Adventure Time In Taman Negara Pahang - Day 1

Adventure Time In Taman Negara Pahang

Image credit: Mutiara Taman Negara

My last memorable trip was that rejuvenating retreat in Cameron Highlands.

So, I vowed to make 2023 as memorable as possible, and visit new places as much as money and time would allow.

This Taman Negara trip marks my first trip for 2023 and I would highly recommend all nature lovers to visit. 

Absolutely memorable!

It only took less than a month to gather 6 adventure kakis, plan, and book the trip. 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

Accommodations in Taman Negara Pahang

There are a lot of places you can stay in Kuala Tahan. 

We booked Mutiara Taman Negara for convenience and resort vibe which I'm a sucker for. I just have this crazy attraction for a wooden chalet in a jungle.

Anyway, Mutiara Taman Negara is the only resort that is located within Taman Negara, overlooking Sg. Tembeling. 

They offered several attractive packages that include accommodations, meals, and activities.

We booked the 3D2N Explorer Package which includes:

• 3 days 2 nights accommodation
• Full Board: Daily Breakfast, 1xLunch and 2xDinners
• Activities: Trekking to Teresek Hill, Canopy Walk, Night Jungle Walk, Boat Trip to Lata Berkoh, Visit the gigantic Tualang tree
• Tour inclusive of Guide

Package start from:

• Quad sharing MYR 605.00 nett per person
• Triple sharing MYR 649.00 nett per person
• Twin sharing MYR 732.00 nett per person

There were 6 of us, 4 guys and 2 girls, so we got 2 chalets. The boys paid RM605/pax and RM732/pax for the girls.

Well, it's cheaper if you can do quad-sharing. so gather all your travel kaki.

Day 1: KL - Taman Negara Pahang (Kuala Tahan)

We departed from KL at 8am and reached Temerloh around 10am because we wanted to have our lunch in Patin Gulai Masam Restoran Saiful.

Semangat sis. Kedai tu bukak 11am tau. So, jalan-jalan dulu lah kat Esplenade Temerloh. Tengok sungai. Tengok bot. Tengok pokok. Tengok kucing.

Patin Gulai Masam Restoran Saiful

A restaurant on the bank of Sg.Tahan, that served authentic kampung-style dishes in talam to give you that kampung-vibe.

10 dishes, 5 steamed white rice, and drinks cost us a total of RM140. not bad.

One of my gang doesn't like ikan patin, another doesn't like dishes with tempoyak. Eh peninglah kita. 

Tapi banyak ja lauk-lauk lain yang menepati citarasa pelbagai manusia.

Gulai tempoyak dia rasa mild saja, rasa tempoyak tak kuat sangat so kawan yg tak makan tempoyak tadi, boleh la makan sikit.

Kalau nak rasa tempoyak yang lebih padu, kena try pais patin.

Takut hanyir? jangan risau sis. Patin temerloh memang dikenali sebagai patin yang sedap & tak hanyir. 

Highly recommended to those who like authentic kampung-style dishes, especially the patin tempoyak, pais patin & kulat sisir.

Lepas makan, ayuh lah kita bergerak ke Kuala Tahan yang terletak di Jerantut. Perjalanan mengambil masa 1-2jam. Jauh tu tak la jauh sangat, cuma bukan highway so tak boleh lah laju-laju. Jalan pulak bengkang-bengkok.

Shopping duluuu

Bila sampai di jeti Kuala Tahan, jangan park betul-betul sebelah jeti tu sebab takut air naik. 

Dekat atas, ada kawasan parking yang berpagar, RM10 per kereta/hari (tak berbumbung) & RM15 per kereta/hari (berbumbung). 

Kalau tak tau kat mana, tanya ja abang bot tu. Dia siap pinjamkan moto untuk pegi balik tempat parking. 

Mutiara Taman Negara

Sungai Tembeling.

