Royal Belum State Park: Plan a Lake and Rainforest Visit

Royal Belum State Park covers 117,500 hectares within the huge Belum-Temengor Forest Complex in Perak, and its rainforest is said to be more than 130 million years old.^[1] It is home to more than 300 bird species, all 10 of Malaysia's hornbill species and three species of Rafflesia, the world's biggest flower.^[1] That is the habitat, not a promise: no animal or flower is guaranteed on any visit.

Plan this as a lake-and-forest excursion. The gateway is the public jetty at Banding Island, where you take a boat to your resort.^[1] Choose your land transfer first, then confirm the jetty meeting point, boat and timing with your accommodation or trip provider.

Choose a lake outing

Around Lake Temenggor, a 15,200-hectare reservoir, you can explore by boat to the Pulau Tujuh Waterfall, the Pulau Talikail Lookout Tower, Temengor Dam, Kampung Chuweh (an Orang Asli village), White Rocks and Salt Licks.^[1] Ask your resort which stops it offers for your dates and what the outing includes. Not every lake outing enters the state park, so ask which area and which permits your itinerary covers.

Allow time for the setting

A few resorts sit on the shores of Lake Temenggor, among them Belum Rainforest Resort and Belum Eco Resort, and most visitors spend two to three nights on a trip to the park.^[1] Compare accommodation and boat outings separately, and check what meals, permits, transfers and activities your booking includes.

Plan the approach

Driving is the most flexible way to reach Belum. The park lies about 400 km from Kuala Lumpur (5 to 6 hours via the North-South Highway to Ipoh, then Kuala Kangsar, Gerik and the East-West Highway), about 250 km from Penang (about 3 hours), about 180 km from Ipoh (about 2½ hours) and about 180 km from Kelantan (about 3 hours). A signboard on the East-West Highway points to the Banding Island Public Jetty. Gerik is the last place to fill up, as there are no more petrol stations along the East-West Highway.^[2]

By bus, a few daily services run from Hentian Duta in Kuala Lumpur to Gerik bus station, 40 km by taxi from Pulau Banding. Bus operators sometimes change routes, so you may need a taxi for part of the way. By train you can reach Ipoh or Kuala Kangsar and continue by bus, but buses do not run often, so arrange the journey early.^[2]

Check permits and costs

The Perak State Parks Corporation's fee schedule, a 2012 amendment of its 2001 enactment, lists an entry permit at RM 10 per citizen and RM 20 per non-citizen, plus a conservation permit at RM 5 per person. Photography costs RM 5 per person, and each boat from the public pier to the tourism camps costs RM 150 to RM 300.^[3] These are the amounts in that schedule, so ask the park authority or your provider for the current figures. Confirm whether each charge is included in your accommodation or excursion quote.

Before you set off, confirm the exact jetty meeting point, your transport to it, the boat transfer, your lake stops, the accommodation nights, meals and any permit costs.