The agenda for the day involved a journey to Taman Negara by boat. I woke up at 7 am, rushed through a quick shower, and swiftly navigated the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Spotting a bank at the nearby street corner, I made a point to withdraw some cash, anticipating the need in the world’s oldest rainforest over the next few days.
The banks, unfortunately, proved uncooperative – a frustrating ordeal of attempting withdrawals from four different banks. Adding to the annoyance, only after going through the entire ATM menu did I receive the notice of card refusal. Accepting defeat after this futile effort, I made my way back to the hostel. The fifth bank, situated in Chinatown, was too distant given the time constraints. Instead, I resolved to address the cash matter at the upcoming bus stop. At 8 am, I stood in front of the hostel, awaiting the arrival of the bus company for my pick-up.
A Bus Ride to Kuala Tembeling
The small bus transported me to the Mandarin Pacific hotel, where the tour bus was stationed. Ironically, just 10 minutes earlier, I was sprinting around this very hotel in search of a bank. By 9 am, the bus departed Kuala Lumpur, and by noon, we reached Jerantut, a small town near the Pahang River.
At this point, the group had to wait until the next pick-up at 1:30 pm. We bided our time in a small, questionable-looking restaurant with unappetizing food displayed in open showcases. The prevalence of flies hinted at the questionable hygiene due to the open showcases. Towards the back of the restaurant, the lights were out, and the state of the restroom was best left unmentioned. The eatery was situated in a vibrant street where all the house fronts were painted either purple or orange. Seeking information, I approached the person in charge of the tour company, inquiring about the nearest banks before heading out of the restaurant in the direction he indicated.
Financial Hurdles in Jerantut
Drawing a lot of attention as a Westerner in this remote town, I eventually reached a dusty, sandy courtyard. It was evident that it was a Sunday, with locals seated on benches, smoking cigarettes, and enjoying drinks. Surveying the buildings surrounding the courtyard, I spotted only one bank, but, unsurprisingly, it turned out to be an Islamic one. Predictably, my card was declined once again. In a sarcastic thought, I pondered, ‘Do you guys really dislike Westerners this much?’ Returning to the courtyard, I approached a cab driver who was leisurely waiting there. He gestured towards the other side of the courtyard, where another Islamic bank was situated. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side once more.
I would need cash for my stay in the rainforest where ATMs might be scarce, and electronic transactions could be impractical. The resort I was heading to required cash payments for meals. Feeling the urgency, I approached a taxi driver and requested a ride to the nearest Western bank. After a brief 5-minute drive to the entrance of Jerantut, I finally succeeded in withdrawing cash from an ATM. Despite the taxi fare being higher than usual, 20 RM for a 5-minute drive, I was relieved to have secured the cash I needed for the upcoming days.
Taman Negara by Boat
At approximately 1:30, the bus departed from Jerantut and headed towards the river. By 2:45 pm, we reached Kuala Tembeling, the departure point for the boat. Fifteen minutes later, we embarked on a three-hour journey to Taman Negara, the world’s oldest rainforest. While the swift boat journey along the Tembeling River offered breathtaking vistas, sitting on a wooden shelf for the duration proved to be more uncomfortable than expected. Consequently, I arrived feeling a bit stiff. Despite loving the scenery and capturing some great photos of the forest, I was relieved that my departure from Taman Negara would be by bus. One boat trip was sufficient for me, and I would recommend the same for you.
Below is a video capturing the essence of the voyage. Despite feeling drowsy after an hour on the boat, there was limited space, making falling asleep not a feasible option.
Arrival at Kuala Tahan
At 6 pm, we reached Kuala Tahan, a small village nestled along the river and serving as one of the gateways to the heart of Taman Negara rainforest. The village side featured floating restaurants, while across the river stood Taman Negara National Park and the luxurious 5-star Mutiara Taman Negara resort. My accommodation was in a special hostel room at the resort. To traverse the river, tourists had to pay the ferryman 1 RM, a seemingly modest fee, but, as shared by a Dutch traveler named Fiona, considered relatively expensive compared to a 15-minute ferry ride on another Malaysian island.
