Set on the borders of Pahang and Johor in Southeast Malaysia, Endau-Rompin National Park is made up of a lush, pristine tropical rainforest. Covering an area of 48,905 hectares (800 sq. km), it is the second largest national park in Peninsula Malaysia after Taman Negara and has been upgraded to a national park in 1980s. With rock formations dating back some 248 million years, Endau-Rompin is mostly hilly with some prominent sandstone plateaus. It also happens to be the watershed of several rivers such as Endau River, Selai River and Jasin River.

 

 

 

Selai - According to the Orang Hulu, long, long ago, Sungai Selai used to be a torrential river flowing down from Gunung Besar. One day, a beautiful celestial princess called Puteri Dayang Tuarang decided to visit the place. Her visit changed every thing. She emanated so much heat during her visit that the river was reduced to a mere trickle, the size of a strip of rattan, or ‘sehelai rotan’ in Malay. Since then, the river was called Selai.

Even till this day, during periods of heavy rain, the Orang Asli of Selai propitiate the princess in a special ceremony, so that she may provide some respite from the weather.

 

During the course of Endau-Rompin Expedition, a group of scientist took off from Gunung Besar heading for the head waters of Sungai Endau to go down to Kuala Jasin. The party followed the wrong stream and ended up at Sungai Selai Along the way, they found a new species of flowering herb, Didissandra.

 

Today, it is the site of the Selai Base Camp - now known as Lubok Tapah Base Camp.

 

Endau Rompin is the newest found jungle retreat in the country. Itself being more than 100 million years old where the exotic flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. Scientific expeditions and researches are still visiting the parks regularly.

 

This two-century old extensive lowland forest is home to several rare and endangered species. In 1985 and 1986, a scientific expedition identified 25 new species of plants within the area. Scientific interest aside, Endau-Rompin National Park is the perfect haven for adventure seekers. Its numerous legends and myths handed down through the years add to its overall appeal.

In 1892, miner and surveyor H.W.Lake and Lieutenant H.J.Kelsall entered the Endau-Rompin area to conduct scientific research and documentation. They recorded and collected inexhaustible specimens from the area and noted a healthy number of large animals such as elephants, the Sumatran rhinoceros and deer traversing the area.