Kenong Rimba Park

Kenong Rimba covers about a hundred and twenty square kilometres of forest on the western flank of Taman Negara, and it is reached the old way: to Kuala Lipis on the jungle railway, then by boat up the Jelai and Kenong rivers, then on foot. Limestone hills stand out of the lowland forest and are riddled with caves - Gua Batu Tinggi, Gua Batu Tangga, Gua Batu Telahup among them, some with bats, some with formations, one with a legend about a giant's staircase. Trails run between them and to the Seven Steps waterfall, and camping is at riverside sites. Batek families, an Orang Asli group, live in the park and guiding is usually done through them or through licensed guides from Lipis. It is a trekking destination, not a day out, and everything is carried in.

Highlights

• Limestone caves - a series of them through the hills, with bats and formations.
• The Seven Steps waterfall - a tiered fall on one of the trails.
• A river approach - boat up the Jelai and Kenong to the trailhead.
• Batek guides - the Orang Asli community living inside the park.

When to go

March to September. Three days minimum.

Things to know

Access is genuinely awkward - train, boat and trek - and needs arranging in advance. Camping is basic and everything is carried. Leeches, mosquitoes and heavy rain are constant. A guide is effectively required.

Nearby

Kuala Lipis is the base town; Taman Negara adjoins to the east.