Visited May 2019
When we first heard about a beautiful blue lake that would soon be off-limits, it quickly made it to the top of our hiking list.

Located in Bandar Mahkota Cheras, it is purportedly just a 10-minute hike from the residential area.

Photo credit : Jimmy Chew

Armed with general directions from the trailhead, we confidently headed up a jungle path on the left of the tarmac road. Following an arrow pointing to the ‘Fish Pond’, we climbed for twenty-five minutes with nary a glimpse of the famed blue lake.

Instead we found ourselves surrounded by vegetation with charred trunks and dead brown leaves. The blackened ground further highlighted the desolation of what was once a green forested area. 

We backtracked to the misleading signpost and this time, went the other direction. The trail took us downhill past a bamboo patch after which the trail disappeared into a huge mound of soft sand.

Not wanting to risk sinking and getting stuck in the soft sand, we turned back and looked for an alternative route. The lesser used path seemed to lead us away from the lake and with each twist and turn, my doubts and worries rose in tandem with the elevation gain. 

After 40 minutes of self-doubt and uneasy hiking, it was a relief to punch out from the forest canopy to open skies! We were at the highest point with a bird’s eye view of an incredibly intense turquoise lake.

Reclaimed by nature, the vivid colour is formed by rainwater filling up the former stone quarry transforming the unsightly barren landscape into stunning reflective art. The blue / green shade is dependent on the hour of day and the presence of sun or clouds.

The narrow ledge appeared to continue all the way to the other side of the lake. Keeping left, I walked along the edge, looking for angles and vantage points for a worthy picture.

Meanwhile one of our party recce’d the right side, eventually finding a trail we could use for the return journey. The home trail was surprisingly easy, mostly downhill, with frequent stops for more pictures as we descended back to ground level.

Within 20 minutes we hit the obstruction that thwarted us 90 minutes earlier. Determined to make it across, we first attempted a detour, but the forest was too dense. Taking the bull by the horns, I quickly climbed up the sand mound, stepping as lightly as possible to get across.

Luckily, the sand was not as soft as we feared. Safely back on the trail, we made it back to the car in record time.