Taman Negara

In the jungle, the mighty jungle
Malaysia is blessed with an incredible natural treasure : the oldest rainforest in the world. Expatriate Lifestyle explores the primary jungle in Taman Negara
Words and photos Veera Pitkänen
Walking in the nightly rainforest, we could hear a symphony of sounds around us: the constant humming of insects, chirping of birds as well as screams of nocturnal animals communicating with each other. Darkness had surrounded us; led by our guide, we were walking in the jungle, watching every step, only torchlights showing us the way. And suddenly, something passed by: a majestic, white and grey creature—a tapir.
We were in Malaysia’s largest and oldest conservation area, the Taman Negara national park, sprawled across the mountainous interiors of the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. It is said that the area has a history that stretches back as far as 130 million years—which would make it older than the rainforests in the Congo or the Amazon. The park is nature’s own treasure chest; undisturbed for millennia, the ecosystem of the area maintains a natural habitat for a variety of interesting flora and fauna.
Taman Negara is a nature enthusiast’s paradise with a wide array of activities; visitors can do everything from cruising the muddy jungle rivers to climbing mountains. An essential part of the visit is to explore the labyrinth of endless hiking trails—long or short. After all, the jungle is what Taman Negara is all about. The hikes can last from an hour up to several days. Long routes are not recommended without a professional jungle guide though. Even a route that seems short on the map can be surprisingly challenging due to the hot weather, humidity and uneven terrain.

The list of local mammals in the national park is impressive, the park is home to mouse deer, barking deer, tapirs, wild boars, elephants, leopards, tigers, monkeys...
“Many travellers are disappointed if they don’t manage to see more than insects and butterflies on their first jungle trek. What they don’t understand is that spotting animals in the wild is hard and time consuming,” jungle guide Hamzah says. “Some people don’t even see those because they rush forward too fast. Once in a while it is good to stop, listen to the sounds and to observe the environment; one should enjoy the experience of walking in the jungle instead of setting too high expectations on a short visit.”
However, patient animal spotters will usually be rewarded. The best way to observe the animals is to look at them from jungle hides at night; there are several ones in Taman Negara to choose from—some can be reached by foot, others by boat. The furthest one, Kumbang Hide, is a 40-minute boat ride and an additional 45-minute walk to the hide, whereas the most popular is called Tahan Hide—a mere fiveminute walk from the park headquarters. Within the relative safety of these hides, overlooking the salt licks and clearings, visitors get the chance to observe the often shy animals as they come to lick up the water and soil for essential mineral and salts for their body.
Many people will obviously be most interested in seeing the kings of the jungle. However, those encountering a Malayan tiger can consider themselves extremely lucky, tells Hamzah. “To get a good possibility to see tigers, wildlife enthusiasts usually have to spend an average of three months in the national park,” he says. A guide for decades and a local to the area, he is an expert in everything related to the jungle. He tells about the different plants that have medicinal values, and introduces many of the bird and animal species in the area.
WALKING THROUGH TA MAN NEGARA’S canopy walkway cannot be missed; the 45-metre-high and 510-metre-long walkway is the longest canopy walk in the world, offering a panoramic view of the jungle as well as an opportunity to observe the activities in the summit of the rainforest.
Cave exploration is also available, either by boat or by foot; at Gua Kepayang, visitors are able to see stalactite and stalagmite formations. Mutiara Resort has a camping ground in the vicinity of the chalets which is reserved for hotel guests. But in order to get the real camping experience, venturing out to the camping sites deeper in the jungle is recommended.
Some of the most fascinating inhabitants of Taman Negara are the Orang Asli (Malay for “Original People”). About 800 to 900 members of the Batek Negrito tribe, an Orang Asli society, live in the forests of Peninsular Malaysia; many of them in the Taman Negara national park and surrounding areas. With their frizzy hair, tight black curls and dark skin, they look significantly different from the rest of Malaysia’s indigenous peoples. The natives of the rainforest are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers; they live in temporary settlements and change location every few months.
These people have traditionally lived with very little contact with the outside world. Now, however, tourists can visit some of the Batek Negrito settlements in Taman Negara. The natives demonstrate their handicrafts and jungle survival skills to tourists who eagerly snap photographs. Times are changing, and impacts of tourism cannot be stopped. The Batek people staying closest to the national park headquarters have learned that selling their handmade poison arrow vines will earn them 40 Malaysian ringgit.
Be it the indigenous peoples, the animals or the natural wonders of the national park, all travellers visiting Taman Negara should remember to cause as minimal damage as possible. This jungle is one of Malaysia’s most valuable treasures, and it should be respected and cherished.

