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Endau - Rompin State Park
Endau
Rompin, straddling the Johor/Pahang border, is the second National
Park, after Taman Negara. It covers an area of approximately 80,000
hectares of rich and exotic flora and fauna, encompassing the watershed
of the rivers Endau and Rompin, from which it derives its name. In
other words, this place is huge. The entry point to the park is
an Orang Asli (Malaysian aborigines) village. Although the natives have
been influenced by the modern world, they still practise a hunting and
gathering lifestyle. They are also the custodians of fascinating myths
and legends about the jungle that have been handed down from one
generation to the next. But apart from exploring this spellbinding
cultural aspect of the park, how can you get your hands dirty in this
giant, timeless Garden of Eden? Easy. You can camp, hike, fish, canoe,
shoot rapids, explore caves, climb mountains, bird watch and swim in
this amazing national park. The park is home to a vast range of
species of birds, mammals, frogs, insects and exotic varieties of
orchids, herbs, medicinal plants and trees. It seems that every time a
scientific expedition returns from Endau - Rompin, they discover a new
species! In existence for over 130 million years, this rainforest
holds rare flora and fauna, many of which are not found anywhere else
in the tropics. The most prominent of these unique species is the
Sumatran Rhinoceros. Regular treks through the jungle will give
adventurers sightings of leaf monkeys, long-tail macaques, white-handed
gibbons, elephants, deer, tapirs and the occasional tiger and leopard.
For adventure lovers and river trekkers, there are exhilarating rapids
and fairly substantial waterfalls. To protect the pristine
environment, only limited areas of the park are open for ecotourism.
Entry to the park requires a special permit from the Johor National
Park Corporation. But the much easier option is to get the permits at
the District Office, which is just next to the Police Department in
Kuala Rompin before reaching the FELDA Selendang turnoff from Lanjut
Beach. Upon entry to this park, trekkers will be guided by forest
rangers to ensure safety at all times.
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