Best Way To Go To Taman Negara

What is the best way to go to Taman Negara? This is a common question asked by most travellers who plan to visit the oldest national park in Malaysia. I will share some of the best ways to get there, 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 only a 3.5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur city, and anyone can visit without prior booking or permits.

Taman Negara National Park is open to everyone interested in nature, trekking, hiking, or wildlife watching. It is Malaysia’s premier rainforest destination on the peninsula.

Best Way To Go To Taman Negara

There are a few ways to get here, each requiring three to five hours. I will narrow down the best way to go to Taman Negara National Park in Pahang for anyone interested in visiting this fascinating and enchanting rainforest in Malaysia.

Taman Negara’s famous canopy walk.

Taman Negara Van Transfers – This is the best way to get to Taman Negara National Park from Kuala Lumpur or KL City.

There is a daily Taman Negara van transfer service by Ivy Holidays, located at Wisma Selangor Complex along Jalan Sultan, and they depart at about 8.30 AM daily.

You can make a booking by phone (+6 010 900 8699) or visit the tour counter on the ground floor of the building. Walk in through the main entrance, and it is on your right. The journey to Taman Negara National Park in Pahang takes about four to five hours.

Ivy Holidays is also offering a package price of RM90 per person, one way, which includes the van transfer and a boat ticket to Kuala Tahan, the main gateway to the national park.

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The van I travelled with to Taman Negara National Park.

Travel Time to Taman Negara

Van from KL to Kuala Tembeling – 3.5 Hours
Boat from Kuala Tembeling to Kuala Tahan, Taman Negara – 2 hours

Taman Negara Bus Service – Some buses go to Taman Negara National Park, but the only public bus is from Jerantut to Taman Negara three times a day.

For bus lovers who must travel by public bus, the only option is to take an express bus to Jerantut and then the local bus to Kuala Tahan.

*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 6 to 10 people. So, when you see a company selling Buses 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.

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 to drive to Taman Negara National Park. However, the price is much higher than getting the van shuttle from KL City.

A tip is to take the KLIA Express into the city and transfer the van 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 no flights are nearby. 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, so 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.

Boat to Taman Negara – In reality, the only boat service is from Kuala Tembeling town near Jerantut, where they have a boat service to Taman Negara. There is no other boat service from other towns or 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 have a roof on top. The boat journey is fascinating as you see nature at its best along the two-hour journey to Kuala Tahan along the Tembeling River.

Most overnight tours drop you 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

You can also learn more about the types of Taman Negara tour packages I have written about. Each tour highlights the different days or if you plan to do day trips to Taman Negara National Park.

This is a premium national park with one of the best canopy walks in Malaysia and one of the world’s oldest national parks.

My trip in April 2017 was a fantastic experience. I used a van and boat, and 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.

Conclusion

For anyone planning to spend a night in Kuala Lumpur, there are many choices for accommodations. Hopefully, this article will provide some information on the best way to go to Taman Negara National Park the next time you want to go. Enjoy the journey there, and don’t forget to take lots of photos.

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