Mount Mat Cincang, Langkawi
Mount Mat Cincang is the second highest peak of Langkawi with an altitude of 709 meters from the sea level. If you look back from Burau Bay area, you will see the majestic mountain full of dense rainforests sloping down to the bay area. Mat Cincang is the oldest mountain in the whole of South East Asia having been formed some 500 million years back and has some of the oldest and stunning rock formations.
The mountain range is one of the three UNESCO World Heritage Geoparks of Langkawi and is a top tourist attraction in the region.
The rainforest in mount Mat Cincang is full of amazing flora & fauna. While you can see gigantic trees in the forest, there are also many different small animals in the jungle. Some of the frequently seen animals include the Macaque Monkeys, Monitor Lizards, giant squirrels etc. You will also see many different bird life here including Golden Brown Eagles, Horbills, bablers and more.
How to visit Mount Mat Cincang
So how can you explore Mat Cincang Mountain and even reach its peak?
There are several ways. The most popular is by taking the
Cable Car Ride from Oriental village which is located at the foothill of Mount Mat Cingcang in Pantai Kok area. This is one of the steepest cable car rides in the world and will give you a breath taking view on the way including that of the rainforest, the famous
Seven Wells Waterfall, islands and the sea. From the peak you get a panoramic view of the island.
Another way of reaching the
Summit of Gunung Mat Cincang is by trek. This is a challenging trek that will pass through the pools of the Seven Wells Waterfalls and then lead through the rainforest all the way to the peak. You will experience how the foliage changes from dense rainforest at the lower level to small trees and bushes at the top, and also come face to face with so many animal life. You can even see the carnivorous plants that have fly catching traps. The view from the top is wonderful. You also get an opportunity to even take a quick bath at the one of the pools of the falls on your way back.
If you just like to take an easy walk through the jungle of Mount Mat Cincang and experience the flora & fauna in the rainforest, then there are organized walking tours available from some of the well known nature tour operators. Check out
Jungle Treks in Mount Mat Cincang to know about the walks. If you so wish, you can even see the amazing wildlife in the jungle after dark when the nocturnal animals starts becoming active, like the flying lemurs and flying giant squirrels.
The legend about Mount Mat Cingcang
Like many other lore and legends in the island, Mount Mat Cincang is also associated with a legend which is deeply believed by the locals. The legend says that Mat Cincang and Mat Raya were once two giants who were best of friends. Son of Mat Cingcang and daughter of Mat Raya were in love and wanted to marry. The parents agreed. However during the wedding, Mat Raya became furious as he noticed the bride groom eyeing another lady. This led to an argument and then a fierce battle between Mat Raya & Mat Cincang who then started hurling pots and pans towards each other.
Finally another smaller giant Mat Sawar intervened to separate the two and stop the fight. Suddenly a lightning struck from the sky and all three of them were turned into stones. Today the three giants are represented by the three mountains Gunung Mat Cincang, Gunung Raya and the smaller Bukit Sawar in between the two as if trying to separate them from a brawl.
It is said that the place where the broken pot fell is known as the village of Belanga Pecah (meaning broken pot), the place where the gravy fell is known as Kuah (i.e. gravy), where the hot water fell is known as Air Hangat (meaning hot water, there is actually a natural hot water spring in Air Hangat Village), and the place where the wedding ring dropped is known as Tanjung Cincin (i.e. cape of the ring).
Map location of Mount Mat Cingcang (Cable Car)
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