While Kuala Rompin, or Rompin Town, faces the South China Sea, the vast expanse of Rompin State Park is a premier eco-haven. Kuala Rompin is a service centre with exciting attractions on the land and in the adjoining sea. From here, visitors can explore various attractions such as Rompin State Park, beaches, rivers and forests. Most people usually travel here to relax by the beach and savour delectable seafood. Visitors can enjoy a river cruise to admire the mangroves lining the Rompin and Pontian Rivers. Pantai Hiburan is a local’s favourite, especially during sunset as they relax and snack along the beach while enjoying nature’s beauty. Fish can be caught along the beaches, rivers and in offshore waters, with charter fishing companies providing access to offshore sites where the biggest fish await.
The Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge promotes sport fishing. Fish and seafood are served in many restaurants, with udang galah (river prawns) capturing most of the attention. Several restaurants north of Kuala Rompin serve them fresh from being caught in the Rompin River. Though Restaurant Udang Galah Mak Ngah is highly rated, there are also other stalls serving dishes featuring river prawns that visitors can try. In town, the roadside Cendol Awe stall offers diners complimentary refills of its cooling cendol as well as its unique nasi lemak hijau. This popular rice dish has a distinctive green colour from being cooked with pandan. Not to forget, the locally grown ‘Rompine’ (Rompin pineapple) is one of Malaysia’s sweetest fruit. Rompin has various accommodation options from shoplot hotels to riverside chalets and Villea Rompin Resort with its adjoining golf course. Rompin Beach Resort is located along the beachfront near the town and Cemara Riverview Chalets offers raft chalets where the guests can fish from their riverside balcony.
Hutan Lipur Menchali is a peat swamp forest located close to the sea, 20 km north of Kuala Rompin. It is an important bird habitat, and a few forest trails providing access to birdwatching sites. The highly valued medicinal plant tongkat ali flourishes here. Rompin State Park is a vast expanse of pristine lowland forest that adjoins a similarly large forest in neighbouring Johor. The combined park has two sections, with the Pahang Park Headquarters located at Sungai Kinchin Base Camp, 35 km from Kuala Rompin. This remote and rugged park of 870 km2 is mostly a wilderness, with the only infrastructure around park headquarters. Facilities here are good, with chalet accommodation, an interpretation centre, campsite, suspension bridge and an observation tower. Visitors can experience the magic of the rainforest with its towering trees, wild rivers and the 50 m-drop of Seri Mahkota Waterfall. The Rainforest Discovery Centre has an interactive interpretation display with detailed information on the park’s flora and fauna, including the giant fan palm, Livistona endauensis. Birds like hornbills, kingfishers and pheasants are just part of the 250 species recorded here. Well-prepared adventurers can head upstream to remote camping sites and mountain summits. Guided walks with a local Jakun Orang Asli are highly recommended, especially for jungle treks into the remote areas. Fishing is possible along the Kinchin and Kemapan Rivers. Tanjung Gemok, a riverside town in southeast Pahang, is the ferry departure point to the delightful tropical holiday destination of Tioman Island.
