Top National Parks in Sarawak

Sarawak is home to diverse national parks. Here are some of the best of them.

2 min readFeb 27, 2019By Theodora Sutcliffe

Boats line up along the river in a lush rainforest ecosystem in Sarawak in Malaysia

Hi, I'm Theodora!

A freelance writer and recovering nomad, Theodora divides her time between Britain and Bali. With bylines including CNN, BBC, the Guardian, Discover, Lonely Planet, and National Geographic Traveler, she’s working on a book, still blogs once in a while at EscapeArtistes.com, and spends far too much time on Twitter.

The Malaysian state of Sarawak is home to some of Borneo’s finest national parks, with the oldest established in 1957. Some of the state’s 14 parks are within easy reach of the capital, Kuching; others require traveling deep into the rain forest. If you’re looking to explore Borneo’s unique ecosystems, here are your best bets.

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Mulu National Park

Soaring cliffs at Mulu National Park.Photo Credit: michel arnault / Shutterstock

A UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural beauty, Gunung Mulu repays the flight from Kuching with vast caves, jagged rock pinnacles, tranquil streams, underground rivers, and pristine rain forest. The sight of hundreds of thousands of bats streaming out of Deer Cave has to be seen to be believed.

Matang Wildlife Centre

Wildlife at Matang Wildlife Centre.Photo Credit: Denys.Kutsevalov / Shutterstock

Orangutans are found on just two islands in all the world: Borneo and Sumatra. At the Matang Wildlife Centre, carved out of Kubah National Park just 40 minutes’ drive from Kuching, rescued or injured orangutans undergo rehabilitation to return to the wild—enabling you to get up close and personal with these great apes.

Bako National Park

The nature's special at Bako National Park.Photo Credit: gualtiero boffi / Shutterstock

Sarawak’s oldest national park, Bako National Park sits on a peninsula not far from Kuching but remains one of the best parks in the state for spotting mammals. Expect to see Borneo’s signature long-nosed proboscis monkeys as well as long-tailed macaques, and keep your eyes peeled for flying lemurs and bearded pigs.

Gunung Gading National Park

Intriguing flora at Gunung Gading National Park.Photo Credit: Herrieynaha / Shutterstock

The star attraction at Gunung Gading National Park, about an hour and a half’s drive from Kuching, is the Rafflesia, the notoriously stinky, 3-foot-wide (1-meter-wide) flower that’s the world’s largest. Whenever one is in bloom, rangers will lead visitors to it, while there are also some pleasant mountain hikes to be had.