North through the interior

Covering 128 square kilometres and backing onto the remote southwestern corner of Taman Negara, Kenong Rimba State Park offers jungle trails, riverside camping, mammal-spotting and excellent birdwatching, plus the likelihood of crossing paths with the nomadic Batek people. You can see the main sights within five days, using a 50km-long loop trail through the park that passes a string of caves, the Lata Kenong waterfall and several limestone outcrops with rock-climbing potential. If you’ve only time for a brief visit, head straight for the waterfall and camp there for a night, leaving along the same route the next day. There’s some accommodation at the park, otherwise bring all you’ll need with you (see Checklist of camping and trekking equipment), or organize a tour from Kuala Lipis.

It’s hard to believe that KUALA LIPIS, 50km northwest of Jerantut, was the state capital of Pahang state from 1898 to 1955. Today, it’s a sleepy, inconsequential place, situated at the confluence of Sungai Lipis and Sungai Jelai (a tributary of the Pahang), dwarfed by steep hills and surrounded by plantations. There are a few mementoes from colonial days – many associated with the veteran administrator, Sir Hugh Clifford (the Pahang Resident 1896–1905), plus plenty of shops and places to eat, but Kuala Lipis’ biggest draw is access to the relatively unvisited rainforest trails at nearby Kenong Rimba State Park.

The small market township of MERAPOH, served by road and rail 80km north of Kuala Lipis, marks a 7km-long access road east to Taman Negara’s western entrance, officially known as Sungai Relau. This is the only part of Taman Negara where a proper vehicle road runs deep into the park, providing access to the trails – most famously, that to Gunung Tahan. Although there’s accommodation and the local park headquarters at the entrance, even with your own car there’s not much point in turning up here unless you’re prepared to arrange for a guide and transport, as the 14km-long park road is closed to private vehicles. What might make it worth the cost is the above-average chance of seeing elephants and even tigers (though don’t get your hopes up), plus leopard cat, civets, otters, huge monitor lizards and even packs of dog-like dhole.

GUA MUSANG (Civet Cave), 30km from Merapoh, is a former logging town strung thinly along a stretch of Route 8. A 100m-wide knot of scruffy old buildings, shops and services surrounds the train station, while a new satellite town coalesces 3km south. With Kota Bharu just a couple of hours away, the Malay accent here displays a distinctive Kelantanese twang, and alcohol is practically unavailable (for more on Kelantan society and politics, see chapter 4).

Gua Musang is fairly close to Taman Negara entrances at Merapoh and Kuala Koh; time spent between connections can be filled exploring the caves that riddle a mass of limestone above the train station.

To reach the caves, cross the rail track at the station and walk through the small kampung in the shadow of the rock behind the station. Once you’ve scrambled up the 20m-high rock face, along a loose path, you’ll see a narrow ledge; turn left and edge carefully along until you see a long slit in the rock that leads into a cave – you’ll need to be fairly thin to negotiate it. The interior is enormous, 60m long and 30m high in places, and well lit by sunlight from holes above. The main cave leads to lesser ones, where rock formations jut from the walls and ceilings. The only way out is by the same route, which you’ll need to take very carefully, especially the near-vertical descent off the ledge and back down to the kampung.

Kuala Koh, Taman Negara’s northern entrance 85km east of Gua Musang, offers a similar experience to Kuala Tahan, but within a much smaller area and – unless you happen to encounter a tour party – nowhere near as crowded. Wildlife isn’t obviously more abundant, though it certainly includes wild boar (whose wallows you see everywhere), tapir, mouse deer and occasionally elephant. Get here at the right time of year – park staff say February – and you might strike lucky and encounter the bizarre stinky blooms of Rafflesia. Although trails at Kuala Koh are relatively short, it’s also possible to trek right through to other park entrances at Kuala Tahan or Merapoh – these routes are seldom used and require advance preparation. There’s good-value accommodation and food at Kuala Koh, but transport here can be expensive.

Around 55km north of Gua Musang, Stong State Park is an off-the-beaten-track gem based around 1400m-high Gunung Stong, a prominent, forested granite mountain 7km outside the small rail township of DABONG. Current train schedules make it a great day stop, with a tough but short hike up through lush forest to a series of waterfalls and plunge pools, where you can have a swim and catch a late afternoon train out. That said, it’s also worth staying overnight on the mountainside, for the magical sunrise views.