#2 - Leeches and floods at Taman Negara

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We left KL in search of an adventure on a trip to Taman Negara National Park with one of the two backpacker-style tour companies that operate out of Kuala Tahan, the park's remote 'gateway' resort village. Although we only stayed there 2 nights (14-15 Dec), there was lot to talk about.

Taman Negara is Malaysia's largest National Park and is in the mountainous centre of the Malaysian Penninsula. To get to Kuala Tahan we took a bus from KL for 4 hours, followed by a 3 hour longboat ride (against the raging current). Here we spent the time doing organised activities with our tour company, which cost all up around AUD$140 each. The village was very basic but had all the essentials, although electricity was off for most of our time there, so no light and no showers or flushing toilets because the pump was electric.

A series of restaurants float on the river bank, from which the tour companies operate. These restaurants were good, if a little disorganised (which we're getting used to). The menus suffered a bit due to lack of supplies because of road closures.

It was here that we felt the full effect of the monsoon. Hours of rain fell each day from about 1pm until 5pm. It bucketed down during our whole boat ride to the village, which caused the river to rise about 1.5m and rush at an incredible rate. The rain caused landslides and road closures and brought with it an army of leeches. Julie and Benji had some wicked bites on their feet and ankles from the leeches, and walking in the rainforest meant constantly checking your feet.

We did some amazing things in the National Park, including:
- a night safari (guided jungle walk)
- a walk along a 300m long aerial ropeway 45m above the jungle floor,
- a hill climb, and
- a tour through the 'bat cave' that included coming face-to-face with bats, frogs and spiders, while crawling on hands and knees through a rushing stream in pitch black. To get to the cave meant a wade/swim across a 50m wide tributary to the main river, which was scary as well as a lot of fun, and a brief but amazing walk through a native village of the 'Oran-Asli' people who live the traditional way in the jungle.

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Photos

River boats
The only form of transport when roads are closed by floods and landslides.

Floating restaurants
These restaurants double as tour company HQs.

Aerial ropeway
What better way to get clear of the leeches?

Tight squeeze
The 'bat cave' gets a little tight in places.

Les aventuriers
Darian, Benji and Julie during the hill climb