malaysia travel : Endau Rompin National Park

Imagine trekking through isolation for centuries and waking up in the morning greeted by the timeless sounds of the forest – the hoot of the gibbons, the love call of the hornbills and the chorus of the cicadas. As darkness falls, the mood becomes languid and mysterious, and nature’s symphony takes on a whole new tune. Welcome to the Endau Rompin National Park.
Encompassing the watershed of the rivers Endau in Johor and Rompin in Pahang, and made up of a lush pristine tropical rainforest, the Endau Rompin National Park is the second largest national park (48,905 hectares) in the Peninsula after Taman Negara. It is also one of the few remaining lowland forest in Malaysia and possibly the oldest. With rock formations dating back some 248 million years, Endau Rompin National Park is mostly hilly with some prominent sandstone plateau.

The Endau Rompin National Park is one of the five national parks in Johor. The other four are Johor Tanjung Piai National Park, Johor Pulau Kukup National Park, Johor Gunung Ledang National Park and Johor National Park in Pulau Mersing. All the national parks are run by the Johor National Parks Corporation.
The diversity of the habitats and species found here is of major conservation significance. The park is home to many species of birds, mammals, frogs, insects and many other wild animals, as well as varieties of orchids, herbs, medicinal plants and trees. One of the most spectacular discoveries was the fan palm (Livistona endauensis), endemic to the Ulu Endau area. This centuries-old rainforest is also home to the largest surviving population of Sumatran Rhinos still left in Peninsular Malaysia.
Besides endowed with scenic natural landscape and unique flora and fauna, the Endau-Rompin National Park also has a peculiar attraction — two high-quality timber trees of the “jelutong” and “Durian Bujur” species, one aged 300 years and the other 100 years. The height of the jelutong tree is approximately 60ft while its circumference is about “five embraces of an adult person” while the durian tree is estimated to be 40ft and circumference some 10 embraces.

The Endau Rompin National Park also has some of Malaysia’s best waterfalls namely Buaya Sangkut, Upeh Guling and Batu Hampar all within 2 hours trek of each other.
The weather is usually hot and humid, with a chance of rain, while the nights can be quite cool. Conditions vary with the time of year. Rainfall is heaviest between October and January. Temperatures range between 25C and 32C. The rainy season between December and January often renders the park inaccessible. Always check with the park authorities beforehand before making your way in.
A minimum stay of four days / three nights is ideal in order to cover the many activities and attractions in the park. Of course it’s not hard to spend a week to get lost amidst the breathtaking rivers and forests. Unless you’re an experienced jungle trekker, it’s best to stick to the packages offered – the Johor National Parks Corporation organizes the most reasonably priced ones.

Read more »

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Introduction
Located 20 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu and named after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park comprises of a group of five islands – Pualu Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Sulug and Pulau Gaya. Spreading over 4,929 hectares, two thirds of which is sea, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a State Park created to protect the natural environment which includes the coral reefs, marine life, the fauna and flora. The reefs lie in shallow waters with little current making it an ideal location for novice divers; however, the diverse and sometimes rare marine creatures also make it an interesting dive location for experienced divers and underwater photographers.

Tun Abdul Rahman Park

All five islands can be visited all year round; temperature here ranged between 23.8 – 29.4 degrees Celsius and humidity remains high.
The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is popular for activities such as sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, diving, barbeque, bird-watching, nature walks along guided forest and mangrove trails, beach fishing (only hook and line permitted), outdoor camping (only on Sapi and Mamutik, with prior permission from the Sabah Parks office or the Park Ranger at the islands. Cost is about RM5.00 per person per night), water sports such as windsurfing and kayaking and recently parasailing which offers visitors a great bird’s eye view of the islands and Mount Kinabalu.

The Islands

Pulau Manukan

PULAU MANUKAN is the second largest island of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and the island with the most complete facilities: Tropical timber chalets managed by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, restaurants, swimming pool and tennis courts, and infrastructure support water, electricity, desalination plant, sewerage system, and even a solar powered public telephone are provided. Visitors who wish to stay overnight at the chalet can make their bookings through local tour operators. One of the star attractions and must see on Pulau Manukan is the fish feeding at the jetty where large school of fishes have made their home.

Pulau Mamutik

PULAU MAMUTIK is rather underdeveloped but is still accessible by jetty. Its 15-acres make it the smallest of the 5 islands of the Park. Rich coral life surrounds the islands. Facilities include changing rooms, toilets, picnic shelters, tables and barbecue pits. Chalet can be arranged with Sabah Park if you don’t wish to camp. Visitors staying at the resthouse must bring their own food, as there are no canteen facilities on the island. This little island of slightly bigger than a football field is very diver friendly. Most open water courses are done here, visibility varies from 4m to 10m. PADI Instructor Examinations are also conducted here. Lifeguards are on patrol during the day.
PULAU SULUG: Farthest away and relatively undeveloped is the 20-acres Pulau Sulug, visitors can opt to camp if they wish to stay overnight. Changing rooms and toilets, picnic shelters and tables are provided. Supply of fresh water is available. The island is inhabited and dive operator have daily trips there for diving off the corals on the northern shore as it is one of the best site around in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

“clean white sand and crystal clear water and coral reefs fringing the shoreline”

PULAU SAPI: A small island of 25 acres, Pulau Sapi has one of the nicest beaches in the Park – its clean white sand and crystal clear water and coral reefs fringing the shoreline makes it ideal for swimming, snorkeling and diving. Day use facilities include a jetty, picnic shelters, barbecue pits, tables, changing rooms and toilets. Camping is allowed, with the permission of the Park Warden.
A sand-bar connects Pulau Sapi to Pulau Gaya, and it is possible to walk across in shallow water at very low tides. This is also one of the best spots for swimming and picnicking and it is very popular for island BBQ tours. They are no overnight facilities available on this island but during week-ends light refreshments are sold, and snorkeling gear is available for rent.
PULAU GAYA is the largest island of the Park. Water at Police Beach is crystal clear, up to 50 feet and it is a great place to dive and snorkel. Pulau Gaya has 16 miles of shoreline with beaches ranging from fine white sandy to pebbly, and mudflats, mangrove and sandstone cliffs. Remember to bring your own food, drinks and gears, as there are non for rental.
How to get there
It is best to try and go to these islands during the week as the islands are a popular destination for locals and it can get busy during the weekend. It is also advisable to go before noon as the boat operators usually fill their respective boats up before leaving the jetty.
Go to the Sabah Parks Jetty just right at the end of Jalan (about 8-10 mins walk from Trekkers Lodge Kota Kinabalu) to purchase your ticket. Tell the staff at the ticket counter which island you wish to visit, and what time you want to be picked up. Please note that the boats leave the KK jetty from 7:00am onwards, and the last boat from the island departs at about 4:00pm. Boat ride takes about 15 to 20 minutes, depending of which island you are visiting and most boats accommodate up to 12 passengers.

Read more »