To fabricate vapor grown carbon fibers and mesophase pitch reinforced Al matrix (VGCF/MP/Al) composites, porous VGCF/MP with high porosity was fabricated using the spacer method. Carbonization and electroless Ni plating were carried out on porous VGCF/MP to improve its thermal conductivity (TC) and wettability with Al matrix, respectively. In addition, VGCF/MP/Al composites were manufactured using a low pressure infiltration method at 0.1 MPa. The effect of volume fraction of VGCFs on the interface between VGCF/MP and Al matrix, and the reactivity of the Al matrix to the Ni plating were investigated. The composites with 0.5 vol% of VGCFs showed a bonded interface between VGCF/MP and Al matrix. The bonded interface can be attributed to the improved wettability between VGCF/MP and Al matrix from Ni plating, resulting in the good bonding seen between VGCF/MP and Al matrix. At the interface of this sample, an intermetallic compound, Al₃Ni, formed from the reaction between Ni and Al. Furthermore, the thermal conductivities of the fabricated porous VGCF/MP and VGCF/MP/Al composites were determined.