Bako National Park

a little tropical beach all to myself

Sunday, March 9, 2008

......I had a little tropical beach all to myself. No other people, no macaques stealing things. I'm like Robinson Crusoe..........

......I put my camera down, set the self-timer, and took a picture of me there........

......Then I went for a swim. The water was cloudy because of the river outlet there, but it was still pretty, and warm, and a nice way to recover from sweating myself silly on the trail. It's a very slow slope there, so I had to walk a long way to get to waist-deep water.

You Gonna Eat All That - Malaysia
http://malaysiatrip2008.blogspot.com

Treks And Trails in Bako National Park

Bako has an extensive trail system of 18 color-coded jungle trails offering a range of walking and hiking options. The adventures can opt for full-day jungle hikes with overnight camping expeditions, whilst other prefer to take an easy and relaxing forest walk.

No.

Trail Name

Trail Length

One Way Time & Distance From HQ

Tanjung Sapi

0.5 km

30 minutes (0.8 km)

Telok Paku

0.8 km

1 hour (1.2 km)

Ulu Assam

0.8 km

1 1/4 hours (1.4 km)

Telok Delima

0.25 km

45 minutes (1 km)

Telok Pandan Besar

0.75 km

1 hour (1.75 km)

Telok Pandan Kecil

1.5 km

1 1/2 hours (2.5 km)

Serait

1.25 km

1 1/2 hours (2.2 km)

Lintang

5.25 km

3 1/2 hours return

Tajor

2.75 km

2 1/2 hours (3.5 km)

Tanjung Rhu

1.8 km

2 1/2 hours (4.2 km)

Bukit Keruing

2.25 km

3 1/2 hours (5.5 km)

Paya Jelutong

0.2 km

3 1/2 hours (5.7 km)

Bukit Gondol

2 km

4 1/2 hours (7.7 km)

Ulu Serait

2.75 km

3 hours (4.8 km)

Telok Sibur

0.8 km

3 1/2 hours (5.3 km)

Telok Limau

5.75 km

7 hours (10 km)

Telok Kruin

1.5 km

7 1/4 hours (10.5 km)

Pa’ Amit (Lakei Island)

1.0 km

30 minutes (from Base)

Tanjung Sapi

A short but steep climb through cliff vegetation. Takess about 30 minutes. Excelllent views of Telok Assam, the South China Sea and Santubong.

Telok Paku

Takes about one hour and passes through cliff forest before reaching a small sechuded beach. Proboscis monkeys are often seen during seen during early morning or late afternoon. Move slowly, keep quite as possible and listen out for strange grunts or movements in the canopy.

Ulu Assam

Passes at after through swamp forest and a flat section where proboscis monkeys are sometimes seen. At the 'Beware of the Bees' sign, the trail climbs steeply and at times you must hang on tree roots to keep your balance. At the top you are rewarded with breathing views of Bako's coastline.

Telok Delima

One of the best trails in the park for spotting proboscis monkeys and only 45 minutes from the Park Office. As the Lintang trail bears right and climbs a hill you are in prime proboscis territory. Listen out for strange grunting noises or the crash of vegetation. If you hear something, stop as quite as possible and scan the forest. Try to 'follow' the strange noise with your eyes. If you are lucky you may see a harem of proboscis monkeys.

Serait

This trail takes about one half hours and ends at the park boundary. It is not frequently used and is somewhat secluded. Good for seeing some of Bako's rainforest giants.

Telok Pandan Kecil & Telok Pandan Besar

The one and half hour trek to Telok Pandan kecil is one of bako's most popular. It ascends the forested hills overlooking Telok assam, reaching the plateau covered in scrub vegetation and continues along a sandy path lined with carnivorous pitcher plants before reaching a cliff top with stunning view of the sechluded bay below the famous sea stack just offshore. A 10 minutes descent through cliff vegetation brings you to one of the beaches in the park. Whilst swimming, watch out for monkeys who steal unguarded bags. The Telok Pandan Besar trails ends at a cliff top with views of the beach below.

Tajor

The Tajor passes scrub and padang vegetation and ends with a steep climb down to a small beach. Take a hat as the sun can be quite fierce on the exposed sections of the trails. The trail also passes the Tajor Waterfall, a popular resting spot. The waterfall is quite small (and best after heavy rain) but it has a beautiful jungle setting and a small dip pool. From the park Office it takes about two and half hours to rich the waterfall.

Tanjung Rhu

This trail branches off the Tajor trail and leads across open country to the rocky Thu peninsula and a small headland where you can see wave-cut platform and rock pools. From the Park Office, it takes about two and a half hours or 45 minutes from the Tajor junction.

