Penang National Park

Pulau Pinang National Park

  
Pulau Pinang National Park is located at the northwest corner of Penang Island overlooking the Straits of Malacca. The park is about 475 km from Kuala Lumpur and about 30 km (45 minutes) from Georgetown, Penang.

meromictic lake

The park caters for day use visitors only. There will be no accommodation and campsite for tourist so as to minimize human impacts on the park. Overnight camping is offered only through organized nature camp / conservation education programs by the Park Service for schools, colleges and higher learning institutions. Visitors / tourists should stay at the numerous hotels available at Batu Ferringhi and Telok Bahang, a well-established tourism area. These areas are well supported with food outlets,convenient stores, souvenir shops, entertainments, clinics and other tourist services.

The natural attractions of Pulau Pinang National Park include the Hill / Lowland Dipterocarp Forests, Mangrove Forest areas,sandy beach habitats, the unique seasonal meromictic lake and the open coastal seas. Stands of Seraya (Shorea curtisii) trees, common feature of coastal Dipterocarp Forest, can be easily seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1000 species of plants recorded which are dominated by the family Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminoceae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae.

How to get there

By own transport, drive through the North South Expressway, exit at the junction of Penang Bridge. Follow the road towards the direction of Batu Feringghi and continues to Teluk Bahang. Administrative Office of the Penang National Park is located at Jalan Hassan Abbas. Public transport to Teluk Bahang available at ferry terminal / KOMTAR or may use taxi services provided.

The main entrance to the park is through Telok Bahang while the second entrance point located at Kuala Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. Recreational facilities for visitors are only available at Pantai Kerachut, Sungai/Teluk Tukun, Pasir Pandak, Teluk Aling, Teluk Duyung dan Muka Head Light House. A nature trail also looped around the unique meromictic lake at Pantai Kerachut.

Teluk Tukun

At the mouth of Sungai Tukun, it is only a short 15-20 minutes walk from Park HQ. Suitable for picnics as well as those who want to stay overnight. There is a pool with the water sourced from the river. Great for a cool and refreshing dip, especially on a hot day. After the upgrades, it now contains complete facilities for campers. Toilets, showers, cooking pits and camping spots are among the amenities provided. A short walk into the jungle, one can discover a rich variety of flora and fauna. It has direct paths to other parts of the park, including Pantai Kerachut and Muka Head.

Teluk Aling

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Marine Research Centre is located here. There is jetty here for the centre's use. It is a short stretch of beach.

Teluk Duyung

Popularly known as Monkey beach, named after monkeys that loiter around here. Some people also refer to here as Muka Head. A pretty long stretch of beach. You should be able to reach here from Park HQ in less than 1 and a half hours. Many hotels provide packages that includes the boat ride and BBQ lunch. You can camp here, although the facilities are not as good as Teluk Tukun and Pantai Kerachut. There is a abadoned house owned by Loh Boon Siew. There is another house that sells drinks as well as providing boat services for those lazy to walk back.

Muka Head Lighthouse

At the far end of Teluk Duyung is the starting point for the climb up to the Muka Head Lighthouse. Built in 1883 at a cost of £37,929, it is located 242m above sea level. It is opened to public if the caretaker is in. Enquire at the house at Teluk Duyung on whether the caretaker is around. It takes between 30 minutes to an hour to reach the lighthouse, depending on your fitness. From here, you can get a spectacular view of the island. On a clear day, you would be able to see Pulau Langkawi and as far as Sumatra in Indonesia.

Pantai Kerachut

Located at the western side of the park, this is a beatiful stretch of beach. Facing the Straits of Malacca, it can get pretty windy and the sea can get pretty rough here. Camping facilities and amenities are provided here. It is also a turtle nesting ground, with a turtle sanctuary located here. It is the nesting place of the Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from April to August and the Olive-Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) between September and February.

Also not to be missed is the rare meromictic lake resulting from a seasonal phenomenon. During low tides and dry seasons, the lake becomes a field of mudflats, with hardy, terrestrial grass. During spring tides, seawater enters through a one metre wide opening to fill the lake slowly. It contains both sea water and fresh water layers which never mixes, hence the name meromictic. The cool fresh water is on the top while the warm sea water lies at the bottom. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to get here from park HQ. It is a little bit more challenging than the trail to Muka Head, as one has to climb up a hill to get here. However, it is definitely worth the time and effort.

Teluk Kampi

Located at the far south-western end of the Park, this is the longest beach in the Park. However, getting here is a little bit difficult, as the trail is not very clear. One has to climb up a steep hill before going down to the beach. There are several trails that goes here. The most convenient one would be the one that starts at the end of Pantai Kerachut. Make sure you have enough water and time to make the trip.

Activities

Among the activities provided at the Penang National Park, including camping, wildlife observation, canopy walkway, swiming, picnic, Interpretive Centre, fishing, jungle trekking climbing and canoeing.

Permit and License

There is no entrance fee for visitors to Taman Negara Pulau Pinang. However, for canopy walkway activity, the fee charged for adults is RM5.00 and RM3.00 for children.

