Jungle hiking (or jungle trekking) is one of the best experiences for the adventurous traveller and, although there are many great places to do it, these are 10 of the best destinations to go to.
Best Destinations For Jungle Hiking
There are so many possibilities for jungle hiking in the world it would take forever to list them all but this is a rundown of some of the better places to go jungle hiking.
Some of these I have been to myself and some are others recommended by friends who have been there.
Kelabit Highlands – Borneo
The Kelabit Highlands in Borneo are very remote to get to and are located on the Malaysian side of Borneo Island just on the border with the Indonesian side.
There are quite a few jungle hiking routes there that you can do. It’s best to show up and ask local advice on where to go. You can hire a local guide when there.
You will hike through lush jungle forest and can meet some of the local tribes from the region.
Khao Sok National Park – Thailand
Thailand is a great destination for travellers and has some popular treks in the northwest of the country that takes you to waterfalls and the hill tribes.
However at the less visited Khao Sok National Park is where you can find some of the best jungle hiking in Thailand. These hikes are less strenuous than more hardcore jungle hikes in the likes of Borneo but are still a great adventure to have.
The added bonus here is that you also have the option to go canoeing and rafting around the jungle area.
You can do a long day jungle hike or spend a few nights in the jungle.
Kokoda Track – Papua New Guinea
If you’re looking for an epic and hard jungle trek to do, then the Kokoda Track is for you.
It’s a trek that is 96 kilometres going the overland way, not the direct route and traverses across mountains.
The other great thing about this hike is you get to see local tribal people.
Chitwan National Park – Nepal
Nepal is best known for its mountain trekking, but if you head to the south you will find a hotter steamy side to Nepal, especially at Chitwan National Park where you can go jungle hiking and try to spot wildlife on the way.
Visiting Chitwan and doing jungle hikes there was one of my favourite experiences in the Asian subcontinent.
Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda
Rwanda is a great place in Africa to go jungle hiking especially because you can do a hike to see Gorillas in the wild.
Although the hike to see the gorillas is just a day trip it’s an experience you won’t forget.
This is one of the best shorter jungle hikes you can do.
Virunga National Park – Congo
The Virunga National Park goes along with the Rwanda recommendation as it’s just across the border.
This option though adds a bit more adventure than the Rwanda one as the Congo gets less visitors and feels more remote and rougher than Rwanda.
Monteverde Cloud Forest – Costa Rica
Costa Rica, if fact Central America in general, is one of the best places in the world to do a jungle trek as much of the area is covered in jungle.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest is a great jungle hiking destination in Central America and one of the most beautiful jungle/rainforest environments you can get to relatively easily.
Daintree Rainforest – Australia
The Daintree Rainforest in the northeast of Queensland in Australia is the oldest surviving rainforest in the world.
There are also nearby white sand beaches and coral reefs to explore along the various tracks you can choose from.
Harapan Rainforest – Indonesia
The Harapan Rainforest is located in the north of Sumatra in Indonesia and is a beautiful biodiverse region with a lot of wildlife.
It’s also home to endangered orangutans and you can enjoy long day hikes in the jungle or arrange longer trips with staying a number of nights in the jungle area.
Machu Picchu Jungle Hike – Peru
Machu Picchu is one of the most impressive sites in South America and is a famous place to hike to in Peru. Most people do the regular hike there, but there is also the option to do a jungle hike as well.
I’m putting this option last as it’s less of a “jungle hike” than the others as there is much more mountains involved, but it’s such an epic hike to one of the most impressive ruins in the world that I added it here.
It takes around 4 days to do this hike.
Just be aware that the Peruvian government only grants a certain amount of permits per year for hiking to Machu Picchu, so check as far ahead as possible if you want to do this hike.
If you don’t want to jungle hike to Machu Picchu you can do a day tour there from Cusco or stay overnight. Recommended tours:
Jungle Hiking Advice
The general rule for jungle hiking is to be prepared with the right gear.
Depending where you go, one of my personal recommendations if you’re planning ahead and have access to buy some then get some leech socks if you’re expecting leeches on the jungle hike, which is most likely going to be the case.
This is an obvious one, but make sure you drink a lot of water when jungle hiking. Take water purifying tablets or a water filtration system.
Be aware of the environment you’re in and always ask local advice on the particular conditions that you will face.
Where possible it’s highly advisable to take a local guide, not only for safety reasons, but also you will get a more in-depth knowledge of the terrain you are in and the wildlife you will experience.
Jungle Hiking
Those are some of the ultimate destinations for jungle hiking (or trekking, whatever you choose to call it) in the world.
Enjoy whichever one you choose!
For more adventure check out my adventure guides.
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