Over the years, international tourism has increased considerably in Malaysia. It has a land area of 330,803 square kilometers (75 million acres) with a population of 32.8 million. The country is divided into two regions of almost the same size: East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia. The regions are separated by the South China Sea.
Tourism Malaysia believes that people around the world are finally noticing Malaysia’s beautiful natural resources and exciting wildlife. The nation is also home to the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix. As a country comprising a peninsula and several islands, Malaysia has some stunning beaches, although, most of the coastlines are swampy and populated with mangroves.
The real highlight for Malaysia is its wildlife and biodiversity. The country is considered to be megadiverse, which is a designation given to a country that has the majority of the world’s species with a large number of endemic species. These species are ensconced in over 30 national parks as well as several other protected areas. Here are the top 10 unexplored national parks in Malaysia:
1. Bako National Park
This is the oldest national park in Sarawak, established in 1957, and one of the smallest in the entire country. There are different natural sections of the protected area like rainforest, jungles, beaches, streams, and waterfalls.
One of the most amazing sights in the park is the rock formations that have been formed from millions of years of natural erosion. The Bako sea stack is such an imposing and stunning structure and one of them is formed like a cobra’s head. The natural process of wave erosion has also created cliffs and rocky headlands. There are also stretches of white sandy bays.
The park’s flora and fauna are really rich. Bako contains almost all kinds of plant life in Borneo. There are different ecosystems in the park, which means different types of plant species. The infamous carnivorous plants: bladderworts, pitcher plants, and sundews are found here. There is an abundance of proboscis monkeys, which are considered endangered and endemic to Borneo, in this park. Other animals in the park are the Bornean bearded pigs, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, otters, plantain squirrels, and silvered langurs.
2. Endau-Rompin National Park
The tropical rainforest in the states of Johor and Pahang is the second-largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia. It was named after the two rivers that flow through the park: Endau and Rompin. There are also other rivers in the park: Jasin, Segamat, and Selai.
One of the favorite activities in the park is hiking—the park has some 26 kilometers of trail. The highest peak in the park, which is great for hiking, is the Gunung Besar, which is the second-highest peak in Johor. The rainforest in the park is one of the oldest in the world. There are also unique rock formations in the park that are over 248 million years old. Camping is another exciting adventure because it will provide a true jungle experience.
There are so many marvelous sights in the park including the following waterfalls: Buaya Sangkut and Upeh Guling. The former is named after the rock formations where the water cascades from. There is a part of a formation that looks like a crocodile, which in Malay is called buaya. Buaya Sangkut translates to the trapped crocodile. The waterfall is 120 meters high. The Upeh Guling has some natural pools that make for a great tub.
The Tasik Air Biru is a blue water lake, which is exactly what the name means. The water is pristine and turquoise and the canopy of leaves provides great shade for swimmers or paddlers. Water tubing is a popular activity here.
The park used to be the largest remaining population of Northern Sumatran rhinoceroses, which are already extinct. But it is still home to the Gollum’s toad, which is only found in this park. Visiting the park is also a cultural experience because the indigenous Orang Asli still lives there. Members of the group are quite happy to share their experiences with tourists.
3. Gunung Gading National Park
Rafflesia flower in bloom at this park is just amazing. This species of flower, known as the largest flower in the world, is only endemic in Southeast Asia and a good number of its population is found at this park in the Kuching Division of Sarawak. This plant is particularly unique as it has no roots, stems or leaves. There is just the flower, which means that it grows on the ground. The park was established in 1983 but only opened to the public in 1994 to give the rafflesia flowers time to propagate.
While the rafflesia is the most important attraction in the park, there are also jungle trails that are worth exploring, as well as waterfalls to see and the 965-meter Gunung Gading Summit to scale.
4. Kuching Wetlands National Park
Included in the Ramsar Wetland list, the park is the remains of the Sarawak Mangrove Forest Reserve. It is historically significant as it was an important trading post for the residents. Malaysians who live in the jungle trade animal parts and even some rare plants with the Chinese, who use those for medicine. The Chinese, for their part, trade potteries. Some remnants of earthenware were found in the park during excavations.
The mangrove forests are popular among shorebirds like storks. Other birds in the park are the kingfishers and white-bellied sea eagles. There are also small patches of forest in the park’s interiors. The small yet thriving forests provide habitats for estuarine crocodiles, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, proboscis, and silver-leaf monkeys.
One of the best ways to experience the park is through a river cruise that travels the Salak River and navigating through smaller rivers and creeks within the park. Proboscis monkeys and crocodiles can be spotted during the cruise.
5. Loagan Bunut National Park
Named after its lake, this park connects to the Sungai Baram, Sungai Bunut, and Sungai Tinjar rivers. The rich bodies of water also make the park rich in the aquatic ecosystem that has become a viable habitat for some great marine animals. Loagan Bunut is Sarawak’s largest lake at 650 hectares. It is quite interesting and even a bit magical that a lake this large could disappear during the dry season—but it does.
