From the Canopy Walk to a night safari: these are our tips
Looking for adventure during your trip through Malaysia? Then Taman Negara is definitely worth it. This ancient rainforest is one of the oldest in the world. As soon as you drive into the park, you immediately feel the difference from the rest of Malaysia: the air gets more humid, the trees get taller, and the sounds of insects and birds surround you. Below you'll find how to get there, what you can do, and what to look out for.
How to get to Taman Negara
From Kuala Lumpur you first travel by local bus to Jerantut, which costs about 30 ringgit per person. From Jerantut you continue on to Kuala Tahan, the village at the edge of the park and often your base for the coming days.
Tip: When we visited Taman Negara, all the local buses in the area were out of service, only the express buses were still running.
From Cameron Highlands , the easiest option is to book a direct shuttle to Kuala Tahan. Within about 3.5 hours you'll be at your destination.
Tip: Book your tickets in advance through 12go Asia.
From Langkawi you're in for a long journey, but it's definitely doable. We made this route ourselves in the opposite direction, from Taman Negara to Langkawi. First the boat to Kuala Perlis, then a taxi to the bus station in Kangar. From there you take a 9-hour bus to the bus station in Temerloh, where you transfer to a bus to Jerantut. From Jerantut you take a taxi to reach Kuala Tahan. It's quite an undertaking, so only do this if you have enough time and want to save on costs. Otherwise, it's better to book a shuttle online in advance.
Once you arrive in Kuala Tahan, you have a few options for getting to your hotel: arrange a pick-up through your hotel, or take a taxi for 20 ringgit per person (100 ringgit for the whole car). Expect a bumpy ride if your hotel is located in the jungle.
What to do in Taman Negara
From Kuala Tahan you can book various tours and activities in the rainforest, usually simply through your hotel or through GetYourGuide.
NB: In Kuala Tahan you'll often come across the names of two tour operators: Han and NKS. We'd advise against booking a tour through them. The same tours you can already arrange through your hotel for 45 ringgit, they charge 150 ringgit for: not a small price difference, but a considerably higher price for exactly the same tour.
Hiking through the ancient rainforest
Before starting a hike, you first need to take a ferry from Kuala Tahan to the other side of the river to enter the national park. This costs just 1 ringgit per person. Next, you arrive at the ticket office. Here you can choose from various trails: from an hour-long hike to multi-day trips including an overnight stay in the rainforest. Only a single trail can be done without a guide; most of the longer trails require one.
Hike to Bukit Teresek
During the day, you can do the hike to Bukit Teresek yourself, without a guide: a viewpoint with a beautiful view over the rainforest. The hike is just a short walk of about an hour along a path of boardwalks and stairs. Along the way you'll quickly come across the first animals. Somewhat shy but also curious monkeys watch you from the trees as you walk by. And if you look closely, you can also spot beautiful birds in the treetops.
TipDo the hike in the morning, since it can get quite hot and humid later in the day.
Price: 6 ringgit per person for this trail.
Up high at the Canopy Walk
After the hike to the viewpoint, you can walk straight on to the Canopy Walk: a hanging path made up of several bridges high among the treetops. The full path of bridges is 530 meters long and is known as one of the longest in the world. As you walk across the swaying bridges, you look right into the treetops, with a chance of spotting monkeys, birds, and other animals among the leaves. Some of the bridges are as high as about 40 meters.
Tip: After our visit, the Canopy Walk was closed for maintenance for quite a while. So check carefully before you go whether it's open to the public again.
Price: 5 ringgit for the Canopy Walk, per person.
Climbing Gunung Tahan
The hikes mentioned above, like the one to Bukit Teresek and the Canopy Walk, are short and can easily be done without a guide. For the real adventurers, there are also multi-day treks, where you'll quickly find yourself spending 4 to 7 days deep in the rainforest. One of the best trails is the one to the top of Gunung Tahan, the highest mountain on the peninsula. This does require decent fitness, and a guide is mandatory.
Tip: For the multi-day treks, be sure to bring good hiking boots, suitable clothing, and a headlamp.
Staying overnight deep in the rainforest
Planning to stay longer and see more of the rainforest and the local villages? On a multi-day trek you can stay overnight in a cave or in a "hide," an observation hut where you can spot animals at night. These treks are often combined with a visit to an Orang Asli village, where you'll learn more about the way of life of the rainforest's original inhabitants and their traditional blowpipe hunting technique.
Boat trip through the jungle
You can explore Taman Negara not just on foot, but also by water. During a boat trip, you sail along the river through the jungle in a long, narrow boat. You'll make several stops along the way: the tallest tree in the national park, a spot to feed fish, and a natural pool in the middle of the jungle. For the last stop, you'll need to do a short 20-minute hike to reach the natural pool. Don't arrive too early, as it's busy there while the other tours are still around. Just be patient: everyone tends to leave around the same time, so a little later it quickly quiets down and you'll have the place almost to yourself.
Price: a full-day boat tour costs about 45 ringgit per person.
Out after dark on a night safari
Once it gets dark, Taman Negara really comes alive. During the night safari you head into the forest by boat, on foot, or by jeep, in search of frogs, insects, and other animals that only come out at night. Some tours take you to a hide at a salt lick, where deer, wild boar, and sometimes even a tapir regularly appear at night.
We'd recommend choosing the boat or a walk on foot rather than the jeep. We heard a lot of good stories about these: plenty of sightings in the jungle and along the rivers. We ourselves chose a jeep safari. Unfortunately, we couldn't spot anything from the jeep with the flashlights we had brought. Even though we didn't see any animals, it was still a great experience to drive through the pitch-black jungle at night.
Price: 40 ringgit per person, from 8:30 PM.
Dining on the water
Round off your day at one of the floating restaurants along the river. They're located right by the same jetty from which you also take the boat to the park. You can hear the sounds of the jungle around you as you look out over the water. Here you can get delicious kwetiau goreng, nasi goreng, or a banana pancake.
Tip: You won't find a single ATM in Taman Negara, and there are very few places where you can pay by card. So bring enough cash for your entire stay.
Where to stay in Taman Negara
The only accommodation actually inside the park itself is Mutiara Taman Negara, which has its own restaurant and is located right in the middle of the jungle. Looking for something more budget-friendly? We ourselves stayed on the riverbank at Danz Eco Resort. Here you can choose between a tube, a tent, or a cabin to sleep in. Even though you're not technically inside the park, you still get that feeling, since you're sleeping in the jungle right by the river.
Prefer not to sleep in the jungle? Then you'll find plenty of guesthouses in Kuala Tahan itself, close to the jetty, such as Tebing Guest House and Taman Negara Rainbow Guest House: simple but clean, and within walking distance of both the boats to the park and the floating restaurants.
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Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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About us
Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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