More than just waterfalls – Ranchan Recreation Park at Serian, Sarawak

Ranchan Recreation Park is famous for its natural beautiful waterfalls, amazing stone river bed, cool natural pools, and pristine forest. Located just 5km from Serian town, it is a tourist location not to be missed. This is our second visit to Ranchan Recreation Park and we still feeling amazed by it.

We visited this amazing nature reserve with waterfalls during hot and dry season. The place is bustling with activities from locals that just want to get them self cool by the cold mountain stream, and to picnickers that wants to enjoy the beautiful nature. It is a recommended place to visit during dry seasons. However if you visit during rainy seasons, the water current may be torrent and dangerous.

Introduction to Ranchan Recreation Park

Name: Ranchan Recreation Park, also known locally as Ranchan Pool Recreation Park, Ranchan Waterfalls, Taman Rekreasi Ranchan, Taman Air Terjun Ranchan.

Type : Recreation Park featuring natural reserve and waterfalls

Activities : Camping, Information Gathering, Swimming, Sightseeing, Picnic, Hiking, Photography, Research.

Suitable for : Tourist who love nature, Friends and Family outings, Picnickers and Campers, Students who want to learn and document about natural flora and fauna. Suitable for all ages but make sure all children are accompanied by adults.

Features : Ranchan waterfalls, Stony Riverbeds, Water dams, Restaurant, Pavilion, Jungle, Natural Pool, Hanging bridge, Picnic hut, BBQ area.

Address : Recreation Park Ranchan, 94700 Serian, Sarawak, Malaysia

Latitude : 1.1433767163753845

Longitude : 110.58429271082923

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Ranchan Recreation Park was officially open to public on 19th September 1990, officiate by Y.B. Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min, DA, PNBS, the Tourism and Environment Minister of Sarawak.

This Recreation Park is located 5km south of Serian town, which is near to the newly developing route of Pan Borneo Highway project. It is easily accessible via road. The park is connected along Jalan Tun Hussien Onn, which is part of Serian-Sri Aman Road. It is about 60km from Kuching City. It is about 45 minutes to one hour journey if you drive along the Kuching-Serian highway from Kuching International Airport.

You can come here by own transport, public transport or e-hailing vehicles. Ranchan Recreation Park is one of the famous tourist destination and usually included as a pit stop for tour groups heading for Skrang, Lemanak and Batang Ai due to its strategic location.

We have another simple post when we first visited Ranchan in year 2016 : https://360tour.asia/ranchan-recreation-park-at-serian-sarawak/

Waterfalls, Pristine Forest and Stony Riverbed

The key feature of Ranchan Recreation Park is Waterfalls, Pristine Forest and Stony Riverbed.

There are several waterfall along the stream, which makes it a waterfall with multiple cascade. The stream originated from the Mountain ridge along the Sadong River of Serian. The stream is filled with huge and smooth river rocks that makes this place unique from its surrounding. The rocks is covered with tropical moss and most of them are smoothed by million years of water flow and erosion.

Trees are seen grown over the stream with complex roots that secure the trees to the rocky river bed. The trees surrounding the stream is all tropical rainforest trees with tall forest canopies, huge winding vines and complex roots.

When you are at the park, do quiet yourself and enjoy the natural surroundings.

Close your eyes and listen, you can hear soothing sound from the waterfall cascade that cools your inner soul. The rustle of the rainforest in synchronize with the cool mountain breeze. Chriping of brids on the tree, rustle of dry leaves when lizard walk across the forest floor … there is so much to be hear.

Look around and you will enjoy the amazing scene that nature had provide us. Huge boulder with different shape and sizes is all around you. Look around for how the trees  grew around you, and they thrive in the stream and at steep cliff. There are a diversity of rainforest trees with most of it been labeled. Don’t forget to look and learn their names. Look around for birds and small insects that you might never seen before in urban cities.

Don’t forget to take a dip in the natural pools around Ranchan pool recreation park. Feel the cool waters flow around you. Feel the rocks below your feet. Feel the cool breeze blow upon your face.

Safety at the Waterfall and Pools

There is a warning about torrent river current which local calls it “Kepala Air”. It is a natural phenomena happens frequently at mountain stream. When there is a heavy downpour at the upper stream at higher lands, there will be a gush of torrent river current raising from the mountains down the river. It is evident by smooth rock surface even at the bank of the stream. This sudden raise in water volume washes down the stream, bringing rocks, debris, broken woods and logs.

It is advisable to leave the area when there is thick rain clouds at the mountains, sudden increase of noise from upper stream, sudden increase in sound of moving rocks, or you found that clear waters become frothy or sudden raise in water levels. Safety first. Never underestimate the power of nature.

Safety tips at Ranchan Recreation Park :

• Be aware of your surroundings, if there is risk of torrent river flow, keep out of the waters. It is better safe than sorry.
• Be aware of your every step, river rocks are fun to step on, but beware of loose rock that might cause you to fall. Test out the rock before you put your full force on it.
• Be aware of your kids, it is fun to play with waters but danger is what they don’t often sees. Always accompany your kids and if they do something dangerous, stop them.
• Be aware of wildlife around you, you many encounter lizards, birds, insects and many more others, don’t try to catch them or provoke them. It is their jungle anyways, we are just visitors.
• Be aware of your left overs, rubbish is meant to be in the rubbish bin, not the forest floor or river beds. It is both concern of cleanliness and also safety of others. Plastics harm the wildlife and left over food may increase the population of pests such as rodents and flies.

Bridges and Paths around the park

There is many bridges and paths around the park that facilitate your walks in the park. The path is made according to the natural contour of the park. It is not suitable for roller skates or bicycle.

The source of the Ranchan Pool and Waterfalls

Walking on the path uphill along the stream, you will reach the source of the Ranchan Pool and Waterfall. It is not a true head source but at least this is where you can reach on foot. There is more small tributary  up stream, but least concern as a tourist attraction.

At the source it is a small dam with a small water reservoir. Small dam is designed to have a small cascade over the flow opening at the center.

The water reservoir have several pipe line that lead down hill. There is a old vacant building near the source which suggest it as small water treatment and distribution building.

The Ranchan Pool and Waterfall is one of the top 10 natural waterfall in Sarawak. It is a place suitable for friends and family.