One of the few places that has been getting some bird watching attention is none other than the highland village of Bakelalan in Sarawak, Borneo. This is my Bakelalan birdwatching trip report for serious bird watchers, which was done in November 2018.

First, Bakelalan or Ba’Kelalan is a village of the Lun Bawang tribe located in the northeast highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is also in the district of Lawas, which can be easily accessed from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah or Miri in Sarawak.

Getting here is quite a challenge, but then again, not complicated. However, for bird watchers or photographers, you can fly or even drive overland, passing the famous Paya Maga Wetlands.

Bird Watching Trip Report For Bakelalan

Birding in Bakelalan is combined with some adventure and the fantastic outdoors.

My birdwatching expedition here was a cross-border initiative involving the Sarawak Tourism Board and the Borneo Bird Club from Sandakan, Sabah. It was more of a birdwatching inspection trip to initiate cross-border birdwatching tourism between Malaysia and Borneo.

Our journey started from Lawas, where the Borneo Bird Club flew into Miri from Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. Then, we caught a MasWings flight into Lawas. I was the only one who flew in from Kuala Lumpur into Miri and then caught a similar flight into Lawas. We all met to continue our journey overland using a couple of 4×4 off-road vehicles.

Bukit Demaring view point, on the way to Bakelalan.

From Lawas, it takes around five to six hours to travel overland through old logging roads, which is not bad considering we left as early as 7 AM and reached Bakelalan by 1 PM. Along the way, we made a couple of stops to admire the majestic view of the Maligan Highland Range, which is highly recommended for anyone using this route.

One particular stop is the Bukit Demaring viewpoint, where you can see the beautiful highland orange stretch as far as your eyes can see. Another main stop was lunch at a small licensed logging camp, where a local cafe served coffee, tea, noodles, and even rice.

The signboard at the entrance of Payeh Maga IBA in Lawas.

Payeh Maga IBA in Sarawak

Along the way, we passed the much-talked-about bird-watching spot Payeh Maga, an Important Bird Area or IBA. Paya Maga was designated as an IBA in 2010, and it is here that you can spot the endemic Black Oriole, which many birders want to see or photograph.

For this trip, we did not go bird-watching in Paya Maga, as our mission was to explore Bakelalan and its surroundings. Hence, we stopped to take photos of the entrance area only.

I (the writer) am attempting to make some natural salt at the Bakelalan Salt Factory.

Visiting the Bakelalan Salt Factory

As we approached Bakelalan village, we stopped at the Buduk Bui Salt Factory, which is recommended for anyone wanting to see how the local highland salt is processed. Bakelalan is home to several natural salt wells, and the natural saltwater is pumped into a processing hut, where it is boiled over a wood fire until the salt is formed.

This part of the trip was more about understanding what the Lun Bawang people do in the highlands. Again, the locals here are a farming and agricultural society; hence, visiting the Bakelalan salt factory when you are here is good.

The village of Buduk Nur is seen from a nearby hill in Bakelalan.

Buduk Nur Village in Bakelalan

We arrived in Buduk Nur around 2:00 PM, the main village in Bakelalan, where the small airport is located. There, we met our host and bird guide, Cikgu Sang, or Teacher Sang, a school teacher.

After meeting his acquaintance, we adjourned on foot to his beautiful home, smack in the middle of the village. His wife, Julia Sang, welcomed us, and we were treated to some home-cooked food.

Stories about bird watching filled the air while many questions were thrown at Cikgu Sang, namely about one elusive bird: the Dulit Frogmouth (Batrachostomus harterti). This is the one endemic bird that can only be seen around Bakelalan, and many bird watchers and photographers from around the world come here to see this nocturnal bird.

On our arrival day, we just hung out at Cikgu Sang’s lovely home, settled into our simple and comfortable rooms, and prepared for the following day of bird watching.

Birding from the local roads around Bakelalan with Andrew Saini, Cede Prudente, CK Leong and David Tseu.

Day One – Birding in Bakelalan

When we started early in the morning, we took two 4WDs to a hillside road at a higher elevation overlooking Bakelalan. This was supposedly a new road linking Bakelalan to Bario, the sister village. Reaching our stop, we gradually went on foot and checked the birds in the canopy tops. Several spiderhunters, flowerpeckers and mid-sized birds were spotted.

The walk was easy as it was downhill, and the cooling weather made it fun. This is one of the plus points of bird watching in the highlands. In the afternoons, we chilled out at Cikgu Sang’s beautiful homestay, exchanging birding information and having casual talks.

