Top Jungle Hiking Trails for an Unforgettable Adventure
- Sudipto Paul
- Oct 3
- 10 min read
If adventure is calling your name and you’re ready to answer with something new, then jungle hiking could be for you. It may be that you’ve done this before, or you may be completely new to this and ready for a new challenge. Either way, you need to make sure that you are carrying out the appropriate research before you set off on a jungle hiking trail.
There is a lot of information that you need to ensure that you are packed up for, in your jungle adventure. To ensure that you are safe, and to ensure that you are seeing some of the most incredible places around the world. But we know that researching and having to go to website after website, post after post can be a pain, so we’re here to help. We have put everything that you need to know in this article to create an all-in-one guide. Ready to get into it? Let’s go.
What defines a Jungle Hiking Trail?
A jungle hiking trail takes us on a hike through a rainforest, but it’s so much more than that. The pathway is through dense tropical forest, and can often range from marked paths to rough and difficult-to-see trails that often require the use of some kind of cutting tool. Through the jungle there will be different levels of growth, with some of it making the trail difficult to see, and therefore difficult to know what is and what is not part of the trail.
Unpredictable terrain and thick, difficult to navigate vegetation are two of the defining features of a jungle hike, highlighting the difficulty that can be experienced when attempting to navigate your way through.
Preparing for your Jungle Adventure
It’s imperative that you are preparing well for your jungle adventure. The trails themselves are already difficult enough to get through. Especially for those who are inexperienced but love a challenge, you don’t need to make it more difficult for yourself by not being adequately prepared. So, what kind of things should you be doing to prepare?
Pack the right Safety Gear
It’s imperative that you pack the right safety gear to take with you. You should ensure that you have a comprehensive first aid kit in your backpack, which at the very least should contain the following:
Bandages and tape
Painkillers
A small pair of scissors
Alcohol swabs for cleaning area with open wound
This ensures that if you do get a cut or a scrape in the jungle, you are able to clean it as soon as possible, rather than leaving it and potentially risking infection, which becomes more likely in a climate like this.
See if anyone wants to go with you
If you’re new to the jungle hiking scene, then it might be best not to go alone for your first time. You could see if a friend or family member is interested in joining you. If not, there are guides and groups that hike through these jungles, so it may be worth looking into joining one of them for their next hike.
Research Conditions before you go
Before you set off, you should research the conditions of your chosen trail and see what to expect. The more that you know about what is out there, the easier it will be for you to navigate. But, don’t get confused here, we’re not saying that it’s going to be easy even if you know what to expect, it just makes it easier than being constantly surprised.
However, the weather and the terrain of the jungle is always unpredictable, so you need to be prepared for anything as best you can.
Get all your vaccinations
We won’t lie to you, a lot of people don’t do this, but we think that it’s important for you to ensure that you are up to date on all of your vaccinations before you set off. You are going to be traveling through the jungles of foreign countries, encountering insects and vegetation of all kinds that your body is not used to being exposed to. Therefore, protecting yourself as much as possible is important.
What are the Top Jungle Hiking Trails you must Explore?
Are you are wondering - what are the top jungle hiking trails? Rest assured there are a range of different jungle trails out there, all of which are fantastic in their own way. Of course, we can’t recommend every single trail for you to try, though we do encourage you to do your own research so that you see a more extensive list than what we’re about to offer you. Having said that though, we are about to take a look at some of the top jungle trails that we think you should certainly take the time to explore.
Daintree Rainforest - Australia
There are different trails that you can follow here in the Daintree Rainforest, each convenient depending on your experience level. If you’re looking for an easy to moderate route to get you started, the Jindalba Boardwalk is ideal. If you’re looking for something a little tougher but still not very advanced, the Dubuji Boardwalk may be more suitable for you. Each of these hikes has beautiful scenery, immersed in the jungle with wildlife and vegetation.
Kalalau Trail - Hawaii
The Kalalau Trail is an eleven mile long, one way trek through various terrains and areas. You will require a permit to complete this trek as you will arrive at Kalalau Beach. This is a remote location that you cannot enter without permission. Throughout this trek you will be faced with dense jungle, waterfalls, and dramatic cliffs. It is famous for being strenuous and difficult to complete, but well worth it when you take in the scenery around you.
Note that this trail has several hazardous sections. Unstable paths such as Crawler’s Ledge and other steep drop offs make the trail extremely dangerous, and as such is not for inexperienced hikers. On top of that, heavy rain can cause flash floods, so you must be prepared for anything if you want to take on this challenging trek.
Bako National Park - Borneo
Bako National Park has eighteen different color-coded trails, with each being more suitable to different people depending on their experience and what they want from their jungle hike. Some are short, easy walks that keep close to the headquarters, with others venturing further out into the jungle and providing more of a challenge to those who are looking for one.
Depending on the trail that you decide to follow, you may end up seeing orangutans in the wild, which is an incredible experience for most.
Yasuni National Park - Ecuador
Have you ever wanted to go to the world’s most biodiverse region? If so, this is your chance. Yasuni National Park in Ecuador offers hikers the chance to fully immerse themselves in the jungle, staying in jungle lodges allowing you to experience more than just one day.
The National Park provides you with a unique opportunity to experience wildlife such as parrots, monkeys, giant otters, and the pink river dolphin which you may have never even heard of. As such, if the wildlife is a huge draw for you when jungle hiking, then this is the one to visit.
