NATURAL GATEWAYS

WEST MALAYSIA (PENINSULAR MALAYSIA)

Taman Negara Pahang Taman Negara National Park was established in Malaysia in 1938 / 1939 as the King George V National Park. It was renamed to Taman Negara after independence which literally means 'National Park' or 'Taman Negara' in Malay. The total area of Taman Negara is 4,343 km. Taman Negara encompasses three states, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, each with its own legislation. Taman Negara is the largest of 2,477 km, followed by Taman Negara Kelantan at 1,043km and Taman Negara Terengganu at 853 km.The Park has been developed into a famous ecotourism destination in Malaysia. There are several geological and biological attractions in the park. Gunung Tahan is the highest point of the Malay Peninsula; climbers can use Kuala Tahan or Merapoh as their departure point.   Taman Negara is the home of some rare mammals, such as the Indochinese Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Malayan Gaur (Seladang) and Asian Elephant. Among the birdlife, the rare Malayan Peacock-Pheasant is still found here in some numbers. Tahan River has been preserved to protect the Malaysian masheer (ikan kelah in Malay), a type of game fish.Other attraction found near Kuala Tahan (Park headquarters for Pahang) include a canopy walkway, Gua Telinga (cave system), Lata Berkah (rapid shooting). Visitors can enjoy the tropical rain forest, bird watching or jungle trekking and their river views along the Tahan River.All visitors to the park must get permits from the department of wildlife and National parks. There are many hostels and hotels nearby.   Belum-Temenggor Belum-Temengor is the largest continuous forest complex in Penisular Malaysia. Specifically, it is located in the Malaysian state of Perak and crosses into Southern Thailand. Belum-Temengor is divided into two sections. Belum is located at up north right by the Malaysia-Thailand border while Temengor is south of Belum. The Royal Belum State Park is entirely contained within the forest complex. Belum-Temengor is estimated to be as old as 130 million years, making it older tha than the jungle of the Amazon or Congo.The area has been identified as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) rank 1 under the Malaysian National Physical Plan recognized by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area. The Malaysian federal government has labeled the area as a whole as an essential water catchment area and part of Central Forest Spine and plans to protect the forest under the Malaysian National Forestry Act.   Despite that, between the two, only Belum has been gazette as a forest reserve while the rest are open for development. Temenggor in particular is facing considerable deforestation due to logging. Environmental organizations such as Malaysian Nature Society and the World Wildlife Fund have been lobbying both the state and the federal government to gazette the area as a park. The state government of Perak however has resisted the effort citing that lodging provides the state with more than RM 30 million in revenue. Nevertheless, the state government gazette 1,175 square kilometers, part of the Belum forest reserve as state park on May 3, 2007. There is a plan to convert natural forest to plantation forest along the East-Weat Highway   Bako National Park (Sarawak Borneo) Bako National Park, established in 1957, is the oldest national park in Sarawak, eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It covers an area of 27.27 square kilometers at the tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula at the mouth of the Bako and Kuching Rivers. It is some 37 kilometers by road from Kuching. Millions of years of erosion of the sandstone have created a coastline of steep cliffs, rocky headlands and stretches of white, sandy bays. Wave erosion at the base of the cliffs has carved many of the rocky headlands into fantastically shaped sea arches and seas tacks with colored patterns formed by iron deposition. The park can only be reached by a 20-minute boat ride from Kampung Bako and is often visited as a day-trip from Kuching. This was the final pit stop of The Amazing Race Asia 1.   Bako is one of the smallest national parks in Sarawak, yet one of the most interesting, with its rainforest, abundant wildlife, jungle streams, waterfalls, interesting plant life, secluded beaches and trekking trails. A well maintained network of 16 color-coded walking trails, from easy forest strolls to full day jungle treks, allows visitors to get the most out of this unique environment. There can be very few places in the world with so much natural beauty in such a limited area, and its range of attractions and activities have made Bako one of the most popular parks in Sarawak.