Uncover Bako’s natural wilderness
A short drive from the city buzz of Kuching transports you into a wildlife wonderland. Spanning only twenty-seven square kilometres, Bako (Sarawak’s smallest National Park) packs a real punch and allows you to see much of Borneo’s biodiversity in just a day.
The honks and roars of proboscis monkeys fill the air, their distinctive noses and pot bellies hidden amidst the jungle foliage. A rustle of leaves could herald a bearded pig on the ground, a monitor lizard snaking its way through the undergrowth, or a flying lemur leaping across the boughs. Explore crocodile-inhabited mangrove swamps, heath forest and towering cliffs, or simply head to one of the many beautifully deserted beaches, coves and bays that fringe the National Park.
Immerse yourself in Sarawak’s oldest National Park…
Walk a series of guided trails through the forest as the calls and cries of birds and monkeys fill the air.
Watch harems of proboscis monkeys play as the dominant male keeps a watchful eye.
Explore mangrove swamps on winding boardwalks, keeping a lookout for estuarine crocodiles.
Marvel at the dramatic limestone formations, including sea stacks that rise from the sea like ancient sculptures.
Feel the warm sand between your toes as you relax on isolated beaches and bays.
Spot silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, bearded pigs, flying lemurs, and a variety of birdlife including hornbills, kingfishers, and the occasional solitary eagle.
Day trip or overnight?
Thanks to its proximity to Kuching, Bako can be explored on a day trip, with transfers by road and boat taking just an hour. For those who want to extend their stay and enjoy sunset and sunrise hikes, there’s basic chalet accommodation available within the park itself.
Guided trails
The varied ecosystems of the park – mixed dipterocarp forest, mangrove forest, beach vegetation, cliff vegetation, heath forest, grasslands, and peat swamp forest – are all accessible via an extensive network of trekking trails and plank walks. Your local guide will ensure that you follow the best trails for your fitness and interests.
Some of the most popular trekking trails are:
Telok Pandan Kecil - leading to a small beach.
The Lintang loop - winding through nearly all the Park’s different habitats.
Telok Paku - passing through beach and cliff vegetation.
Telok Delima - taking in dipterocarp forest and ending in the mangroves.
Wildlife
For many, the proboscis monkeys are the Park’s biggest draw, with their distinctive features and the sheer exuberance with which they leap from branch to branch. Also making acrobatic leaps are flying lemurs, silver-tailed monkeys and macaques. The jungle air is often filled with primates’ howls, whoops, and cries.
Monitor lizards and estuarine crocodiles can be seen lurking in waters or winding their way along the forest floor, and a rustle of leaves may announce the presence of a bearded pig nearby.
Bako is also a paradise for birdwatchers, with a wide variety of bird species, such as hornbills, kingfishers, and eagles, making frequent appearances.
A taste of Bako in 90 minutes…
Let us take you on a quick virtual walk…
In just an hour and a half, the trek to Telok Pandan Kecil transports you through many of the Park’s highlights. Hike through beach vegetation into dense mangrove forests before making a short ascent through the welcome shelter of dipterocarp forest. This gradually thins out as the terrain plateaus to heath forest, and then becomes scrubland where only bushes and ground orchids survive.
Yet below the cliffs lies another world altogether; look down to see an idyllic beach framed by the famously photogenic sea stack near Telok Pandan Kecil. That’s six different ecosystems in no time at all. And that’s why we love Bako.
