Malaysia is definitely no short of nature & rainforest destinations - one of my life goals is to visit all the national and state parks in Malaysia. Very happy to have tick Rompin State Park / Taman Negeri Rompin off my list, and I have to say, this must be one of my favourite nature destinations in Malaysia.
As usual, I'll start the post with a little back story:
Having visited Taman Negara at Kuala Tahan twice (once in 2022 and once in 2003), I was researching other national/state parks in Peninsular Malaysia I could visit. At the same time, I noticed that as I grow "older", my preferences towards travelling have shifted. Back then, the preference would to be as budget, rough & tumble as possible (in the name of being adventurous!) Camping? Bring it on! Shared dorm & toilet? Sure thing, as long as I can save $!
Fast forward to now, I realised that "ageing" has taken a toll on me. While I still love being in the outdoors, I'd much prefer to stay & travel in comfort when possible. The city girl in me would very much prefer having a place with hot water and a comfortable & clean bed to go back to every night. While I still love camping, I realised...that I may lack the time & capacity to prep for it.
I found Rompin Rainforest Lodge by chance - I was doing some research on Endau Rompin National Park, but realised that a lot of arrangements have to be made to visit the National Park (eg: arrange for a 4x4 to enter, and making our own camping arrangement). Thanks to SEO, I found Rompin Rainforest Lodge @ Taman Negeri Rompin. When I found out that:
1. Rompin Rainforest Lodge is accessible by regular car; and
2. Every room comes with a water heater; and
3. Every room also comes with air-conditioning; and
4. All meals will be taken care of by them
I was sold. And that's how the trip happened.
Fun fact 1: Rompin Rainforest Lodge is actually managed by the same company that manages Areca Hotel, Penang & Rawa Island Resort, Johor! Most of their customer base are actually foreign travellers who made their booking via tour agents, who would make ground arrangements to visit Rompin Rainforest Lodge followed by Rawa Island Resort (or the other way around). This made a lot of sense since both are located relatively near to one another (Rompin Rainforest Lodge is about 1.5-hour drive to Mersing) and are not too accessible via public transport.
Fun fact 2: Taman Negeri Rompin / Rompin State Park used to be called Taman Negeri Endau Rompin, but. has since rebranded, after a major refurbishment/upgrade in 2020 to prevent confusion with Taman Negara Endau Rompin - both are actually technically on the same plot of land (Endau-Rompin Forest Reserve). I would cry a river though if I accidentally drove to the wrong entrance.
Getting to Rompin Rainforest Lodge
Rompin Rainforest Lodge is about 5 hours drive from KL. We took the Elite Highway, exited at Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, and drove all the way to Bahau for a quick breakfast stop, before we continued on to cross the border of Negeri Sembilan to Pahang. We drove about 2 hours on what seems to be the straightest road ever from the border to Negeri Sembilan to Bandar Muadzam Shah....and finally to reach Kuala Rompin.
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| Made a quick pit stop at Pantai Hiburan, Rompin for a quick stretch, after that long drive! |
The final 1-hour drive from Kuala Rompin into the State Park is one of the most beautiful drives ever. You'll first drive past paddy fields and some fishing ponds, and finally into the lush green surroundings.
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| The entrance to Taman Negeri Rompin..and the start of the scenic drive with lush greeneries. ou may notice that the sign still bears its old name! |
The whole drive in was scenic and peaceful. The roads were well maintained, a little narrow if anything, and lots of steep up & downhill involved. Felt as though we were on a roller coaster ride!
Our mobile phone went out of service during the drive in. Note: there is no cell phone reception in Taman Negeri Rompin. They have obtained the approval to build a cell tower there, but the construction work has yet to begun (May 2023) so this may be the case at least for this year. You may however purchase satellite Wifi by ConnectMe there (RM15 for 1 GB).
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| Entrance Counter to Taman Negeri Rompin |
Each visitor is required to pay the entrance fee (RM30 Malaysian / RM50 Non-Malaysian) before proceeding further into the State Park.
