Taman Negara
Discover Taman Negara
Taman Negara is Malay for "national park" and is the largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia. It is famous for its tropical rainforest, birds, and insects. The dry season runs from February to September, so that is the best time to visit the park. The peak tourist season is from April to August.
Taste of Taman Negara...
There are floating restaurants at the riverside of Kuala Tahan, including Family Restaurant, Wan Cafe, and LBK. These cafe serve local delicacies such as toasted bread with kaya jam (weird but tasty combination of egg and coconut), fried rice, drinks, sandwiches, and soups. On the main street of Kuala Tahan, a few places with rather random opening hours also operate. You can order Roti Canai in the morning and Rujak in the afternoon, in addition to the usual fried rice and noodles. The Mutiara Resort has a restaurant that features bland food for westerners at comparatively high prices. Outside of Kuala Tahan there are not many restaurants. There are no bars in Kuala Tahan as it is a Muslim village. Chess Corner, near the Tembeling Riverview Guesthouse is a nice bar style cafe where locals sing songs and play the guitar at some nights. However, this 'bar' does not serve alcohol. There are also several cafes across the Tembeling River which a reachable by a quick boat ride. You can still buy alcohol from the shop across the Teresek View motel. The alcohol is "hidden" in a separate room near the cashier. Can of beer RM12, small bottle of spirit RM20. The Mutiara Resort restaurant has a full bar, expensive by Malaysian standards. If you are staying on the village side, be careful not to get stranded after the last ferry. One local drink you should try is the "Sirup Bandung", which is a blend of rose syrup and milk. It is a tasty concoction to drink after a day's trek.
Climate
The dry season runs from February to September, so that is the best time to visit the park. The peak tourist season is from April to August. If you do the trip yourself, first take a bus or a train to Jerantut (RM19 from Kuala Lumpur), and then take a taxi from Jerantut to the jetty at Kuala Tembeling, costing RM16. The river boat leaves from the jetty at Kuala Tembeling at 9AM and 2PM for Kuala Tahan. The 60 km journey takes 2-3 hr, and costs RM35. Or for a cheaper option without the boat, take the public bus from Jerantut directly to Kuala Tahan (2 hr, RM7) at 8AM or 3PM; and back to Jerantut at 10AM and 5PM. A taxi can be taken directly from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan which will take 1 hr and cost RM70. Ensure that the price is understood prior to departure.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundbest time to visit the park....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsIf you do the trip yourself, first take a bus or a train to Jerantut (RM19 from Kuala Lumpur), and then take a taxi from Jerantut to the jetty at Kuala Tembeling, costing RM16. The river boat leaves from the jetty at Kuala Tembeling at 9AM and 2PM for Kuala Tahan. The 60 km journey takes 2-3 hr, and costs RM35. Or for a cheaper option without the boat, take the public bus from Jerantut directly to Kuala Tahan (2 hr, RM7) at 8AM or 3PM; and back to Jerantut at 10AM and 5PM. A taxi can be taken directly from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan which will take 1 hr and cost RM70. Ensure that the price is understood prior to departure. The easiest way to get to the park is through an arranged service from the Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur with 3 companies : If you have your own transport, you can drive to Kuala Tahan; although you would miss the river boat trip, which is an important part of the experience. Parking is available at the hotels....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The Tembeling River separates the park from Kuala Tahan on the opposite side. Crossing takes only a minute and costs RM1 per person; boats operate from about 7AM to 10:30PM. It is easy to get around without any guide. You can explore the forest on your own. However, if you go into the deep jungle, especially by the Keniam, Tenol, or Tahan Mountain trails, it is better to go with guide, as you will learn a lot about the jungle and reduce the risk of becoming lost or disoriented. There are floating restaurants at the riverside of Kuala Tahan, including Family Restaurant, Wan Cafe, and LBK. These cafe serve local delicacies such as toasted bread with kaya jam (weird but tasty combination of egg and coconut), fried rice, drinks, sandwiches, and soups. On the main street of Kuala Tahan, a few places with rather random opening hours also operate. You can order Roti Canai in the morning and Rujak in the afternoon, in addition to the usual fried rice and noodles.
Where to Stay
Apart from Mutiara Taman Negara, which is next to the park entrance, all accommodation is across the Tembeling River at Kuala Tahan. Most are within walking distance of the river and there are many boats to take passengers across to the park entrance. Cost is RM1 per person, per crossing. There is no violent crime in Taman Negara. As anywhere, do not leave valuables lying around unguarded. Beware of theft from hotel rooms and always monitor and secure your belongings. Wear footwear when outside. If you make a jungle trek on your own inform the park headquarters where you are going and at what time you will be back. People sometimes get lost or disoriented in the jungle. Leeches are common in the park but are not as dangerous as they are made out to be. They're fairly annoying, although after a few days, you'd get used to them. Schedule information and boat ticketing is available from the travel booths at the floating restaurants.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
There is no violent crime in Taman Negara. As anywhere, do not leave valuables lying around unguarded. Beware of theft from hotel rooms and always monitor and secure your belongings. Wear footwear when outside. If you make a jungle trek on your own inform the park headquarters where you are going and at what time you will be back. People sometimes get lost or disoriented in the jungle. Leeches are common in the park but are not as dangerous as they are made out to be. They're fairly annoying, although after a few days, you'd get used to them. Schedule information and boat ticketing is available from the travel booths at the floating restaurants. Boats run to Kuala Tembeling at 9AM, 10AM, and 2PM, costing RM35. From there, you can catch a quite worn-out bus to Kuala Lumpur (RM40), Penang, Cameron Highlands, or other destinations - try not to sit on the bumpy back seats. A cheaper option is to catch a public bus to Jerantut RM7.