Canopy walk at Taman Negara National Park, Kuala Tahan

Taman Negara National Park, undisturbed by the ice ages, is said to be the oldest rainforest in the world¹ and is estimated to be 130 million years old ¹⁰. It covers an area of 4343 sq. kilometers spreading over three states, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. The highest peak in Peninsula Malaysia, Gunung Tahan standing at 2187 m, is also located within the park reserves. This park is identified as a one of three priority areas for conservation of the Malayan tigers by the WWF⁸. This is also the home to the Asian elephants and many other animal species.

Tubing down Sungei Tembeling

Taman Negara National Park is designated as an Ecotourism destination under the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia. Wildlife observation hides have been constructed along the hiking trails within the park. Its canopy walkway is said to be the longest in the world with a length of 550m suspended at 45m above ground ². There are also other activities such as trekking to the caves, waterfalls and hill tops. Local operators offer river sports such as tubing and rapid shooting, visits to Orang Asli village (local aborigines) and fishing trips.

The Pahang entrance to Taman Negara National Park at Kuala Tahan is the most accessible and popular entry point given its ease of access and development as a tourist destination. Mutiara Taman Negara is the only accommodation on the western bank of Sungei Tembeling where the main forest trails are located. However, on the eastern bank of the river where the Park Headquarters reside, there are numerous accommodation and riverside floating restaurant for the budget travelers. There are boat services that bring you across the river for a small fee.

Bats in Gua Telinga (May 2000)

Moving around the National Park typically involves either walking on foot or on chartered boat. You may check with the park headquarters on boat chartering service. Having a chartered boat is a much faster way of moving around especially for hides and caves that are further from the park headquarter. The chartered boats are usually motorized sampan that can travel on shallow parts of the river.

Of the caves in Taman Negara National Park, one of the most popular would be Gua Telinga. A relatively large population of bats takes shelter in this small cave during the day and their guano covered the rocks below it. It is advisable to visitors to this cave to put on plastic poncho so that the guano would not land on your clothing and hair. As you squeeze through the section of the cave, you can hear the flattering of the bats as they flew over your head and across your face. While there is only a slight whiff of guano at the entrance, it gets stronger as you enter the main resting chambers of the bats. Be prepared to get your hands dirty.

Gua Telinga Information Entry fee : Free Distance from Kuala Tahan Park Office : 2.4 km Trek from river edge after boat ride : 30 minutes9 Trek duration in cave : Approx. 40 minutes9 Remarks : Beware of bat shit and bats flying overhead. There is a guiding rope that shows the route through the cave. Upon emerging from the cave, the route goes straight for about 8 metres before turning left and then back in the direction of the entrance of the cave. The cave can also be reached from the resort either by river or land.9

There are a few points to take note of when visiting this part of Taman Negara. Although Peninsula Malaysia does not experience four-seasons, it does have a monsoon season where it can rain continuously for days which sometimes lead to floods. The best time to visit is during the drier season which is from February to September. However, being a tropical country, do expect occasional rains during the drier season. Humidity is also very high and expects to be drenched in perspiration during treks. On some parts of the forest, "sweat" bees are common, so named because they are attracted to the salt in your sweat. They generally do not sting although having lots of them on your sweat-soaked clothing can be quite unnerving. Fortunately, they will not follow once you move away from their "congregation" area. Mosquitoes are common around the village and places with more human activities and structures so do apply mosquito repellent at all times. While on the forest trails, leeches will be waiting. Local guides rub their exposed feet with salt to keep them away. Applying strong insect repellent may help. Bring along vinegar or salt to get them off if they have already latched onto your bare skin.

Taman Negara National Park is a great place to visit for those who like to experience trekking and camping in a tropical rainforest while still within easy reach of civilization. The trails and structures are built with the aim of blending into the natural forest surroundings. Although large animals are seldom seen (which may not be a bad thing), you will get a sense of the abundance in animal species by the sounds of the forest and looking out for small insects and creatures on the trees and bushes at the side of the trails.

There are several ways of getting to Taman Negara National Park (Kuala Tahan). The nearest town is Jerantut which can be reached via railway train or express bus. Kuala Tembeling is a short distance from the main town of Jerantut. From Kuala Lumpur, there are tour services that brings you from Jerantut to Kuala Tembeling jetty. From Jerantut, you may either take a cab to Kuala Tembeling for a boat ride to Kuala Tahan or take a bus directly to Kuala Tahan. The former way is slower, about 3 hours journey, but will be interesting for first time visitors to Taman Negara National Park (Kuala Tahan). The later via land is much faster and takes about 1.5 hours.

To Nearest Town (Jerantut)
Via Train
Take train to Jerantut. You may check out the train services, prices and dates on Malaysia Railway

Via bus
Take bus to Jerantut. You may check out the bus services, prices and dates on http://www.busonlineticket.com

From Jerantut to Kuala Tembeling
Cab/Taxi¹
Cost: About Rm20 per vehicle
Journey duration: 20 minutes

From Kuala Tembeling to Taman Negara National Park (Kuala Tahan)
Via Boat

Motorized sampan, commonly used for bringing visitors up and down the river

Operated by Nusa Holiday Village⁵

Cost	:	Rm 35 one way
Journey duration	:	3 hrs
Schedule from Kuala Tembeling jetty to Kuala Tahan	:	9 am and 2 pm (Daily except Friday) 9 am and 2.30 pm (Friday)
Schedule from Kuala Tahan to Kuala Tembeling jetty	:	9 am and 2 pm (Daily except Friday) 9 am and 2.30 pm (Friday)

Operated by Multiara Taman Negara⁶

Cost	:	Rm 55 one way
Journey duration	:	2.5 hrs
Schedule from Kuala Tembeling jetty to Kuala Tahan	:	9 am and 1.30 pm (Daily except Friday) 9 am and 2.30 pm (Friday)
Schedule from Kuala Tahan to Kuala Tembeling jetty	:	9 am and 1.30 pm (Daily except Friday) 9 am and 2.30 pm (Friday)

From Jerantut to Taman Negara National Park (Kuala Tahan)
Bus operator: Bus Latiff and Pahang Lin Siong⁷

Cost	:	Rm 6 to 7 one way
Journey Duration	:	1.5 hours
Bus schedule from Jerantut Bus Station to Taman Negara Kuala Tahan Bus Stand	:	5.30 am, 8.30 am, 1.15 pm, 5.30 pm
Bus schedule from Taman Negara Kuala Tahan Bus Stand to Jerantut	:	7.30 am, 10.00 am, 3.30 pm, 7.00 pm