The guides told us that some guests spotted wildlife (Tigers, deers etc) on the way in, but luck wasn't on our side during our visit. Nevertheless, the whole arrival experience was just so memorable. The peaceful sound of the rainforest, the crisp air, the lush green vegetation. We even saw the round fan palm on the way in (the unique palm species which can only be found here at Rompin State Park - which is also represented in their logo) I really took my time during the drive in to take in the beautiful sights.
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| The lobby reception (Ground floor) & dining area (1st floor) |
Upon arrival, we were greeted really warmly by, Mr Lim, who is seemingly the manager in charge. I remember recognising the Rainforest Lodge from the photos upon arrival, and secretly wishing that I've booked in the Rainforest Lodge instead as it looks so idyllic. You could imagine my surprise when Mr Lim informed us that they have upgraded us to the Rainforest Lodge!
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| Ergonomic seats |
One thing that really caught my attention in the lobby area was the beautiful design of the space. Some of the structures there tells a story, for example, the bench above was built using a fallen Mempisang tree which was washed downstream the Kinchin River during a flood in December 2020.
Similarly, the beautiful wall panelling above was all derived from a single Keruing tree, which fell during a thunderstorm in August 2022. Most of the structural elements there are built using solid wood (eg the stairs, I initially thought it was metal until I stepped on it), which is probably the best material that can handle the humidity in the forest.
We were invited to have lunch first at their beautiful dining area, located just right above the reception. After lunch, Mr Lim took us and our luggage to our rooms using their buggy.
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| The dining area located on the 1st floor, surrounded by trees & overlooking Sungai Kinchin |
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| Love how they integrate nature with their building! |
The Room
There are three types of room at Rompin Rainforest Lodge - The Standard Chalet, Rainforest Dorm & Rainforest Lodge. You may refer to their website for pricing & more info about the rooms.
As mentioned previously, all room packages are full board - ie all meals are covered during your stay, and even come with two free tours (Rainforest Prelude & Night Walk), and come equipped with air-conditioning and water heater.
We actually booked in for the Standard Chalet, but was upgraded to the Rainforest Lodge, which is still newest & most luxurious offering there.
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| The Rainforest Lodge |
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| Rainforest Lodge (1 Bedroom) |
The room - spacious, clean & airy. Love that the room has transparent windows in all three corners, allowing natural lighting to brighten up the space. The windows can be easily opened as well if you prefer natural ventilation (and fret not, as the windows are secured with mosquito netting!)
Having an air-cond was really a game changer in a high-humidity area. I recall during my trip to The Sticks at Kuala Kubu Baru, as the rainforest is really humid, it felt as though the room/bed linen was always wet. We noticed that when we switch off the air cond, the room feels humid and we could see water vapours being formed on the floor, which is totally understandable given that we are in a rainforest and it was raining then.
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| My favourite corner of the room! Warm lighting & comfy sofa |
The mattress and pillows provided were plush and comfy - I honestly had such a good rest here. As you are near to Sungai Kinchin, the gentle sound of river gushing & the sound of the rainforest will accompany you to sleep.
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| Mini Pantry area |
There's even a little pantry area in your room, with coffee & tea-making facility and bottled water provided. Though since you're located at the edge of the rainforest, I recommend that you do not leave any residual drinks around (especially if it's been sweetened)/food uncovered as some pesky insects will probably sense your food residual...I brought a packet of chips and sealed the half-eaten bag tightly, only to find some jungle ants somehow found their way in.
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| Bathroom |
Bathroom - spacious with lots of hanging & storage space. Really, the whole space is really well thought-out. They provided 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo & conditioner which smells really good! There is even a rain shower, and the water pressure & heater was just perfect.
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| How I passed time during a rainy evening - reading & snacking on chips in our room |
Nothing to complain about the room - I think that the rooms were very well thought out and comfortable. Perhaps one thing we wished we had in our room is a refrigerator (But we could easily get cold drinks from the cafeteria anyhow, so small matter!) and a hair dryer.