Ulu Serait

This trail connects the Lintang trail with the Bukit Gondol hill walk. It is deep inside the park and passes through scrub, padang vegetation and swamp forest. From the Lintang junction to the base of Bukit Gondol is about one and a half hours.

Bukit Gondol

This semi-circular loop trail passes over Bukit Gondol the highest point in Bako at 260 meters. From the top of the hill there are excellent view of Pulau Lakei and Muara Tebas. The loop trek takes about 45 minutes.

Paya Jelutong

This trail is actually a short cut for those who do climb Bukit Gondol. Although it is a very short trail it offers the opportunity of seeing fresh water swamp forest. The most dominant species in the area is Jelutong a softwood used for making pencils.

Bukit Keruing

This trail connects Bukit Gondol with Tajor and passes some mighty rainforest giants. It passes along the slopes of Bukit Keruing, the second highest point in bako. From Paya Jelutong to the Tajor Waterfall takes about one and a half hours.

Telok Sibur

A fully trek. From the Park Office it take about three and half hours to reach the end of Telok Sibur trail, first following the Tajor trail to the waterfall. Continue along the main trail for another 45 minutes until you reach a junction and the start of the Sibur trail. after a very steep 45 minutes descent, a walk through the mangrove and a wade across a river you finally reach the longest beach in Bako.

Telok Limau

This is Bako's long distance trail, six or seven hours from the Park Office to the small beach at Telok Limau. You pass through rich rainforest, scrub land and swamp forest, cross small and climb a number of hilly sections affording excellent views of the whole Muara Tebas peninsula. You can camp at Telok Limau and return the next day or arrange for a boat to pick you up.

Telok Keruin

being so far fro the Park Office, the Telok Keruin trail is used. It is usually done as a side trek from Telok Limau, the first section is a 15-20 minutes climb through the forest until you reach a scrub section. You must then trek for another 25 minutes before you reach the Telok Keruin trail. shortly after the junction the trail descends to an area of scrub vegetation. Look out for pitcher plants that line the side of the trail. There are four short side-trails which lead to the Bukit Keruin lookout, a small rock pool, the Muara Tebas lookout point and the Tanjung Keruin and Tanjung Po view points. The last section of the trail is a very steep descent to a mangrove forest. The trail then continues through the mangroves. Look out for the marks on the trees which show the way to the deserted beach, one of the best in the park.

Pulau Lakei

This small island has a superb white sand beach. The National Parks Department has a small guard house located on the island. trips to the island can be arranged with your boatman. There are some mysterious rock paintings just a short walk fro the beach.

This is Sarawak's oldest national park, established in 1957 and is about 37km from Kuching City, accessible by road and seafaring craft. Popularly known for its abundant varieties and contrast in natural sceneries, habitats, vegetations and also rare wildlife.

A guided tour of this park will enable you to appreciate a splendid range of flora and fauna, including vegetations such as the carnivorous pitcher plants, wild orchids etc. Wandering through its mangrove forest, it is easy to sight crowd of long-tailed macaques and silver leaf monkeys, monitor lizards,
squirrels, bearded wild boars, mouse deer and the rare long-nosed proboscis monkeys (can only be found in Borneo).

Undoubtedly, this park is a superb place for nature lovers and eco-minded tourist. The various secluded sandy bays also offer a fascinating spot as swimming ground. Otherwise, pamper yourself with the
stunning views at sundown.

For the adventurous, sample the experience of trekking through some of their jungle trails before return to the city.

Take a stroll at sunset on Telok Assam beach near the park Head Quarter, you will see hundreds of swifts hovering around their nests at the rocks at the far end of the beach. Don't leave the beach after the sun disappears behind Mount Santubong. Wait another 20 minutes as the sky's colors often change dramatically, providing a colorful backdrop to the mountain.

Type of Accommodation	Facilities	Rate per night	No. of units
Forest Lodge, Type 5	2 rooms with three single beds each. -Non-airconditioned. -Fan only. -Shared bathroom and toilet.	RM100+ per room or RM150+ per house.	7
Forest Lodge, Type 6	2 rooms with two single beds each. -Non-airconditioned. -Fan only. -Attached bathroom and toilet.	RM50+ per room or RM75+ per house	2
Forest Hostel	4 rooms with four single beds each. -Non-airconditioned -Fan only. -Shared bathroom and toilet.	RM15+ per bed or RM40+ per room	3
Camp site*	Public bathrooms and toilets.	RM5 per person	18

Note : No cooking facilities in Bako Accommodation. There is a canteen that provide meals to the visitors.

Bring drinking water with you. In case you didn't, filtered water safe for drinking also available at the information/reception office: see photo below.

