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Bako National Park in Sarawak

Bako National Park in Sarawak

bearded-pig-drinking Bako National Park in Sarawak

I’m honored to be given an opportunity here at Malaysia Asia’s blog to introduce you to the splendor of Bako National Park, the oldest rainforest land in Sarawak.

Leaving the hot and busy city of Kuching behind you, the world grows quiet as waves gently lap the sides of your boat.

Within twenty minutes, in the distance, you see the majestic rock formations that frame the beach at Teluk Assam at the threshold of Bako National Park.

As your feet touch the mud-colored sands, I invite you to gaze at the rocks and allow your mind to wander; you might make out a shape that resembles an iguana’s head.

Delight in the vibrant and rugged work of nature and remember that you are truly in Borneo, on the fringe of rainforests that have been here for hundreds of millions of years.

Bako National Park Sarawak

When you are in the Bako National Park, you will almost certainly want to experience one of the Park’s exhilarating jungle treks, preferably with a knowledgeable guide (check with the park’s ranger for available guide).

After an afternoon clambering over rocks and alongside rushing waterfalls and meandering jungle streams, you will understand that Bako National Park is not for the faint-hearted, though with plenty of boardwalks and ladders it is still an ideal way to introduce yourself to the jungle. 

green-viper-bako-national-park Bako National Park in Sarawak
 A green viper is seen at the park
If you want a more gentle introduction, I suggest you take the Paku trail as this is comparatively short and flat, ending on a beautiful beach.

Then you might be tempted to take on the testing Limau trail but be warned, some travelers have become too exhausted to complete the walk and the boat pick-up from Limau beach is not necessarily reliable, especially during rough weather.

proboscis-monkey-bako-national-park Bako National Park in Sarawak
 Proboscis Monkey at Bako
Delightfully compact, I think of Bako National Park as a place where nature has delicately interwoven a variety of different ecosystems for you to enjoy and marvel at.

Where else on Earth could you weave through the eerie twisted roots of Mangrove forests, perhaps catching a glimpse of the iconic proboscis monkey, at one moment while, in the next, you are hiking through the scrub-like padang or along the beach.

In fact, every type of vegetation to be found in Borneo can be experienced somewhere in this 27 square kilometers of the park, including some varieties of carnivorous plants, such as the deadly pitcher which can be seen along the Lintang trail.
Wildlife abounds here; if you’re attentive you might see the monitor lizard up on its hind legs, surveying its domain.

You are almost certain to see squirrels scurrying among the branches and Bako National Park is also home to the rare bearded pig.

I would highly recommend staying overnight, since it at dusk that the wildlife really seems to come out. Do not forget to opt for the night jungle trekking too which is offered by the park itself. 

green-viper-bako-sarawak Bako National Park in Sarawak
Snakes at Bako
If you would like to explore some of the more distant beaches, I would recommend booking or look out for, one of the many boats around that provide services during busy periods.
Before leaving this ancient wonder behind you, I suggest taking in the sunset over Teluk Assam, delighting in the sight of hundreds of hovering swifts, while contemplating the impressive backdrop of nearby Mount Santubong.
Lastly, if you have ever heard that Sarawak is the land of mysteries, Bako National Park will reveal half of its mysteries, and the remaining second half is waiting for you to explore the many places around here. 
How to Go to Bako National Park?
Take Petra Jaya Bus No. 6 from Bus Stop No. 1 at Jalan Market (next to the open-air market, opposite Electra House) to Kampung Bako. The bus departs every hour from 7.00 am in the morning.

Bus fare is at RM3 per person, and the journey will take approximately 40 minutes to arrive at Bako Market at Kampung Bako. You can also charter a taxi that will cost you around RM30/RM40 for a one-way transfer from Kuching to Kampung Bako.

At the Bako National Park Jetty, purchase the park entrance ticket (cost RM10 per person) there, and the personnel there will help you to get the boat. You will expect to pay RM47 to the boatman for one way transfer to the park HQ.

Max load for the boat is five persons, and remember to ask the boatman to come back to the park again to pick you up on the last day of your trip.

