[3][4] An argument between the Orang Asli chief Tok Batin Wok and his wife Siah caused both to separate for a month before they reconciled.

Four weeks later after their reconciliation, Bentong district officer Henry Peacock suggested that the name should be changed to Janda Baik, as janda in Malay means "divorcee" (or "widow") and baik refers to the relationship between Orang Asli chief Tok Batin Wok and his wife Siah, which improved since they reunited.

[6] In the village, there used to be an island called Pulau Santap that was located in the middle of the big stream that ran through it.

[7] It was used by the Sultan of Pahang as resting place; the word santap refers to eating in Malay language.

[3] Janda Baik started to become popular after the late Tan Sri Muhammad Ghazali Shafie, the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Malaysia, survived the Cessna 206 air crash on January 11, 1982, in Janda Baik when he was going to Kuala Lipis to attend a UMNO division committee meeting.

[9] He survived with light injuries while the co-pilot (Vergis Chacko) and his bodyguard (Charon Daan) were killed in the crash.

[12] In August 2019, villagers protested further development of ecotourism in this area that were silently implemented by authorities without the residents' consent.

They claimed that ecotourism development would erode cultural and traditional values, and disrupt the villagers' daily lives.

[3] However, there are deforestation threats due to increases in agricultural activity in this area and the proposed TNB transmission tower wiring project which was cancelled in 2015 after protests from residents over concerns of river erosion.

[13] In December 2017, a reforestation and forest conservation program was launched in Janda Baik as part of Sultan Ahmad Shah Environment Trust (SASET)'s pledge to plant 100,000 trees in state of Pahang in 2018.

[17] Most early residents made their living in agriculture through small rubber plantations and paddy (oryza sativa) cultivation mainly because Janda Baik has a rich natural network of rivers.

[24] The village is also popular for trail running due to its hilly slopes,[25] and also has a swimming pool, paintball and ATV driving.