Malaysia’s geography is tailor-made for epic outdoor adventures.

01.09.2023 - 17:03 / lonelyplanet.com

A sprinkle of forest-clad tropical islands spills off the 2,989 miles of beach and mangrove-studded coasts that cut this green peninsula out of the sea. Running from the north to join the ancient forests of Pahang state in the center, the undulating peaks of the Titiwangsa mountain range split the country in the middle. Malaysia’s lesser-visited mountainous backbone is ripe with easy-going nature treks, but also hides a bounty of offbeat trails to delight the most daring hikers.

Across the South China Sea, the Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah boast some of the world’s largest caves, jaw-dropping dive sites, and Mount Kinabalu – the country’s tallest peak and a sacred place to the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun people.

Confused about where to start? We’ll break down the best natural wonders Malaysia offers to help you hit the ground running.

Start in Taman Negara in Pahang state, only three hours from the futuristic capital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s main entry point. Established in 1938, 1,677-square-mile Taman Negara is the peninsula’s best protected virgin rainforest, one of the oldest in the world, and the principal habitat for the last Malayan tigers. Roaming like needles in a tropical haystack, don’t expect to see any as you take to park headquarters’ easiest trails, such as the gentle climb up to Bukit Teresek, or as you glide down the Tahan River to the Lata Berkoh waterfalls.

You need a guide for the 2-day/1-night Keniam Trail, staying overnight in a cave and hopping between orang asli (Peninsular Malaysia’s 18 aboriginal groups) settlements in a longtail boat on your return route. But the park’s most challenging and soul-changing trek is the guided week-long, completely self-supported traverse from Kuala Tahan to 7,175-foot-high Gunung Tahan (aptly translated as “mount endurance”), the highest in Peninsular Malaysia. With loads of luck, you may meet wild elephants, tapirs, sun bears… or their fresh footprints.

If a week of camping in the wild is too much, head for the new treetop walkway opened in May 2023 at Sungai Relau near Merapoh, one of Taman Negara’s two other access points (and a caving paradise). It’s the easiest way to see Gunung Tahan from afar. 

Floating right off the northwestern coast, UNESCO-listed Penang island is well-known among foodies and culture vultures – but still much less visited for the variety of its 30-something hiking trails. Treks of all difficulties crisscross both 2,733-ft Penang Hill (a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since late 2021­) and Seberang Perai, the slice of Penang state extending on Malaysia’s mainland.

Don’t miss the Cherok Tokun Forest Reserve near Bukit Mertajam, where you can hike to abandoned dams built during the colonial British era and see a