, also in other months, the jungle about 3,000 feet above sea level is carpeted with

wild forest flowers, the harebell, anemone, and primrose of the Malay jungle, while ground andtree orchids in great quantity blossom at the same time, as well as the wonderful magnolia whichgrows wild in the higher altitudes of Ijau. In the dark recesses of these hill forests are silent birds ofwonderful plumage, troop of monkeys are also sometimes seen, but they do not appear toappreciate the cold of these altitudes. In any open sun-lit clearing, quantities of brilliant colouredbutterflies are certain to be found and if, on a still evening, a lantern be put out on the top of Ijau,immense numbers of rare moths and flying insects of all sorts will be attracted to the light(Swettenham 1893). Gunong Ijau is the old name for Gunung Hijau, whose height is 1,449 meter(4,751 feet), located in Taiping, Perak.

The Hermitage


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At the top of this Bukit Arang Para is the aptly named Hermitage, a bungalow built as a retreatcentre for government officials.

Above the rubber plantations, along the road or railway from Gunung Pondok towards KualaKangsar, and on the west, on a clear day, may be descried a clearing on the top of the hills in whichis set the Hermitage, a house built by Government in early days and later sold when it had beendecided to make a hill station above Taiping (Harrison 1919). The hill station referred to is MaxwellHill (first known as Maxwells Hill).

Sir Hugh Low founded several gardens or experimental stations for the introduction and cultivationof economic plants. Very few records of this work but it appears that most of them were institutedin about 1875 or 1876. They comprised the Gardens of Kuala Kangsar, the Tea Gardens andMaxwell's Hill Gardens, on the Taiping Hills the Hermitage Hill Garden and Waterloo Garden, andTelok Anson. Botanic Gardens of the Malay Peninsula as far as Hermitage Hill is concerned was

founded before 1880 but abolished in 1893 (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1910).

Photo 1: A recent signpost by the Perak State Forestry Dept. designating the area which is in theBubu Forest Reserve.


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Photo 2: The remains of the Hermitage bungalow wall.

Photo 3: The stairs leading into the bungalow.


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Photo 4: The solid water storage tank that stands firm till today with cover intact.

Photo 5: The water storage tank that still holds water despite the rust.


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Photo 6: An old (vintage) green wine bottle with indented base (push-up or kick-up base).

Photo 7: The old water pipe nearby the water storage tank appears to be still in good condition.


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Photo 8: A piece of old tile.

Photo 9: There are many of these old wine bottles still planted upside-down inwards into the soil atvarious spots at the mountain garden.


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Photo 10: Remains of the old Victorian parlor stove at The Hermitage (photo credit: Basman).

In Photo 10 above, the parts hinged dome piece and the detachable base were missing from theearly Victorian parlor stove bearing the words Emperor N2. This unit may or may not have theprimary drafts on the front side but the finale (top cover, see Fig 2 below) is definitely in thepossession of a lucky someone.

Fig 2: Parlor Stove glossary for interest and knowledge(source: http://antiquestoves.net/dir/parlor-stoves)

The Hermitage didnt live to see the day as Maxwell Hill was the preferred hill to be designated as ahill station.


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Bailey, an Assistant Engineer based in Kuala Kangsar describes The Hermitage, already in ruins, asOver to the west and the forest-clad hills with a ruined Istana called The Hermitage, the sky waspale turquoise, and as one turned further west the colour deepened until the sky was pureultramarine, whilst thin stray wisps of cloud gleamed and shone with silver, pink and gold as theymoved slowly like fairy feathers across the setting sun (Bailey 1996).

Gunung Bubu

Barlow (1988) in Shahir, Ahmad & Shaari (n.d.) suggested that it is easy to imagine Swettenhamduring this period with his increasingly unhappy marriage, seek considerable relaxation in hisdrawings. Especially those made particularly on the occasions when he took a few days off fromKuala Kangsar or Taiping, up the hills to the cooler climate of The Hermitage on Gunong ArangPara or at The Cottage above Taiping. Swettenhams drawings and watercolors general focuses

on the landscape, also riverscape and seascape during his travels in Malaya.

Fig 3: G. Bubu (Shahir, Ahmad & Shaari (n.d.))


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Photo 11: View of Gunung Bubu from Bukit Arang Para (@ 2014). The pinnacle is obscured by clouds.

Gunung Bubu is located at a bearing of 234 (W.S.W.) from Arang Para. It is a popular mountainsuitable for 2D1N camping as well as day trips; the trailhead is accessible via Hutan Lipur Ulu Kenas,also located at Kuala Kangsar, Perak. It is possible to climb Gunung Bubu via Arang Para, albeit alonger distance compared to using Ulu Kenas route.

