Gunung Gading National Park

ACCOMMODATION:
1) FOREST LODGE (TYPE 5) 3 rooms (1 double bed-room 1) (2 single bed-room 2 & 3) Shower and toilets attached. Air-conditioned & Fan RM150 per lodge

2) FOREST HOSTEL 4 rooms (2 double bunk bed each) Shared bathroom and toilets. Fan only. RM15.00 per bed or RM40 per room

3) CAMPSITE (tent not provided) Shower room & toilets only 10 sites available. RM5 per person per night.

NATIONAL PARKS & WILDLIFE BOOKING OFFICE
(Sarawak Tourism Complex, Jalan Tun Abang Hj. Openg) TEL: 6 082-248088 FAX: 6 082-248087

ONLINE BOOKING: http://ebooking.com.my

URL: www.sarawakforestry.com OR www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my

Permit: To stay overnight, permit will be issued during accommodation booking.
No permit issued for the day-trippers and entrance fee to be paid at the Park's entrance.

Foods : No restaurant in the park, but all type of accommodations are equipped with cooking utensils, cutlery and barbeque pit. Basic needs like refrigerator and electric kettle are also provided. Lundu bazaar is the nearest place to shop for groceries.
Rafflesia Blooming Inquiry 082-735714 (Gunung Coding NP) 082-248088 (NP Booking Office)

ACCOMMODATION IN GUNUNG GADING NATIONAL PARK

The HQ is fairly small and consists of an information centre, toilet blocks and accommodation facilities.

There is no canteen at the park HQ. Overnight visitors can either head into Lundu for food or bring their own provisions.

CAMPING IN GUNUNG GADING NATIONAL PARK

Rm 5 per person.
For those prefer camping, the Gunung Gading National Park has ten official camp sites equipped with showers and toilets for Rm 5 a night per head. Mosquitoes are a problem!

LODGES IN GUNUNG GARDING NATIONAL PARK

1- Forest hostel longhouse-style units offer four fan rooms with double-bunk beds each for Rm40 per room or Rm15 per bed.

2- Forest Lodge 'Type 5' is more suitable for travelling in a larger group. Forest Lodge house can accommodate up to six people for a total of Rm150 RM per night.

ATTRACTION OF GUNUNG GADING NATIONAL PARK

From the park head quarter, visitors venture into various park features:

1- Waterfall - 1 hour
2- Gunung Gading Summit - 3 hours
3- Gunung Perigi - 5 hours
4- Batu Bakubu - 6 hours

On a series of jungle trails visitors walk pass clear jungle streams.

1- Waterfall trail offers the shortest walk, winding its way up through the forest past a series of waterfalls. It takes about one hour to reach the last one, Waterfall No. 7.

2- Gunung Gading Summit trail is 3-4 hours one way. (6-8 hours return). You'll need to be fit for the other trek as it involves serious hill walking. You must return the same day, as overnight stays in the forest are not permitted.

4- From the summit you can opt for a side trek to Batu Bakubu, which was a former communist camp during the insurgency. Further information about these treks can be obtained from the Park HQ.

Gunung Gading National Park
Head Quarter : Tel: 082-735714
National Parks & Wildlife Office in Kuching : Tel: 082-248088

SARAWAK FORESTRY
Tel: (+6) 082 610088 Fax: (+6) 082 610099
Toll free line: 1 800 88 2526
Website: www.sarawakforestry.com
Email: info@sarawakforestry.com
Gunung Gading National Park
Tel : (+6) 082 735144 Fax : (+6) 082 735715

Gazette as a National Park In 1983.

Located in Lundu District and is about 1 1/2 hours drive from Kuching city.

The park consists of rugged mounted peaks - Gunung Gading (the highest point at 906 meters), Gunung Perigi, Gunung Sebuluh and Gunung Lundu. These mountains provide a scenic backdrop to the nearby beaches at Pandan and Star.

There are numerous rare plants in the park, the most notable being the Rafflesia tuanmudae (bunga pakma) which is reputed to be the world's largest. It was discovered by the 19th century Italian botanist, Odoardo Beccari and named in honor of the 2nd White Rajah, Tuan Muda Charles Brooke.

The Rafflesia can grow up to 1 meter in diameter. When in bloom, the flower gives off nasty smell which attracts flies and other insects. It takes 9 months to mature and flowers for only 4-5 days before dying. There is no specific season.