A Black and Crimson Oriole perched behind some leaves.

Come 4:00 PM, we head out to one of the most common sites where the Dulit Frogmouth is usually spotted. This site is about a 10-minute drive from the main village of Buduk Nur. After the sun sets, our callings start, and we wait excitedly. No response, and we call again. Still no reply, and after about 30 minutes, we moved to another spot to repeat the call.

Well, Cikgu Sang mentioned that the Dulit Frogmouth may be nesting or with a baby; hence, it may not show up. Thus, we decided to call it a night and head back.

The trek up and down Pa’ Sarui Hill in Bakelalan. Buduk Nur is in the distance.

Day Two – Birding in Bakelalan

On day one, we started early with the trucks, and this time, we went to Pa’ Sarui Hill and its vicinity. This is also where the famous Bakelalan Owl House is located. The journey here involves walking through paddy fields and then crossing a small stream, which leads to the beautiful, stand-alone wooden house.

Once you reach the Owl House, a trail from the back leads you up to Pa’ Sarui Hill, which doubles as one of Bakelalan’s best viewpoints.

Owl House in Bakelalan.

Several birds were spotted along the trek up, while fewer birds were at the peak. But as a bonus, the majestic view was breathtaking, especially in the late morning. The trail up is considered medium, but I would not recommend it if you have knee or walking issues. Please take note of this before going to Pa’ Sarui’s viewpoint.

The journey up the hill, spotting some birds and seeing the fantastic scenery,, was good enough for our group. By lunch, we had gone back down and headed back to Cikgu Sang’s home, and after that, we were invited over next door to see the last traditional Lun Bawang Longhouse, which was quite an experience.

Crossing streams to look for the Dulit Frogmouth in Bakelalan.

Day Three – Birding in Bakelalan

Our final day of birding saw us return to our original spot from day one to see if we could spot one of the much-sought-after birds: Hose’s Broadbill. With luck on our side, a couple did show up after some calls, but they landed in the thick bush; hence, we managed to spot them through our binoculars.Due to the thick bushes, luck was not on our side when it came to bird photography. However, we were pleased to learn that they were, in fact, there. Our night session was the final, where we went out to look for the Dulit Frogmouth. This time, Cikgu Sang took us deep into a secluded area, crossing three streams and doing a bit of trekking.

The journey to seek the Dulit Frogmouth in Bakelalan.

Reaching the spot, we set up the gear, waited for dusk, and started calling. Within minutes, a response was heard in the distance. The Frogmouth calls were closer but high up in the canopy when it got pitch dark. Luck was not on our side, as we still could not spot it with multiple calls from the Frogmouth. But it was just there, about 10 meters up in the canopy.

Well, I can say that the Dulit Frogmouth is found in Bakelalan, and it doesn’t mean you will be guaranteed to spot it. One theory was that it was the breeding season; hence, they don’t show themselves. My next trip to Bakelalan will guarantee that I will seek this endemic bird of Borneo, which is spotted in several places around Bakelalan.

An Ashy Drongo spotted in Bakelalan.

List of Birds Spotted in Bakelalan

Below is our checklist of birds we spotted in Bakelalan over the three days of exploring these beautiful highlands of Sarawak.

1) Hose’s Broadbill
2) Black and Crimson Oriole
3) Oriental Honey Buzzard
4) Bat Hawk vs Rhinoceros Hornbill
5) Bornean Bulbul
6) Bornean Leafbird
7) Cinereous Bulbul
8) Bornean Barbet
9) Black-Thighed Falconet
10) Whitehead’s Spiderhunter
11) Boobook
12) Whiskered Treeswift
13) Yellow-Vented Bulbul
14) Blue-eared Kingfisher
15) Cattle Egrets
16) Barn Swallows
17) Eurasian Tree Sparrows
18) White-Breasted Woodswallow
19) Chestnut Hooded Laughing Thrush
20) Temminck’s Sunbird
21) Red-Necked Phalarope
22) Little Cuckoo Dove
23) Verditer Flycatcher
24. Mountain Serpent Eagle
25. Mountain Barbet
26. Blue-eared Barbet
27. Little/Malaysian Bronze cuckoo
28. Dusky munia
29. Chestnut Munia
30. Spotted Dove
31. Grey-rumped treeswift

A male Scarlet Minivet with an insect catch.

The female Scarlet Minivet is photographed with another insect nearby.

As a bonus, during our birding, we did manage to spot some mammals, which are listed below;

1) Tufted Ground Squirrel
2) Whitehead’s Pygmy Squirrel
3. Bornean black-banded squirrels

The location of Bakelalan in Sarawak.

