5 National Parks You Must Visit in Malaysia

Malaysia has over 20 national parks, most of which are found in Sarawak, Sabah and the peninsular, and all of them are tropical rainforest types of national parks. 

Getting to some of them requires a few hours of travel from the nearest city or airport, but the rewards are breathtaking once there.

The list of national parks to visit in Malaysia is below and in no order, with contact details and the official websites.

Visitors walking the Taman Negara Canopy Walk.

Taman Negara National Park in Pahang 

The Taman Negara National Park is spread over three states in Malaysia, which cover Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

This park was established in 1939 and was known as the King George V National Park, which spreads over 4,343 square meters.

The rare and highly endangered Malayan Tiger is at the top of the list to spot while trekking, and the park is home to the tallest mountain in the peninsular, Gunung Tahan. 

The best option is to book the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort in the national park. All other basic accommodations are located just across the Tembeling River, which divides the national park from the small town of Kuala Tembeling. Guests usually take a small river taxi across the river to get to the park.

A few must-do things at Taman Negara National Park are trying the canopy walk, visiting the ethnic tribe village (Orang Asli Village) and doing the night walk in the park.

Mutiara Taman Negara is a recommended place to stay at.

How to go to Taman Negara National Park – The nearest town is Jerantut in Pahang, and visitors can either take a bus or taxi to the Kuala Tembeling Jetty, which is about 16 km from Jerantut. From the jetty,  a boat ride takes about 3 hours, and the fare is RM35 per person one way. 

Visitors can also drive from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan. It takes about 1 hour to reach Kuala Tahan at the national park.

Overland, it takes about 3-5 hours to travel by bus or van from Kuala Lumpur. Alternatively, you can take a 45-minute flight into Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu) or Kota Bahru (Kelantan) and overland from there. 

The seaside and mangrove section of the Bako National Park in Sarawak.

Bako National Park in Sarawak 

The Bako National Park is also the oldest national park in Sarawak. It was established in 1957 and covers an area of 27 square kilometres.

This is one of the smallest parks in Sarawak, which offers a comprehensive experience of the rainforest, waterfalls, beaches and rocky shorelines with bizarre rock formations.

Boats that bring you to the park usually make a quick tour to see the famous Sarawak Sea Stack, which looks like a cobra ready to attack. 

There are 16 colour-coded hiking trails for outdoor and nature lovers, ranging from easy to difficult. At the same time, for flora and fauna, this park offers almost every type of vegetation found in Borneo.

There are seven incredible complete ecosystems: Beach Vegetation, Cliff Vegetation, Kerangas or Heath Forest, Mangrove Forest, Mixed Dipterocarp Forest, Padang or Grasslands Vegetation and Peat Swamp Forest.

The arrival area of the national park.

Highlights include encountering the unique Bearded Pig, Proboscis Monkeys and the Naphentes Pitcher Plant or Monkey Cup. Bird Watching is also one of the highlights and is best done with the park rangers here.

Park accommodation comprises 3-bedroom Chalets, 2-bedroom Lodges, 4-bedroom Hostels and a camping ground.

At the village’s main jetty, boats can be chartered at the National Parks Boat Ticketing Counter next to the jetty for the 30-minute boat ride to the main Bako Park HQ. The best way to go to Bako is to book a tour from Kuching city, as everything will be arranged for you.

The entrance to the Penang National Park.

Penang National Park

This makes it one of Malaysia’s newest national parks, offering only day trips here. No lodging is available, but visitors can stay outside at various hotels, hostels or homestays. 

Trekking to these beaches is the main highlight, while there is also a canopy walk in the park, and along the way, you will see, in the distance, local fishing villages.

The park has two entrances: the Teluk Bahang entrance, the main one and the Kuala Sungai Pinang entrance, the second one. However, many visitors would choose the main entrance as it is much easier.

The seaside trek at the national park.

Flora and fauna are available, with over 1000 species of plants recorded throughout the national park.

Bird watching enthusiasts will be rewarded as quite a several birds can be found here. There are two main trails and many other hiking paths at the park.

From George Town, the journey takes about 30 to 45 minutes one way. The park opens from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm at the Teluk Bahang Entrance, while it is open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm at the Kuala Sungai Pinang entrance. 

Abraham Lincoln features seen from inside the Deer Cave at Mulu National Park.

Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak 

There are multiple caves to explore here, and the most famous is the Sarawak Chamber, the world’s largest known cave chamber.

The most famous cave is the Deer Cave, where you can see the rock formation of Abraham Lincoln from a certain angle inside the cave.

A park guide and I are exploring the trails in Mulu.

Other caves include the Clearwater Cave and Wind Cave, which are equally beautiful. The thrill of visiting the Mulu National Park is the trekking and exploring here, where you need to trek for about an hour to the Deer Cave.

Every evening, outside the Deer Cave, visitors gather to see millions of bats flying out to feed.

For the serious adventurer, the Mulu Pinnacles are a fantastic rock formation. However, the trek here and back to the park headquarters takes about three days. 

Alternatively, for the extreme outdoor lovers, you can take a traditional longboat ride from Miri or Marudi, which will take you around 7-8 hours along the river to the Mulu National Park. 

Tawau Hills National Park (photo by lydiaflorensia.blogspot.my).

Tawau Hills National Park in Sabah

Consisting of mainly lowland dipterocarp rainforest, the general area of this national park is 279 square kilometres.

Most locals visit this national park called ‘Table’, but foreigners will be surprised at what you can find here.

The highest peak is Mount Magdalena, which is at 1,312 meters, and there are several beautiful waterfalls and a hot spring found in the national park. A must-visit place here is the 250-foot Gelas Waterfalls (Glass Waterfalls).

Another fascinating find is the world’s tallest tropical tree, which stands at 88 meters tall and can be found at the park.

Tawau Hills National Park offers basic lodging with chalets and hostels, and there is a local restaurant operated by Sabah Parks. A tip is to avoid going on the weekend or school holidays as they tend to get crowded with locals.

Taman Negara Bukit Tawau (Photo by lydiaflorensia.blogspot.my).

How to go to Tawau Hills National Park – The best way is to take a taxi from Tawau town, which will cost around RM30.00 one way. You can also try using Grab or Uber’s private car service.

It is recommended that you make a return arrangement with your driver. To date, there is no public transportation available directly to the park.

Always double check your transportation or get the contact number for the taxi or private car driver.

The Mulu Pinnacles.

I highly recommend the national parks above to anyone who is into the outdoors, trekking, hiking, and nature.

These parks are located in various parts of Malaysia, so depending on where you are visiting, they might be at your location.

Some of these national parks need overland and boat journeys. Still, when you book with any of the proper tour agents selling these Malaysia national park tour packages, everything is included, making your trip hassle-free.

My Adidas Kampung or Village Adidas rubber trekking shoes are the best for any trekking in Malaysia.

Alternatively, many solo or adventure travellers would visit these places independently, which is not impossible, but a little more effort is needed.

I have personally visited many national parks in Malaysia and narrowed down some easier ones to call.

There are national parks that are pretty hard to get to, which I have visited, and I decided not to list them here due to the difficult logistics and permits needed.

Those places will be listed in my upcoming article, especially for the hardcore adventurer, so look out for that.

Your connecting flight or bus will be the following day for those coming into Malaysia via Kuala Lumpur. This means you must find some simple accommodation in Kuala Lumpur before your trip.

For the first-timer to this country in the tropics, I hope you find this list of National Parks You Must Visit in Malaysia handy, and if you have questions, please ask in the comment form below.