Page 29 - Sarawak-Visitors-Guide-2014v1
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Bako’s remoter beaches. The boat ride is an adventure Gunung Gading was only opened to the public in mid-
in itself, with the skilled and experienced boatmen 1994, ater extensive environmental impact studies.
riding the surf at high speed, to the delight of most Previously it was used solely as a conservaion zone
visitors. For many people, this is where Borneo really for the ralesia. The emphasis is sill on conservaion,
starts! If you have to wait at Kampung Bako for a bus, or and Sarawak Forestry have taken measures to allow
for the ide to rise, there is a good seafood restaurant visitors to view lowering ralesia without damaging
near the old jety that also serves snacks and drinks. young buds and other plants. There is a plankwalk
close to where ralesia are commonly found, and if a
Batang Ai Naional Park plant is lowering deeper in the forest, the park rangers
Batang Ai Naional Park is part of the region’s largest should be able to take you on a guided walk to the site.
Please take care; the small brown buds that you see on
trans-naional protected area. The 24 sq km park the forest loor may be ralesia, so tread carefully and
adjoins the Lanjak-Enimau Wildlife Sanctuary in follow the park ranger’s instrucions. Guiding fees are
Malaysia and the Bentuang-Karimun Naional Park in RM 30 per hour (per group).
Indonesia, forming a 10,000 sq km sanctuary for over
1,000 orangutans as well as other endangered species. Owing to the ralesia’s rarity and brief lowering period,
The park is only 15 km iming (and luck) are important. The park staf usually
know when a plant is about to bloom. Visitors can check
upriver from Batang Ai with the park HQ (Tel: 735144) or the Naional Parks
Hydro Lake, and ofers and Wildlife Booking Oice in Kuching (Tel: 248088).
good possibiliies of Although lowers generally bloom throughout the
seeing wild orang-utans year, November, December and January are the peak
for visitors who are
lowering season as the frequency of blooms is high.
prepared to spend some
ime trekking in the area. The ralesia may be Gunung Gading’s main atracion,
The park does not ofer any visitor accommodaion or but the park is well worth visiing anyway with some
canteen faciliies so it is best explored via organised enjoyable walks and a challenging jungle trek. The
treks hosted by local Iban communiies. Waterfall trail ofers the shortest walk, winding its way
Borneo Adventure work together with communiies up through the forest past a series of waterfalls. It takes
about one hour to reach the last one, Waterfall No.
in the Ulu Ai to ofer a variety of treks around the 7. You’ll need to be it for the other trek, the Gunung
fringes of the park, including their renowned Red
Gading Summit trail (3-4 hours, one way) as it involves
Ape Trail, where the chances of seeing wild orang- some serious hill walking. You must complete the trail
utans are highest, although no guarantees are ofered. the same day, as overnight stays in the forest are not
However, evidence of their presence, such as old and permited. From the summit you can take a side trek
fresh nests, are almost always encountered. Trekkers to Batu Bakubu, which was a former communist camp
must be reasonably it, and are required to play their during the insurgency. Further informaion can be
part in conservaion by recording sighings and nest obtained from the Park HQ.
locaions on portable GPS devices. Tel: 245175, www.
borneoadventure.com. Accommodaion: The HQ is fairly small and consists of
Gunung Gading Naional Park an informaion centre, toilet blocks and accommodaion
faciliies. There are two Type 5 Forest Lodges (RM
Gunung Gading is home to the world’s largest lower, 150), a hostel (RM 40 per room, RM 15 per bed) and
a campsite (RM 5). There is no canteen at the park HQ.
the ralesia, which can grow up to one metre in
diameter. When in bloom the lower gives of a nasty Overnight visitors can head into nearby Lundu for food
smell which atracts lies and other insects. The ralesia or bring their own provisions.
has no speciic season, taking nine months to mature
and lowering for only 4 or 5 days before dying. Geing There: Gunung Gading is 5 minutes drive
from the small town of Lundu in Southwest Sarawak.
Kuching tour operators can arrange tours. Independent
travellers should take CPL Bus K26 from Kuching Sentral
to Lundu. From there, take a taxi or white bas sewa to
the park HQ.