Where Is Bakelalan?

Bakelalan is a highland village in the Maligan Range northeast of Sarawak, Borneo. It is also the closest town to the border of Kalimantan, Indonesia.For the locals, Bakelalan is nearer to Miri, Lawas, or even Brunei. From Kota Kinabalu, it will take about 9 hours to drive there, while from Bandar Seri Begawan, it will take less than seven hours.

Spotting birds in Bakelalan, Sarawak.

How Long to Spend in Bakelalan for Bird Watching? 

It is a common question that birders ask, and most think they can just travel in and out of this part of Sarawak. The optimum time to spend in Bakelalan for bird watching would be four days and three nights. This will ensure that you get to spot the birds that you came for.

While many birders will also want to spot the Black Oriole, the trip will be divided into two sections: one at Paya Maga and the other at Bakelalan for the Dulit Frogmouth.

Kevin from the Sarawak Tourism Board and Rona Sultan from Heart of Borneo Tours do weight checks at the Lawas Airport check-in counter.

How To Get To Bakelalan? 

The best way to get to Bakelalan in Sarawak is to fly into Lawas and then from Lawas to Bakelalan. This journey will require you to take two or three planes.Please note that there are only two or three flights from Lawas to Bakelalan per week; hence, you need to time your flights for the trip to Bakelalan.

Flying From Kuala Lumpur: Fly into Miri (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia), connect to Lawas with MasWings, and from Lawas, connect to Bakelalan with MasWings.

Flying From Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: Fly into Miri (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia), then connect to Lawas with MasWings, and from Lawas, connect to Bakelalan with MasWings.

Driving back to Lawas from Bakelalan is a long journey, but worthwhile in many ways.

Driving to Bakelalan

This would be a more accessible but time-consuming option, as you may spend around 10 hours traveling from Miri, Brunei, or Kota Kinabalu. However, driving allows you to stop, enjoy the local lifestyle, and even do ad-hoc bird watching.

Some bird watchers may prefer to do it this way, as you can also stop at the famous Paya Maga IBA, spending the night at the Merarap Hot Spring Resort.

• Driving from Kota Kinabalu: From KK, you go south and pass Sipitang to the Sindumin Checkpoint. From there, drive to Lawas town, which is around a four—or five-hour drive to Bakelalan using the old timber roads from Lawas. The total time without checkpoints and stops from Kota Kinabalu is seven Hours, but we are looking at around a nine-hour drive with checkpoints and stops.

• Driving From Brunei: From Bandar Seri Begawan, you drive to the Tedungan Immigration Post, then head to Limbang town, and to Ujung Jalan, then to the Mengkalap ICQ, and then to Lawas. From Lawas, it’s a 4 to 5-hour drive to Bakelalan. The total driving time from Bandar without checkpoints and stops is 6.5 hours, but with visits and so on, it will take 8 to 9 hours.

• From Miri: Head to Sungai Tujuh Checkpoint, then to the Tedungan Immigration Post, head to Limbang town, and to Ujung Jalan, then to the Mengkalap ICQ, and then to Lawas. From Lawas, it’s a 4 to 5-hour drive to Bakelalan. The total time without checkpoints and stops from Miri: Eight hours drive, but realistically, it will take 10 to 12 hours.

Our cross-border team with Cikgu Sang (4th from right), Julia Sang (3rd from right), with Rona (Right)

Conclusion

Bakelalan is one of Sarawak’s hidden birdwatching destinations, and it is slowly getting some recognition for the endemic birds found there. Serious bird watchers have started coming here since 2015, and more birders have been making their way here over the last few years.While accessibility may not be commercially feasible, it makes the entire birding experience more memorable. I have also written an article about the many things to do in Bakelalan when you are there. With some of the notable Sabah birdwatching guides exploring this destination, it is now easier for them to attract bird watchers who want to experience birding in Sabah and Sarawak.

Hopefully, this Bakelalan birdwatching trip report will provide additional information about this exotic birding destination. A huge thanks go out to the Sarawak Tourism Board for making this happen.

I would also like to thank Cikgu Sang and his beautiful wife, Julia Sang, for their kind hospitality during our stay there. I would also like to thank Rona Sultan from Heart of Borneo Tours for making our trip smooth and memorable.

If you have questions, please ask them in the comment form, and I will do my best to answer them. You can also follow my Malaysia birding website, Birdwatching Asia, for more birdwatching information and reviews.