Malaysia’s Endau-Rompin National Park is a swath of ancient rainforest in southern Peninsular Malaysia. It contains many waterfalls and is home to wildlife, such as Malayan tigers and the largest remaining population of endangered Sumatran rhinoceros. It’s also home to one of Malaysia’s indigenous groups, the Orang Asli people.
So-called because of the glimmering crystal, steel, and glass of its exterior, Crystal Mosque (Masjid Kristal) is the architectural symbol of Terengganu and part of the Islamic Civilization Park (Taman Tamadun Islam). The mosque appears to float, so appears particularly striking when the water is still enough to reflect it.
From the moment the longboat whisks you across the artificial lake, along the Batang Ai River into the forest, Batang Ai National Park feels a world away from modern-day Kuching. It’s part of a protected Borneo rainforest that spills across the Malaysian border into Indonesia and is home to Iban longhouses, wild orangutans, gibbons, langurs, and hornbills.
