Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WESTERN SARAWAK
From Tanjung Datu National Park at Sarawak's far western tip to Bako National Park
northeast of Kuching, and inland to Annah Rais Longhouse and the Batang Ai Region,
western Sarawak offers a dazzling array of natural sights and indigenous cultures. Most
places listed below are within day trip or overnight distance of Kuching.
Bako National Park
Occupying a jagged peninsula jutting into the South China Sea, Sarawak's oldest
national
park
( at Bako Bazaar 082-431336, at park HQ 082-478011;
www.sarawakforestry.com
;
adult RM20; park office 8am-5pm)
is just 37km northeast
of downtown Kuching but feels like it's worlds away. It's one of the best places in Sarawak
to see rainforest animals in their native habitats.
The coast of the 27-sq-km peninsula has lovely pocket beaches tucked into secret bays
interspersed with wind-sculpted cliffs, forested bluffs and stretches of brilliant mangrove
swamp. The interior of the park is home to streams, waterfalls and a range of distinct eco-
systems, including classic lowland rainforest (mixed dipterocarp forest) and
kerangas
(heath forest). Hiking trails cross the sandstone plateau that forms the peninsula's backbone
and connect with some of the main beaches, all of which can be reached by boat from park
HQ.
Bako is notable for its incredible biodiversity, which includes almost every vegetation
type in Borneo and encompasses everything from terrestrial orchids and pitcher plants to
long-tailed macaques and bearded pigs. The stars of the show are the proboscis monkeys -
this is one of the best places in Borneo to observe these endemics up close.
Bako is an easy day trip from Kuching, but it would be a shame to rush it - we recom-
mend staying a night or two to really enjoy the wild beauty of the place. Getting to Bako by
public transport is easy.
