Experiencing ancient rainforest in Malaysia usually means planning a lengthy excursion from the capital, Kuala Lumpur: be it a drive to the Taman Negara national park, in the centre of the peninsular, or a flight to Langkawi or to the states of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo. But on a recent visit, I am let in on a secret: Janda Baik, an eco-destination surrounded by tropical rainforest and less than an hour’s drive from the skyscrapers of downtown KL.
It takes a cool head and the expert directions of my Waze app to negotiate Kuala Lumpur’s traffic jams and spaghetti of elevated highway before hitting the East Coast Expressway, heading northeast. The Janda Baik turn-off is a mere 40km further.
When I lived in Malaysia, I would often take this motorway for a weekend getaway to the sandy beaches of the east coast. I remember Janda Baik for its distinctive name – “the good widow” – but the village was off the main road, in the foothills of the Titiwangsa mountain range, and the ramshackle dwellings flashed by, far too close to KL to justify stopping off for the classic Malaysian breakfast of iced Milo and roti canai flatbread dipped in devilish fish curry.
Today, though, I follow a steady stream of cars heading off the highway, up a narrow winding road bordered on both sides by tall palms, giant ferns, towering banana plants and clusters of bamboo and rattan. A sign announces the entrance to Janda Baik, the name picked out in white letters, Hollywood-style.
Although Orang Asli tribes have lived here in scattered settlements for generations, Janda Baik was founded only in the 1930s, when Malay villagers from the lowlands were forced by severe flooding to settle higher up in these fertile river valleys.
For years, it was a sleepy backwater of smallholder farmers tending durian orchards and growing highly prized ginger. But in the past 15 years, and especially during and after the Covid pandemic, Janda Baik has metamorphosed into a haven in which established communities exist alongside glamping resorts, adventure camping sites, holiday villas, a range of dining options – from street food to organic fine dining – and even boutique retreats, drawing savvy locals wanting to escape the heat of KL and an increasing number of international visitors looking for something different.
Janda Baik is actually made up of a string of hamlets, known as kampungs. Sitting on the river bank of the fast-flowing Sungai Benus, Kampung Pulau Santap is the main community, with a mosque and a school, along with the offices of Sahabat Alam Tampik, or Tampik Ecotourism, a hub run by villagers where a large part of a Janda Baik holiday can be organised.