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Published: March 3rd 2008
Boat Approach to TNNP
Approaching Taman Negara National ParkLying back in the humid air, sweat dripping of our faces and plagued by numerous insect-life, we eventually left the hostel and were picked up by a coach which would take us to a small town on the outskirts of Taman Negara National Park, from where we were organised into Long-Boats for the 2 hour journey upstream to the heart of the park.
Having been sat on trains and buses, the freedom of travelling by motor-boat with the sun beating down and a cooling breeze in our faces it truly was an amazing couple of hours. Despite occasionally nodding off with the gentle bobbing of the boat, we saw monkeys, birds and huge 4-5ft Monitor Lizards patrolling the sand banks. A good introduction to the rainforest, we thought.
After being allocated to our room - we upgraded to the nicer side of the river for 1 pound per night and hence took a taxi boat across - we met up with the rest of our tour group and had dinner. Replenished, we headed out with our local guide - Mr Herman (a malaysian boatman) - for a 2 hour night trek through the jungle. It was an incredibly eery
Boat to Taman Negara
More views of the Rainforest on our Long-Boat approach into the Park feeling as we tip-toed through some of the oldest jungle on earth, with only our torches lighting the way. At times when we all turned them off, it was completely dark, not even the full moon able to penetrate the dense vegetation. It wasn't long before we saw our first fauna - a small snake lying sleepily in one of the trees overhanging the path. Another soon followed and by the end of the trek we had see numerous more, as well as stick-insects, a bird-eating tarantula and a couple of bats hanging down from the canopy on thin vines.
The next day was to be more action-packed and started with a trek up a nearby hill to make our way across Taman Negara's famous Walkway Bridge. Some 40m high in parts, it was very shaky (partly due to the people holding onto it), although this added to the excitement and we made our way along the bridge to various viewing platforms along it. A trek up the highest local mountain followed and we took in the breath-taking views of the jungle (see pics).
The afternoon was spent on a long-boat trip 'shooting the rapids', where we all
What a Boar...!!!
Wild Boars freely roamed the Hostel and surrounding area got completely soaked, especially the two English girls in front of us who it must be said, for their size, provided an awful lot of shielding from the biggest waves (Thanks, May and Sarah!).
We stopped on the way back for a swim in the river, assured of the absence of crocs, piranhas and parasites. It felt a million miles away from life back in the UK, slowly drifting down-stream in a tropical river! A hunt around the park led us to a single hotel that stocked beer, and carrying 20 cans or so back to the beach we sat around with the other guys on the tour, Julia and Michael from Switzerland, the English girls and Stephen and Dioreain (spelling?!) from Northern Ireland, who all provided great entertainment with stories, songs and several stupid drinking forfeits!
In the morning we packed up our kit and took a transfer to Cameron Highlands, home of numerous tea plantations. We found a dorm room for 8 Ringgit (approx. 1 Pound 20) and felt ripped off - it was not the nicest place we'd ever stayed. However, we spent the evening chilling out with a beer in the pretty decent bar
Sunrise in the Rainforest
The sun breaks through the mist at the start of another scorching day in the Tropics! downstairs, and headed off to Butterworth on the West Coast, from where we caught a bus up to the Thai border.
Amazed by the rainforest, but a little put out by Cameron and Butterworth and two long days on the road, we were pleased to reach Thailand, where our first stop was to be the small twin islands of Koh Phi Phi...
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