Blue Pool Santubong Trail

Despite having worked in Camp Permai for over one and a half years, I did not know and hardly recall of the existence of a natural pool there until news surrounding the development of a government complex, would make this natural jungle pool lost forever.

This news made the Blue Pool into a star attraction and yes, it caught my attention and I told myself I better check it out for myself, just in case the project goes ahead and it would be gone forever.

So last November 22, 2020 we planned a trip to Permai Rainforest Resort to try out the trail.

The Trail

The Blue Pool Trail is about 2.5 kilometre from the resort entrance. They provide you with a basic paper map and the trail that you need to follow would the trail marked Red and Silver.

For a good hike and a good workout, best take the loop trail. Take the Blue / Red trail, which is the waterfall trail then continue on to the Red/Silver trail to the Blue Pool.

So this is what we did, we took the loop trail, going on the Blue/Red trail then to the red/silver. The route is marked clearly so it was easy to find our way.

Jungle Wonders

One thing I enjoy while trekking is being surprised at Mother Nature’s creation. The Blue Pool Trail indeed has plenty of surprises.

This large ficus tree is hard to miss and is the first pit stop for us as we took turns taking photos posing with it. It reminded me of the Godswood tree of Winterfell.

We continued our trek and we passed a bird watching tower. I am not surprised at this since the jungle here is not secondary forest, there should be plenty of birds for bird watching lovers.

You will have a few small streams to cross and therefore it is very useful to have a dry bag to store your gadgets and spare change of clothes.

Most of the trail is just off the coastline and littered with plenty of boulders. Some you may climb over, some you might have to walk around.

Be careful when climbing over, it can get slippery after a small shower. Again it all boils down to being careful and watching where you step. Proper trekking shoes are recommended.

It took us about an hour and a half till we finally reached the Blue Pool. A group of four had just finished swimming and were on their way back. So the Blue Pool was not that crystal Blue.

It took about 15 minutes to settle and it was almost blue, turquoise is how I would describe it. It did rain very heavy the night before so it could also be a contributing factor.

The pool is big enough for about 4 adults and for non-swimmers, there is a deep end near the stream mouth. I would say about 10 feet deep. The water temperature is cool, very refreshing dip after sweating it out on the hike to the pool.

Overall Experience

Our trekking gang felt that the Blue Pool was a bit over rated, however, we agreed that it was a really good easy hike and had a good sweat out. We support the cause and do not agree to have a road built through this lovely jungle piece, thus losing a nice jungle trail in Kuching’s backyard.

Will I go again? You bet!

It’s a good trail and I will be sure to start early and bring a hammock to hang and just chill.

Getting There

To do this trail, you would need to drive up to Permai Rainforest Resort in Damai some 35 kilometres from Kuching city. E-hailing rides would cost you around RM 35.00 to Permai Rainforest Resort.

Travel Tips

If you plan to go on a weekend, make sure you come early morning or after lunch. They limit of a maximum of 10 persons per group and not more than 100 people at a time to be in the jungle for safety reasons and to minimise the impact on nature.

• Entrance Fees – RM 10 per adult.
• Trail closes at 3pm as to avoid trekking back in the dark.
• Bring own drinking water or buy at the resort convenience store.
• Bring change of clothes
• Good trekking sandals or shoes
• Insect repellent
• Bring back your own litter as there are no dustbins along the trail.

Thank you for reading and if you want extra details on the above, drop me a line and I’ll get back to you soon as possible. 

Till my next Bejalai, remember to be a responsible traveller. Respect nature and respect culture.. take care and don’t forget to comment.