Conclusion

For nature lovers, Sarawak offers a very wide selection of national parks and forest reserves where you can trek and explore, and the Bako National Park is one of the most popular.

This Bako National Park article was also written by Lester Sim of Annah Rais Longhouse in Sarawak, Borneo, as he shares his passion for nature and culture of Sarawak. 

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comments user
corporate travel management

I'm not really a fan of reptiles but still they drive tourists because it is a sign that they got a rich biodiversity.

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Thanks C.T.M. One of the perks of being in a Tropical country.

comments user
Luxury Safaris

I visited the Bako National Park as a "safari" virgin, though I was not dissapointed, the animal life is astounding and the environments are very pleasing on the eye. I would recommend Bako National Park to animal purists

comments user
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy

This sounds like a fantastic place for wildlife lovers.

comments user
jamie – cloud people adventures

the wildlife looks great. jungles are the most fascinating places. love the snake photos!

comments user
Jeremy Branham

Love the photos and the Bako National Park sounds awesome! However, this is driving me nuts ever since I clicked on this post. I've look at it 10 times already – what in the world is that creature in the first photo?!

comments user
Sophie | Sophie’s World

Seems like a beautiful park. Now to get to Borneo…

comments user
The Travel Chica

Now that is a strange looking monkey!

comments user
Laurel

Would love to go to Bako National Park. I've always wanted to see a proboscis monkey in the wild.

comments user
eileen ludwig

Wow, nice photos. For some reason, I never think that other countries have national parks, how silly of me

I can do without the snakes thought

Eileen

comments user
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista

I'm sold! This looks amazing although the snakes are scary. Sounds like a fantastic national park. I had never heard of it before and appreciate you sharing it.

comments user
robin

Some serious photography to be had here!

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Lux Safaris – You're absolutely right about the wildlife here. Stunning.

Scott – It sure is. Just that it needs more promotion for the wildlife lovers.

Jamie – You should make a trip here some day to experience it first hand.

Jeremy – Hahaha, that's a Bearded Pig, one of the rare types found in Southeast Asia. Cool huh?

Sophie & Laurel – When you do, please let me know.

Travel Chica – The proboscis monkeys are indeed the strangest monkeys found ONLY in Borneo.

Eileen – Yups, when I travel, I try to make it a point to see other countries zoos or national parks. Many different creatures to be found too. Interesting ones as well.

Debbie – This is just one of the types of snakes. There's a whole load of different ones which are not featured.

Robin – Thanks so much. Credit goes to Lester as he explored and pictures all these lovely animals.

comments user
Rajasthan Tours Operator

its very nice and beautiful park i like this a lot so awesome

comments user
Aninhas

I'm travelling to Malaysia in 3 weeks, and I really wanted to visit one National Park.
I really wanted one Park i could also do an elephant ride.
There are so many national park that it's not easy to choose one!!Which would you advise?
Thank you
Sofia

comments user
Malaysia Asia

sorry Sophia, the only place where you can do an elephant ride is at Lancang, at the Elephant Conservation. All other parks are protected. If you want to see Elephants in the wild, I suggest Tabin or Kinabatangan over in the East Coast of Sabah Borneo.

comments user
Gee

Hello!
I'm currently in Kuching and we planned to go to Bako National Park tomorrow. Hopefully we will be able to experience the nature as described by you. 🙂 And we also went to Anna Rais hotspring today, it was a unique and lovely place.. 🙂

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Hello Gee, glad you're headed there. Just be prepared for some serious trekking at the Lintang Trail. Also, look out for the resident Bearded Wild Boar 🙂

comments user
WoabaBlog

A cool and informative post and some cool photos, especially the pot-bellied pig photo.

I was lucky enough to visit Bako National Park a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. A few other backpackers were there on a day trip but I stopped overnight and I would definitely recommend staying overnight if you want to increase your chances of seeing more wildlife.

This is my review of my visit to Bako:
Travel: Bako National Park (Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo)

comments user
Unknown

So nice realty photos Botswana Safari

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