7 Reasons to Visit Bako National Park
Bako National Park is the oldest park in Sarawak. It was established in 1957. Sarawak is the northwestern state of Malaysia on Borneo island. Bako is full of wildlife and beautiful scenery. I had the opportunity to visit Bako National park while in Sarawak back in 2013, and here are a few reasons to visit the park.
1. Bako has approximately 150 very rare Proboscis Monkeys.
You will probably have the opportunity to get fairly close to these guys. They are endemic to the island of Borneo and they are endangered. Their noses are pretty funny too.
2. It is a DIY-style park in Borneo.
You don’t need a guide or to join a tour to enjoy Bako. All of the 16 trails are color coded.
3. You can spend the night in the park.
There are options of tent camping, chalets, a lodge and hostel dorm rooms. But you need to book in advance because it will fill up. Staying in the park accommodations will give you the option to hike around and get in some very early morning wildlife viewing. It will also give you the chance to do the evening nature walks led by a park guide (weather permitting). Beware, especially if tent camping of the monkeys. They can and will get into your tent, and even cabins to rifle through food and belongings. Monkeys have no manners, especially them Macaques.
4. Or you can do it as a day trip from Kuching.
If you come to Bako more last minute and there is no accommodation available, or you are not willing to sleep in a cabin with mold and no AC, you do have the option of staying in nearby Kuching. It is possible to do day trips into Bako from Kuching. Kuching does have a wider variety of accommodation, if you need something with better quality than whats available in the park. The only negative is that it is about an hour by bus and an additional 20 minutes boat ride away.
5. There are enough trails to keep a trekker occupied for days.
With 16 trails leading all over the park there are numerous places to visit. Some trails are a little more steep and intense, while others are easier for beginners. The big thing to remember when trekking here is always make sure to bring enough water, snacks, and sun protection. It’s hot, humid and the sun is unrelenting here. You are practically on the equator. With that said, also be prepared for crazy rainstorms. This is the jungle and it’s no mystery why it is so very green.
6. The incredible flora and fauna here.
The proboscis monkeys were mentioned already in the article. You also will have the opportunity to witness a number of other plants and animals. Bornean bearded pigs can be found roaming around the park headquarters. You will get hassled by some long-tailed macaques (maybe even have your bra stolen, like my friend Tay).
Other animals include the colugo, slow loris, silvered langur, tarsier, pangolin, plantain squirrel, monitor lizards, otters and many others.
Flora will include the endemic pitcher plant, the rafflesia, the bladderwort and the sundew among others. Bako encompasses seven different ecosystems. Ecosystems include: Kerangas forest, mangrove forest, beach vegetation, peat swamp forest, padang vegetation, mixed dipterocarp forest, and cliff vegetation.
7. Wonderful beaches.
Bako national park has numerous beaches scattered around its 27 square kilometers of land. It goes along the South China Sea as it hugs the land to the tip of the Muara Tebas Peninsula.
Chances are you will have a beach to yourself for at least part of a day. What better reward at the end of a trek through equatorial rainforest than a swim in the ocean?
Have you been to Bako National Park? Who wants to go?
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This entry was posted in Asia, Hiking trips., National & state Parks
