At 1,677 square miles, Taman Negara is the largest national park in Malaysia, four times the size of Singapore (as only a Malaysian would point out), and it’s primordial rainforest – the oldest in the world we’re told – a vast thick jungle.
The most important gateway into the park is by ferry across the Tembeling river from the small town of Kuala Tahan where our driver dropped us at the dock after a long drive from KL (a more attractive option than a van ride or taking a small boat). There is a hand operated luggage funicular of sorts to raise suitcases up to the bluff, the park headquarters and the Mutiara Taman Negara resort, the only actual lodging within the park.
Home, Sweet Home. It was a bit of a walk from the restaurant, above, but close to a trail junction and an elevated observation blind we often visited. One of the housekeepers confided that the monkeys were nobody’s fool and the tigers draped over everything were no longer effective.
Exploring on our own
Although most of the trails in the park require a guide, those closest to the resort could be explored on our own.
a walking classroom
We joined a nature walk that exceeded expectations. Here, the guide demonstrates the use of a particular leaf as an antiseptic, producing a lotion.
Here, an insect repellent.
A natural body paint.
The ipoh tree sap to poison your darts.
A sort of potato which must be properly prepared to avoid being poisoned.
The tree for drumming a message that doesn’t alarm the animals you’re hunting.
While, if you look closely, here is an elephant footprint (okay, it doesn’t really show up in the photo – trust us). Someone had spotted an elephant near the resort a few days ago and now we’re beginning to understand all those broken sections of boardwalk.
. . . as night falls . . .
A baby monitor lizard.
A scorpion.
A chameleon.
Another scorpion.
A spider of some kind (if we’re remembering correctly).
A huntsman spider (who catch their prey by hunting, rather than in webs). This male is about 5 inches across. Females are even bigger.
At night, the jungle seems even more alive, many insects and other animals being more active in the comparative coolness, and the trails near the river landing become crowded with guided groups jostling their way along the narrow boardwalks. The ferry service runs until 11 pm to accommodate them. We feel fortunate to live so close. We did see some deer from the elevated blind near our cabin with the help of someone’s spotlight.
a hike to a view
Starting easily enough, the trail became ever steeper as it turned into interminable stretches of boardwalk stairs (someone said 1,278 of them?) in the soggy tropical heat.
Looking around, there was a certain pride in being the oldest people up here.
a boatride and short trek
On our first venture onto the water we traveled upstream.
Got out to see a tree.
Spotted some wary monkeys.
Trekked to a swimming spot (looks nice, but no thanks) along a very dodgy rollercoaster trail clogged with ill prepared people in flip flops desperately clinging to makeshift rope handrails. Yikes.
Discovered why we have that man in front.
And enjoyed the trip back down to the crossing.
visit to a batek village
The Batek people are one of the 18 tribes among the semi-nomadic hunter gatherers, the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, known as the Orang Asli (“orang” meaning “people”).
They hunt monkeys and it is prowess with a blowpipe that makes a young man marriageable (it’s cooking “potatoes” that don’t kill people for young women). They make all their own equipment and, of course, harvest the poison for their darts from the ipoh tree.
After the fire and dart making demonstrations we were offered a chance to try our lungs with a blowpipe. After a few bumbles, Jim finally hit the target with one of the non-poisonous darts. The little piece of “cotton” goes behind the perfectly balanced dart loaded from the back end, probably evening out the pressure from your breath (?), but also keeping you from inhaling the dart if you inadvertently inhale.
a last visit to the blind
The final evening in Taman Negara we went one last time to the elevated blind where an elephant had been seen perhaps a week now prior (ever hopeful). As dusk deepened we were rewarded with the jungle sounds we often imagined, hooting and cawing and howling and croaking, first very close then moving and moving again all around us. It was magnificent. Then, overlaying it all, the call to prayer announced from the village across the river made it a transcendent moment for us both.
This was my first and probably only visit to the immense National Park in Malaysia. Thanks for sharing the sounds and sights of the rainforest, as well as your your visit to a local village. It’s a world away, for sure, but incredibly mind-expanding. I so enjoyed tagging along.
Will you now be using a blowpipe to manage local pests?
Very cool to see all of the nature!