Kubah Naional Park & Matang Wildlife Centre
Kubah Naional Park is an easy and enjoyable day
trip from Kuching. Situated on a small sandstone
plateau, this small park (2,230 ha.) boasts crystal clear
20
in itself, with the skilled and experienced boatmen 1994, ater extensive environmental impact studies.
riding the surf at high speed, to the delight of most Previously it was used solely as a conservaion zone
visitors. For many people, this is where Borneo really for the ralesia. The emphasis is sill on conservaion,
starts! If you have to wait at Kampung Bako for a bus, or and Sarawak Forestry have taken measures to allow
for the ide to rise, there is a good seafood restaurant visitors to view lowering ralesia without damaging
near the old jety that also serves snacks and drinks. young buds and other plants. There is a plankwalk
close to where ralesia are commonly found, and if a
Batang Ai Naional Park plant is lowering deeper in the forest, the park rangers
Batang Ai Naional Park is part of the region’s largest should be able to take you on a guided walk to the site.
Please take care; the small brown buds that you see on
trans-naional protected area. The 24 sq km park the forest loor may be ralesia, so tread carefully and
adjoins the Lanjak-Enimau Wildlife Sanctuary in follow the park ranger’s instrucions. Guiding fees are
Malaysia and the Bentuang-Karimun Naional Park in RM 30 per hour (per group).
Indonesia, forming a 10,000 sq km sanctuary for over
1,000 orangutans as well as other endangered species. Owing to the ralesia’s rarity and brief lowering period,
The park is only 15 km iming (and luck) are important. The park staf usually
know when a plant is about to bloom. Visitors can check
upriver from Batang Ai with the park HQ (Tel: 735144) or the Naional Parks
Hydro Lake, and ofers and Wildlife Booking Oice in Kuching (Tel: 248088).
good possibiliies of Although lowers generally bloom throughout the
seeing wild orang-utans year, November, December and January are the peak
for visitors who are
lowering season as the frequency of blooms is high.
prepared to spend some
ime trekking in the area. The ralesia may be Gunung Gading’s main atracion,
The park does not ofer any visitor accommodaion or but the park is well worth visiing anyway with some
canteen faciliies so it is best explored via organised enjoyable walks and a challenging jungle trek. The
treks hosted by local Iban communiies. Waterfall trail ofers the shortest walk, winding its way
Borneo Adventure work together with communiies up through the forest past a series of waterfalls. It takes
about one hour to reach the last one, Waterfall No.
in the Ulu Ai to ofer a variety of treks around the 7. You’ll need to be it for the other trek, the Gunung
fringes of the park, including their renowned Red
Gading Summit trail (3-4 hours, one way) as it involves
Ape Trail, where the chances of seeing wild orang- some serious hill walking. You must complete the trail
utans are highest, although no guarantees are ofered. the same day, as overnight stays in the forest are not
However, evidence of their presence, such as old and permited. From the summit you can take a side trek
fresh nests, are almost always encountered. Trekkers to Batu Bakubu, which was a former communist camp
must be reasonably it, and are required to play their during the insurgency. Further informaion can be
part in conservaion by recording sighings and nest obtained from the Park HQ.
locaions on portable GPS devices. Tel: 245175, www.
borneoadventure.com. Accommodaion: The HQ is fairly small and consists of
Gunung Gading Naional Park an informaion centre, toilet blocks and accommodaion
faciliies. There are two Type 5 Forest Lodges (RM
Gunung Gading is home to the world’s largest lower, 150), a hostel (RM 40 per room, RM 15 per bed) and
a campsite (RM 5). There is no canteen at the park HQ.
the ralesia, which can grow up to one metre in
diameter. When in bloom the lower gives of a nasty Overnight visitors can head into nearby Lundu for food
smell which atracts lies and other insects. The ralesia or bring their own provisions.
has no speciic season, taking nine months to mature
and lowering for only 4 or 5 days before dying. Geing There: Gunung Gading is 5 minutes drive
from the small town of Lundu in Southwest Sarawak.
Kuching tour operators can arrange tours. Independent
travellers should take CPL Bus K26 from Kuching Sentral
to Lundu. From there, take a taxi or white bas sewa to
the park HQ.
Kubah Naional Park & Matang Wildlife Centre
Kubah Naional Park is an easy and enjoyable day
trip from Kuching. Situated on a small sandstone
plateau, this small park (2,230 ha.) boasts crystal clear
20