Inca Trail - Peru
The Inca Trail is a famous and ancient trek that leads you to the lost city of Machu Picchu, which we’re sure you’ve heard of. This is a four-day trek, so it is longer than a lot of trails, and you will need a permit to be able to complete this jungle trail. It’s not just rainforest that you will have to trek through to reach your destination, but also steep mountains that are tough to navigate. It’s not somewhere that we would recommend for beginners, but for those who are more experienced and want a challenge, this is certainly an achievement.
Gola Rainforest - Sierra Leone
You will be unable to complete a jungle trek on your own in Gola Rainforest National Park. Instead, you will need to join a guided tour that points out the biodiversity of the rainforest and allows you to take on activities such as birdwatching and primate tracking. Using a guide is necessary as they sort out all the permits for you, and the different trek options vary depending on experience. There are easier walks that only last a few hours and generally stick to easy to manage terrain, and there are more challenging trails designed to test those who take them on.
Wildlife to watch on Jungle Hikes
To be completely honest with you, it depends on where you are as to what animals you should watch out for while you’re completing your jungle trek. Some of the most common wildlife that you will encounter throughout the world are as follows:
Reptiles such as snakes and lizards
Sloths
Monkeys
A variety of birds
Amphibians such as different frogs
Insects
On top of that, in various locations around the world you may encounter larger wildlife that we strongly recommend you take care around. Some of these may include:
Orangutans
Tigers
Capybaras
Elephants
Jaguars
Giant otters
If there is a specific type of animal or wildlife that you are interested in seeing during your jungle trek, we recommend researching beforehand to see which destinations you are most likely to see them. This way, you can plan your trip accordingly if the wildlife is a huge draw of jungle trekking for you, more so than the trail itself.
Navigating challenges in Jungle Terrain
Jungle terrain can be extremely difficult to navigate, and it’s important that you understand as much as you can about what you might face there. It’s true to say that you can never fully know what to expect as conditions vary from day to day. However, having a well-rounded knowledge of the challenges that could be coming your way helps you to prepare, so that’s what we’re going to look at now.
Steepness
One of the usual challenges you’re going to face when in jungle terrain is the steepness of the paths and trails. It’s not just going to be a nice, flat walk, or an easy, uphill route. Some jungle treks require a lot of strength in your legs just to make it up the trail, so it’s important to be prepared for that.
Muddy and Wet Conditions can make Walking Tough
Most jungle treks are strenuous, they are difficult, and they can be dangerous due to the difficult walking conditions. Heavy rainfall is common in the jungle, and you should be prepared for the mud to be deep and difficult to walk through, meaning that you need the correct walking boots to be able to get through.
On top of that, the rain can make any paved or rocky areas especially slippery, so you must take care when on your trek.
Uneven Surfaces
As we mentioned above, the trails are not nice and easy. They are full of uneven surfaces, rocks, higher points and then massive dips, ditches and so much more. It is advisable to maintain focus ahead at all times and pay attention to your footing in order to minimize the risk of tripping or falling.
Best Times to Hike Jungle Trails
The best time for any jungle hiking trail is during the dry season. This is going to depend on the country that you’re heading to, so research the various dry seasons to give you a better idea of when the best time to book is. The good news is that the dry seasons often vary, meaning that if you can’t head to a specific trail due to poor weather, there should be somewhere else that you can go.
It is important to note that the term "dry season" does not guarantee the absence of wet conditions. Rather, it indicates that dry weather is more prevalent during this period compared to other times of the year.
Safety Tips for Jungle Hiking
Of course, one of the most essential elements of a jungle hike is safety. The last thing that you or anyone wants is to be injured or to get sick from your hike. So, safety precautions are necessary, and these are the final elements that we’re going to be discussing.
Research and Plan your Hike carefully
The first safety tip that we’ve got for you is to research and plan your hike carefully so that you know more about where you are going. You can inform someone of your chosen trail so if something goes wrong, they know where you are.
Stay on Marked Trails
Staying on marked trails is extremely important, as it reduces your risk of getting lost, and makes it easier to locate you if something does go wrong. We know that some jungle hikes are more difficult to navigate than others, but you need to do your best to not deviate from the trail, to avoid potential problems.
Dress appropriately
You must dress appropriately for your jungle trek. You are going to be faced with insects and mosquitoes in large quantities, a lot of which bite. It’s a good idea to wear long sleeve shirts and pants to make sure that you are completely covered from head to toe. Hats with insect shields are also extremely helpful for protecting your face and neck.
Ideally, you will also have some sort of insect repellant sprayed on you, and over your clothes, to try to ward off as many as you can.
Ensure you take Water with you
This last point we cannot stress enough: you must take enough water with you. Try not to drink from any water sources on your jungle hike, as this can be potentially extremely dangerous. The water, in its untreated form, is likely full of things that you do not want to be ingesting. As such, you should pack enough water for the trip, giving yourself enough to drink throughout the day so that you don’t end up with health conditions such as dehydration or heatstroke, both of which can be fatal in the jungle.
You can take inputs from fellow trekkers or locals about any safe natural sources of water, out in the wild. Besides, this article might help you in evaluating the drinkability of, or treating such water.
Hopefully, you have found this article helpful and now have a better understanding of all the information that you need concerning jungle hiking trails. We want you to have the best time ever, and we’re sure that you want this too, which is why every piece of advice that we’ve given here is crucial to follow.
We hope that when you do finally get out on your jungle adventure, you love it as much as you think you will, and that you head back to various places around the world to explore the jungles, rainforests, and everything that the world has to offer.
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