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| Coffee table book in the room - it was fun to come back from every activity and re-reading the book, while thinking to myself "I've seen/done this!" |
F&B
As mentioned, all room packages are full board. Breakfast is served from 8am-10am, lunch from 12pm-2pm and dinner from 7pm-9pm.
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| The Buffet Area |
The food are served buffet style, except for during our last few meals, when we were the only guests left, the staff kindly asked what we preferred to eat, cooked it for us and served it directly to our table.
Even though the dining & buffet area was located in an open space, I was surprised to find that there were no monkeys "camping" near the buffet area, waiting to snatch some food away. During my visit to Taman Negera Kuala Tahan, I had to be very alert to make sure the monkeys do not snatch any of our food!
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| Dinner Day 1 - Curry Chicken & vegetables, omelette & egg drop soup! |
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| Breakfast Day 2 - your usual suspects! |
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| Lunch Day 2 - took some pasta, roasted chicken breast, salad & cream of chicken |
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| Dinner Day 2 - where we were the only guests left and they served the food directly to us |
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| Dessert |
The menu rotates daily so you will not get bored with the food. I thought the food was really delicious! Honestly, the meals were a luxury in the forest.
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| Breakfast Day 3 - they specially made me an omelette on request! |
Besides the buffet spread, there is also an ala-carte menu, albeit their offering is still pretty limited as of now (Nasi Goreng).
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| Tiger Beer (RM15/can) |
You may also order cold drinks like Beer (RM15+) and Soft Drinks (RM8). Prices are definitely steeper, but remember that you are in a rainforest located one hour's drive away from the nearest town.
Water cooler and hot drinks facilities are available all day in the dining area. They also served us complimentary sliced cakes pre & post-dinner. Perfect energy booster after a day of exploring & hiking!
Complementary Tour & Activities
Our stay comes with two complementary tour - the Rainforest Prelude Tour (starts at 4pm daily) and the Night Walk (8pm on selected days).
Rainforest Prelude Tour
The Rainforest Prelude Tour was a quick 40 minutes tour around the vicinity of Rompin Rainforest Lodge.
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| A quick tour by our guide, Azmi, around the compound of Rompin Rainforest Lodge |
Azmi shared with us a brief history of Rompin Rainforest Lodge, and took us around for a quick tour, explaining some of the flora & fauna around. We were taught how to find our way to the riverside based by finding this specific species of tree, which only grows near the river. He also shared with us about the recent flooding (March 2023), which was one of the worst floodings since Rompin Rainforest Lodge opened in September 2020.
It was raining continuously for days, and the river swelled up fast. The flood caught them by surprise. You can see markers around Rompin Rainforest Lodge, which indicate the highest water level reached during the March 2023 flooding. Apparently, the room that we were staying in, which is located on the ground floor, was almost completely submerged underwater. It took them about a week to clean up & replace everything. All the furniture and bedding in the room is completely new during our stay.
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| View from the Suspension Bridge |
According to Azmi, the river is usually clear and you can see fish from the bridge! It was raining continuously the days before our arrival, hence the yellow-ish colour.
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| View from the top of the Viewing Tower |
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| Fallen bamboo can be seen from the Suspension Bridge, the remnant of the torrential flood in March 2023 |
Night Walk
On the website, it states that the Night Walk would only take place on selected days, but they were really kind to still arrange the night walk for us, even though it doesn't fall on their pre-determined night walk days. They were also flexible in shifting the activity as it was raining on the intended day of our night walk.
The Night Walk also takes place within the vicinity of Rompin Rainforest Lodge. Apparently, it used to be done in the forest, but they received way too many complaints from customers that they were bitten by leeches & were unaware of it until the next morning, so they decided to shift it to within the compound only.
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| Cicada! |
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| A little froggy, hanging out around the well-lit area of the resort, awaiting its "free meal" |
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| Baby Scorpion! |
Ashraf mentioned that he is a late-night owl and would only hit the sack at around 2am. He mentioned that he would actually go from room to room, knocking on everyone's doors when he sees any interesting wildlife. Was really looking forward to being awakened in the middle of the night but sadly, tiada rezeki 😂 (luck wasn't on our side).