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<span class="text16"> <div id="databoxtextprev"> <strong>In the jungle, the mighty jungle</strong><br /> Malaysia is blessed with an incredible natural treasure : the oldest rainforest in the world. Expatriate Lifestyle explores the primary jungle in Taman Negara<br /> Words and photos Veera Pitkänen<br /> <img align="right" alt="" height="135" src="http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/uploadfiles/image/Articles/travelandvoyage/Small/taman-negara-img01.jpg" width="168" />Walking in the nightly rainforest, we could hear a symphony of sounds around us: the constant humming of insects, chirping of birds as well as screams of nocturnal animals communicating with each other. Darkness had surrounded us; led by our guide, we were walking in the jungle, watching every step, only torchlights showing us the way. And suddenly, something passed by: a majestic, white and grey creature—a tapir.<br /> We were in Malaysia’s largest and oldest conservation area, the Taman Negara national park, sprawled across the mountainous interiors of the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. It is said that the area has a history that stretches back as far as 130 million years—which would make it older than the rainforests in the Congo or the Amazon. The park is nature’s own treasure chest; undisturbed for millennia, the ecosystem of the area maintains a natural habitat for a variety of interesting flora and fauna.<br /> Taman Negara is a nature enthusiast’s paradise with a wide array of activities; visitors can do everything from cruising the muddy jungle rivers to climbing mountains. An essential part of the visit is to explore the labyrinth of endless hiking trails—long or short. After all, the jungle is what Taman Negara is all about. The hikes can last from an hour up to several days. Long routes are not recommended without a professional jungle guide though. Even a route that seems short on the map can be surprisingly challenging due to the hot weather, humidity and uneven terrain.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a></div></span><br /> The list of local mammals in the national park is impressive, the park is home to mouse deer, barking deer, tapirs, wild boars, elephants, leopards, tigers, monkeys...<br /> <img align="right" alt="" src="http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/uploadfiles/image/Articles/travelandvoyage/Small/taman-negara-img02.jpg" />“Many travellers are disappointed if they don’t manage to see more than insects and butterflies on their first jungle trek. What they don’t understand is that spotting animals in the wild is hard and time consuming,” jungle guide Hamzah says. “Some people don’t even see those because they rush forward too fast. Once in a while it is good to stop, listen to the sounds and to observe the environment; one should enjoy the experience of walking in the jungle instead of setting too high expectations on a short visit.”<br /> However, patient animal spotters will usually be rewarded. The best way to observe the animals is to look at them from jungle hides at night; there are several ones in Taman Negara to choose from—some can be reached by foot, others by boat. The furthest one, Kumbang Hide, is a 40-minute boat ride and an additional 45-minute walk to the hide, whereas the most popular is called Tahan Hide—a mere fiveminute walk from the park headquarters. Within the relative safety of these hides, overlooking the salt licks and clearings, visitors get the chance to observe the often shy animals as they come to lick up the water and soil for essential mineral and salts for their body.<br /> <img align="right" alt="" src="http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/uploadfiles/image/Articles/travelandvoyage/Small/taman-negara-img03.jpg" />Many people will obviously be most interested in seeing the kings of the jungle. However, those encountering a Malayan tiger can consider themselves extremely lucky, tells Hamzah. “To get a good possibility to see tigers, wildlife enthusiasts usually have to spend an average of three months in the national park,” he says. A guide for decades and a local to the area, he is an expert in everything related to the jungle. He tells about the different plants that have medicinal values, and introduces many of the bird and animal species in the area.<br /> WALKING THROUGH TA MAN NEGARA’S canopy walkway cannot be missed; the 45-metre-high and 510-metre-long walkway is the longest canopy walk in the world, offering a panoramic view of the jungle as well as an opportunity to observe the activities in the summit of the rainforest.<br /> Cave exploration is also available, either by boat or by foot; at Gua Kepayang, visitors are able to see stalactite and stalagmite formations. Mutiara Resort has a camping ground in the vicinity of the chalets which is reserved for hotel guests. But in order to get the real camping experience, venturing out to the camping sites deeper in the jungle is recommended.<br /> <img align="right" alt="" src="http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/uploadfiles/image/Articles/travelandvoyage/Small/taman-negara-img05.jpg" />Some of the most fascinating inhabitants of Taman Negara are the Orang Asli (Malay for “Original People”). About 800 to 900 members of the Batek Negrito tribe, an Orang Asli society, live in the forests of Peninsular Malaysia; many of them in the Taman Negara national park and surrounding areas. With their frizzy hair, tight black curls and dark skin, they look significantly different from the rest of Malaysia’s indigenous peoples. The natives of the rainforest are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers; they live in temporary settlements and change location every few months.<br /> These people have traditionally lived with very little contact with the outside world. Now, however, tourists can visit some of the Batek Negrito settlements in Taman Negara. The natives demonstrate their handicrafts and jungle survival skills to tourists who eagerly snap photographs. Times are changing, and impacts of tourism cannot be stopped. The Batek people staying closest to the national park headquarters have learned that selling their handmade poison arrow vines will earn them 40 Malaysian ringgit.<br /> Be it the indigenous peoples, the animals or the natural wonders of the national park, all travellers visiting Taman Negara should remember to cause as minimal damage as possible. This jungle is one of Malaysia’s most valuable treasures, and it should be respected and cherished. <br/> Sumber: <a href='http://dragonhackthis.blogspot.com/2011/07/taman-negara.html'> Dragon Hack </a>