Thought no cooking utencil provided, each hostel has a kitchen with electric kettle provided for you to boil drinking water. A refregirator also available to store your food.

The beaches are bordered by limestone and sandstone cliffs. Sea waves have left some remarkable rock formations.

This Sarawak's oldest national park is known for extraordinary variety in its natural scenery, habitats, plant life and wildlife. Its most significant features include secluded coves and rugged rocky headlands with magnificent steep cliffs carved by weathering and erosion over millions of years. The sea spray, wave action and the wind have carved out magnificent sea arches and sea stacks at the base of the cliffs, some rearing above the waves like a mighty serpent's head. The attractive sandstone formations appear as pink and iron patterns on the cliff faces.

A National Park since 1957, Bako offers the perfect introduction to Sarawak's forests and wildlife. The park covers the northern tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula, an area of 27 sq km. Despite its seemingly small size, Bako contains a wide range of vegetation - swamp forest, scrub-like padang vegetation, mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate cliff vegetation and more. In fact, at Bako it is possible to see almost every type of vegetation found in Borneo. Bako also contains a rich variety of wildlife and a coastline covered with small bays, coves and beaches.

The park has a number of well-marked trails offering interesting walks ranging from short pleasant strolls to serious full-day hikes. Unlike some national parks, visitors to Bako are almost guaranteed to see wildlife. Long-tailed macaque monkeys and silver leaf monkeys are ever present, wild boar are often found rummaging around the park HQ, squirrels and monitor lizards are also common. There is every chance of seeing the rare and unusual proboscis monkeys on trails such as Telok Paku and Telok Delima, particularly if you go late afternoon. You are more likely to see wildlife if you quietly follow the trails and keep listening. For example, you'll probably hear the crash of vegetation before you are able to locate a proboscis monkey high up in the forest canopy.

Bako's plant life is both beautiful, and readily accessible. All the trails have a great variety of vegetation, from mighty 80-metre dipterocarps to dense mangrove forest. Carnivorous pitcher plants are found on the Lintang trail. Bako also has some good white sand beaches that provide perfect resting spots in between jungle treks. Telok Pandan Kecil is perhaps Bako's best beach. After an hour or so the Telok Pandan Kecil trail comes to a rocky headland. The view down to a beautiful secluded bay, and the thought of a swim in the cool waters, has a magical effect on tired calf muscles. The following 20 minute descent suddenly becomes more enjoyable.

At any given time some of Bako's long distance trails are temporarily closed to trekkers. This is done for conservation reasons so that an area is left totally undisturbed for a fixed period of time. Please check with the National Parks & Wildlife booking office if you wish to know which particular trails are closed.

The Park HQ: Upon arrival visitors must register at the Park HQ. There is an information centre, canteen and shop at the Park HQ. The information centre shows films and slide shows on Bako's wildlife, and has full details of all the trails and what to look out for. The canteen serves a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals (fried rice, noodles etc.).

The Village - Kampung Bako

Kg Bako is a few minutes walk from the bus drop off point.

At the makeshift wooden shacks that line the narrow lane leading to the jetty, freshly caught marine as well as brackish fish and prawns are offered for sale. Huge white prawns cost only RM15 a kg.

Next to the jetty is Bako Seafood Restaurant which serves chili crabs and butter prawns. Every evening, diners come from as far away as Kuching to sample its specialties.

Accommodation: Bako is very popular, especially at weekends, so it is advisable to book accommodation well in advance. Prices shown exclude 5% government service tax. All rooms have fans. Accommodation consists of 'Type 5' Forest Lodges (2 rooms with 3 single beds each, shared bathroom) at RM 150 per house or RM 100 per room; Type 6' Forest Lodges (2 rooms with 2 single beds each, attached bathroom) at RM 75 per house or RM 50 per room, and Hostel Rooms (4 beds) at RM 40 per room or RM 15 per person. The Campsite is RM 5 per person.

• HOW TO GET to Bako National Park

First from Kuching City take a bus or taxi to Kampung Bako village. Then by boat to the park head quarter.

1) From Kuching by taxi to Kampung Bako. Then take a 30-minute boat ride to the Bako Park HQ at Teluk Assam. Taxi fare is RM 35 one-way

There are Petrajaya bus No.6 and regular minibuses to Kampung Bako fishing village. From there you have to charter a boat to the Park HQ from the booth at the jetty.

2) Or by minibus from Kuching to Kampung Bako (Rm3.00 37km about 1 hour) follow the 30-minute boat ride across Sg. Santubong river.