Apparently, elephant sighting is really common there in the evening (to quote one of our guide, Ashraf, "ˆtengok sampai jemu" / got so used to seeing elephants), as there are few plants on the compound of Rompin Rainforest Lodge that are the elephant's favourite food. The elephants often make their way to the workers' dorm as well as they planted some ubi there, which is another of their favourites. They showed us the most recent video recording so I guess that will do for now.
Seri Mahkota Waterfall
Other than the suspension bridge and watch tower, visitors to Rompin State Park can also visit the beautiful Seri Mahkota Waterfall. Standing at 50m tall, you can feel the lovely breeze at the bottom of the waterfall.
We had the whole waterfall to ourselves - probably because we were there late evening on a weekday, and all the day trippers have since left.
No hiking is required to get to Seri Mahkota Waterfall (there is a forest trail to head to Seri Mahkota, however, you must do the trail with a guide), simply park your car near the entrance/walk from the Lodge (not recommended, as it is going to be an uphill walk!) and take a leisurely 10 minutes trek down. You can already hear the sound of the waterfall from the entrance!
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| The path down to the waterfall is completely paved, with no signs of leeches but may get slippery when it rains |
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| Suspension Bridge |
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| Rock formation along the trail |
As you get closer to the waterfall, you will see that there are more unique rock formations around, and the sound of the waterfall gets closer and closer..
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| And the final stretch of the stairs...which eventually reveal the beautiful waterfall! |
There are changing rooms next to the waterfall, but I didn't use them/check the condition of it.
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| View from the picnic table - I can imagine having a picnic here! |
Rainforest Discovery Centre
An interactive exhibition center about Taman Negeri Rompin - the activities, the flora & fauna around. Opens daily from 9am-4pm if I'm not mistaken.
The Rainforest Discovery Center has lots of interactive exhibitions, which would definitely be great for kids! Most of the information presented here has been shared by our guide. There's even a souvenir shop there, which I couldn't help but to bring home a thing or two.
Guided Trails/Activities
Other than the Seri Mahkota Waterfall & Suspension Bridge, all other trails/activities at Taman Negeri Rompin have to be done with a guide. All guided trail/activities begin at 9am daily (Subject to weather conditions), and you're encouraged to book in advance via email (info@rompinpark.my). You may refer to this page for the guided trails/activities available & this page for the rate)
I heard from other guests that Rompin Rainforest Lodge can also arrange afternoon hikes, though this isn't listed on their website (again, subject to weather conditions).
We did two guided trails/activities during our stay, the Sungai Kernam Forest Therapy & Kayaking, which costs RM90/pax each (May 2023).
Sungai Kernam Forest Therapy
The Sungai Kernam Forest Therapy is their longest trail and is about 3km one way (about ~1-1.5 hour one way). The trail eventually leads you to a blue lagoon which you can safely swim in.
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| Blue Lagoon |
There are two parts to this trail - the forest trail & river crossing/trekking. Jeram Panjang would be the midpoint of this trail. Visitors may also opt to go on the Jeram Panjang trek only instead of doing the entire Sungai Kernam Forest Therapy trail, but I'd recommend that you just go on the full Sungai Kernam trail to get the full experience!
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| Part 1 - Forest Trail |
The first part (forest trail) wasn't particularly challenging - it was mostly flat, with some occasional fallen log which you have to clamber past, but it was definitely the most leech-infested trail I've ever been on.
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| Spot the annoying blood sucker~ |
Honestly, I have never seen so many leeches on a trail before. Perhaps because it was raining the day before, the number of leeches multiplied overnight. Our guide was kind to provide us leech soap & helped us reapply during the trail.
We even paused at a few points to salt-bae our shoes, flick the buggers off and just stare in awe at how determined these bloodsuckers are, and our guide, Ashraf, had to remind us that the best way to fend off these bloodsuckers is to actually keep moving.
