Taman Negara Rainforest, Pahang, Malaysia, has impressively tall trees shining bright green colors reaching beyond the horizon. The beauty of Taman Negara Rainforest makes itself clear once you step foot into it. The combination of the forest’s silence and animal sounds really leaves an impression on you. Meanwhile, the isolation the trees give you makes your focus fall entirely on the wonders around you. The surrounding floral aromas radiate from every corner, and the forest’s humidity penetrates your skin.
Slip on your hiking boots and prepare yourself for one of the harshest yet most wonderful experiences on this impenetrable rainforest.
Activity/Place Highlights
Being about 130 million years old (yes, million), Taman Negara, literally meaning “national park”, is the oldest rainforest in the world. Besides, it’s home to amazing exotic animals. For example elephants, tigers, different types of fish and the Sumatran rhinoceros, insect-eating plants and crab-eating macaques; just to name a few. Here you can also find up to fourteen thousand species of plants and three hundred species of birds.
The boat trip
You can start the tour through Taman Negara Rainforest from four different departure points: Kuala Lumpur, Jerantut, Sungai Relau, and Kuala Tahan.
Above all, the easiest and most used way to reach the national park is to take a bus to Kuala Tembeling. Then you can sail on a boat down the river to the park gate at the latest departure point, Kuala Tahan.
This boat trip down the river is a primary part of the experience. Once you navigate these waters, you realize how isolated Taman Negara is from the outside world. Slowly taking you through the border of the national park, the trip offers wonderful views of the forest overlooking and suspended above the flowing waters.
A Scary but Wonderful Experience
Only a few steps into the rainforest you can already feel how it closes around you, leaving the outside world behind. The trees are so high and thick they shut down any external noise. Likewise, they darken the horizon and even change the weather as they block the sunshine. You will feel sheltered, and at the same time get mixed feelings of oppression.
On the other hand, sounds from the outside are replaced by the shrieks of animals like birds and insects. It takes you a while to get used to the different sounds of the rainforest. Especially at night they intensify, sometimes even preventing sleep.
Wildlife at Taman Negara Rainforest
This truly is not a place for the weak-hearted. Although beautiful, the forest can be hostile and harsh. Wild animals such as elephants, tigers and snakes wander around, and biting insects fill the air. If it rained, you gotta watch out for the leeches that cover the paths, since they can latch onto any animal or human that crosses their way. Walking through this rich ecosystem gives you a rush of adrenaline and sharpens your senses in a way that many have lost in normal daily life. Every creak of a dead leaf or tree branch makes your heart leap in your chest and your senses focus on your surroundings.
View points
Of course, there are sights that you must get to, like the waterfall at Lata Berkoh. Besides, the view from the top of the hill at Burik Teresek is outstanding, looking over the trees below. But in reality, the actual wonder is all around you: birds shining bright colors as they quickly pass by; tiny turquoise butterflies softly flying around; lianas hanging all over the place clustered in orange blossoms; buttress roots so big you could hide a car behind; and rivers flowing slowly, carrying dead vegetation with them.
The longest canopy walk
A short walk away from Kuala Tahan you can find the longest canopy walkway in the world. It hangs about fifty meters above the ground, from huge tree to huge tree. This 430-meters-long wooden walkway gives a bird’s-eye view of the vegetation and sometimes even the wildlife; if you can gather enough courage to look around.
Unfortunately, being the biggest tourist attraction, the canopy walkway usually gets very crowded. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on regular days. But on Friday, as it is the Muslim holy day, it opens a bit earlier, at 8 a.m., and by lunchtime it’s already closed down. Getting there as early as you can gives you a better chance of having the wooden walkway all to yourself. As a result, maybe a few birds or other animals won’t be startled by the usual crowd and show themselves.
Get closer to nature
Still, if you want some alone time, you can take one of the many trails into the rainforest. In fact, it is possible to hike out to the forest and back in a day. On the other hand, for those with an adventurous heart, you can stay the night in one of the forest’s many wildlife hides. This way you get a higher chance of spotting some of the most elusive and shy wildlife.
Among the ever-present sound of insects, you wait in both hope and fear of any animal showing up. Eventually, you learn to feel at ease with the once harsh presence of the forest, and you will be eager to return.
How to get there
This natural wonder is specifically three hours away from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
Where to stay
The Taman Negara Resort, at Kuala Tahan, offers different types of accommodation, going from cheap hotel beds to luxurious suites. Opposite the resort, attached along the river bank, you can find many floating restaurants selling cheap local food. Also, this resort is inside the park; where it ends, the rainforest starts. But monkeys and birds seem to take no interest in people’s space, as they are always seen on the grounds, keeping you company. This resort is quite big, but you’ll want to avoid it on weekends when it’s loaded by visitors from the capital.
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