Discover Kulim: River, Forest and History

If you’re looking for hotels in Kulim, its local highlights can help you choose the focus of your stay. At Sungai Sedim, the main attractions are water activities, forest trekking and a river crossing; historic sites add a local perspective. You can combine nature and outdoor activities with a tangible sense of local history. A broader look at the state of Kedah adds its own nature and heritage themes to this overview.

Nature and Activities at Sungai Sedim

At Hutan Lipur Sungai Sedim (Arus Deras) in Karangan, Kulim, you can go kayaking and white-water rafting. A 1,454-metre trekking trail leads through the forest. The Tree Top Walk Sungai Sedim crosses the Sungai Sedim River. You can choose which places to visit based on your preferred focus: water sports, forest trekking or crossing the river.

Hutan Lipur Sungai Sedim has a cafeteria and a souvenir shop. As facilities may change, check before your visit whether both are available. Access and trail conditions may also change. Kayak and rafting operators may vary; if either activity is important to you, ask about current options in advance.

Local History and Landmarks in Kulim

On January 12, 1963, Kampung Sedim was renamed Kampung Lindungan Raja. The new name commemorates the protection the residents had given Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah. Rumah Lindungan Raja in Kampung Sedim, in the Kulim District, has stood since 1934. Its walls are decorated with carvings shaped like bamboo shoots. The dates refer to different events: 1934 to the house’s existence, and 1963 to the renaming of Kampung Sedim.

Jam Merdeka Kulim is also a local landmark. To this day, it is considered a place that Kulim residents are proud of. Together with Rumah Lindungan Raja and the history of Kampung Sedim, it offers another perspective on Kulim beyond the activities along the river and in the forest.

Kedah as a Broader Regional Context

The Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark is in the state of Kedah. It was established on June 1, 2007, and is Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. Its land area is approximately 478 square kilometres; including the water areas, the total area is about 920 square kilometres. The two figures therefore distinguish the land area from the total area, including water.

Kedah’s natural attractions also include the landforms of Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park: bare peaks, vertical cliffs, prominent ridges, narrow gorges and waterfalls. Kilim Karst Geoforest Park covers 4,354 hectares. Bujang Valley, near Merbok in Kedah, offers a different focus: an extensive archaeological site covering 224 square kilometres. Sungai Batu holds evidence of Southeast Asia’s earliest civilisation, including iron smelting and the large-scale export of iron ore. The iron industry there existed from the 1st to the 8th century AD.

For the broader travel overview: Kedah.