Taman Negara National Park

In our visit to the rainforest of Taman Negara National Park we were transported back in time, and surrounded by vegetation that exists today as it did millions of years ago. Not having been touched by the last two ice ages, this rainforest is a time capsule, a window to the past. It allows a rare look at the world as it was 150 million years ago. Throughout this time it continuously prospered and evolved, making it the most biodiverse forest in the world. Entering this rainforest is humbling, awe-inspiring, and makes you sweat more than you ever have in your entire life. Having been dirt-covered, tree-planting, crusaders of the forest from May-July, Caitlin and I really appreciated exploring a forest as beautiful and old as this, especially since old-growth forests are becoming a rare commodity on this planet. My visit here offered another gem, as I received some unexpected and wise advice from a local man.

The gateway city to Taman Negara is Jerantut, and the most scenic way into the park is by river boat. Upon arrival to Jerantut, we stepped out of our bus, were herded into a mini-bus (large van), and transported to a local travel agency faster than you can say "tourist trap". The tour bus to the river boat terminal was leaving in twenty minutes, we were informed by the Malaysian lady working the desk, and we had to make a quick decision about which purchases we wished to make. Did we want a hotel booked for us "Were we interested in the packages for a guided night walk through the jungle" Overwhelmed, we opted to purchase a one-way river boat ticket, and explore our options upon arrival to the park. In no time at all, we were zooming down the road to the boat terminal.

I would never have guessed that sitting on the bottom of a wooden river boat could be such an enjoyable ride. It took three hours to boat from the terminal to the docks at Taman Negara, and when we arrived I was terribly disappointed that the boat ride was finished. The murky brown waters of the river cut serpentine through the rainforest, the banks spotted with small grass-hut villages and herds of cows. As we wove through the waters, Caitlin and I lounged in the sun, took pictures, and read books. It was heaven. The only "snag" we hit along the way – pun intended – was when our boat driver accidentally ran the motor through a fishing net. He cut it free, and we continued onward, leaving me wondering what the fisherman who owned the net would think when he pulled it from the water the next day and realized that it had been ruined.

We arrived at dusk, Caitlin and I still needing to find a guesthouse to stay in. On "Lonely Planet’s" suggestion we decided to stay at the "Durian Chalet", a small guesthouse nestled at the bottom of a hill next to a durian fruit plantation. We got two beds in a six-person dorm room, and by the end of the night all six beds were full. Our roommates were two bird-biologists from Portugal, and two midwives from Germany. We hit it off with the German girls, Mira and Anika, and ate dinner with them every night.

Our guesthouse ended up being well worth the money (which by Canadian standards was nearly free). It was a nice little place, with friendly owners. Surrounding the property was a lush garden, filled with tropical flowers and fruit trees. The owners would pick fruit for us and leave it on the picnic table outside our room. My favourite is the rambudan fruit.

The fist night in Taman Negara, we ate at "Wan’s Restaruant", a floating patio on the river. Over a meal of freshly caught fried fish with rice and vegetables, Wan himself came over and chatted with Mira, Anika, Caitlin and I about the rainforest. Once upon a time, he was a guide in the jungle for many years, but as soon as he lost his awe for the jungle – "no longer got goosebumps" as he put it – he knew his time as a guide was through. He taught us about tiger behaviour, and gave us some simple, yet wise advice about trekking in the jungle.

He explained to us that many people come to the jungle and don’t truly take the time to appreciate it. "They try to climb the hills quickly, and can hear their hearts beating in their ears the whole way", he said, "what you need to do in the jungle is take your time. Stop. Listen. Smell. Do not rush. And really think about what is surrounding you, and take your time". Although this advice was simplistic, it truth rang clear. I knew that the next day in the forest Caitlin and I had to explore with all of our senses, and above all, take our time.

Our day in the forest was amazing. After paying for our park and camera permits, we followed a trail that led us to a canopy walk. Once we were into the thick of the forest the air became quite moist and dense. My pants began to stick to my legs, and my shirt to my back. I didn’t really care though, I was too busy looking at all that surrounded me. The flora consisted of green leaves and blue leaves, vines covered with inch long thorns, palm leaves three times taller than Caitlin, and long spindly twigs webbed with leaves like the foot of a frog. Mushrooms of all sizes and shades grew in large clumps, flowers of many different colours blossomed, large bamboo shoots shot towards the canopy, and roots littered the pathway like tangles of angry pythons. So many things were decomposing, creating staging grounds for new life. Mould spurs seeped out of the rotting corpses of giant felled trees, feeding on the decomposition. Small saplings grew out of stumps, struggling to find the light dampened by the impenetrable canopy far above.

The canopy walk itself was a great experience. In the tops of trees, we walked slowly across bridges constructed with thin wooden planks and rope. The bridges were so thin that they were only wide enough for one person to pass at a time. Everyone had to walk ten meters apart, to prevent too many people from being on one bridge at the same time. Large wooden platforms high in the tree tops sat between each bridge, allowing a momentary opportunity to stop and take in the surroundings, before continuing on.

Caitlin and I really took our time during the rainforest hike, heeding Wan’s advice. We stopped when we felt it necessary, took many pictures, and used all of our senses to appreciate the rainforest that surrounded us.
When our time in Taman Negara came to a conclusion, Caitlin and I were sad to go. I felt honoured to have seen such an old forest. It is an ancient snapshot of the world as it was, and is demanding of our respect. I have travelled across the world to wander one of the oldest natural wonders on this planet, but in the grand scheme of things I was just another animal making my way through the forest.