Taman Negara
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Malaysia is green. Malaysia is tropical. Malaysia is full of adventure.
Combine all of these three and you’ll find yourself hiking the rainforest of the country’s most prominent national park. So prominent it’s simply referred to as “Taman Negara”, its literal translation from Malay being “National Park”.
True, there are about 25 other national parks in between the land borders (mainly in Borneo), but with its 4.343 square kilometres (encompassing no less than three states) this one takes the crown. Over the course of 130 million years (!) this spot on the planet grew out to form the lush habitat of bountiful wildlife, such as the Malayan Tiger and Asian Elephant, as well as the home of rather undisturbed indigenous tribes and the decor of a wide variety of outdoor activities.
There is simply no excuse, you can’t say you properly travelled Malaysia without having included Taman Negara in your bucket list.
Combine all of these three and you’ll find yourself hiking the rainforest of the country’s most prominent national park. So prominent it’s simply referred to as “Taman Negara”, its literal translation from Malay being “National Park”.
True, there are about 25 other national parks in between the land borders (mainly in Borneo), but with its 4.343 square kilometres (encompassing no less than three states) this one takes the crown. Over the course of 130 million years (!) this spot on the planet grew out to form the lush habitat of bountiful wildlife, such as the Malayan Tiger and Asian Elephant, as well as the home of rather undisturbed indigenous tribes and the decor of a wide variety of outdoor activities.
There is simply no excuse, you can’t say you properly travelled Malaysia without having included Taman Negara in your bucket list.
Before you go
Obviously, this is what tonnes of other tourists think simultaneously. Don’t expect to find some virgin Garden of Eden lying hidden from the public eye waiting for you to be scouted... you’re gonna share, sugarlove! Kuala Tahan is pumped out of the ground to cater to all craves of the many-headed tourist-monster, and boy, are you gonna pay... unless you’ve read this blog, stocked up on cheap provisions in your previous destination Kuala Lumpur / Penang / Langkawi and booked your budget accommodation ahead with the Budget Bucket List discount links of course (Booking.com here / Air BnB here). Oh, and while you’re at it: drag along as much booze as you can carry: Kuala Tahan prides itself for being a ‘dry town’ (no alcohol in restaurants/bars), but it’s pretty straightforward to outsmart them. Mid-jungle-bender say yeah!
* For further transport information, please refer to the free Budget Fact Sheet [scroll up]
Obviously, this is what tonnes of other tourists think simultaneously. Don’t expect to find some virgin Garden of Eden lying hidden from the public eye waiting for you to be scouted... you’re gonna share, sugarlove! Kuala Tahan is pumped out of the ground to cater to all craves of the many-headed tourist-monster, and boy, are you gonna pay... unless you’ve read this blog, stocked up on cheap provisions in your previous destination Kuala Lumpur / Penang / Langkawi and booked your budget accommodation ahead with the Budget Bucket List discount links of course (Booking.com here / Air BnB here). Oh, and while you’re at it: drag along as much booze as you can carry: Kuala Tahan prides itself for being a ‘dry town’ (no alcohol in restaurants/bars), but it’s pretty straightforward to outsmart them. Mid-jungle-bender say yeah!
* For further transport information, please refer to the free Budget Fact Sheet [scroll up]
Right, you’re there, you’ve got your booze and cheap bed, now what? Well, there are a variety of options, all of them involving an at least mediocre level of fitness. Yes ma’am, time to put your best foot forward!
BUT WAIT, don’t move just yet... Before you do anything at all, consider one crucial, tormenting element of each and every hike or jungle venture: leeches! Aaaaaaahhh, thousands of ‘em! Those creepy little worm-beings swiftly moving on the humid soils, eagerly bending towards any uncovered piece of flesh to suck their slimy little mouths on. Proper zombie apocalypse squirm-style! Those vivid memories of wriggling blood-filled parasites hanging off random hikers’ legs and red-splattered trails caused by those too freaked out to properly remove them... it still causes me to jump out of my bed screaming and scratching on a fairly regular basis.
Under the flag of “forewarned is fore armed”, there ya go:
BUT WAIT, don’t move just yet... Before you do anything at all, consider one crucial, tormenting element of each and every hike or jungle venture: leeches! Aaaaaaahhh, thousands of ‘em! Those creepy little worm-beings swiftly moving on the humid soils, eagerly bending towards any uncovered piece of flesh to suck their slimy little mouths on. Proper zombie apocalypse squirm-style! Those vivid memories of wriggling blood-filled parasites hanging off random hikers’ legs and red-splattered trails caused by those too freaked out to properly remove them... it still causes me to jump out of my bed screaming and scratching on a fairly regular basis.
