Taman Negara National Park
Pahang, Malaysia
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Taman Negara is Malaysia's largest national park, located on 4,343km² of primary rainforest with its own mountain range that features the Peninsular's highest summit, Gunung Tahan (2,187m). Sharing its borders with three different states (Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu), the most popular entryway is through Kuala Tahan in Pahang, a small village across the Tembeling River from the park headquarters, closest to Jerantut town (67km away). An immensely popular nature destination, Taman Negara attracts visitors from all over the world, served by a good range of accommodation including budget hotels at Kuala Tahan and a boutique jungle lodge (Mutiara Resort) within the park.
Tourist Guide
While Taman Negara may conjure up images of a remote, ancient rainforest virtually untouched by civilisation, the park is actually well equipped with modern facilities that cater for tourists, including marked jungle trails (some with boardwalks), wildlife observation hides (some with bunk beds), a water taxi service (travel along the river), visitor office with interpretive center, and wide range of budget accommodation at Kuala Tahan (which also has restaurants, sundry shops and a clinic).
Most of the trails can be done on your own (if reasonably fit), though it's better to hire a guide if you're unaccustomed to jungle conditions and safety precautions. Malaria is of very little concern, unless you plan to spend months deep inside the rainforest. Dengue fever is also not a worry, as the Aedes mosquito prefers disturbed habitats near lots of people (eg big villages and urban areas). But watch out for bees and wasps for their obviously painful sting.
The rainforest is a hot and incredibly humid environment (wear thick clothing to your own peril) in day, but freezing cold after midnight. Heavy rainfall is very common at the last quarter of the year, stretching for a few months into the next. Rain can last for a few hours or more, but it is more common to encounter short thunderstorms - still enough to turn most trails into a mud bath. Leeches are abundant further inside the rainforest; prepare salt or suitable insect repellant if you don't want to get your socks caked in blood. While encounters with large wild animals such as elephants, gaur and tigers are rare (if it does happen, ensure a very safe distance), it's much easier to meet semi-tame tapirs, deer and wild boar that frequent the park HQ grounds for easy food from visitors. Squirrels and jungle rodents are also untimid and will approach visitors or raid bags with food, especially those around wildlife hides.
Getting There
Taman Negara
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Taman Negara Endau Rompin is the second largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia, after the original Taman Negara n Pahang. Covering 870 km² of lowland and hilly rainforest, the park is located south in Johor, and still has some magnificent scenery despite being selectively logged in the past. However, it is far less accessible as conventional vehicles will find it tough to traverse the dirt tracks needed to reach the entrance. To get there, take the trunk road or North-South Highway to reach the Ayer Hitam exit once in Johor. From there, it is an hour's drive to reach Kahang and then, the Taman Negara Endau Rompin turn-off is at the left by an oil palm plantation.
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You will follow a rough, laterite road that meanders for about an hour through more oil palm estates. Keep your windows up because it gets very dusty as lorries often zoom by, stirring up clouds of smoke and dirt.Finally, a vista of mountains and forest will greet you once you have covered sufficent distance, the laterite track transcending to a hole-ridden tarred road that leads into the jungle. From here, it is another hour through the harsh road, crossing rickety wooden bridges and negotiating muddy bends. A 4WD vehicle or similar transport is almost compulsory. If you have none, the National Park Office runs daily trips with their own jeeps for visitors. Once in, get your permits done at the park office before exploring further.
Visitors usually head first to Kuala Jasin, a beautiful and picturesque confluence of two large rivers. Around the park are trails that lead you to discover the jungle or waterfalls, such as Anak Jasin and Buaya Sangkut. The Upeh Guling waterfalls are especially interesting as its landscape is littered with deep crevices and concaves resulting from years of erosion. There are also several peaks you can climb including Gunung Pertawai (840 m), Gunung Janing (655 m) and Bukit Segonggong (703 m). Tigers are common in the area and it is not unusual to find their tracks criss-crossing your path, even upon returning to the same area you've just trodden a while ago! The park offers accommodation in chalets and dormitories in Kampung Peta (camp site at Kuala Jasin).
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Ayer Hitam
Forest , Puchong
Ayer Hitam is a 1,200 hectare forest reserve that straddles the urban townships of Puchong and Serdang, and is one of the last true green lungs in the Klang Valley. Selectively logged in the past, the forest consists of mostly old secondary growth, but still continues to support an impressive range of wildlife species, including wild boars, slow lorises and even black leopards. Originally ten times its current size, the reserve shrunk drastically into an isolated forest pocket over the last few decades, due to booming residential development. Tigers were even known from this reserve, but the last specimen was caught in the nineties and shipped to a zoo.
Today, the forest is managed by a local university for research, but also provides a much-needed recreation ground for locals while injecting fresh air into the heavily urbanised surroundings. Composed of hilly terrain, the highest peak stands at 233m, with hiking trails that lead from Kinrara, Taman Wawasan and Saujana Puchong. Meanwhile, crystal clear streams still meander through the forest, at certain junctures flowing into brilliant emerald pools and cascading majestically over sloping granite beds. A single natural lake remains (an angling spot which can be seen at the forest section edge at Kinrara), the rest having been swallowed up by residential homes and urban development.
Ulu Muda
Kedah
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Ulu Muda is the last great piece of rainforest in the northern state of Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia, located in the north eastern side and straddling the Thai border. This important forest reserve which spans 120,000 hectares, serves as a water catchment area for a major part of Kedah. Three great lakes are located in Ulu Muda - Tasik Pedu, Tasik Muda and Tasik Beris. Despite its immense natural beauty, it is still relatively unknown - many wildlife species are believed to lie undiscovered. Also, being so close to Souther Thailand translates to an environment with slight features of dry monsoon forests found up north of Southeast Asia.
The mix of lowland and hill dipterocarp forest in the reserve protect a large array of flora and fauna. Bird watchers will appreciate this area as hornbills and raptors are a common sight along the fringes of the lakes. Ulu Muda also teems with mammals, especially elephants which flock to the many salt licks in the area. Approaching the inner reaches of Ulu Muda Ulu Muda Forest Most visitors will spend their time at Pedu Lake (Tasik Pedu), which is the most developed part of Ulu Muda with with a recreational forest, proper tourist facilities and accommodation. This picturesque lake is the largest in the forest reserve and most accessible. To access the inner reaches of Ulu Muda, visitors need to take a boat from the Gubir jetty at Tasik Muda or follow the old logging trail with 4WD vehicles from Gulau. The boat ride takes an hour or more, depending on how far you any of the many river tributaries in Ulu Muda.
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