Hotels in Gua Musang

Gua Musang means Cave of the Civet Cats or foxes and the limestone hills here are packed with holes and the main cave behind the old railway station was believed to be home to a pack of mysterious civet cats spawning various ghostly legends portrayed in the 1960s comedy thriller film Pontianak Gua Musang. Gua Musang started as a railway town and was originally a remote and unconnected to the rest of the country. After that, a rail was built in the 1980s and this place has connected to the rest of Malaysia. Archaeologists have found evidence of human occupation back 5,000 years ago and this isolated township was occupied briefly by communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency.

Gua Musang is surrounded by limestone hills and caves which has become popular among cavers and rock climbers. Jungle railway is near this place and a 100m-wide knot of scruffy old buildings, shops and services surrounds the train station and Kota Bharu town is just a couple of hours away. Gua Musang is close to Taman Negara entrances at Merapoh and Kuala Koh. To reach the caves, you can cross the rail track at the station and walk through the small kampung in the shadow of the rock behind the station.

The Malay accent here displays a distinctive Kelantanese and used as a main language here. Other than that, the citizens here can also communicate using common Malay language and English.

How to Get There

By Bus/Taxi

Gua Musang is located at the Jungle Railway which operates from the junction at Gemas northwards to Kota Bharu and Tumpat. There are daytime trains which run between Tumpat and Singapore through Gua Musang. Buses from Kuala Lumpur also access via Kuala Lipis to Gua Musang and from Kota Bahru through Kuala Krai to Gua Musang. There is also taxi available which cost around RM 180 and from Kuala Lumpur city centre, you can drive to reach Gua Musang which will take around 3 hours and 30 minutes using Kuala Lumpur- Gua Musang road.

Tourist Attractions

Kuala Koh National Park

Kuala Koh National Park is located within the Gua Musang district of Kelantan and part of the Bukit Hantu and Lebir Forest Reserves. The main feature of this park is bird watching and has been designated as an Important Bird Area by the Birdlife International Organization. There are about 380 species of birds such as hornbills, woodpeckers, kingfishers, flycatchers and recommended birding spots are at Sungai Lebir, Ara / Rentis trail, Ficus trail and Rafflesia trail. Apart from birds, this place is also a home to 200 species of mammals, 55 species of frogs, 67 species of snakes and 109 species of fresh water fish. Visitors can go jungle trekking and head to the Impian Hide and stroll at canopy walk. To enter Kuala Koh National Park, visitors need to obtain a pass, costing RM 1 for each person, while entry with cameras and video camera is charged at RM 5 for each person.

Gunung Stong

Around 55 kilometres north of Gua Musang, Gunung Stong State Park (GSSP) is a forested area with several prominent mountain peaks. Stong State Park is a park based around 1400m-high Gunung Stong, This place also is home to one of the highest waterfalls in Malaysia, the seven-tiered Jelawang Waterfall. Animals such as the Asian elephant, seladang, great argus pheasant, Malayan tiger, serow and tapir are known to roam the forest in Stong. To make your exploration of GSSP more interesting, there are several tour guides that can explain the history and places around this place.

Hotels

Moon River Lodge

This two and half star lodge is located 32 kilometres away from the town of Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands. It is 3 hours by car from Kuala Lumpur City and a 4-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and also 30-minute drive, or 12 kilometres from Cameron Highlands. This lodge is designed with simple and unique decorations and equipped with basic amenities including free WiFi access and cooking and BBQ facilities, Communal areas include a TV lounge, a library and dining areas as well as karaoke centre are also available. There is also a playground and a kids’ pool and parking here is free of charge and airport transfers can be arranged at an extra charge.

My Home Hotel

My Home Hotel is located at Jalan Persiaran Raya and around 1.5 km from the railway station. This one star hotel is affordable and definbitely a budget option for guests. This place features rooms with hot water, towels, air-conditioner, TV satellite and free WiFi throughout the rooms and public areas. The rooms available here are charged from RM40 with basic amenities and also free parking available.