Upon reaching Kuala Tahan, our tour guide provided information on available activities and accommodation options. To reach my lodging, I, along with fellow backpackers, needed to cross the river. A local ferryman transported us to the other side. Upon disembarking, I realized I had left my backpack on a table at the floating restaurant. In embarrassment, I waited for the other passengers to leave the dock, and once alone, I signaled the ferryman in the distance for a return trip. After a 5-minute wait, he spotted my gestures, and ten minutes later, I was back at the restaurant for my forgotten backpack. I paid him two ringgit instead of one as a token of appreciation. This incident inspired me to capture a video of the river.
The resort, or should I say hostel, was passable, but large ants were making their way across the walls. I set up my mosquito net for the night. The room was shared with two others: Fiona, the Dutch girl, and an Irish guy named Mike. Fiona was somewhat bothersome, and I wasn’t fond of her. She was someone I preferred not to engage with, but it was challenging to avoid conversation in such a confined space.
Volcanic Hurdles: Fiona’s Misinformation and the Quest for Sumatra
Later that night, we shared dinner on the opposite side of the river. Throughout the meal, we engaged in conversation about our travels and upcoming destinations. I spoke about Sumatra, Indonesia, and my intention to visit. “Oh, haven’t you heard yet?” Fiona replied. “There’s a volcano eruption, and you can’t go there anymore. I wanted to go too, but the eruption is severe, and I couldn’t travel to Medan.” She continued with an incredibly annoying laugh, saying, “I’m sorry to ruin your plans.” At later times, she would gleefully recount to others how she had thwarted my plan to visit Sumatra whenever I mentioned my travel plans for Indonesia.
The information she provided was entirely new to me and somewhat nerve-wracking. She presented it with so much conviction. Despite knowing Sumatra was quite large, I was determined to find a workaround for my plans. “Let’s wait and see, Fiona. Sumatra is a big island,” I thought with frustration. At this point, I resolved to browse the internet for news about the eruption. Contrary to Fiona’s plans, I wasn’t flying into Medan but Banda Aceh. Sumatra held significant importance on my bucket list, and I had already booked accommodation and flight tickets. It wasn’t something I would cancel easily. Even if there were a volcano eruption, well, that sounded quite adventurous to me!
An Attempt to Connect
After dinner, we made our way back to the resort on the opposite side of the river. In the lobby, I attempted to connect to the WiFi as I needed to retrieve the name of the hostel I had booked next (I had forgotten the name, quite silly, I know). Naturally, I also wanted to fact-check the information Fiona had given me. I stayed at the reception desk as it had the best WiFi connection, according to the staff.
After attempting for an hour, I approached the staff and asked if he could reset the internet for me. He agreed and went on to perform the task. Watching from the corner of my eye, I observed him walking behind the building, disappearing from view. Precisely three seconds later, he reappeared and strolled back to me. “Sir, is the WiFi working now?” he inquired. “No,” I replied, with a slightly irritated tone.
The guy didn’t reset it and seemed to be playing around. I requested to use the reception computer for just 2 minutes, solely to check my email. “Whole internet system down, server, no internet everywhere!” he claimed. In response, I asked, “So how do you guys receive the bookings through the internet then?” The guy was at a loss for words and stammered, “I’m sorry, sir, it’s not possible.” So much for the hospitality of Mutiara Taman Negara.
An Internet Cafe Inside a Rainforest
That evening, I visited the village across the river and experimented with an internet cafe, though it was more like the home of an Islamic family with four computers. The internet experience felt like stepping back to 1995 with error messages and significant system lag. A few clicks and website visits later, I became convinced that the computers were riddled with viruses and keyloggers. I hesitated to sign in to my email account from there. Instead, I conducted some research for my journey and found information about the volcano eruption in Indonesia, Sumatra.
Mount Sinabung was erupting, emitting ash with severe consequences. The local crops suffered destruction, leading to evacuations. However, the situation wasn’t as dire as Fiona had portrayed it. I was confident that I could still travel through Sumatra. Eventually, I would. In the end, I paid 8 ringgit (1 per ten minutes) for internet access and returned to the resort. In my hostel room, I worked on some articles before going to bed around 11 pm.
