6 things to do in western Sarawak, Borneo »

When you’re planning a roundtrip through the country of Malaysia, don’t forget to include Malaysian Borneo! It’s a beautiful piece of Malaysia full of nature and a diversity of flora and fauna. In this article I’ll provide six things to do in western Sarawak.

About (Malaysian) Borneo and Sarawak

Borneo is the third largest island of the world and the island belongs to three countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Brunei. Malaysian Borneo consists out of the provinces Sabah and Sarawak: both beautiful in their own way.

As I’ve been in western Sarawak during my time in Borneo, I tell you some more about this part of the island. It’s a beautiful area with many, beautiful nature parks, but also with the capital city of Kuching. Kuching is also absolutely a must visit and, most of the time, the starting point for exploring more of the region.

1. Bako National Park

Only a 30-minute drive away from Kuching, you can find Bako National Park. It’s the oldest and one of the smallest national parks of Sarawak. As it’s located near a lively city, it’s also a park which is easy to reach.

One of the highlights of Bako National Park will probably be the nose monkeys, which you can come across during hiking one of the many trails in the park. However, there’s so much other wildlife you can come across too. Another unique characteristic of Bako National Park will probably be the divers amount of eco-systems you can find here: beach vegetations, cliff vegetation, heather forest, mangrove forest, lowland forest, grassland vegetation and peat bog forests. Another nice thing: you can overnight in the park!

2. Semenggoh Nature Reserve

On a driving distance of 30 minutes from Kuching, you can find the Semenggoh Nature Reserve. This reserve is the best place in Sarawak to spot orang-utans in their natural habitat. Two times a day, there is a possibility to visit the reserve and to look at how the orang-utans get feed. Such an unique experience!

Tip: it’s nice to combine a visit to the Semenggoh Nature Reserve with the Kubah National Park as a day trip.

3. Gunung Gading National Park

On the west side of Kuching, you can find the Gunung Gading National Park. This park is located close to Lundu. From Kuching, it’s not more than a two-hours drive by car to Lundu. The Gunung Gading National Park is most well-known of its beautiful waterfalls, but also of the flower called the Rafflesia. This flower is the biggest solitary flower on earth.

4. Kuching: capital of Sarawak

Kuching is, next to the capital of Sarawak, the city of the cats. Literally, the name of the city also means ‘cat’. On diverse places around the city you can find statues of cats, but you can also find them all around the souvenir shops. Kuching is a very clean and safe city full of nice eateries and awesome street art. You can spend your day wandering along the waterfront, visiting one of the many museums, going to a food market or/and go shopping in one of the shopping centres.

5. Batang Ai National Park

If you would like to have a magnificent jungle experience, you’re at the right place in Batang Ai National Park. Although it’s an area where you really go back to basic, you’ll find here a diverse range of animals: from orangutans, nose monkeys, a lot of beautiful bird species and many more. You can reach the Batang Ai National Park from Kuching via Sri Aman. The route from Kuching to Sri Aman takes approximately four hours by car.

Tip: it’s nice to combine a visit to the Batang Ai National Park with the Lanjak Entimau Forest Reserve as a day trip.

6. Stay in a concrete silo in Sarawak

If you would like to include an unique stay in your Malaysia trip, maybe the Culvert is something for you. This accommodation is located at approximately a 40-minute drive from the city Kuching. The accommodation isn’t located that centrally and there aren’t many restaurants or shops in the direct environment; however it’s a beautiful, remote place with nature and beaches around. This location creates a peaceful ambiance. Unique about this accommodation is the fact that it provides concrete silo’s as rooms. Personally I really loved this concept!

Of course the province of Sarawak (and the rest of Borneo) has so many more beautiful places to visit besides these six! Have you already been on a trip to Malaysian Borneo?

Find more posts about our trip to Malaysia and Borneo by clicking here!

Author: Tamara

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