Hutan Lipur Lentang (Recreation Park)

"Take A Jungle Break From The Highway"

Ever felt like the highway goes on forever? Well Hutan Lipur Lentang offers a perfect stopping point for a travel break or an easy urban escape.

One of over twenty forest recreation parks in Pahang run by the Forestry Department, Lentang packs plenty of natural delights to slow down the rush to get to or away from Kuala Lumpur.

I am guilty too! I've zoomed past this forest park for years. Finally I made a pit stop. And what I found was a sparkling little nature oasis amid fantastic forested hills and sliced by easy tumbling freshwater streams.

Believe it or not I arrived in the mid-morning to the rainforest sounds of gibbon calls. Where else can you pull off a modern highway into pristine jungle habitat to be greeted by another primate species?

Here's a few things to do at the forest park:

• Break up a long or boring business road trip with a stopover for lunch outdoors and time to read reports for your meeting.
• Get the kids out of the cramped car and take an hour to swim and get them tired (and happy) before hitting the highway again.
• Just stop and soak in the scenery. Take a stroll along the river and refresh yourself among the rainforest atmosphere.
• Head out on the weekend to practice jungle photography or spend a day outside with the kids.

Sights Of Hutan Lipur Lentang Recreation Park

Features At Hutan Lipur Lentang

Stroll each section of the park to find a variety of wild things. Observe flying lizards climbing up tree trunks or watch the metallic flicker of Rajah Brooke's Birdwing Butterflies.

Listen for the long howls of gibbons or other natural sounds of the rainforest in action.

In my view the park has three main sections based on activities:

	Kid Swim Area -- Just after the entrance and parking area, the river is shallow ( less than 2 feet) and slow for kids to play safely.
	Hill River Area -- At the end of the road is an uphill dirt trail that follows the river path back to rushing waters and fewer people.
	Rocky River Picnic Area-- Rock strewn streams make up the middle-section, where picnic and camping areas allow families to enjoy more space.

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing

Considered one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world, look out for the unmistakable Rajah Brooke's Birdwing flittering near the riverside.

Hutan Lipur Lentang: General Information

What To Expect And What To Bring

• No entry fee
• Expect warm and sunny days and cooler afternoons when skies get cloudy and rains threaten
• Plenty of spots for swimming, picnics, walking for exercise, outdoor photography, and wildlife watching
• Lots of parking space near entrance and along roadside, but expect crowds on weekends and holidays
• Very good toilet and changing facilities, plus a surau for prayers
• A few small restaurants and several hawker stalls for food and drinks
• Several covered dining areas with BBQ pits
• Bring your swimsuits and a change of clothes
• Bring a pair of binoculars to find flying lizards, gibbons, birds and other wild creatures

Getting There

• Head to the Karak Highway on the way to Kuantan from Kuala Lumpur
• Once past the Berjaya Hills Resort area, look out for a "Hentian Sebelah Lentang" sign
• Within 45 minutes and about 40 km see a green/brown sign for "Hutan Lipur Lentang"
• Follow the signs to Raub and pass through Bentong town

• After the green/brown sign, slow down because the exit left comes up quick with a sharp curve and turn left
• Follow the road to a T-junction, turn left and drive through the narrow tunnel
• The entrance to Hutan Lipur Lentang is straight ahead with a parking lot to the left before and after the archway
• If not too crowded, drive through the park and find a spot along the road closer to the river or facilities