In order to protect the Rafflesia, there is a plank walk built close to where the flower is found. The park wardens also take visitors on guided walks to the flower that are blooming deeper in the forest.

Call the Park HQ at 6082-735714 or the National Park Booking Office at 6082-248088 to check out if any flowers are about to bloom or in full bloom. Peak period is from the month of November, December and January.

Other attractions in the park include a series of challenging jungle trails and a number of waterfalls with excellent bathing spots.

Gunung Gading is home to the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, which can grow up to one meter in diameter. When in bloom the flower gives off a nasty smell which attracts flies and other insects. The Rafflesia has no specific season, taking nine months to mature and flowering for only 4 or 5 days before dying.

Gunung Gading was only opened to the public in mid-1994, after extensive environmental impact studies. Previously it was used solely as a conservation zone for the Rafflesia. The emphasis is still on conservation, and the National Parks agency have taken measures to allow visitors to view flowering Rafflesia without damaging young Rafflesia buds and other plants. There is a plankwalk close to where Rafflesia are commonly found, and if a plant is flowering deeper in the forest, the park rangers may be able to take you on a guided walk to the site. Please take care; the small brown buds that you see on the forest floor may be Rafflesia, so tread carefully and follow the park ranger's instructions. Guiding fees are RM 20 per hour (per group).

Owing to Rafflesia 's rarity and brief flowering period, timing and luck are important. The park staff usually know when a plant is about to bloom. Visitors can check with the park HQ (Tel: 735714) or the National Parks and Wildlife Booking Office in Kuching (Tel: 248088) to find out if any plants are about to bloom or already in bloom. Although flowers generally bloom throughout the year, November, December and January can be regarded as the peak flowering season as the frequency of blooms is high.

Seeing a blooming Rafflesia is certainly the highlight of a trip to Gunung Gading, but the Park and the whole Lundu area are well worth visiting anyway. The rugged mountain peaks that make up the Park provide a scenic backdrop to the nearby town of Lundu, and the nearby beaches at Pandan and Star. Gunung Gading also has some enjoyable walks and a challenging jungle trek.

The Gunung Gading National Park, gazette in 1983, covers an area of approximately 4,106 hectares in the Lundu area, north-east of Kuching. It features a complex of mountains rising into several peaks, the highest being Gunung Gading, (906 meters) from which the park derived its name. Numerous waterfalls tumble down in series in the upper reaches of the Lundu River creating an idyllic jungle setting, in the cool shade of the rainforest.

• PLANNING AN ITINERARY

The park is ideal for day trips but visitors may even find its tranquil setting irresistible enough for overnight stays.

Call the National Parks office in Kuching and find out if the Rafflesia is in bloom and follow the guided walk through the Rafflesia site. Extreme care must be taken during such walks in order to protect the precious blooms and it may be necessary to keep your excitement under control!

You may, however, give way to your excitement at the cascading waterfalls and rippling streams. Swim to your heart's content in the cool clear waters and then laze awhile on the shady fern covered banks.

The scenic beaches at nearby Siar and Pandan are great for swimming and leisurely picnics. So make it a point to include it in your itinerary when you're in these parts.

• FLORA AND FAUNA

Sarawak is also the home to the world's largest flower, which measures up to a meter across. Take a 02 hours drive to the district town of Lundu. Upon arrival, take a plank walk to the area where the flowers are found. Park rangers will monitor on the progress of the buds and know when one is about to bloom. Usually, one will have to phone up the park to find out in order to avoid any disappointment.

The area abounds with numerous rare plants, the most notable being the Rafflesia tuanmudae (bunga pakma). This magnificent flower, reputed to be the world's largest, measures almost a meter in width, when in full bloom! There is no specific flowering season and once in bloom it only lasts a few days.

When you reach the park the staff will tell you if a Rafflesia is blooming and where it is located in the forest. Near the park HQ there is a plank walk that leads through an area of the forest where Rafflesia's are commonly found. Brown cabbage-like buds of various sizes can normally be seen here. Some of the larger ones have chicken wire cages over them to offer protection from wild animals and falling branches. If a Rafflesia is flowering in this area you do not need a guide and can just follow the plank walk until you find the flower. If the Rafflesia is situated deeper in the forest the park warden will take you on a guided walk to the site. You will pass through some beautiful rainforest scenery and may have to cross some small jungle streams before you reach the flower. When you finally arrive you can not fail to be impressed by the sheer size, color and beauty of the Rafflesia.


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