Location of Belum Temenggor

How to reach Gerik

The first step to get into Belum Temenggor is to arrive in Gerik town. You can get there by different means of transportation.

> By PLANE

The closest airport is in Penang. Penang International Airport is connected to the capital Kuala Lumpur, as well as with Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and many other domestic and international airports, with several daily flights operated by AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, Malindo and others. Once arrived in Penang, you will have to proceed to Gerik by car (e.g. car rental or own vehicle) or by public transportation (bus).

> By CAR

Gerik is connected to the East-West expressway, which is reachable from South (Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur), George Town (West) and Kota Bharu (East), along Jalan Baling – Gerik. Please note : there are only few petrol station along this road. It’s advisable that you leave the largest town along the way (Butterworth, Kuala Kangsar or Kota Bharu) with a full tank of petrol.

From Kuala Lumpur
From the capital, you need to head North, take highway “Lebuhraya Jalan Duta – Sungai Buloh”. Proceed towards Ipoh, then follow the Lebuhraya Utara E1 exit at Kuala Kangsar. Continue North turning into Jalan Baling. The travel time from Kuala Lumpur can be estimated between 5 and 6 hours, including some break while on the highway.

From Ipoh
From the city of Ipoh take the highway – Lebuhraya Utara E1 – North direction. Then, at Kuala Kangsar turn into Jalan Baling and continue North. From Ipoh it will take about 3 hours to arrive in Gerik.

From Cameron Highlands
Assuming you are in Brinchang or Tanah Rata, the shortest and most convenient route is to proceed North and turn West at the intersection 3 km North of Kampung Raja. From here reach Ipoh first, then follow the directions from there to Gerik town.

From George Town
If you come from Penang island, get on the mainland first and reach Butterworth. Then, continue on highway Lebuhraya Butterworth – Kulim. From there onto Route 67 – which will get right into Jalan Baling – Gerik. The average travel time from George Town / Pulau Penang to Gerik is 3 hours. 

From Kota Bharu
From Jalan Bukit Kecik continue to Jalan Bendang Nyior for 6km, then turn into Jalan Grik – Pasir Puteh for the next 150 km. Coming from East, you will reach Pulau Bangind before Gerik, this is the destination to enter Belum Temenggor. However, if you wish to reach Gerik, you need to continue from there, take the exit onto Jalan Baling – direction Kuala Kangsar.

> By BUS

We do provide on-demand private coaches straight from/to Belum Temenggor (Pulau Banding) to/from Kuala Lumpur, George Town (Penang) and Kuala Besut (please enquire if you need a private bus for a particularly large group). Otherwise, there are private bus companies that offer shared public bus rides and have connections to Gerik town. However, the schedule depends on each individual company and some operators might decide to cancel a ride depending on the number of passengers or the time of the year. You can buy tickets online on Easybook.com or CatchThatBus.com.

Buses from Kuala Lumpur to Gerik
Daily buses depart from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) or Jalan Duta Bas Terminal to Gerik bus station.

Daily Transnasional bus time schedule:

Departure time 08:15 am Drop-off Grik bus station at 12:15pm;

Departure time 09:00 am Drop-off Grik bus station at 13:00pm;

Departure time 10:30 am Drop-off Grik bus station at 14:30pm;

Buses from Kota Bharu / Kelantan to GerikBuses from George Town / Penang to Gerik
Daily buses depart from Sungai Nibong Bas Terminal to Kota Bharu bus terminal. Most buses en route to Kelantan from Pulau Penang do not stop normally in Gerik but only pass through town. You need to ask the driver in advance to drop you once arrived in Gerik. Buses pass through Jalan Gerik, which crosses Pulau Banding – therefore you can also stop in Pulau Banding directly, which is 40km after Gerik town.

Daily buses depart from Kota Bharu (Kelantan’s capital) bus terminal directed either to Ipoh or George Town. They travel East-West and, similarly to buses originating from Penang to Kelantan, they do not normally stop in Gerik, but the driver could stop you there while passing through. Though, you can also ask the driver to be stopped directly in Pulau Banding, which is along Jalan Gerik, 40 km before reaching Gerik town.

How to reach Pulau Banding from Gerik

Once you arrive in Gerik town, Pulau Banding is 40 km away, North-NorthEast direction. Pulau Banding is reachable using the East-West Expressway (Federal route 4). Thus, if you can’t get to Pulau Banding with a vehicle of your own, unless you have made different arrangements, it is advisable that you have booked in advance a transportation from Gerik to Banding. Therefore, if you have booked any of the itineraries in Belum Temenggor, these usually include transportation to Banding Island – just follow up the instructions upon booking.

We provide daily transfers from Gerik to Pulau Banding and the way around. You can book your own transportation from here.

If you want to get to Pulau Banding with your own vehicle, it is highly advisable to drive during daytime as there are no road lights along the way. Also, you will notice that there are street signs warning you about the possibility of having elephants crossing the road.

What to do in case of elephants along the road

There are special precautions to observe in case of elephant sighting while on a motor vehicle, which you need to follow very carefully in order to avoid vehicle damage, personal injury or even death:

1. Do not panic and be quiet.
2. Turn the engine of the car off.
3. Do not honk your car horn or make loud sounds.
4. Give way to the elephants and do not move or exit the vehicle.
5. Do not attempt to touch or wave at the pachyderms.
6. Do not offer or throw food at the elephants.
7. Do not light fires or smokes.
8. If your car lights are already on, turn them off.
9. Do not throw objects or flash lights (camera or car) at the elephants.
10. Wait for the elephants to have completely disappeared from sight before restarting the engine and leave.