Under the flag of “forewarned is fore armed”, there ya go:
By: The Art of Manliness. Yeah... you can leave those sexy shorts in the backpack, even though they look better on Instagram. Pants-in-socks is the look to go for in the land of Taman Negara. Also stock up on DEET: Malaria is a thing here.
The Famous Hikes
Trained calves or not, hiking is an unavoidable part of the Taman Negara jungle experience. Realize it’s not your random mountain hike full of cool air and refreshing breezes when getting all outdoorsy in Malaysia: you’re gonna sweat, my man! I’m talking buckets. And considering the leech-situation, going topless Tarzan-style isn’t a recommendable option, so stock up on quick-dry’s!
Teresek Hill (Bukit Teresek)
As technically this one is grouped under the flag of ‘accessible deep-jungle hikes’, most tourists flock together at the trails facilitating this 344m-climb. That said, parts might be slightly challenging due to broken stairs, rope-assisted rock climbs and steep and/or slippery sections. Nevertheless, if you’re fairly experienced the rather mild ascend is a small price to pay for such blinding panoramic views! It’s an easy day hike, but there’s the option to stay overnight in the Tabing Hide (Bumbun Tabing – hosting up to 8pax in bunk beds), where you can observe birds and other small wildlife.
Trained calves or not, hiking is an unavoidable part of the Taman Negara jungle experience. Realize it’s not your random mountain hike full of cool air and refreshing breezes when getting all outdoorsy in Malaysia: you’re gonna sweat, my man! I’m talking buckets. And considering the leech-situation, going topless Tarzan-style isn’t a recommendable option, so stock up on quick-dry’s!
Teresek Hill (Bukit Teresek)
As technically this one is grouped under the flag of ‘accessible deep-jungle hikes’, most tourists flock together at the trails facilitating this 344m-climb. That said, parts might be slightly challenging due to broken stairs, rope-assisted rock climbs and steep and/or slippery sections. Nevertheless, if you’re fairly experienced the rather mild ascend is a small price to pay for such blinding panoramic views! It’s an easy day hike, but there’s the option to stay overnight in the Tabing Hide (Bumbun Tabing – hosting up to 8pax in bunk beds), where you can observe birds and other small wildlife.
Canopy Walk
Easily combined with the Teresek Hill hike, the Canopy Walk is a daytripper’s favourite. It won’t take more than 15-20 minutes of your time and it only requires an absolute minimum level of physical fitness... however, it offers exhilarating views high up in the humid foliage (out of reach of those bastard-leeches).
* There’s a moderate admission price / closed on Thursdays.
Easily combined with the Teresek Hill hike, the Canopy Walk is a daytripper’s favourite. It won’t take more than 15-20 minutes of your time and it only requires an absolute minimum level of physical fitness... however, it offers exhilarating views high up in the humid foliage (out of reach of those bastard-leeches).
* There’s a moderate admission price / closed on Thursdays.
Lata Berkoh
Another doable day hike is the route towards the cascade of Lata Berkoh, taking about 3-5 hours (8.5km) depending on the weather conditions. Take a map or GPS, as paths can be tricky to trace down! You won’t have the place to yourself: Most people cheat by taking a boat, cutting it down to a 20-minute stroll. Don’t expect some Niagara or Iguazú Falls here, it’s a simple stream which happens to be rather picnic-friendly. No need to bring that bathing suit either: swimming is forbidden due to dangerous rapid currents.
Gunung Tahan
Feel like doing the full monty? Okay, how does the “Endurance Mountain” (translation of Gunung Tahan) sound to you?! The highest point of the entire Malay Peninsula will definitely answer that persistent call of adventure! 3-4 days is the minimum amount of time you’ll need to free up to achieve completion, although the lesser-fit among us might have to take a full week into account. Don’t think this is an easy one to check off, as maybe you did the Mount Kinabalu last week without too many problems... you’re signing yourself up for a true killer. Steep, hot, humid and devastating, this multi-day trek will leave you properly knackered. In return you will be granted a multitude of wildlife sightings, possibly including macaques, gibbons, hornbills, tapirs, snakes, wild boars and even elephants!
* You can use both Kuala Tahan and Merapoh as a departure point.
* A permit from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks is required.
Another doable day hike is the route towards the cascade of Lata Berkoh, taking about 3-5 hours (8.5km) depending on the weather conditions. Take a map or GPS, as paths can be tricky to trace down! You won’t have the place to yourself: Most people cheat by taking a boat, cutting it down to a 20-minute stroll. Don’t expect some Niagara or Iguazú Falls here, it’s a simple stream which happens to be rather picnic-friendly. No need to bring that bathing suit either: swimming is forbidden due to dangerous rapid currents.
