Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 491

to sign up for walks, and there are colourful, detailed
displays on the park's history, flora and fauna.

from longhouse to longhouse along
mountain trails and enjoying Kelabit
hospitality as part of homestays. here are
no banks here, so bring plenty of cash in
small denominations.

ACCOMMODATION
There are several types of accommodation here: a dorm,
chalets and bungalows belonging to the park and basic
guesthouses along the road from the airport and just
outside the park entrance. Reserve accommodation inside
the park in advance as it fills up fast; prices include a
decent breakfast. Camp 5 is only for hikers doing the
Pinnacles (RM160 including boat ride).

Bario
Bario is the main settlement, consisting
of around a dozen small villages spread
out all over the valley. You can visit the
Bario Asai longhouse , a traditional
dwelling where some of its older residents
have earlobes distended down to their
shoulders due to wearing heavy brass
earrings. Not far from the longhouse is a
monument dedicated to British Major
Tom Harrisson who did a parachute drop
here behind the Japanese enemy lines in
1945 and lived in Bario after the war. It's
also possible to hike up nearby Prayer
Mountain (2hrs each way) for wonderful
views of the valley. Jungle treks can be
arranged through your accommodation.

6

PARK ACCOMMODATION
Chalets Two chalets wit h two spacious rooms each,
a/c and hot showers. From RM180
Garden Bungalows The swishest option in the park,
with room for up to three p eople; s pacious, attractive a/c
rooms and shaded porches. RM230
Hostel There's a large twenty-bed dorm in the hostel
with ceiling fans, shared bathrooms and lockers at extra
cost. RM45
Longhouse Rooms Ten rooms that can sleep up to
four people, with ceiling fans and attached bathrooms.
From RM180

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The tiny airport is linked to Miri by twice-daily
MASWings Twin Otter flights (though these flights are
very weather-dependent). The eight-person planes have
a checked luggage allowance of 10kg and 5kg carry-on.
Passengers are weighed before departure.

ACCOMMODATION OUTSIDE THE PARK
D'Cave Homestay T 012 872 9752. The last guesthouse
before the turn-off for the park, this homestay gets rave
reviews thanks to the warmth and hospitality of its
owners, Rob ert and Dina, and th e excellent home-cooked
meals. Dorm RM35 , room RM60
Mulu River Lodge T 012 852 7471. Family-run accommo-
dation consisting of a 30-bed, fan-cooled dorm and a couple
of basic rooms. Ele ctricity from 5.30-11.30pm. Right outside
the park entrance. RM40 per person

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Guesthouses and longhouses offer room and board. The
options below have patchy wi-fi.
Bario Asal Lembaa Longhouse T 014 590 7500 or
T 014 893 1139, E [e-mail]. Longhouse

EATING
Café Mulu The on-site park café serves a good mixture
of Malay and international food; mains from RM10. Daily
7.30am-9pm.
Sweetwater Bar & Restaurant Part of the Mulu River
Lodge , this unpretentious place serves basic Malay dishes
of noodles and rice (RM10) washed down with cans of
beer (RM10). The local paku (edible fiddlehead fern),
lightly sautéed with garlic and fish sauce, is an excellent
accompaniment to any meal. Daily 8am-10pm.

PICNIC WITH THE PENAN
If even the Kelabit Highlands are not
remote enough for you, you have the
option of staying with the last of Borneo's
nomadic Penan who live near the
Indonesian border and can be reached
from the Kelabit Highlands by jungle trek
and boat. The website W picnicwiththe
penan.wordpress.com caters to those
interested in learning about traditional
Penan culture, with jungle treks, camping
and survival training thrown in. This can
be arranged via Alternative Adventure
Borneo (see box, p.482); it helps if you
speak some Malay to get the most out of
the experience.

KELABIT HIGHLANDS
Sitting between the Indonesian border
and the Gunung Mulu National Park,
the KELABIT HIGHLANDS are inhabited by
the Kelabits and the main attraction of
this still-remote park of Sarawak is hiking