Canopy Walks in Malaysia – Updated 2023

Yes, these jungle or rainforest treetop walks, or skywalks are a must-have activity at most national parks and forest reserves around the country.

Canopy Walks in Malaysia

As an avid outdoor lover, I have personally been to almost all of the canopy walks in Malaysia in the last few years and have finally come down to putting them on a list for everyone to enjoy.

This article will highlight Malaysia’s incredible canopy walks or Titian Kanopi in Bahasa Malaysia. Some are exclusive to staying at the accommodations, and others are easily accessed by just about anyone.

Speaking to the tourism officials in KL, they have stated that it is scheduled for mid-2015 if all works out well or even sooner. 

FRIM stands for Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and is an excellent place for anyone who wants to see what a Malaysian rainforest feels like. The FRIM Canopy Walk is located deep inside, about 15 minutes trek and needs to be accessed by one park ranger. 

The trek there is exciting but easy, as you will encounter flora and fauna. The FRIM Canopy Walk is also about a 20-30 minutes drive from KL city, and taxis know of this place. 

This unique canopy walk is located in the Sungai Sedim Recreational Park and the Gunung Inas Forest Reserve in Kedah. The total length of this is almost 1 kilometre long, where at the highest point, it is 26 meters above ground level.

The longest actual canopy walk in the world is still the Taman Negara Canopy Walk, made entirely from wood and rope, stretching a whopping 510 meters long. The Sedim Canopy Walk is 925 meters long but all in steel.

Again, this is an incredible experience if you are a nature lover or bird watcher, as you have more ground to cover up in the rainforest canopy.

It is about 30 minutes drive from Kulim town in Kedah to get here. Sungai Sedim, also known as an Eco Camp, offers a variety of outdoor activities and team building. 

Maliau Basin Skywalk in Sabah.

4. Maliau Basin Canopy Walk

The mother of all canopy walks in Sabah Borneo is the Maliau Basin Sky Bridge Canopy Walk. This area is one of the least explored places in Borneo and one of the most challenging places to access.

It is also known as ‘The Lost World of Sabah’, and only specialized tour companies make trips here for hardcore nature lovers and trekkers.

The Maliau Basin Skywalk Canopy is about a 15-20 minute trek from the main study centre, and upon reaching here, a journey into another world takes place.

The starting point crosses the Maliau River and then leads into a 45 degrees vertical canopy climb to the first tower.

You will go up cylinder staircases to the main canopy walkway from here. There is a lookout tower for birders too. This experience is fantastic for any nature, outdoor lover, or bird watcher.

When I was here in 2014, I saw over 20 species of birds and even wild gibbons passing through the rainforest canopy. I was totally mesmerized by this, and one thing’s for sure I will come back again!

To get here, see Explorer Lifestyle for their Maliau Basin Packages. This would be on my list if I had to rate the best Canopy Walks in Malaysia.

The Penang Hill Canopy Walkway – Image www.perroviajante.com/.

5. Penang Hill Canopy Walk

Another new canopy walk is set to open in 2015, the Penang Hill Canopy Walk, which is currently undergoing a facelift. Update 2023: The new Penang Canopy Walk is now open.

This is part of the original 290-meter canopy walk, which was damaged by fallen trees due to a storm in September 2008.

A local Penang private company came in to rescue this attraction, and to date, there has yet to be any official news on when it would be open.

The Penang government issued a press release in mid-2014 about Penang Hill getting a makeover of RM15 million. Only when an official announcement is made the canopy walk on Penang Hill is still there, just not open to the public.

Canopy Walk at the Penang National Park – Image: Synergy Tours.

6. Penang National Park Canopy Walk

Located inside the smallest national park in the world, the Penang National Park is the Penang Canopy Walk in the Teluk Bahang area. To get here, you must go to the end of Batu Ferringhi, where it once was called ‘End of the World.

The main entrance to the national park is here and free to enter. However, you must purchase a ticket at the entrance and an optional park guide for the canopy walk.

Once you enter the park, you must trek along the coast path for about 20 minutes to start the canopy walk. Signs along the trails lead you to various parts of the park. It is recommended you go early to try this.

There are local public buses to the national park from George Town. A taxi will cost you RM45 to RM45 one way. This canopy walk is highly recommended for anyone visiting Penang, as it can be quickly done in half a day. 

The unique Curtis Crest Canopy Walk at Penang Hill.

7. Curtis Crest Canopy Walk at Penang Hill

This newly opened canopy walk is the most unique in Malaysia. It is a circular treetop walk at The Habitat on Penang Hill, a new Ecotourism attraction.

The canopy walk has a staircase leading you up to a 13-meter point and 800 meters above sea level, where you can walk around to see amazing views of Penang Island.

This canopy walk is also perched at the hill’s highest point and was completed in early 2017.

The treetop walk is also named after an English botanist Charles Curtis, the first superintendent of the Penang Botanical Garden.