Berenang ke seberang mungkin takkan sampai. Oleh itu, mari naik bot ni utk ke Mutiara Taman Negara. RM1.00 seorang utk sehala, seminit dua sudah sampai

Malas nak daki tangga? Maaf bang. troli ni bawak luggage saja tak bawak manusia.

Check-in process was a breeze and the front desk staff is so soft-spoken & polite, sis suka. She briefed us on meal times, and what time we have to be at the lobby for our activities.

After that, you would have to register for a national park permit from PERHILITAN (RM1.00/person) which you have to carry for your activities in the national park & camera permit (RM5.00/person, including phone camera ya) at the park center.

Personally, I really like the environment here. It's so quiet & calming. All you hear is birds chirping, the sound of rain on the roof (it was raining for the 3 days we were there)

Image credit: kayak.com

Macam ni bilik dia. Senibina klasik melayu. Kalau uols nak tulis thesis dalam chalet ni tak sesuai la sebab lampu malap-malap ja. 

Kemudahan yang ada: Kipas, aircond, TV, WIFI, coffee & tea making facility, drinking water, mini bar, iron & ironing board, safety deposit, water-heater

Image credit:https://www.mutiaratamannegara.com/chalets

Bilik air dia surprisingly modern. Selesa!

Air pili sedikit keruh sebab ambik air sungai kot? so tak sesuai untuk diminum ya.

This is like my dream house. A quaint chalet in the jungle.

Sis nak healing selama-lamanya

Masa tengah healing, baca buku minum kopi makan biskut, tiba-tiba ada monyet datang serang & curi biskut. Terkesima weols, tak sempat ambik gambar. 

Moral of the story, janganlah makan di verandah

Tapi uols jangan risau, staff resort sentiasa alert & bantu uols untuk halau monyet-monyet. Harimau ni abang manager housekeeping tugaskan untuk menjaga gadis lemah seperti weols.

Atas kerusi tu bukan abang housekeeping, tu gadis yang lemah 😁

Pesanan abang jeti "hati-hati dengan makanan, monyet kat sini banyak.....dan jahat"

ternyata jahat ya, tangan pulak lajuuu bethol

After we settled down & while waiting for 7pm dinner time, we went for a walk around the resort compounds

"Hmm apa lagi aku nak complaint ni"

Bang, kau pergi healing dulu sekarang!

Paku pakis ni unik! warna dia tukar biru bila terkena cahaya matahari. 

Dinner time starts 7pm. Kenapa tah weols takda sorang pun ambik gambar makanan. 

Buffet style, western + asian food. tak banyak sangat pilihan tapi memadai lah. Yang penting masakan melayu dia sedap hokay. Abang kaki complain yang susah nak puji pun puji rendang daging dia sedap.

Cendol dia pun sedap 😭

Kalau tak suka pilihan buffet, rasa nak tabur duit order ala carte pun ada. Harga standard resort.

8.30pm, weols berkumpul di lobi untuk aktiviti Night Walk & diperkenalkan dengan guide, En. Along. 

Night walk ni akan mengambil masa sejam dua, sesuai untuk pelbagai peringkat umur & fitness level sebab jalan ikut track/deck ja sambil-sambil En. Along terangkan pelbagai flora & fauna.

Pastikan bawak lampu suluh atau headlamp.

Jangan letak high expectation nak tengok gajah la, rimau la. Tidak ada. Yang ada, labah-labah, semut besar, mengkarung & ular kecil tengah tido, kala jengking & cendawan glow in the dark. 

Berbaloi for the sake of experience tapi kalau uols nak tengok binatang exotic semua tu, uols pergi zoo je. 

Last check point untuk night walk adalah bunbun, lebih kurang macam observation tower. Kat situ, ikut nasib boleh la nampak rusa dalam habitat semula jadi dia (dari jauh laaa).

Selesailah day 1 di Mutiara Taman Negara yang awesome. Kena tido awal ya sebab Day 2 penuh aktiviti.