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Public pool · Kampung Ara Panjang, Manong, Perak

Ara Panjang Hot Spring

Also known as: Kolam Air Panas Ara Panjang, Bendang Nyangat, Kolam Air Panas Manong, Manong hot spring, Kolam air panas tersembunyi Manong

This spring is reported as permanently closed. The page stays up for people searching for it.

Water temp
47°C
Entry fee
Free
Opening hours
Abandoned since 2014; no staff or fixed hours (last reported July 2024)
Water type
Not tested
Status
Permanently closed

Ara Panjang Hot Spring is a village hot spring in Kampung Ara Panjang, Manong, once called Bendang Nyangat because the warm water came up in what used to be a paddy field (nyangat is the local way of saying hangat, warm). People from around Kuala Kangsar used to come to bathe, and the village head says past Sultans of Perak often visited.

As a public bathing spot Ara Panjang Hot Spring has been abandoned since 2014, but in July 2024 steam still rose off the water and villagers still came to soak their feet.

What it is like now

Utusan Malaysia visited in July 2024 and found the pool and toilet buildings dirty and overgrown with creepers. Steam still rises off the water, bubbles come up from the bottom, and villagers and outsiders still stop by to soak their feet. A visitor notice board from more than a decade ago is still standing. The state government had built public toilets by 2019, and floods have damaged the site more than once.

Google Maps reviews are thin and mixed. A September 2025 reviewer wrote only that it was shut, while a June 2026 reviewer praised the hot water. Older reviews from 2020 to 2023 describe a pleasant spot with poor, unmanaged facilities, and one local says the site has been developed several times and left to decline each time.

The 1997 national inventory lists Kg. Ara Panjang, Manong, at 47°C at the surface. A 2021 local blog describes many separate vents and calls it hotter than most Malaysian springs, without giving a reading. No water chemistry has been published.

Plans

Village head Kamardin Abd. Majid told Utusan in 2024 that he is planning to redevelop the site for the village economy and hopes for government help. No project, budget or timeline has been announced. When Utusan visited in July 2024 it was an unmaintained site with no staff, no fees and no facilities you could rely on. For a maintained hot spring, the nearest options are in Ipoh: Lost World of Tambun and The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat.

Getting there

From Kuala Kangsar, take the Kuala Kangsar to Manong road (Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah). From the new Jeliang road, head towards SK Ara Panjang, turn right beside the village community hall (Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Ara Panjang) and follow the road with the river on your left until you reach the pool. A 2021 blog puts the pool about 2 km off Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah on a tarred village road. The map pin is the pool's Google Maps location, about 500 m west of SK Ara Panjang. No public transport.

WazeGoogle Maps4.61889, 100.88541 (approximate)

Before you go

  • Use SK Ara Panjang and the Dewan Orang Ramai as landmarks, and ask villagers for the last stretch; don't count on signage.
  • Skip the old toilet blocks; Utusan found them dirty and overgrown in 2024.
  • Test the water with your hand before putting your feet in; it has been measured at 47°C.
  • Wear long trousers and closed shoes; the area is overgrown with creepers.
  • Avoid visiting after heavy rain; the site has flooded several times.

Questions people ask

Is Ara Panjang Hot Spring open?

No, not as a managed facility. Utusan reported in July 2024 that it had been abandoned since 2014, and a September 2025 reviewer found it shut, though locals still soak their feet and a June 2026 reviewer praised the hot water.

How hot is Ara Panjang Hot Spring?

The 1997 national inventory recorded 47°C at the surface.

Why is it called Bendang Nyangat?

The spring rose in what used to be a paddy field (bendang), and nyangat is the local way of saying hangat, meaning warm.

Is anyone redeveloping Ara Panjang Hot Spring?

The village head said in 2024 he wants it redeveloped and hopes for government help, but no project has been announced.

Other springs within 150 km

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources. Prices and hours change; confirm with the operator before a long drive.

  1. Utusan Malaysia: Hidupkan kolam air panas 'misteri' (9 July 2024)
  2. Orang Perak: Revitalizing the Ara Panjang hot spring in Manong (25 April 2019)
  3. Warna blog: Kolam air panas Ara Panjang / Bendang Nyangat (13 Jan 2021, directions)
  4. YouTube: Kolam Air Panas tersembunyi di dalam Manong Perak
  5. Mohd Hariri Arifin (2017), Hot springs characterisation and geothermal potential study in Peninsula Malaysia, USM PhD thesis, Table 2.2 after Samsudin et al. (1997)
  6. Google Maps: Kolam Air Panas Ara Panjang
  7. OpenStreetMap: SK Ara Panjang

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