HOLIDAY: Tiger & Jungle Adventure 2D1N

Track tigers, tapirs, elephants and sun bears in the world’s oldest rainforest.

Country: Malaysia

Type: Adventure & Wildlife

Length: 2 days, 1 night

Cost: Rm400 per person

Anyone who fancies themselves a bit of a Bear Grylls at heart will have great fun trekking through the rainforest on this trip. One of Malaysia’s indigenous tribes will teach you to identify the marks left by the forest’s wildlife.

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

Day 1: Arrival, briefing and Malay dinner

Our team will pick you up from Merapoh Bus Station and take you back to your accommodation just in time for lunch. You’ll get a briefing on your trip and a traditional Malay dinner before we turn in for the night.

Day 2: Poacher surveillance patrol and camping

You’ll join the Batek tribe – one of Malaysia’s aboriginal cultures, known as “orang asli” – on a five-hour hike through Taman Negara rainforest to deter poachers and look for pugmarks left by sun bears, leopards, elephants and possibly tigers. As well as learning about the flora and fauna of the forest, you’ll find out more about the life of the orang asli.

After your hike, you’ll head back to the Fuze Ecoteer house to clean up before the team take you back to Merapoh bus station.

WHAT DO I GET?

What’s included?

• Accommodation
• Dinner on the first day, breakfast and lunch on the second day
• A five-hour hike

What’s not included?

• Travels to Merapoh Bus Station
• Travel and medical insurance
• Personal expenses e.g. phone bills, drinks and snacks

Support:

There will be English speaking, qualified staff and guides (both local and international) supporting you on all activities.

Accommodation:

You’ll be staying in a small village called Merapoh, a thirty-minute drive from Gua Musang. While Merapoh is famous for its limestone rock formations and for caving, it’s not yet become a tourist hotspot – so you’ll get to see what life in the village is really like.

You’ll spend the night in the volunteer house – which has air conditioning. There’s a laundry service available for an extra charge. There is no safe box.

Food:

On your first day you’ll have a traditional Malay dinner hosted by a local family, comprising of rice with meat and vegetable side dishes (and plenty of spice if you’re up for the challenge).

A simple toast and cereal breakfast will be provided at the house (although you can opt to try some traditional breakfasts from the nearby shops. We recommend the roti canai!) and you’ll be given a packed lunches to take on your hike.

You can buy extra snacks and drinks from the village shops (although you might struggle to find any Walkers and Dairy Milks).

WHEN CAN I GO?

This project is closed in December and January for monsoon season.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

• Day pack (ca. 35L)
• Walking shoes
• Sandals or flip-flops
• Thin trousers for hiking
• Thin t-shirt for hiking
• Rain jacket
• Towel
• Sun block
• Mosquito repellent
• Personal medication (anti-histamines, antibiotics, diarrhoea medication, anti-inflammatory)
• Water bottle
• Hat
• Camera

Clothes:

Since you’ll be staying in a conservative Muslim village, we ask all our guests to ensure their knees and shoulders are covered at all times.

Money:

The local currency in Malaysia is Ringgit (MYR or RM). There are no ATMs in the village where you will be staying, so please bring enough money with you, or tell the staff you need to take money out in Gua Musang.