Broga is a small town on the Selangor side of the border with neighbouring Negeri Sembilan state. Situated about 50km away from Kuala Lumpur, and 33km from Seremban, the name "Broga" is said to originate from the "Buragas", a mythical creature that lives in the forest.
Broga is situated in a valley surrounded by lush green hills at the edge of the Titiwangsa range and tropical rainforests. One of the neighbouring hills is called Bukit Broga, or Broga Hill, and is unusual in that the top of the hill is devoid of trees, which is uncommon in a tropical rainforest.
Instead the hilltop is covered in lalang, or long grass, which is where it gets its alternative name of Bukit Lalang. At 400m (1312 feet) in height, Broga Hill has become a popular hike for casual trekkers and on weekends you will find people of all ages clambering up the hill.
To get there from Kuala Lumpur, you would need to drive towards the town of Semenyih. After passing the town, take a left at the traffic light. You will pass the Universiti of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNiM) campus on the left. Continue on straight until the road narrows and you will see the following sign on the left and a rabbit farm on the right.
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| Look out for this sign. The rabbit farm is on the right. |
Turn left at the sign and park in the palm oil plantation. The land is privately owned and you will need to pay RM2 to park here. If you are really cheap, you could park by the roadside, but really RM2 is not too much to pay.
The land owner has also constructed toilet facilities which are locked. Pay RM1 to the guard and he will unlock the facilities for you. The toilets are surprisingly clean and well-maintained, at least when we were there. If you need to go, go now as there are no facilities once you begin your hike.
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| Park in this palm oil plantation. |
Start your hike towards the far end of the plantation. You will see a dirt road leading off into the distance.
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| Dirt path leading off into the distance. |
You will see a signpost to confirm you are on the right track. The sign will tell you that Broga Hill is 1.7km away; and if you are really ambitious, Tok Wan Mountain is a 4.8km trek. Usually it would take about 45 minutes from the carpark to climb up Broga Hill, and Tok Wan Mountain is supposed to take 2 hours to get to from the carpark.
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| Broga Hill is a 1.7km trek. |
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| Cross the boom gate to begin the hike. |
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| A short 5 minute easy walk will bring you to this shed. |
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| A gateway marks the start of the real uphill slog. |
The palm oil plantation ends at this gateway and beyond the tropical forest begins. From this point onwards the dirt track goes steadily upwards. If you are reasonably fit, you would probably find it not too difficult. However, if you are totally unfit like yours truly, you would quickly find yourself short of breath and pausing frequently.
The trees are fairly thick on both sides of the track, with an occasional squirrel scampering amongst the tree tops. In dry season, the track is fairly easy to negotiate but if it rains, it would probably turn muddy real quick.
Eventually, you will start to get a partial view out from between the trees.
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| Tree line eventually begins to clear. |
A bench provides a resting place and a short respite. The climb to this point would probably take 15-20 minutes depending on your level of fitness.
The trees then thin out and you get a view of the steep incline up the bare hill of the first vantage point.
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| The tree line ends to reveal the steep incline up to the first peak. |
This is quite a steep incline and there are ropes and chains to help you clamber up the bare hill.
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| As you pull yourself up, take a look around and see Broga town in the valley below. |
Eventually you will reach the hilltop. A nice 360 degree view of the countryside can be seen. Take a pause, and rest here, for this is not the final peak yet, just the first peak of three.
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| The first peak is at 880 feet above sea level. |
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| A bench to rest at the first peak with views towards Semenyih and the setting sun. |
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| The dirt track continues onwards towards the 2nd peak and the tree covered 3rd peak beyond. |
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| View of the first peak from the second peak. |
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| At the time of our visit, there had recently been a fire, and the trademark lalang was burnt and gone. |
Broga Hill is an interesting hike and can be easily done in the weekend. However, although it is not a long hike, it pays to be prepared. Wear proper shoes, bring enough water and walking sticks if you have them. If you plan to see the sunrise or sunset, a flashlight would be useful. If it rains, the trail will become muddy, so be prepared to get dirty.
