Within Taman Negara and on its fringes live several communities of Orang Asli — the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia. The Batek, a semi-nomadic group related to the Semang peoples, have inhabited this forest for tens of thousands of years and consider it their ancestral home.
Visits to Orang Asli communities can be arranged through licensed guides based at Kuala Tahan. These typically include demonstrations of traditional skills — blowpipe use, fire-starting with bamboo, and identifying forest plants used for food and medicine. The visits work best when treated as cultural exchange rather than a spectacle: take time to listen, ask questions, and buy handicrafts directly from the makers. Avoid tours that present communities as museum exhibits.