Taman Negara – Rainforests of Malaysia

Taman Negara, Malaysia
By Santanu Bhattacharya

This is a very concise information package of all you need to know for a trip to Taman Negara.

How to get there?

Kuala Tahan Village

The easiest way to get to Taman Negara is by train. The nearest town on the railway map is Jerantut. Train services to Jerantut are available from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Fare in the economy class is a mere RM 19. However, make sure that you purchase the tickets from a station in Malaysia. If purchased in Singapore, the tickets are priced in SGD! Alternatively, you can buy the tickets online at www.ktmb.com.my. Get a printout of the tickets or carry the Reference ID and Ticket ID for proof of purchase.

A word of caution here – by train, I mean the Express train. There is another Mail train on the same route, which you might want to avoid as there is no guarantee of a seat and no pantry services.

If the train is fully booked, the other alternative is obviously by road. For people from Kuala Lumpur, I am not sure about buses but taxis surely ply to Jerantut. They would cost something close to RM 200-250 per taxi (4 people). From Singapore, direct transportation to Jerantut by road is not available. The only option is a break journey through Kuantan. Transnasional bus service runs buses to Kuantan from Singapore at SGD 35. It is more advisable to cross the border to Johor Bahru and get a bus from Larkin bus station at just RM 25-30 per head.

At Terminus Kuantan, you can either wait for a bus or arrange for a taxi. The buses start plying at 9 a.m. and cost around RM 10-12 to Jerantut. The taxis charge RM 250-300 per taxi. We were immensely helped by the services of this guy called Azam, who arranges for transportation in his mini-van. He waits for people at the oddest of hours and even picks up just 1 or 2 people, charging on a per head basis. Azam runs Green Park Resort at Jerantut. His mobile phone number is +60-19-965-7388. Look up on the internet for the number of his resort.

There are two ways of reaching Kuala Tahan, the main entry point to Taman Negara – by boat or by road. If you want to take a boat, you have to board at Tembeling jetty. A bus from Jerantut to Tembeling takes ½ hour and costs RM 4-5. The boat takes 3 hours to reach Tahan and costs RM 25. The boat ride can get tiresome in the heat, so it is advisable to go by road. There’ll be lots of boat rides once you get to the forest. By road, it takes 4 hours from Kuantan and 2-1/2 hours from Jerantut.

Azam’s charges are: RM 55 till Tembeling and RM 75 till Kuala Tahan.

Accommodation

The internet is a bit misleading since only the major forest resorts have good websites and publicity. However, these resorts are very expensive. A beer costs RM 16 at the restaurant, let alone the room rates!! Across the river from the forest, in Kuala Tahan village, there are several hotels, hostels and chalets. We stayed at this hostel called Teresek View. The dorm cost just RM 10. For accommodation here, email Mr. Halim at limtan4@gmail.com. You can also make bookings via Green Park Resort (Azam) if you call them for the car.

A word of caution here – make sure your chalet/hotel is close to the river. You will not want to walk down a long way after exhausting treks in the jungle.

Food

Trekking in the Jungle

Food in this place is extremely good. It is of pretty universal taste (reminded me of Indian Chinese food…..yummy!), not typically Malay, Chinese or Indian. There are a few floating restaurants by the river. Prices are very cheap. A sumptuous meal should not cost you more than RM 10-15. Some mentionable dishes are the Bandung noodles, chicken sweet-n-sour, baked beans and the fruit juices (a must in the heat!).

Formalities

Before you start your trek in the forest, pay a visit to the Tourist Counter at the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort across the river to complete certain formalities.

• Remember to get your entry permits (RM 1) and camera permits (RM 5).
• If you are planning to stay the night at one of the hides (Blau, Yong, Tabing, etc.), book it in advance. It costs RM 5.
• Book the boat to the cascade waterfall, Lata Berkoh. It will cost RM 60 per boat of 4, i.e. RM 15 per head.

Things to do

• Trek through the forest to the top of hill, Bukit Teresek. On the way will be the canopy walkway, the longest in the world. Take a guide with you if you are a small number of people. The trail gets confusing many times.
• Explore the cave, Gua Telingga. To get there, you will have to take a boat costing RM 50 for 8-12 people.
• Chill out at the cascade waterfall, Lata Berkoh and take a relaxing boat ride to the place.
• Visit the Orang Asli (tribal) village to observe their way of life. Though we did not take this tour, I have heard that the guides can be really intrusive about the personal lives of the tribes, making the tourists very uncomfortable. Worth the experience, nevertheless.
• There is a ride called the rapid shooting. We skipped it as our guide told us it is no different from the downstream boat ride from Lata Berkoh.
• Staying the night at a hide to spot wild animals. Wild animals are rarely visible, but lot of sounds throughout the night will keep you awake. Staying the night at a wooden house with open doors and windows in the middle of the forest is definitely an enriching experience.

Exploring the Cave

Things to take

• Be sure to carry sufficient drinking water all the time. The weather is generally very hot and humid.
• Light comfortable clothes
• Comfortable trekking shoes with a good grip over slippery surfaces
• Sufficient change of socks
• Swimming trunks and other gear
• Torch (essential for cave exploration and hides) and sufficient batteries
• Carry a small-size bag on the back for holding essentials. It will make trekking convenient. Bulky bags will cause problems in the cave.
• Antiseptic cream (for leech bites and bee stings). DO NOT spray insecticides on your clothes/socks. This will harm your skin.
• Sleeping bags (for staying in the hides)
• Basic necessities such as towel, soap, shampoo. These are not provided by ordinary hotels
• Cap or cloth hat to guard you from the sunlight

What NOT to expect.

• DO NOT expect to see any animals. The animals are supposed to be living in the far interiors and are not visible to tourists. The most we got to see is a monitor lizard! A forest does not necessarily mean animals. In fact, enjoy the freedom of walking about in the wild without threats of carnivores.
• For Lata Berkoh, do not expect a waterfall. It is just a cascade of layers of water flowing down. It is nice spot for swimming and relaxing in the water.
• Internet connection is good and readily available at RM 1 per 10 minutes. However, do not expect your mobile phones to work. There is a store for stationeries. But it is better to pack your bags with all your requirements.

Have a happy and safe trip! Adios!