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| One of our MVP in fending off these blood suckers - salt. We actually used up one whole packet of salt during the trail |
And so long that you wear leech socks (you can buy a pair at Rompin Rainforest Lodge if you do not have one)/long pants, preferably tight pants with high socks, you'll be fine. Plus the leech soap provided by the guide definitely helped! I managed to complete the whole trail with zero leech bites, but my travel buddy, wasn't that lucky:
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| Tiger Leech - the most annoying kind of leech |
Leeches aside, the trail was really picturesque and interesting. Ashraf shared a lot of survival tactics using the trees in the forest if we were lost in the jungle, and pointed out any interesting plants he saw during the trail.
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| Forgotten what this plan is called - but its leaves are used to cook lemang! |
Also saw fresh elephant footprint during the trail!
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| Elephant trail! |
This tree is great for SOS fire - as the tree trunk will funnel the smoke you have produced all the way up to the sky.
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| The inside of the kempas tree |
After about 45 minutes of hiking on the forest trail, we finally reached Jeram Panjang, which is the intersection point between Sungai Kernam & Sungai Kinchin, and the most exciting part of the trail for me. The trail from this point onwards only involves river crossing/trekking.
Note that the river is rather fast-moving and may go up to your thigh. Ashraf asked us to keep our shoes on as the river is rather rocky. There are ropes to help guide you to cross the river, but the length of the ropes only reaches the first half of the river. But fret not, your guide is there to help you if you struggle to cross.
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| Jeram Panjang - the insection point between Sungai Kinchin & Sungai Kernam |
Another random fun fact: if you follow Sungai Kinchin downstream...you'd eventually reach Endau Rompin National Park in Johor! Would be fun if there is a boat ride in the future connecting the state park & the national park.
We took a 10 minutes break at Jeram Panjang, before proceeding the rest of the trail, which involves trekking in the shallow, crystal clear water of Sungai Kernam.
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| Can you see the leech, still clinging onto my shoe after crossing the fast-moving river? |
Ashraf mentioned that leeches can survive underwater. And even after crossing the rivers, I still found a couple of leeches clinging on to my shoe...But the trail from Jeram Panjang to Sungai Kernam does not have any leeches, probably because the trail is mostly exposed from there on.
The trek along Sungai Kernam - you may have to watch your footing a little as your trek along the river!
We trekked along the crystal clear river for about 30 minutes, seeing fishes along the way, to eventually reach the blue lagoon.
The water there will always remain crystal clear, regardless of the weather. The blue lagoon is most beautiful under the sunlight.
There's a little wooden platform where guests can rest. We saw some monkeys in the trees, but unlike the monkeys at Taman Negara, these monkeys are seemingly much more shy & not used to human presence. Saw lots of fishes and Ashraf taught us how to recognise the fishes based on their scales and patterns.
We spent about an hour swimming and resting there, before heading back to the Lodge.
We were told that they would start offering boat services to Jeram Panjang (one week from our date of visit) - so visitors who are not too keen to hike the leech-infested forest trail/have mobility issue may opt for this option instead. Though I'd really highly recommend doing the full trail if you can.
Kayaking
Visitors will be kayaking upstream of Sungai Kinchin, all the way up to Lubuk Siku (Note: they also offer guided hiking to Lubuk Siku, if kayaking is not really your thing) & beyond.
You may opt for the single or double kayak - though I'd recommend that you go with the double if possible, so one can take a break while the other paddle.
There are five checkpoints altogether for the kayaking activity - depending on the visitor's stamina/speed/preference, one may choose to just go all the way to Checkpoint 3 (Lubuk Siku), take a rest there and return back to base, or go all the way to Checkpoint 5.
We were told that it was a very good day to kayak on the day we went kayaking - it didn't rain at all the day before, and the water was calm & clear.
It started drizzling very lightly when we started kayaking, but I think that added to the charm - the rainforest seems more mysterious in the light rain.
"don't worry - you'll get wet either way" our guide mentioned when it started raining.
