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Unless you're in a real hurry to get to either coast, consider a trip on the jungle railway which winds through the valleys and round the sandstone hills from Mentakab in southern Pahang to Kota Bharu, 500km to the northeast, with useful stops at Jerantut and Kuala Tembeling , both access points for Taman Negara, and at Kuala Lipis , close to Kenong Rimba park. The line was completed in 1931 and runs at a snail's pace (it is seldom less than two hours behind schedule) along valley floors where trees and plants almost envelop the track. It's a great way to encounter rural life, as for the Malays, Tamils and Orang Asli who live in these remote areas, the railway is the only alternative to walking. The most common approach to the jungle railway from KL is to take a bus to MENTAKAB (every 30min from Pudu Raya; 2hr 30min), less than 100km east of KL. To reach the train station walk from the bus station south onto the main road, Jalan Temerloh, and bear left for 50m to a big junction. Turn right, walk another 200m and watch for a narrow road on your right, marked to the train station - a fifteen-minute walk. There are numerous budget hotels on Jalan Temerloh which you'll reach if you carry on walking eastwards. The cleanest is the London Cafe and Hotel, 71 Jl Temerloh (tel 09/277 1119; $5-10), which has neat, basic doubles with attached bathrooms. A few doors away on a side street leading south is the Hotel Hoover, 25 Jl Moh Hee Kiang (tel 09/277 1622; $5-10), which has smaller and more expensive doubles than the London, but also offers single-room rates.
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