Backpacking Taman Negara

Ben van Wijnen

"Backpackers for Taman Negara travel to Kuala Tahan. This village is on the other side of the Taman Negara river. It is the place where almost all backpackers spend the night. In the evening you can dine on a boat on the banks of the river. During the day you can cross a boat for 1 Ringit per person to the entrance of the park. Boats sail between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. There are various walking routes in the park."

Taman Negara could be expensive if you go to the resort. Most people book this excursion in advance at their travel agency. It takes 3 or 4 days to visit Taman Negara. It can be cheaper, if you're a backpacker or so. There's also a youth hostal between the chalets in the resort. Right opposite the resort, just across the river, is a little place called "Kuala Tahan". In this little town, which is just outside the National Park "Taman Negara", are some hostels. You can stay there and in the daytime you can visit the Park. In the evening you can have dinner at one of those lovely floating restaurants in the river. Even some people of the resort come for their dinner to those floating restaurants. If you like to visit Taman Negara, you need a permit, which will be checked by the police if you cross the river to enter the Park. But when you book by a tour operator these permits are included. I put on this page some advertisements, which I found in the local newspaper: the New Strait Times. These advertisement are very profitable. Please contact the Travel Agents and let you inform and ask them about the price of the package deal. These packages seem fair to me.

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Easy Booking Bus Tickets Online to Taman Negara: Click on the banner for bus reservation

 

John Orr (Australia) booked a trip with the NKS to Taman Negara in November (rainy season). This is, what he mailed about his trip with the NKS Taman Negara Tour Specialist:

Hi Ben,

I was able to contact NKS and arranged a reasonable trip back in mid-November. Had rain once on the way up but had my poncho raingear in the outer pocket of my pack so got covered quick enough to
keep myself & pack dry. I stayed across the river from the park at the Ekoton Chalet (with a/c but no hot water because of a water pressure problem). The food/drink across from the park was good very reasonable
price. I got up early and took a boat taxi across the river around 07:45. Walked into the park restaurant and bought a glass of sweet ice tea in a tall class for RM7.00 - outrageous price! Across the river
from the park you can get coffee/tea and banana pancake and scramble/fried/boiled egg and mixed fruit and "squesh oren" RM8.00 for everything on the NKS floating restaurant!!!

Anyway, I  walked alone down the trail to the canopy walkway and arrived around 08:45 to find a sign saying the walkway opens at 10:30 ha ha! Another passenger on the same boat as I walked up around 09:00 and we talked until the attendants opened the place up.

Thanks for the suggestion on NKS!

From Taman Negara to Cameron Highlands or Kuala Besut:

There are daily minibuses that drive between Taman Negara and a few other popular attractions in Malaysia. Tour office Cameron Secrets for example offers affordable transport from Taman Negara to Cameron Highlands (and vice versa). You will travel by modern minivan. A one way trip from Taman Negara to Cameron Highlands (operated by Cameron Secrets) for example costs RM80. You can also get transport from Taman Negara to Kuala Besut, where boats to Perhentian Island depart, for RM90 (operated by Watercolours Resort & Dive Centre).

 

VISIT THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA <CLICK>

 

    Ben van Wijnen