Jeriau Waterfall

Jeriau waterfall is a popular nature attraction about 4km away from Bukit Fraser's town center, connected by Jalan Semantan through a steep, narrow road that descends sharply after Smokehouse Hotel. As traffic is two-way but the road really fits only a single lane, visitors need to keep a close watch as they traverse down the slopes, though there are breaks at some corners to allow an exchange of vehicles. Eventually, the road ends at the car park and entrance gate. A small river that feeds into a multi-tiered waterfall, years of soil erosion and tourist development have marred the natural landscape, now an ugly mess of drains, structures and walls along parts of the stream.

The waters are usually silted and muddy, though the recent construction of a dyke upstream has mitigated this problem a little. The trail to Jeriau Waterfall is a spacious and well-paved footpath, following the river's edge with gazebos, benches and even small playgrounds for children. After a five to eight minute walk, the path breaks into a series of staircases with guard railings to the main falls. At this point, the stream becomes inaccessible as it abruptly cascades down several smooth rockfaces, creating a few tiers of small pools. Because of the dense foliage and steep terrain, only the last fall is visible through the greenery. At the bottom, the main falls may come off as a disappointment in exchange for the jungle trek, having lost its former beauty to pollution and development.

Resembling a gushing torrent from a rain sewer, the waters cascade like a drain pipe into a large pool below, damned entirely by concrete to hold the ever receding banks. Meanwhile, pair of gazebos sits at right to shade visitors on a hot day. After the waterfall, the river flows in stacks over a few more conrete pools, before eventually losing itself into the rainforest. If the waterfall trip has turned out to be less than inspiring, then consider visiting the abandoned golf club house 1.5 km away for some (mis)adventure. Next to the entrance gate to Jeriau lies a rickety bridge that leads on to another paved road; follow this route hemmed in slightly by undergrowth until it reaches a derelict mansion-like structure on top a plateau.