Malaysia: Taman Negara

One of the many popular hiking options in Peninsular Malaysia, the Taman Negara (literally “National Park”) hikes are among the most easily accomplished for those short on time or hiking experience. Hiking in the park can range from a short “nature walk” up to a multi-day (9, at last check, was the longest on offer) trek deep into the jungle. Regardless of what type of hike you decide to go on, guides are mandatory within the park both for trail finding and for interacting with the native Orang Asli tribes that still live in the jungle here. Rather than trying to plan something in advance, it is very possible to show up and see what different guides can tell you and then select based on the guide’s personality and your comfort level. The main reason you might want to book before you arrived is if you were short on time and couldn’t afford to spend a day or two waiting for the right guide/trip to start.

Despite the fact that there are numerous options, the most popular is probably the two day/ one night jungle trek with an evening in “Elephant Cave” along with a few other trekking groups. Despite being a popular tourist option, this trip is still quite fun and a decent choice if you don’t feel like doing the whole multi-day trek thing. When we visited the “Elephant Cave” was host to four or five different groups, maybe 30 people total. Given the size of it, though, this wasn’t really a problem and it certainly didn’t feel crowded.

If you want to visit Taman Negara from Kuala Lumpur, this  guided daytrip is an option. Otherwise, take a bus to the village of Kuala Tahan just at the entrance of the Taman Negara park. Plan to stay for at least a few days, if possible, to really get the most out of hiking and trekking.