Ulu Muda Eco-tourism

If you would like to visit Ulu Muda as an eco-tourist, to support attempts to preserve the forest, here’s some important information which will help you.

The Ulu Muda Forest is in the Malaysian state of Kedah. Permission is needed from the Kedah State Forestry Department to go into Ulu Muda. However if you use an authorised tour guide, they will sort all this out for you.

The best person to arrange visits to Ulu Muda is Rohani Rahmani. He regularly takes people into Ulu Muda, is very dependable and concerned about the environment. He can be contacted at rohani54@tm.net.my or ronsadventures@hotmail.com.



The Kedah State Forestry Department keeps a record of visitors into the park. They also collect a fee of RM5 for the entry permit. So, if there are more visitors to the park, the State Government will collect more revenue and be more aware that Ulu Muda can pay for itself through eco-tourism. The State Tourism Action Council is planning to add more visitor facilities in Ulu Muda and will be looking at how to make money in ways other than just the entry permits. By using local guides and boats, visitors will also be contributing to the local economy and ease the burden of the State to provide for the local communities.

Once in Ulu Muda, to ensure that environmental impact by tourists is kept to a minimum, there are some basic rules that should be followed:

• Don’t leave any non-biodegradable waste behind. All non-biodegradable materials should be removed and disposed at a proper dumpsite outside the area.
• Don’t take any "trophies" of animal, plant or mineral origin out of Ulu Muda. In addition to being bad for the forest, this is a criminal offence.
• Take care not to disturb the natural surroundings of sensitive areas such as saltlicks, nesting sites and feeding areas of wildlife.
• Keep the use of toxic substances (such as insect sprays to a minimum.
• Pay attention to the advice of your local guides. If you're not sure about something, please check with them first.

For further advice on visiting Ulu Muda, and the area’s biodiversity and conservation visit WildAsia www.wildasia.net. Wild Asia promotes responsible tourism in Malaysia and the South East Asian region. It’s director is Dr. Reza Azmi, reza@wildasia.net.