Then by boat from Kampung Bako to Bako National Park

At the boat jetty in Kampung Bako village , there is a visitor registration counter to pay Entrance fee RM10 per person.

The park-approved boats are there waiting for passenger. The one-way transport is RM40 per boat for 5 to 6 persons. If you do not want to wait for the boat to be full you can charter the whole boat for own self for RM40. The boat ride is an adventure in itself, with the skilled and experienced boatmen riding the surf at high speed, to the delight of most visitors.

No fixed departure time of the boats from the village to the park. The boats are operate by villagers who are ready at any time convenient to you.

Coming back :

If you have to wait at Kampung Bako for a bus, or for the tide to rise, there is a good seafood restaurant near the jetty that also serves snacks and drinks.

How to make accommodation at Bako National Park :

1) Make a call to Kuching office 082-248088 and give the following detail:

a) the date you want accommodation in Bako

b) the number of person require accommodation

c) what type of accommodation (for example Forest Hostel)

d) you full Name, Address and IC number (or passport for non Malaysian)

2) The friendly reservation officer (usually a lady) will ask you to wait for a minute while checjing the availablity of room then will give you the following reply :

a) Confirm that accommodation is available and give you a reservation number. (Keep the number)

b) Tell you the total amount payable. (You only pay when you arrive Kuching Park Office in Old court house at the end of Water Front. Give your reservation number and show you ID)

c) They will remind you to pay the Park Entrance fee of Rm 10.00 per person when you arrive at the park entrance. This Rm10.00 is not inclusive in the accommodation fee.

So congratulation, accommodation is reserved for you and now waiting for you to arrive Kuching.

The next thing to plan now is hoe to get to Bako PArk from your Hotel in Kuching to Bako.

Be careful of the monkeys - they are compulsive thieves.

• FLORA AND FAUNA

The lush vegetation represents 7 ecosystems ranging from the mixed dipterocarp forests of the lowlands to the desert-like scrub of the plateau. A common plant found in abundance is the Dischidea rafflesiana, a slender climber bearing both typical leaves and special expanded hollow leaves. Ants reside within these hollow leaves and leave their excreta as nutrients for the plant, perhaps in exchange for lodging! Others include sundew, bladderwort and the notoriously carnivorous pitcher plant.

The Proboscis monkey (orang Belanda) unique to the Borneo riverine forests is significantly present here. Easily distinguished by its enormous cucumber like nose, it is not uncommon to find the male of the species lording it over a harem of some ten mates or so! The silver languor with the punk- like hairdo are very shy primates, feeding primarily on leaves. Their young are easily distinguished by their bright orange color. Other in habitants of the park include the long-tailed macaques, bearded pigs, leopard cats and giant lizards such as the tree monitor, water monitor and the attractively marked skinks.

• PLANNING AN ITINERARY

There is so much you can see and do within this park.

• If birds are your "cup of tea", try a spot of bird watching. A suitable place is Teluk Assam. With over 50 varieties reportedly residing within the park, you are bound to be able to observe the antics of a few.

• Go on night walks and you just might be lucky enough to spot a few nocturnal creatures as they come out to forage for food. That is if you are quiet enough and not be so indiscreet as to let your presence be known! Watch out for flying lemurs, mouse deer, civets and bats. It might be easier to spot the frogs from their loud croaking and also the equally uninhibited cicadas.

• There are also clearly marked jungle trails in a system covering some 19 miles throughout the park. These take you through the lowland forests and up the hills for fantastic views of the headland, bays and beaches below. This is a good opportunity for a close observation of the different species of vegetation. Check out how the tree roots do their bit towards checking erosion from the heavy rainfall!

• Trek up to the Tajor waterfalls for a leisurely picnic amidst the roar of the waterfalls and then take a dip in the irresistibly inviting cool clear waters. The trail ends with a steep descent to the beach.

• Get away from the usual crowd and camp at picturesque Teluk Limau. Then proceed to explore Teluk Keruing with its marvelously secluded freshwater pond-a haven in the wilderness.

• ACCOMMODATION

There is a range of accommodation facilities within the park to suit different requirements.

Lodge

• 2 semi-D two-roomed units (with 2 beds per room)

• 5 two-roomed units (with 5 beds per room)

• 2 two-roomed (with 3 beds per room)

Hostel

• 3 four-roomed units (with 4 beds per room)

Tents

• Camp site

• Camp fly

The famous Sea Stack - Craft by the sea waves.

The famous Sea Stack - Craft by the sea waves.

ENQUIRIES

National Parks Booking Office (Kuching)
Sarawak Visitor Information Centre
Jalan Masjid 93400 Kuching
Tel: 082-248088
Fax:082-256301