Exploring Malaysia 
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Sarawak is heaven for nature lovers. It is famous for its numerous fabulous national parks, wildlife reserves and other natural treasures. You can choose to have a thrilling adventure holiday or a fun-filled relaxing trek in these locations.
National Parks
Gunung Mulu National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak’s only World Heritage Area, is 52,000ha of mountainous equatorial rainforest with incredible caves and a world famous bio-diversity ‘hotspot’.
Mulu possesses some of the largest and most spectacular caves in the world. The best known is Deer Cave, the World’s largest cave passage, where every evening a spectacular flight of 2 million bats stream out of the cave. Lang Cave has unique stalactites and stalagmites while Clearwater Cave has the longest cave passage in Southeast Asia. It also has a subterranean river, which is navigable by boat.
The Park has over 3,500 specialized orchids, pitcher plants, palms and gingers which include rare species only found in Mulu. There is also a large diversity of fauna species that include deer, monkeys, giant porcupine, civets, all of Borneo’s hornbills and a staggering number of insect species.
Walking trails around Mulu range from an easy wander along plank walk trails to the extremely challenging 4 day trek to the Mulu Summit and the climb to view the famous Pinnacles, the 45-metre high, razor sharp limestone spikes towering above the surrounding vegetation mid-way up the shores of Gunung Api, shaped and carved over millions of years by natural elements. The 480 metre long Mulu Canopy Skywalk offers better opportunities for observing wildlife while the ‘Night Shift’ tour with a park guide is the best way to spot animals that excel in camouflage.
Gunung Gading National Park
Gunung Gading National Park is about five minutes by road from the town of Lundu in Southwest Sarawak. Its star attraction is the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia. This park was opened to the public in mid 1994 and is a conservation zone for the rare bloom.
Batang Ai National Park
The Batang Ai National Park, which covers more than 24,000 ha is the site of the Batang Ai Hydroelectric Dam. It is also the home to Orang Utan, gibbons and hornbills.
Baku National Park
Gazetted as a national park in 1857, Bako is Sarawak’s oldest national park. It spans about 2,742 ha and is located about 37km from Kuching. Bako is one of the smallest parks in Sarawak but it is known for its extraordinary variety of plant and wildlife species. One of its main attractions is its incredible variety of fauna. Almost every type of vegetation found in Sarawak can be found in Bako.
Long-tailed macaques, silver leaf monkeys, the rare proboscis monkeys, the Oriental Small-clawed Otter, the Hairy Nosed Otter, the Borneo Bearded Pig, the Sun Lizard, the Grass Green Whip Snake, flying lemurs, pangolins and Wagler’s Pit Viper are some of the residents here. At sunset on Teluk Assam beach near the park headquarters, you will see hundreds of swifts flying around their nests near the rocks. There are also more than 150 species of birds here.
Similajau National Park
Similajau, located 20km northeast of Bintulu offers a host of activities from trekking to bird watching to coastal and river cruises. Opened to the public in 1995, the park’s wide-open spaces are perfect for seeing some of the 185 species of birds such as hornbills and eagles. There are also more than 20 species of mammals, including wild boars and macaques. Guides will show you where huge estuarine or saltwater crocodiles laze in the sun and where green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.
Niah Caves National Park
Niah Caves is best known for the discovery of prehistoric human remains dating back to 30,000 years ago. It is also one of the birthplaces of civilisation. Painted Caves is the place to go if you would like to get a closer look at prehistoric art on its walls. Even primitive tools used to harvest bird nests were found here.
The park covers more than 3,140 ha and has a big cave known as the Great Cave as well as some smaller grottos. While here you can also indulge in exploring the numerous jungle trails, visiting Iban longhouses and mountain climbing.
Niah Caves National Park is reachable by road from Miri or Bintulu. It takes about two hours to reach Batu Niah from Miri and approximately three hours from Bintulu. The final journey is a short boat ride to the park’s headquarters.
Other Natureal Treasures
Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre
The Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre situated 30km south of Kuching is a temporary home for Orang Utan primates orphaned or rescued from captivity. These highly intelligent animals are trained to live independently at the centre before they are released into the surrounding forest reserves.
Matang Wildlife Centre
The Matang Wildlife Centre is located in the Kubah National Park, 35km from Kuching. It is home to endangered wildlife species. There is also an Orang Utan training programme here which teaches the primates how to survive in the wild. In addition, the centre provides shelter for other displaced animals like sun bears, sambar deer and civets. It also houses three large bird sanctuaries that are home to sea eagles, hornbills and many other birds found in Sarawak.
Jungle trails include the Pitcher Trail (two hours), the Sungai Rayu Trail (about three to four hours), the Sungai Senduk Trail (one hour) and the Sungai Buluh Trail (two hours). There are also picnic spots, accommodation facilities, a car park, a small canteen as well as an information centre located here.
Gunung Sabis
Another important archaeological research site is Gunung Sabis, where Palaeolithic and Neolithic tools and human remains were found in 1873. Artefacts of cave dwellers from 40,000 years ago were also found here.
Jong Crocodile Farm
At the Jong Crocodile Farm, only an hour’s drive from the city you can see crocodiles up close. The Farm also houses a small zoo.
