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Yong Hideout

Located next to Belau Hide, it is 5 minutes by boat downstream plus a 10 minute walk or two hours walk from Kuala Tahan.

Tabing Hideout

It is 20 minutes by boat plus a 5 minutes walk. If coming from Kuala Tahan, it is a one and a half hour walk. Boats can be hired from the wildlife department office. Anyone who wishes to spend the night at the hideout must book their place with the wildlife department as the hideout can accommodate only eight people. There is a stream nearby for natural drinking water. If time permits, pay a visit to the Orang Asli village nearby.

Kumbang Hideout

This is the most popular hideout. Chances of seeing the animals here are better than the rest because of its remote location. It takes 40 minutes by boat to Kuala Terengganu and another 45 minutes walk or five hours walk from Kuala Tahan. The boat can be hired from the wildlife department office or from the floating restaurants. Do book early if you are planning to spend a night there as places are limited. It is advisable to spend two nights at this hideout, allowing a day to explore nearby caves.

If you want to trek back to kuala Tahan, be sure that you have an ample breakfast, snacks to munch along the way and plenty of water. There are small rivers along the way to rest by, and do not walk alone. From Kuala Terengganu lodge, walk about 10 mins (along the trail to Kumbang Hideout), there is another trail on the left leading to Kuala Tahan. It is marked. The trails are seldom used and trees fall covering the actual trail. Be careful to choose the right path. 

Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity for Taman Negara visitors. Fishing permits are required and can be purchased from the wildlife department at Kuala Tembeling and Kuala Tahan. Permits apply only to waters of Sungai Tahan below Lata Berkoh and Sungai Keniam below Kuala Keniam Kecil. No fishing license is required if you fish along the river Tembeling.

Fishing is best in the drier months of February to April and June to August. Lata Berkoh is 8km and Kuala Keniam is 25 km from Kuala Tahan, which are the best places to fish.

Caving

Caves cover about 0.2% of Malaysia land are found only in limestone. More than 130 flora species such as Burmania championi, a semi parasitic plant that feeds on decaying plants and more than 76 species of snails are found in Malaysia limestone outcrops and nowhere else in the world. Most of the limestone outcrops are endangered as well as the flora and fauna. One of the fascinating things that make caving popular is the natural configurations of stalactites and stalagmites.

Limestone originated from shells and corals that lived in an ancient seabed more than 400 million years ago. Under intense pressure these sediments become rock, and with uplift of the land, the limestone is subjected to the erosive forces of wind, rain and streams. Here are some of the caves available at Taman Negara.

Gua Telinga

To get here from Kuala Tahan, you must cross the Tahan River using the ‘river crossing boat’, managed by the villagers (50 cents).  Walk another two hours to the cave. Another alternative is from Pengkalan Gua Jetty. A 5 minute boat ride plus another 20 minute walk.

This cave is about 80m long and eroded almost to ground level. There is a rope along the way to assist cavers from getting lost. Be prepared to get dirty as you crawl through narrow passages and negotiate areas of deep bat guano for at least half an hour.

If it rained the previous night, expect to wade through the small stream running underneath in order to get outside. Be careful of the slippery entrance too. Sometimes cobras are seen at the mouth of the cave taking shelter or feeding on the bats and giant toad.

Generally, you will see at least seven of these animals:

• Roundleaf bat,  Thousands of these insect-eating bats roost in dark sections of the cave. The name refers to the shape of the 'leaves' of skin around the nostrils which help direct sound signals transmitted to assist the bat in navigation.

• Dusky fruit bat, These are much less common, roosting where light enters the cave. They have large eyes and no 'radar' system, and are twice the size of the roundleaf bats.

• Giant toad, Usually found high up, sitting motionless on a rock. The largest of these toads is bigger than a man's fist.

• Black-striped frog, Usually down by the stream. Making a loud call of -urch! urch!

• Whip-spider, Different from true spiders, these have large pincers on the head for gasping prey and a pair of very long feelers. They are not poisonous.

• Cave cricket, Small wingless insect, pale creamy-brown with a hump back and very long antennae.

• Cave racer, This snake can be up to two meters long. It is black and white on the head and tail and shades of creamy-grey in between. It feeds on bats. Its bite is harmless to humans. 

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