From February to September, the Loagan Bunut turns into mudflats. This gives wildlife residents a bigger area to roam around. The animals that tourists frequently see in this park are the barking deer, bearded pigs, flying foxes, langurs, long-tailed macaques, and mouse deer.
While more of a cultural rather than natural attraction, there are also Berawan burial platforms that provide a unique kind of tourist site.
6. Maludam National Park
This park is on the island of Borneo, comprising a flat peat swamp forest. This vast forest in the park is supposed to cover 10% of the entire forest in Sarawak. Unfortunately, exploitative human activities diminished the forest area. The park was established in 2000 to protect the swamp forest left in the park.
It is only in the park that the red-banded langurs are seen. The park’s resident langur species is the last remaining one in the world. This species is endemic to Borneo but the remaining population is limited to this park, particularly in the peat swamp forest. There are also proboscis monkeys in the park, as well as the silvery lutung.
The swampy area is, of course, popular among birds. Among the birds found in different areas of the park are the black Oriental pied, blue-eared and stork-billed kingfisher, greater racket-tailed drongo, green imperial pigeon, slender-billed crow, rhinoceros hornbill, and Storm’s stork.
7. Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park
A diver’s paradise—this is what this park is. The coral reefs in the Miri Division are just stunning, which is why it is a great diving destination. The park is also home to great wrecks that provide stunning underwater views. Of course, the centerpiece is the corals—a wide variety of corals.
Among the species of corals in the park are the bubble corals, Dendronephthya, Gorgonia sea fans, leather corals, sea whips, and staghorn corals. The elephant ear sponge is another species providing additional attraction in the marine park.
The aquatic resource is also rich in fish species. Among the species that divers and snorkelers can see are the angelfish, barracuda, batfish, butterflyfish, clownfish, jackfish, lizardfish, Napoleon wrasse, sea perch, yellow and blueback fusiliers, and sharks. Other sea critters are anemones, feather stars, giant clams, nudibranchs, and seahorses.
8. Pulung Tau National Park
It started as a community initiative to create a national park in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak sometime in the 1970s. But it wasn’t until 1998 when this park was established. Among the natural resources that the community wanted to protect are the imposing mountains in the area: Mount Murud, the highest peak in Sarawak, and the twin peaks known as Bukit Batu Lawi.
The campaign to have the area protected heightened when in 1986, a population of Eastern Sumatran rhinoceros was found in the park. This species of rhino was believed to have been extinct like its kin, the Northern Sumatran rhinoceros. A further survey was conducted in the park and authorities learned that the laurel forest in the park is an important habitat for the Bornean bearded pig. There were also some rare sightings of orangutans. There is also a good number of rafflesia founded in the park.
9. Rajang Mangroves National Park
The World Wide Fund for Nature wants to sustain healthy wetlands around the world. The Rajang Mangroves is one of those areas the international organization is focusing on to sustain wetland areas because these are a natural safeguard to disasters. The Rajang River, Malaysia’s longest river system, hosts several important wetlands in the country, including the ones in this park.
The mangroves are utilized as natural barriers that protect the park’s shoreline from erosion, tidal flooding, and salt intrusion. As far as plant life is concerned, the park supports a very healthy plant life with 89 species documented in the park. Among the fauna, those that can be seen in the park are proboscis monkeys, plantain squirrels, small-clawed otters, and silver langurs. Over 76 species of aquatic animals were also recorded in the park’s surrounding waters.
10. Taman Negara National Park
The park, which covers the states of Kelantan, Pahang, and Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia, is aimed at protecting the oldest primary rainforest in the world. Studies show that this rainforest has never been affected by time even with the passage of the Ice Age. The park is also the largest one in Malaysia at 4,343 square kilometers (over a million acres). It was also the first national park established in 1939.
Taman Negara also provides a memorable jungle experience for visitors. There are many different tourism activities in the park but wildlife watching would have to be the best. The place is home to some Asian elephants, Malayan gaurs, and Malayan tigers. However, it is not always so easy to spot them because the park is so large and covered with massive trees, naturally trellising plants, shrubs, and weed. It is called a jungle for a reason. Common animal residents include monkeys, spot deer, tapirs, and wild boars.
There is also a wide variety of birds in the park including great argus, Malayan peacock-pheasant, and red junglefowl. Another important feature of the park is the Tahan River, which is significant for the presence of Malaysian mahseer, a game fish.
One of the most fascinating activities in the park is the Canopy Walk, which is a suspension bridge that is 510 meters long. It is 45 meters high and is a great vantage point for looking over this vast park. There are also cave systems that are worth exploring: Gua Kepayang, Gua Landak, Gua Luas, Gua Telingga, and Gua Tumpat. The park also hosts river cruises that pass through Lata Berkoh waterfall or the mountainous landscape.
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