The whole kayaking experience was fun & therapeutic - we could hear the sound of the rainforest & birds chirping throughout the whole journey. Despite going upstream, the water was mostly calm, other than a few small rapids at some point in the river. We had to alight the kayak and drag the kayak upstream, past the rapids, once or twice as it was too shallow. We got stuck once, or rather, lack the stamina to paddle our kayak up the mini rapid and our guide, Ashraf, came to the rescue 😂
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| Checkpoint 3 - Lubuk Siku |
We reached Checkpoint 3 - Lubuk Siku, after kayaking for about 45 minutes. We were told that a group of visitors once saw a herd of elephant bathing at Lubuk Siku! (Again, luck wasn't on our side, unfortunately!)
We took a break at Lubuk Siku, and swam a little in the refreshing water. I like how calm & peaceful the riverside here is, compared to Taman Negara, where there'll be at least one speedboat zooming past every 5 minutes.
After resting at Lubuk Siku for about half an hour, we kayaked upstream to the final checkpoint - Checkpoint 5, to which our guide calls "Sungai Jernih".
Similar to Sungai Kernam, the water of this river will always remain crystal clear regardless of the weather. The water here is much colder compared to Sungai Kernam, and the riverbed feels soft and sandy. I managed to see some little freshwater crabs scuttling around too!
The Kayak downstream back to base was much easier since we were going with the current. Going down the rapids was the best part (no photos/videos, as I did not want to risk dropping my phone in the river).
My Thoughts
I truly enjoyed my stay at Rompin Rainforest Lodge. The guides were informative and helpful, and all the staff were really accommodating & friendly. Every day before/during our meal, Mr Lim will be checking in with each guest, making sure that they're well. A huge shoutout to Mr Lim, Shahfiq, Ashraf, Azmi, and all the other ground staff which I didn't manage to get their name for making our stay amazing. The food was amazing, the room was comfortable, and the activities were fun & memorable.
You'll definitely fall in love with Rompin Rainforest Lodge if you love nature. I particularly enjoyed just seeing how the scenery changes from day to night. In the morning, Sungai Kinchin is seemingly covered in a mysterious veil of mist.
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| Day 3 Morning |
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| Day 2 Morning |
Being one of the oldest rainforests in the world & the second largest park in Pahang, I really love how Rompin State Park is relatively undisturbed. Although luck wasn't on our side this time around, animal sightings are seemingly common here. I also appreciated the fact that there is no phone line there, allowing me to truly disconnect & be in the moment. (Though this might change soon - as the construction of cell tower will begin soon)
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| The suspension bridge in the morning |
We spend a lot of time lounging at the dining area from evening till nightfall, and we could experience the change of the sound of the rainforest - from the birds chirping, to the call of the gibbons at around 7pm, and finally to the buzz of the cicadas & other insects when night falls.
I even managed to see a flying squirrel, parachuting from one tree to another, during dinner time! (No picture as it happened too fast!)
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| Lobby/Dining Area at night |
If I could redo my trip, I'd definitely want to stay longer (as always). Would love to have a day where I'd do absolutely nothing at all. Would definitely also love to explore the Padang Tujuh trail, which we didn't manage to do, and the other waterfalls within the vicinity (There's also the Padang Batu & Ja'ang waterfall nearby, accessible only via 4x4 from Selendang).
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| Another favourite moment in Rompin Rainforest Lodge - enjoying my morning coffee at the dining area |
Some additional tips if you're heading to Rompin State Park:
1. Phone line is non-existent. So download offline maps, any of your songs/podcasts etc well in advance.
2. The best time to visit, according to the guides, is November, which they call "Musim Gajah/Elephant Season". For some reason, there are just more elephant sightings during that month.
3. Bring cash to pay for the entrance fee/activity/any additional F&B. As phone service is non-existent, you may forget about paying using e-wallet. They do not accept card payments as of our time of visit (May 2023).
Rompin Rainforest Lodge
Jalan Taman Negeri Rompin Selendang,
26800 Kuala Rompin, Pahang
Website: http://www.rompinpark.my/
Email Address: info@rompinpark.my
Facebook: facebook.com/TamanNegeriRompinPahang
Instagram: @tamannegerirompinpahang
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