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Taman Negara Pahang,National Parks Kuala Tahan, Pahang

How To Get There

The nearest town is Jerantut, Pahang. The journey from Kuala Lumpur or Kuantan by car or public transport takes about 3 to 4 hours. From Jerantut, visitors can either take a bus or taxi to the Kuala Tembeling Jetty, which is about 16 km from Jerantut. Visitors from Singapore can board the night train, which stops at the Kuala Tembeling Train Station. From the Kuala Tembeling Jetty visitors have to take a boat to Kuala Tahan. The boat ride takes about 3 hours and the fare is RM35 per person one way. Boats leave Kuala Tembeling Jetty at 9.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. daily, on a first come first serve basis. Visitors can also drive from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan. It takes about 1 hour to reach Kuala Tahan at Taman Negara.

Permit and License

Each visitor must obtain an entrance permit at RM1.00 per person. Fishing license costs RM10.00 per rod while camera license is RM5.00 per camera.

Facilities

Mutiara Taman Negara is the only accommodation in Taman Negara. Accommodation at Kuala Tahan consists of bungalows, suites, chalets and hostels. There are also campsites for campers at the park HQ area, around the park as well as outside the park. For more information on accommodation and activities, please contact Mutiara Taman Negara at 609-2662200 / 609-2663500 or fax to 609-2661500 or through e-mail at www.mutiarahotels.com.

Recreational Activities
Wildlife Observation Hides	Stay overnight at hides and observe wildlife visiting the salt licks nearby. Charged RM5.00 per person per night. Reservations should be made ​​in upon arriving.
Canopy Walkway	See Taman Negara from the longest canopy walkway in the world (550m), suspended 45 metres above ground. The charged is RM 5.00 for adult and RM3.00 for children
Cave Exploration	Explore the unspoilt limestone forest comprising some of the most beautiful caves such as Gua Peningat, Gua Telinga, Gua Daun Menari and Gua Besar.
River Exploration	A boat trip up Sungai Tembeling from Kuala Tahan is one of the most exciting activities, encountering numerous rapids.
Fishing	Check out the cool fishing spots at Sungai Keniam. Camp out or stay overnight at Kuala Perkai fishing lodge.
Bird Watching	It's a bird watching galore with 54 per cent of the 650 species of Malaysian birds found in Taman Negara
Climb Gunung Tahan	The highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia takes at least 7days to scale, conquering its steep slopes and tricky rivers.
Visit Orang Asli Settlements	Visit the Orang Asli or Aboriginal village to learn more about their culture and way of life.
Rapids shooting and whitewater rafting Night River Safari	Experience the thrills of the currents at Sungai Tembeling. Enjoy boating from Kuala Tahan to Cegar Sireh.

Climbing Gunung Tahan 
 

Background:

Gunung Tahan is the highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia (2,187 m) and is believed to get its name after designated as a restricted area (Forbidden) or 'the future hold or approach. The reason behind this prohibition is unclear, but the possibility is to keep the spirit of the mountain.. Since the end of the 19th century, many expeditions were conducted to explore and discover this mountain, headed by British citizens with the help of local residents.

Interestingly, many of the expeditions led by British colonials failed to reach the summit. This is where the emergence of the assumption of the role of a Malay Ruler when he prevented an expedition to explore the natural environment in our beloved country giving way for the possibility of these Malay Rulers becoming saboteurs to avoid our natural resources being plundered by the colonials. Opening of the trail to the summit of Gunung Tahan, starting with an expedition landing Sultan Ahmad in 1881 aimed at finding buried treasure on the mountain there are pots containing so-called 'mother' gold 'and' mother 'silver', he followed several other expeditions led by British explorers. During that period until 1905 which led to the discovery of the peak of Mount Tahan, some local residents’ names were listed such as Panglima Garang Joseph Headman Bakar, Chief Kakap Hussein, Datuk Tok Muntri Idin, Dolah and Mat Akib, wrapper, Mat Aris, Che Nik and Mu 'min, Mat and Mat Rifin Neck, Joseph Sukiman, Orang Dayak or Iban trackers.
 
Climbing Route

To reach the peak of Mount Tahan hikers can choose between two entry points whether from Kuala Tahan or Sungai Relau:
• Kuala Tahan - Gunung Tahan - Kuala Tahan 7 days 6 nights
• Kuala Tahan - Gunung Tahan - Kuala Juram (Merapoh) 7 days 6 nights

The original trail to the peak of Gunung Tahan from Kuala Tahan covers longer distance and is more challenging. Climbers need at least 7 days 6 nights to complete the climb. This route also requires hikers to cross seven rivers and climbing 27 peaks before reach the destination.
 

Route from Kuala Tahan - Gunung Tahan Peak (Altitude) and Estimated Distance (km)

Trail Kuala Tahan –Gunung Tahan Summit (Altitud)	(KM)
Kuala Tahan (60m) – Melantai (100m)	12
Melantai (100m) - Gunung Rajah (576m)	9
Gunung Rajah (576m) – Putih (156m)	4
Putih (156m) – Teku (168m)	7
Teku (168m) – Wray’s Camp (898m)	5
Wray’s Camp (898m) – Pankin (1462m)	12
Pankin (1462m) – Gunung Tangga 15 (1500m)	1.5
Gunung Tangga 15 (1500m) – Gunung Reskit (1666m)	2.5
Gunung Reskit (1666m) – Gunung Gedung (2066m)	3
Gunung Gedung (2066m) – Gunung Tahan (2187m)	7

 

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