Jerantut is the gateway town to many thrilling adventures in nature, including Taman Negara, Malaysia’s largest national park. Jerantut is a strategic service centre, transportation hub and market town. Its old town is a lively mix of heritage shophouses and colourful landscaped streets. There is a vibrant wet and dry market where the locals stock up on fresh goods, including durian in season and river fish. Jerantut has several locally owned hotels and homestays even the one in rural settings. Hotel Darulmakmur and Park View Hotel offer the best accommodation, but there are other smaller hotels, with many housed in shoplots. When it comes to dining out, the residents of Jerantut value diversity. Hence, the visitors will find an exciting array of delectable local and western dishes on restaurant menus. Kopi Chantek serves local and Western meals, especially to those who enjoy communal dining. Elsewhere, dine locally on delicious nasi kerabu and the famous murtabak.
The bohemian ambiance at Gypsy Garden Café is best described as chill-out and the perfect place for ‘lost travellers’. Diners in the colourful outdoor setting can admire the eclectic furniture and fixtures. Close by, there is a restaurant called Satay Temin that serves sizzling chicken, beef and mutton satay that could tempt diners. Paya Gunung Extreme Park, located just east of Jerantut, offers exhilarating climbing sports on an almost vertical limestone outcrop. The most exciting activity is to ascend a via ferrata (iron path) up the cliff face. This permanent system of iron rungs, steps and ladders enables climbers to reach the summit. Other activities include rappelling and abseiling. Onsite training and all equipment are provided at Peninsular Malaysia’s only via ferrata. Jerantut also provides access to other recreational activities, including kayaking on the Pahang River near Kuala Tembeling, a village where the Tembeling and Jelai Rivers meet. Here the rivers become the Pahang River, and it is from the nearby jetty that many tourists travel by boat to Taman Negara. The mountains of Bukit Buloh and Bukit Seladang, northeast of Jerantut, are home to an unusual red forest. The reward at the end of the 4 km climb is a forest of smooth, red-barked trees and panoramic views from the 370 m-high summit. There are other natural areas, with Damak and Ulu Cheka being the base for adventures at its rivers and waterfalls, as well as the departure point for multi-day ascents to Gunung Benom. Lang Buana Eco Park is a relaxing retreat beside a jungle river that offers lakeside chalets, campsites and a restaurant. Waterfalls like Lata Meraung and Lata Lang as well as rivers like Sungai Rengat at Ulu Cheka are popular swimming holes.
The cave complex of Gua Kota Gelanggi to the southeast of Jerantut is easily accessible, and visitors can even drive through one cave. Others are more remote and require a guide, while there is a picturesque lake at the base of a steep limestone outcrop. Felda Residence Tekam is a resort on an agricultural estate where rubber, oil palm, cacao and fruit trees thrive. Guests can stay in the hotel or in chalets on the estate. Facilities include a restaurant, pool and a nine-hole golf course. Pusat Pemuliharaan Seladang in remote Jenderak was opened in 1982 as a sanctuary for the preservation of the Seladang, or wild ox, Malaysia’s second-largest mammal and classified as a vulnerable species. Jerantut Railway Station, on the railway line connecting Tumpat in Kelantan to Johor Bahru, is serviced by two daily trains. It is one of the stops on the East Coast Railway, often referred to as the Jungle Railway. The train was once a popular way to access Jerantut and Taman Negara, but now road transport is more popular.
