What is the best way to go to Taman Negara? A common question that is asked by most travellers who plan to visit the oldest national park in Malaysia, I will share with you some of the best ways to get there, all depending on your budget and how fast you need to travel.
Before I get into the logistics for Taman Negara, you should know that this massive national park is located only three and a half hours drive from Kuala Lumpur city and anyone can visit this place without prior booking or permits.
Taman Negara National Park is open to everyone who is into nature, trekking, hiking or wildlife watching and is Malaysia's premier rainforest destination in the peninsular.
Best Way To Go To Taman Negara
As there are a few ways to get here, and each of them requires travelling around three to five hours. I will narrow down the best way to go to Taman Negara National Park in Pahang for anyone interested to visit this fascinating and enchanting rainforest in Malaysia.
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| Taman Negara's famous canopy walk |
There is a daily Taman Negara van transfer service by Ivy Holidays which is located at Wisma Selangor Complex along Jalan Sultan and they depart at about 8.30 AM daily.
All you need to do is make a booking by phone (+6 010 900 8699) or visiting the tour counter on the ground floor of the building. Walk-in through the main entrance and it is on your right.
The entire journey takes about four to five hours and straight to Taman Negara National Park in Pahang.
Ivy Holidays is also offering a package price of RM90 per person, one way, which includes the van transfer and also boat ticket to Kuala Tahan, which is the main gateway to the national park.
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| The van I travelled with to Taman Negara National Park |
- Van from KL to Kuala Tembeling - 3.5 Hours
- Boat from Kuala Tembeling to Kuala Tahan, Taman Negara - 2 hours
For those bus lovers, and must travel by public bus, the only way is to take an express bus to Jerantut and then take the local bus to Kuala Tahan.
Taxi to Taman Negara - This is probably the most expensive option. From KLIA or KLIA2, a taxi or private van will also take about 4 to 5 hours drive to Taman Negara National Park. The price, however, is much higher than getting the van shuttle from KL City.
Boat to Taman Negara - Well, in reality, the only boat service is from Kuala Tembeling town near Jerantut where they have boat service to Taman Negara. There is no other boat service from other towns or from Kuala Lumpur. So, when you see anyone promoting a boat transfer or boat service to Taman Negara, it is from Kuala Tembeling Jetty.
They are wooden longboats that seat about 14 to 16 people and has a roof on top. The boat journey is fascinating as you get to see nature at its best along the two-hour journey to Kuala Tahan along the Tembeling River.
You can also find out more about the types of Taman Negara tour packages which I have written about. Each of the tours highlights the different days or if you plan to do day trips to Taman Negara National Park.
*Important Note - We would like to clarify that bus means 20-40 seat coach buses. Many companies in Malaysia use the term bus when it is actually a tour van that seats from 6 to 10 people. So, when you see a company selling Bus to Taman Negara, it is actually a small van.
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| View from the jetty of Kuala Tembeling, before you take your boat to Taman Negara |
A tip is to take the KLIA Express into the city, then take the van transfer to Taman Negara. The price would be anywhere from RM550 to RM750 per van or taxi. However, if you are a family, this could be one option to ease moving around too much.
Flights to Taman Negara - This is tricky, but there are no flights to anywhere near here. The closest airport is Kuantan Airport and it takes 40 minutes flight time from KLIA.
From the airport, you need to take a taxi or private van transfer which will take about 3 hours. It generally works out to be around the same time therefore I am not recommending this unless you have lots of frequent flyer miles to spend.
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| Taking a local boat to and from Taman Negara allows beautiful scenic landscapes |
They are wooden longboats that seat about 14 to 16 people and has a roof on top. The boat journey is fascinating as you get to see nature at its best along the two-hour journey to Kuala Tahan along the Tembeling River.
Most overnight tours will have you dropped off at Kuala Tembeling Jetty where you catch the longboat to Taman Negara national park.
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| View of Kuala Tahan town outside Taman Negara |
This is one of the premium national parks that has one of the best canopy walks in Malaysia and is also one of the oldest national parks in the world.
My trip in April 2017 was an amazing experience using both van and boat as I had booked my Taman Negara tour with Ivy Holidays. They can be contacted at +6 010 900 8699 or via email at marketing (at) ivyholidays.com.
My trip in April 2017 was an amazing experience using both van and boat as I had booked my Taman Negara tour with Ivy Holidays. They can be contacted at +6 010 900 8699 or via email at marketing (at) ivyholidays.com.
You can Whatsapp, Line or WeChat to inquire about any transport or overnight trip here. Even if you need last-minute bookings, they can arrange it for you.
Conclusion
For anyone who is planning to spend a night in Kuala Lumpur, there are many choices for accommodations. One of the recommended 2-star hotels in Bukit Bintang area would be a strategic location in KL city.
For anyone who is planning to spend a night in Kuala Lumpur, there are many choices for accommodations. One of the recommended 2-star hotels in Bukit Bintang area would be a strategic location in KL city.
The next time you want to know what is the best way to go to Taman Negara National Park, hopefully, this article will shed some information for you to choose from. Enjoy the journey there and don't forget to take lots of photos.