The whole region of Southeast Asia is littered with amazing temples and incredible buildings of all kinds. It is though, nature’s work that is at its best here. Some of the natural beauty of the region is simply breathtaking. Nowhere is this more perfectly demonstrated than in the Gunung Mulu National Park on the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is breathtakingly beautiful and is known for its famous karst formations and caves. The park takes its name from Mount Mulu, the second highest mountain in Sarawak, one the two Malaysian states on the island.
The caves are as big as they are beautiful and in one of them, Gua Nasib Bagus you will find the Sarawak Chamber, the largest single cave chamber in the world. So vast that 40 Boeing 747 Jumbo jets could be parked on its floor surface, without the wings overlapping. It is an incredible 2300 feet long and 1300 feet wide. The ceiling towers 230 feet above you. The whole park is full of amazing caves just waiting to be explored.
The park also has an amazing abundance of flora and fauna. No less than eight species of hornbill live here. Twenty seven species of bat, possible as many as 3.5 million individuals, occupy many of the caves. The beautiful Malaysian Sun Bear inhabits parts of the park as do the long tailed macaque, gibbons, and squirrels. The famous mouse deer is also here as is the small barking deer. Also the vulnerable, and therefore protected, Horsfield’s Tarsier is to be found in the forests. With regard to the flora that is distributed throughout the park, are a large number of flowering plant trees and fungi.
The area is popular among trekkers who come to the park to enjoy the amazing scenery, clean air and incredibly diverse wildlife. The limestone Karst features here are among the finest examples of pinnacles in the world. Some of these tower 150 feet into the air, their edges sharpened by millions of years of erosion.
This is an extremely remote area and anyone wishing to get here really only has two options. It is possible by river and the more determined and adventurous choose this route. A river boat will take you from Miri, it is about 60 miles. Then you will have to charter a long boat to complete the trip. The journey by river takes about 12 hours and up until 1991 was the only way in. However a small airport was built in 1991 and travellers can now fly in from Miri, Kuching and Kota. It is a trip well worth taking. The park has managed to retain its great sense of adventure. Tourism has been sensibly managed and accommodation is available at The Gunung Mulu National Park Headquarters, The Royal Mulu Resort, Benarat Lodge and in homestays.