Gunung Tahan
Feel like doing the full monty? Okay, how does the “Endurance Mountain” (translation of Gunung Tahan) sound to you?! The highest point of the entire Malay Peninsula will definitely answer that persistent call of adventure! 3-4 days is the minimum amount of time you’ll need to free up to achieve completion, although the lesser-fit among us might have to take a full week into account. Don’t think this is an easy one to check off, as maybe you did the Mount Kinabalu last week without too many problems... you’re signing yourself up for a true killer. Steep, hot, humid and devastating, this multi-day trek will leave you properly knackered. In return you will be granted a multitude of wildlife sightings, possibly including macaques, gibbons, hornbills, tapirs, snakes, wild boars and even elephants!
* You can use both Kuala Tahan and Merapoh as a departure point.
* A permit from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks is required.
Go off the beaten path
Not literally, unless you’re really hot for snake bites of course. But do take notice of the less obvious trails to beat the crowds. The Taman Negara Map below suggests a variety of combinations, forming both day and overnight trips. The Kuala Trenggan Trail (19-4-3-1) leads to the Bumbun Kumbang Hide and will take about 6 hours; The Yong Trail (11-10-9-1) forms a 4-hour flat trek passed an aboriginal village and the (now closed) Gua Telinga Cave. Overnight alternatives for the Gunung Tahan Trek are the 2-days Keniam Trail (25km north of Kuala Tahan), as well as the 3 to 4-days Tenor Trail giving insights in the most remote corners of the national park.
Not literally, unless you’re really hot for snake bites of course. But do take notice of the less obvious trails to beat the crowds. The Taman Negara Map below suggests a variety of combinations, forming both day and overnight trips. The Kuala Trenggan Trail (19-4-3-1) leads to the Bumbun Kumbang Hide and will take about 6 hours; The Yong Trail (11-10-9-1) forms a 4-hour flat trek passed an aboriginal village and the (now closed) Gua Telinga Cave. Overnight alternatives for the Gunung Tahan Trek are the 2-days Keniam Trail (25km north of Kuala Tahan), as well as the 3 to 4-days Tenor Trail giving insights in the most remote corners of the national park.
Green: Easy trail (4 hours or less) – Orange: Medium Trail (4-8 hours) – Red: Overnight Trek (2-7 days).
Know before you hike:
- Don’t book a tour. Don’t book a guide. Really! Maps are widely available, the trails are rather obvious and in a place as well-visited as Taman Negara, groups of hikers flock together. Drinks on me if you get lost. Plus, you’ll save yourself some always welcome travel-ringgits!
- To underpin my last statement: Per 2018, park permits are RM1 when bought at the headquarters, a camera permit is RM5... it’s about triple if you book via a tour company. You can pick up some maps at the headquarters while you’re at it. Register here for overnight trails as well, both for safety reasons and the limited availability of bunk beds in the shelters / hides.
- You can cheaply rent tents and sleeping bags at the headquarters.
- Guided night hikes generally receive bad reviews.
Caves
Are you a cave enthusiast? Well, don’t get too excited then, as the famous Gua Telinga is closed since the collapse of the entire exit in 2008 (but then again, glad it happened when you weren’t standing right under it). However, as an alternative you can hike to the Gua Kepayang and, if you want to go all out, even spend a night in it! In case of the latter, be ready to join a tour group.
I skipped on this one as I hold very vivid (nasal) memories of bat caves I visited priorly on multiple occasions, plus I can suppress the desire to be shat upon while consuming my night rest. But don’t let that stop you!
Orang Asli Villages
With a village-entrance-price as well as a well-rehearsed “tourist demonstration” you can ask yourself how authentic a visit to one of them aboriginal villages really is. I did, and therefore decided to toss it off the list. However, The Mighty Internet displays mixed reviews, so it might go either way depending on where your interests lie. Yay or nay?
When it comes to Taman Negara in general, definitely a big fat YAY.
Nature, adventure or culture... this place caters to all!
With a village-entrance-price as well as a well-rehearsed “tourist demonstration” you can ask yourself how authentic a visit to one of them aboriginal villages really is. I did, and therefore decided to toss it off the list. However, The Mighty Internet displays mixed reviews, so it might go either way depending on where your interests lie. Yay or nay?
When it comes to Taman Negara in general, definitely a big fat YAY.
Nature, adventure or culture... this place caters to all!
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