The Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in Sarawak, Malaysia, and is renowned for its biodiversity and karst landscapes. The park is characterized by 344 square kilometers of pristine tropical rainforest, featuring limestone mountain ranges, rivers carving through the terrain, stunning gorges, pinnacles, and cliffs. Its vast cave systems are adorned with remarkable limestone formations, and the area teems with a rich variety of flora and fauna.
If you love adventure and discovery, a trip to Mulu National Park should definitely be on your list. Cave exploration, rainforest trekking, and encounters with fascinating flora and fauna—everything you’re looking forward to can be experienced here.
Mulu National Park offers a variety of activities, but most of them require advance booking and must be done with a guide. It’s essential to check the schedule of each activity ahead of time and plan your itinerary accordingly.
- Cave Exploration
One of the main features of Mulu National Park is its massive cave systems, making cave exploration an essential activity in this area.
Deer Cave: This is one of the largest caves in the world. It was once a sanctuary for deer, but now it is home to many species of bats. In the evening, you can witness millions of bats emerging from the cave’s entrance, creating a mesmerizing sight as they fly out in a continuous stream, resembling a black satin ribbon floating across the sky.
Lang’s Cave: Located near Deer Cave, Lang’s Cave is relatively smaller but offers unique rock formations. Under carefully placed spotlights, the stalactites and stalagmites on the cave walls stand out, creating a stunning visual experience.
Clearwater Cave: These two caves can be reached by boat. Clearwater Cave is part of a complete underground river system, allowing boats to navigate through it. The cave itself is quite long, about 170 kilometers. In addition to exploring the cave, visitors can also swim in the lake outside the cave.
Cave of the Wind: Located near Clearwater Cave, Cave of the Wind is named for the multiple narrow passages inside where you can feel the wind blowing through the tunnels.
If regular cave exploration isn’t enough for you, you can also sign up for more challenging cave activities. These journeys take you deeper into the cave, sometimes requiring you to swim through certain sections – an experience that feels like a true rainforest adventure.
- Rainforest Trekking
The Pinnacle Trail: The Pinnacles are a landmark of Mulu National Park, and the journey to reach them is highly challenging, typically taking three days and two nights. You start by taking a boat, then trek for about three hours to reach the campsite where you’ll rest. The next day, you’ll hike up to the Pinnacles. The climb involves many nearly vertical sections that require both hands and feet or the use of ropes. The round-trip hike usually takes around ten hours. -
Leisure Activities
Nighttime Rainforest Wildlife Exploration: A guide will lead you into the rainforest to search for and introduce the animals and insects along the way. Although the journey is relatively short, it is filled with fascinating discoveries.
Canopy Skywalk: You can walk along the high suspension bridges in the rainforest canopy, which offers visitors a unique perspective of the rainforest’s beauty from above.
Birdwatching from the Tower: The trees in the rainforest are incredibly tall, making it difficult to spot birds perched on the branches. Mulu National Park has built a special observation tower to help wildlife enthusiasts observe high-flying birds and animals. From the top, you can peek through curtains to see how birds live high up in the rainforest canopy.
Self-Guided Trekking: Some trails in Mulu National Park can be explored independently without a guide. These paths are relatively flat and safe, making them perfect for a leisurely walk where you can freely discover the flora and fauna of the rainforest.
