Lata Payung in Terengganu is probably one of the most underrated waterfalls in Malaysia. Tuck away by the village of Kampung Payong, with the closest highway at Chalok/Setiu, the forest of Hutan Lipur Lata Payung keeps the hidden gem known as the ‘Blue Lagoon’.
When I was visiting the state of Terengganu, Malaysia, I knew I had to visit Lata Payung, along with the other hiking spots. But first, breakfast for the adventure fuel! Nasi Dagang is a must-try in Terengganu, their quality and taste just beat the other states hands down. Two of the best Nasi Dagang places in the town of Kuala Terengganu are Nasi Dagang Atas Tol Cawangan 2 and Nasi Dagang Kampung Ladang.
Starting Point & Trail
After having a wholesome breakfast, I had more energy than I needed to drive all the way to Kampung Payong and hike to the Blue Lagoon of Lata Payung. You can park your vehicle at the entrance of Lata Payung.
Just a minute of walking on the pathway, I reached the river with a hanging bridge.
The crystal clear river was tempting me to go down, but my eyes are on the blue lagoon so I decided to come back here when I’m leaving.
9.15am: Trailhead to Lata Payung and Gunung Sarut.
The trail was very clear with many markers tied on the trees. There were many subtrails branching out along the way but they were blocked off by tapes, so it was easy to follow the main trail.
(+19)9.34am: The first stream crossing. No need to get your feet wet by stepping on the rocks.
Again, the water was so clear!
Many of these plants with huge leaves can be found near the stream.
(+11)9.45am: The second, slightly bigger stream crossing. Still, there are rocks to step onto to avoid getting your shoes wet.
(+1)9.46am: Across the stream, I saw this signage to Gunung Sarut (1,229 meters above sea level). This is the correct path because the trail to Gunung Sarut requires crossing the river of Lata Payung.
(+4)9.50am: This is the checkpoint where Muslims usually do their midday prayers during their hike.
The Lata Payung and the blue lagoon are just one minute away from this checkpoint.
Lata Payung Blue Lagoon / Blue Pool
(+1)9.51am: Behold, the Blue Lagoon of Lata Payung!
You’ll need to climb down some rocks and tree roots to reach down to the river. There are many big rocks a little downstream in the middle of the river, to easily cross the river or stand on the shallow parts of the river.
This is the middle part of the river with the rocks, which is the shallow part.
Only from the other side of the river, you could see the small waterfall of Lata Payung from a distance away. The super clear visibility of the blue pool enables you to see the depth of the riverbed.
Thanks to the combinations of rocky and sandy riverbeds, a deep pool with natural barricades of rocks, and a steady flow of water, this translucent blue pool is formed. It is extremely tempting to swim in this wonderful pool. If you want to swim here, make sure you are a good swimmer, and have other good swimmers together with you. The pool of Lata Payung is very deep!
I went here during a weekday morning, hence I got to enjoy this place by myself for a while, before a group of hikers heading to Gunung Sarut reached this spot. Thankfully, I got to show the depth by recording the hikers swimming in the pool. Check out my underwater shots of Lata Payung:
A frog camouflaging on a rock. I saw quite a few of them along the river. What about leeches? I encountered no leeches on the trail to Lata Payung, but got one super tiny one (0.5cm on full length) attached to my feet after relaxing on a rock by the blue pool. I believe these tiny leeches usually feed on frogs’ blood.
11.16am: Back to the river near the entrance to wash up my shoes, before leaving for another two more hikes of the day: Bukit Besar & Bukit Maras.
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*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
Do u need permit or guide to go here?
Hi Sara, entrance is free and no permit required as of the time of this reply 😉
Reference: https://www.forestry.gov.my/my/terengganu/hutan-lipur-lata-payung
i plan to bring my 5 years-old son here. do you think he can cope the walking distance to the blue lagoon?
Hi Lisa, I think it is quite manageable as the distance is not too long. There are some steps/rocks/trees to step over, easy for adults but small kids might need assistance like holding hands or a little ‘pull over’. If you think your son can manage an hour of undulated or non-flat terrains, then this track wouldn’t be a issue.
Please do have all-time supervision and monitoring on children around the water as the pool is very deep and the water current can be quite strong even on shallow parts. Also, be alert for signs of water surge / ‘kepala air’ / rising water level as this place is very susceptible to flash flood / water surge (be ready to cancel or postpone your visit if there is rainfall in the area, even if it’s not directly at the place). Oh, and try to avoid going there on year end’s monsoon season.
Happy exploring!