Endau Rompin, straddling the Johor/Pahang border, is the second National Park, after Taman Negara. It covers an area of approximately 80,000 hectares of rich and exotic flora and fauna, encompassing the watershed of the rivers Endau and Rompin, from which it derives its name. In other words, this place is huge.

Endau Rompin, straddling the Johor/Pahang border, is the second National Park, after Taman Negara. It covers an area of approximately 80,000 hectares of rich and exotic flora and fauna, encompassing the watershed of the rivers Endau and Rompin, from which it derives its name. In other words, this place is huge.

The entry point to the park is an Orang Asli (Malaysian aborigines) village. Although the natives have been influenced by the modern world, they still practise a hunting and gathering lifestyle. They are also the custodians of fascinating myths and legends about the jungle that have been handed down from one generation to the next. But apart from exploring this spellbinding cultural aspect of the park, how can you get your hands dirty in this giant, timeless Garden of Eden? Easy. You can camp, hike, fish, canoe, shoot rapids, explore caves, climb mountains, bird watch and swim in this amazing national park.

The park is home to a vast range of species of birds, mammals, frogs, insects and exotic varieties of orchids, herbs, medicinal plants and trees. It seems that every time a scientific expedition returns from Endau - Rompin, they discover a new species!

In existence for over 130 million years, this rainforest holds rare flora and fauna, many of which are not found anywhere else in the tropics. The most prominent of these unique species is the Sumatran Rhinoceros.

Regular treks through the jungle will give adventurers sightings of leaf monkeys, long-tail macaques, white-handed gibbons, elephants, deer, tapirs and the occasional tiger and leopard. For adventure lovers and river trekkers, there are exhilarating rapids and fairly substantial waterfalls.

To protect the pristine environment, only limited areas of the park are open for ecotourism. Entry to the park requires a special permit from the Johor National Park Corporation.

But the much easier option is to get the permits at the District Office, which is just next to the Police Department in Kuala Rompin before reaching the FELDA Selendang turnoff from Lanjut Beach. Upon entry to this park, trekkers will be guided by forest rangers to ensure safety at all times.