Endau Rompin National Park

Imagine trekking through isolation for centuries and waking up in the morning greeted by the timeless sounds of the forest – the hoot of the gibbons, the love call of the hornbills and the chorus of the cicadas. As darkness falls, the mood becomes languid and mysterious, and natureâ symphony takes on a whole new tune. Welcome to theEndau Rompin National Park.

Encompassing the watershed of the rivers Endau in Johor and Rompin in Pahang, and made up of a lush pristine tropical rainforest, the Endau Rompin National Park is the second largest national park (48,905 hectares) in the Peninsula after Taman Negara. It is also one of the few remaining lowland forest in Malaysia and possibly the oldest. With rock formations dating back some 248 million years, Endau Rompin National Park is mostly hilly with some prominent sandstone plateau.

The Endau Rompin National Park is one of the five national parks in Johor. The other four are Johor Tanjung Piai National Park, Johor Pulau Kukup National Park, Johor Gunung Ledang National Park and Johor National Park in Pulau Mersing. All the national parks are run by the Johor National Parks Corporation.

The diversity of the habitats and species found here is of major conservation significance. The park is home to many species of birds, mammals, frogs, insects and many other wild animals, as well as varieties of orchids, herbs, medicinal plants and trees. One of the most spectacular discoveries was the fan palm (Livistona endauensis), endemic to the Ulu Endau area. This centuries-old rainforest is also home to the largest surviving population of Sumatran Rhinos still left in Peninsular Malaysia.

Besides endowed with scenic natural landscape and unique flora and fauna, the Endau-Rompin National Park also has a peculiar attraction — two high-quality timber trees of the “jelutong” and “Durian Bujur” species, one aged 300 years and the other 100 years. The height of the jelutong tree is approximately 60ft while its circumference is about “five embraces of an adult person” while the durian tree is estimated to be 40ft and circumference some 10 embraces.

The Endau Rompin National Park also has some of Malaysia’s best waterfalls namely Buaya Sangkut, Upeh Guling and Batu Hampar all within 2 hours trek of each other.

The weather is usually hot and humid, with a chance of rain, while the nights can be quite cool. Conditions vary with the time of year. Rainfall is heaviest between October and January. Temperatures range between 25C and 32C. The rainy season between December and January often renders the park inaccessible. Always check with the park authorities beforehand before making your way in.

A minimum stay of four days / three nights is ideal in order to cover the many activities and attractions in the park. Of course it’s not hard to spend a week to get lost amidst the breathtaking rivers and forests. Unless you’re an experienced jungle trekker, it’s best to stick to the packages offered the Johor National Parks Corporation organizes the most reasonably priced ones.