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Public pool · Lojing, Kelantan

Lojing Hot Spring (Sungai Ber)

Also known as: Kolam Air Panas Ber, Lojing, Kolam Air Panas Ber, Sungai Ber hot spring, Pos Hendrop hot spring, Kompleks Air Panas Lojing, Air Panas Lojing

We could not confirm this spring is currently open. Ask locals or the operator before a long drive.

Water temp
32–72°C
Entry fee
Fee not published
Opening hours
No published hours or operator
Water type
Alkaline, Sulphur, Silica, Bicarbonate
Status
Status unconfirmed

No entrance fee or operator has been published. The 2022 RTM report does not mention any fee or staff.

Lojing Hot Spring (Sungai Ber) is a cluster of cemented pools fed by two vents of 70°C-plus water, about 300 m off the Gua Musang–Cameron Highlands road in the Lojing highlands. Majlis Daerah Gua Musang calls it the hottest spring in Kelantan, and university measurements back that up: 72°C at the main vent.

It suits travellers driving between Gua Musang and Cameron Highlands who are curious about the geology and happy with a rough, unmanaged site. Do not come expecting a working bathing complex: in 2022 RTM found it silted, littered and neglected.

The vents and pools

Hot water comes out of cracks in the Main Range granite at two vents. Hydrogen sulphide bubbles up with it, so expect a rotten-egg smell. The water runs down through four cemented ponds built in 2014, then into the Beruk (Berok) river about 100 m east.

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan measured every point in August 2014. The main vent was 71°C and the second vent 70°C. Pond 1 was 60°C, pond 2 41°C, pond 3 39°C and pond 4 32°C. In the dry season of January 2014 the main vent read 72.31°C. Only ponds 2 to 4 met the water class for recreational body contact; the vents and pond 1 are too hot to touch.

The researchers left eggs in the main vent for 30 minutes and got them only half-cooked, so plan on a longer soak if you want hard-boiled eggs.

What is in the water

The water is alkaline: pH 8.6 to 9.2 in the vents and ponds in 2014. A 2022 study of 14 samples from Sungai Ber and nearby Sungai Mering found high silica (277 ppm on average), sodium (29 ppm), bicarbonate (41 ppm) and sulphate (18 ppm). Fluoride averaged 2.9 ppm, so do not drink it. Silica geothermometry suggests the water reaches about 203°C underground before it rises.

Current condition

In August 2022 RTM visited and found the pools silted, rubbish around the site, overgrown bushes and a wakaf with a cracked roof. The report said it had been neglected for about five years, and visitors asked the authorities to clean and repair it. We found no later report of repairs, and no published fee or opening hours.

Google Maps reviews tell the same story. A May 2022 visitor found newly built pools next to the run-down parts, with one clear pool too hot even to dip a foot in. In September 2023 a reviewer still boiled eggs there but described collapsed buildings, rubbish everywhere and plenty of mosquitoes. We found no reviews newer than October 2023.

Around Lojing

The Orang Asli village of Pos Hendrop is close by, so keep noise down and take your rubbish out. Lojing is also known for Rafflesia kerri. For a wilder hot spring, the Sungai Mering springs are about 8 km south-east in a straight line, well away from the road.

Getting there

The spring is about 300 m off the Gua Musang–Cameron Highlands highway (Federal Route 185, the Second East-West Highway), close to Pos Hendrop. It is about 70 km from Gua Musang town (RTM put the drive at almost 1 hour 15 minutes) and about 30 km from Cameron Highlands. A paved road runs from the highway to a small car park within walking distance of the vents. We found no practical public transport, so drive.

WazeGoogle Maps4.70977, 101.56775

Before you go

  • Keep hands and feet out of the two vents and pond 1: they measured 60–72°C.
  • Bring eggs and patience: 30 minutes in the main vent gave half-cooked eggs in a 2014 test.
  • Expect murky, silted pools after rain; the 2022 report found them silted and unmaintained.
  • Do not drink the water. Its fluoride averaged 2.9 ppm in 2022, nearly double the WHO limit of 1.5 ppm.
  • Fill up and buy food in Gua Musang or Cameron Highlands; no source mentions stalls at the spring.
  • Take all rubbish with you. Litter was one of the main complaints in 2022.
  • Bring mosquito repellent; a September 2023 reviewer warned about mosquitoes.

Questions people ask

How hot is Lojing Hot Spring?

The main vent measured 71–72°C in 2014, the hottest reading in Kelantan. The four pools below it ranged from 60°C down to 32°C.

Can you boil eggs at Lojing Hot Spring?

Yes, egg boiling is the main activity at the vents. A 2014 test produced half-cooked eggs after 30 minutes, so leave them longer.

Is Lojing Hot Spring still open?

No operator, fee or hours have been published. In August 2022 RTM found it neglected, with silted pools and damaged shelters. The newest Google review is from October 2023 and still describes it as poorly kept, so we cannot confirm its current state.

How far is it from Cameron Highlands?

About 30 km, along the highway to Gua Musang. Gua Musang town is about 70 km away.

Is the water safe to bathe in?

The cooler ponds (32–41°C) met the class for recreational body contact in 2014. The vents and first pond are too hot.

Other springs within 150 km

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources. Prices and hours change; confirm with the operator before a long drive.

  1. Majlis Daerah Gua Musang: Kolam Air Panas Ber, Lojing Highlands (72°C, hottest in Kelantan; Hutan Simpan Sungai Brooke)
  2. Berita RTM (4 Aug 2022): Geotapak mata air panas Sungai Ber terbiar, kotor dan tidak diurus dengan baik
  3. Nazaruddin et al. (2015), Study on geoheritage and water quality of Pos Hendrop hot spring, Lojing Highlands, Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science 3: 222-232
  4. Abdul Rahim et al. (2022), Pencirian air panas Lojing, Gua Musang, Kelantan dari aspek geosains, Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia 74: 123-134
  5. Mohd Hariri Arifin (2017), USM PhD thesis, Table 2.2 after Samsudin et al. (1997): Sg. Ber (HS10) 72°C
  6. Kolam Air Panas Ber, Lojing, Gua Musang, Kelantan on Facebook
  7. Wikipedia: Lojing (Federal Route 185, Second East-West Highway)
  8. Google Maps: Sungai Ber Hot Spring

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