The Mulu Canopy Walk crosses a river at the height of 20 meters.

8. Mulu National Park Canopy Walk

There are some accommodations available at Mulu ranging from budget to luxury, and a fee is applicable to enter the national park. Most travellers would stay around the parking area and take a longboat ride to the park entrance.

The Mulu Canopy Walk is located about a 20 to 30-minute trek into the park following the elevated wooden walkways.

The canopy walk also crosses a river and joins back the trail in another section. These tails also lead the world-renowned Mulu Caves to see the magnificent caves and do bat watching in the evenings.

This is one of the highly recommended canopy walks to experience in Sarawak for outdoor and nature lovers. 

The canopy walkway at Batang Ai National Park.

9. Batang Ai Canopy Walk at Sarawak (Closed Down)

This unique canopy walk is highly private and remote behind the longhouse resort, about a 30 to 45 minutes trek inwards the national park.

This is also considered the shortest canopy walk in Malaysia. Still, the bonus here is the 40-meter viewing platform that lets you absorb the natural wonders of the national park with amazing views.

This experience is generally only for the Hilton Batang Ai guests as no walk-ins are entertained, meaning you need to stay here to try this canopy walk.

The Taman Negara Canopy Walkway is claimed to be the longest canopy walk in the world, based on the original specifications of a canopy skywalk made from wood and ropes. However, reports indicate that many sections have been run down and need repairs.

This would be on your itinerary for anyone going to Taman Negara as the distance is quite impressive, while the walkway’s height is over 40 meters high.

Over 10,000 species of flora and 600 species of fauna are available for just about any nature lover. It is recommended to spend 3 to 5 days here. 

This is also a significant stop for tourists visiting Kinabalu Park, especially on route back to Kota Kinabalu. The journey here takes about one hour and usually with a tour company in KK. 

The length is an average of 175 meters, and the main attraction in the area is the Poring Hot Springs which is the first thing you will see when you get there. The canopy walk is a 15-minute walk up the hill from the hot springs. 

The mother of all Canopy Walks here in Danum Valley, Sabah.

12. Danum Valley Canopy Walk

This means you can climb a spiral wooden staircase around the tree to the next station of the canopy and walk at one end. 

One needs to book a stay at any of the two accommodations offered here to experience the canopy walk at Danum Valley in Sabah. Walking in is not available here. 

The Rainforest Discovery Centre Steel Canopy Walk in Sepilok, Sabah.

13. RDC Canopy Walk 

This was the highlight for bird watchers in Sabah, as it is here that you can spot several endemic birds. The RDC also offers a botanical garden, nature trails and an excellent place for a weekend getaway here at the Kabali-Sepilok Forest Reserve. 

These two towers, called the Bristlehead Tower and Trogon Tower – named after the local birds here, provide a spiral staircase up to a circular viewing deck. These towers are also the first in Southeast Asia to be integrated with the canopy walk here. 

This a reminder that you should make return arrangements with your taxi as no public transport is available here. There are basic facilities like washrooms and shelter huts around the area. 

Canopy walkway at Tawau – Image from www.etawau.com.

15. Tawau Hills Park Canopy Walk

Another canopy walk in Tawau is the Tawau Hills Park Canopy Walkway, located in the park and about 1 kilometre from the entrance. However, this canopy walk has been having some problems where it is most of the time closed for maintenance over the last few years.

The best thing is to contact Sabah Parks or ask at the entrance if the walk is open before heading there. There have been many cases where visitors trek to find the door padlocked.

Tawau Hills showcase the world’s tallest rainforest trees, and visitors can see these here at Tawau Hills Park.

The canopy walkway at Madai in Kunak, Sabah.

16. Madai Caves Canopy Walk

The Madai Caves Canopy Walk is located in Kunak, Sabah, at the Madai-Baturong Forest Reserve near the famous Madai Caves. 

This canopy walk is sometimes closed for repairs, and it is best to check with the park rangers or office if it is open on that day when you visit.

Madai is well known for the beautiful Madai Waterfalls, which are about 40 meters high, and the Madai Caves, one of the Birds Nest Caves.

Many locals and foreigners come here to experience the rainforest, waterfalls, caves, and canopy walk, about a 30-45 minute trek.

The Madai Canopy Walk also crossed a river and was closed for maintenance in 2012 with no recent updates. Best to double check before heading here.

Madai Canopy Walk information

Location: Kunak, Sabah

Length: 119 Meters Long

Above Ground: 40 Metres High

Time: 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

Website: Sabah Tourism

There are 17 canopy treetop walks listed here, and I have personally been to all. Still, the Sedim Tree Top Canopy Walk in Kedah, Madai Caves Canopy Walk, Tawau Hills Canopy Walk, and the Taman Negara Canopy Walk are next on my list when given a chance.

For the outdoor and nature lover, I hope you will have the opportunity to experience some, if not all, of the Canopy Walks in Malaysia. If you have visited some of them, let me know your feedback.