In fact, the first climb to Gunung Bubu via Bukit Arang Para is believed to have been taken place in1884. Tenison-Woods quoted there was no record of any exploration of Gunung Bubu till the peak,at most were the adjacent and lower summits. Tenison described the climb beginning from the

mountain garden at Arang Para was not a good point of departure as they had to descend andascend very steep spurs before reaching the foot of the range leading to Bubu (Tenison-Woods1884). The trail leading out westwards from The Hermitages mountain garden is located at theSouth-side where rock boulders are aplenty. In the same journal, Tenison-Woods and team tookfour days to reach the summit of Gunung Bubu, with the last day being a hasty, trial trip (or reccetrip in modern day usage); the Arang Para bungalow was visible at course E.N.E. but Larut view isblocked by the spurs of Gunung Bubu.

The article Journey to the Summit of Gunong Bubu by Tenison-Woods makes a very interestingreading as it elaborates the adventure into precise details including day-by-day trekking, the

suffering of his team, the weather conditions, and the terrains and views encountered.

Meru Range


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Fig 4: Meru Range (Shahir, Ahmad & Shaari (n.d.))

Photo 12: Kuala Kangsar town at NE-E of Arang Para @ 2014). Meru Range is visible just beyond the town (photo credit:Basman).

Nowadays the term Meru Range is no longer used. This range is not listed in list of 18 physicalmountain ranges (in both East and West Malaysia) some of which are famous ranges like Titiwangsa,Crocker, Tahan, Benom and Bintang. However, the name Meru has been adopted in estates and


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developments throughout the years to recent times e.g.. Bandar Meru Raya, Taman Meru, MeruValley Golf & Country Club which are located in the vicinity of Ipoh town.

Just where is Meru Range? Looking East, on a clear sky, Meru Range is visible from The Hermitage.Meru Range is depicted in Swettenhams drawing separating Sungai Perak from Kinta Valley; and

with the main range at the background (Shahir, Ahmad & Shaari (n.d.)) The main range describedrefers to the Banjaran Titiwangsa. Swettenham initiated a project in 1884 to build a road, firstappearing no more than a bridle path at first, across and over Meru Range at Kinta Pass, over aheight of 1,300 feet (Khoo & Lubis 2005).

Perhaps another better way to look at Meru Range is this: For those who drives up and down theNorth South Expressway, say, from KL to Penang, after passing Ipoh town via the expresswaybypassing the toll, one will ascend the hill and later pass through a tunnel i.e. the 800 metre longMenora tunnel, and thereafter descend. That hill is the Meru Range Swettenham drew with theBanjaran Titiwangsa at the background. Meru Range roughly spans from Sungai Siput in the Northside and Batu Gajah at the South side (see Fig. 5 below).

Fig 5: Meru Range (terrain map source: Google Map)

Though not excessively researched, online resources are abundant enough to provide a good doseof write-up for Bukit Arang Para; just like Treachers Hill (Bukit Kutu) whose history is littledocumented/compiled as a whole. For the next one who hikes up the hill, it would be good to knowa little bit of its history so that they know what to look out for when looking at surroundings, fromKuala Kangsar town, along the track and at the hill top. Do keep the place clean and refrain fromremoving the artifacts would be the best advices for any hiker.


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Fig 6: Me standing by the remains of front wall of The Hermitage (photo taken by Basman).

Jimmy Oddstuff

~written January 2014~

References (Note: Referencing rules not strictly followed)

Bailey, D, Chapter 6. Life on Kuala Kangsar, Upper Perak, Children and Past Empires , 1996

Barlow, H, Biographical Notes on Frank Swettenham in Frank Swettenham and George Giles:Watercolours and Sketches of Malaya 1880-1894 , 1988

Harrison, CW, Through the Malay Peninsula from North to South, An Illustrated Guide to theFederated Malay States , p. 61, 1919

Khoo, SN & Lubis, AR, Kinta Valley: pioneering Malaysia's modern development , 2005

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Article XXII. A History of the Gardens of the Malay Peninsula,Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information , p. 156, 1910

Shahir, S, Ahmad, I & Shaari, SA, The Early Drawings of Malaya (1880-1894) by Frank Swettenham,1 st Malaysian International Drawing Marathon , (n.d.)

Swettenham, FA, Vocabulary, Malay-English, Vocabulary of the English and Malay Languages withNotes , p. 4, 1887

Swettenham, FA, Chapter VII. Agriculture and the Rise of Townships, About Perak , p. 39, 1893

Swettenham, FA, Chapter IX. European Society, About Perak , p. 72, 1893

Tenison-Woods, JE, Journey to the Summit of Gunong Bubu, Journal of the Straits Branch of the

Royal Asiatic Society , p. 275, 1884


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The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur Correspondent, A Journal in the Federal Capital: Bigwigs in KualaLumpurA Surfeit of Political GossipMemories of Bukit KutuThe Lights of KintaWhite Snakesin Batu CavesA Relic of Primaeval MalayaBirdsong in Java Street, The Straits Times , p.16, 1932

The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur Correspondent, A Journal in the Federal Capital: More AboutOrchardsFifty Acres of RambutansLabourers on the LandVegetables from the HillsMoreRubber HistoryCoffee and Tea Pioneers, The Straits Times , p.17, 1933

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Small Hike, Big Story on Bukit Arang Para & The Hermitage

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