Taman Negara National Park is one of the top attractions on Peninsular Malaysia. The park is 130 million years old, and believed to be one of the oldest rainforest's in the world. The park covers 4343 sq km of jungle and rainforest. There is an abundance of flora and fauna from Malay tigers, Asian elephants and abundance of birds. There are plenty of things to do in Taman Negara National Park, from trekking to rapid shooting and jungle walks.
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>> How to Get to Taman Negara National Park
>> Things to do in Taman Negara National Park
>> Where to Stay in Taman Negara National Park
Kuala Tahan village is the town on the out-skirts of the Taman Negara National Park. This is where many accommodation options, food and tours are situated. To get to Kuala Tahan village, you will normally need to take a sampan boat from Kuala Tembeling jetty. However, some transport options offer direct minivans to Kuala Tahan village.
On our visit to Taman Negara National Park, we booked a minivan online from Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands to Kuala Tembeling jetty. We found the prices of transport online to be much cheaper than ticket prices at the bus stations. Our minivan ticket from Cameron Highlands to Taman Negara also included the 2-hour boat ride from Kuala Tembeling jetty to Kuala Tahan village.
>> BOOK MINIVAN AND FERRY TICKETS TO TAMAN NEGARA HERE
From other areas in Malaysia Peninsular, you can take a train, bus or minivan to Jerantut, and then take THIS SHUTTLE to Kuala Tembeling jetty or Kuala Tahan village.
>> READ MORE - The Best of Kuala Lumpur in 3 Days
While at the Kuala Tembeling jetty, you can organise transport out of the park and your tours while you are there. This was done through DANZ Travel, which is the main tour company in Taman Negara. While at Kuala Tembeling, you will also need to pay for park entry and camera license, if you choose to bring a DSLR camera.
At the DANZ Travel desk at Kuala Tembeling jetty, you can book transport out of the park to Kuala Besut Jetty (ferry to Perhentian Islands), Perhentian Islands, Kota Bharu, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Penang, Jerantut, Mersing (ferry to Tioman Island), Kuantan or Kuala Terengganu (ferry to Perhentian Islands or Rendang Island).
>> FIND OUT TOUR OPTIONS WITH DANZ TRAVEL HERE
There are many activities you can do in the Taman Negara National Park, that will immerse you in nature and witness incredible wildlife. Some activities you can do on your own, and others you can do with a guide.
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Whilst visiting the Taman Negara National Park in July 2019, the canopy walk was temporarily closed. Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy Malaysia's longest suspension bridge. The canopy is an enormous 530 metres long, and extends from 25m to 40m high. It is only 5RM to enter, and a perfect way to walk amongst the tress and see the park from a new angle.
There is a variety of trekking options in Taman Negara National Park, for all types of people. It is important to note that you will experience a lot of leeches while trekking! If you have leech socks, we recommend wearing them. Although, the leeches are harmless, they can be annoying.
The most common trekking option is the one day trek. This can be completed with a guide or on your own. We recommend a guide, so you do not get lost and gain important information about the land and wildlife as well. We paid 150RM ($50 AUD) each for a one day trek that included lunch, rapid shooting and a visit to the Orang Asli Village. The trek lasted 8am to 5pm, covering 13km of mostly flat terrain.
Other one day trekking options include the hike to Bukit Teresek which can be combined with the canopy walk. This is a 1.7km walk to 344m above sea level. You can also trek to Lata Berkoh Waterfall which will take 3-5 hours from Kuala Tahan village or take a boat cruise there.
Another popular option is the 2 Day/1 Night or the 3 Day/2 Night Inner Jungle Trek. On this trek you will sleep in the Kepayang Cave or the Kumbang Hide. You will have a much higher chance of seeing wildlife on a 2-3 Day trek. These treks costs about 230RM per person.
For those with a week or more to spare, and the courage to climb Peninsular Malaysia's tallest mountain, then you can trek to Gunung Tahan. This is a 6-7 day trek and 53 km long.
Only a 30-minute walk from Kuala Tahan village is the Lubok Simpon Swimming Spot. This spot is located on the Mutiara Resort side of the Tembeling River and a perfect way to enjoy the rainforest without the strenuous activities of trekking.
You can either combine rapid shooting with a trekking tour or do it on its own. Starting at either Kuala Tahan village or Kuala Terengganu, the ride takes you down the Sungai Tembeling River, speeding over seven rocky rapids on a wooden boat. We went rapid shooting after our long day trek to Kuala Terengganu back to Kuala Tahan village.
Many nocturnal animals emerge at dusk. The jungle turns into a sensory overload of sounds at night. Take a guided night walk through the jungle as the sunset over the rainforest.
Alternatively, take a 4WD safari tour to witness the jungle come to life at night. Get further into the jungle to see jungle cats, snakes, owls, wild boar, monitor lizards, hornbills and elephants.
Orang Asil Village is a nomadic village of indigenous people of Taman Negara. When visiting the village you will learn how to hunt using blow pipes, or how to make a fire. They live a simple nomadic lifestyle, with no electricity or modern luxuries. We visited the Orang Asli Village on our trekking tour.
>> FIND OUT TOUR OPTIONS WITH DANZ TRAVEL HERE
When booking your accommodation for visiting Taman Negara National Park, you can either choose to combine accommodation with a tour package or separately. We booked our accommodation on Booking.com and our tours at the Kuala Tembeling jetty before arriving in the park. Below are some sustainable accommodation options in or near Kuala Tahan village.
Naura Roomstay (Budget) - Support the local community by staying in a homestay. Naura Roomstay is the best reviewed homestay on Booking.com FIND OUT PRICE HERE.
DANZ Eco Resort (Budget & Mid-Range) - While DANZ Eco Resort offers accommodation and tour packages, you can also just book a room without a package. They offer a range of accommodation types from tents, capsules to jungle houses. FIND OUT PRICES HERE.
Mutiara Taman Negara Resort (Luxury) - Mutiara Taman Negara Resort offers Malasian-style wooden chalets and bungalows. This is the only resort inside the National Park boundary, across the river from Kuala Tahan. FIND OUT PRICES HERE.
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