Taman Negara

So, we stayed in the Cameron Highlands for a few more days after my last post, but all good things must come to an end and, after much roti and honeyfried chicken, we bid a second teary-eyed goodbye to Father's Guest House and headed down the hill.

Taman Negara is one of Malaysia's national parks, much visited for forays into the jungle. What can I say - it was okay...

I guess anywhere would have had a hard time after the Cameron Highlands, but there was also the disadvantage of it being Malaysia's holiday season and so the place was teeming with families (in Malaysia people seem to go out in family groups of about 15 or so people - huge groups everywhere).

Also the journey was unneccessarily long in the kind of 'if we don't arrive til really late and dump you in some obscure corner of the village next to our guest house maybe we can squeeze more cash out of you' kind of way. Plus there was a con over the park entrance permits which didn't cost us anymore than they should have but involved us having to pay the tour agency and go and pick them up from their restaurant ('they're not here yet - why not have something to eat while you wait') rather than the park office. Just the standard really, but unusual in our experience of Malaysia.

Anyway - this, and the v noisy people in the hotel, didn't put me in the best mood to appreciate Taman Negara. But then, we were staying at the village across the river from the park itself. Of course when we crossed into the park itself everything was beautiful and serene. Even proper wild boar roaming at the entrance.

We did a walk - including the longest canopoy walk in the world(?) / Asia(?) which involved walking across ladders suspended by ropes very high up. A bit wobbly, but not bad for 5RM (90p). We didn't, however, go on a jungle trek involving a night or two in a hide. Call me a sissy, but I was a bit put off by all the stories of leeches, fire ants and rats.

Anyway - nothing more interesting happened and we left the next day after deciding to cut our losses. I am sure it's a very nice place really...