THE HILLS AROUND Mengkuang Dam form the largest area of green space on mainland Penang, comprising both forested areas and agricultural land. Bukit Mertajam and Bukit Seraya are two popular peaks in this region, with hikers thronging the former each weekend. Nestled between these two peaks lies a minor summit called Bukit Kolam. This dome-shaped peak, also known as Bukit 800, rises to about 339m and, in recent years, has attracted the attention of hikers, especially those searching for new areas to explore. Looking for such a challenge, I set my sights on this peak, and enlisted Heng, a hiking expert on mainland Penang, to explore this trail with me.
We began our hike just outside the gates of the Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest Park, where a smaller tarred road branched off to the right, towards the Jiu Long Gong Chinese temple. Starting under the shade of lush oil palm trees, we passed the temple and a restaurant, after which the path curved northward along a relatively flat section. After about 10 minutes, we reached a junction.
