Travel Asia

Gunung Mulu National Park sets on a 52,000 hectares property and covers incredible caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park puts emphasis on promoting awareness of the park’s significance. Gunung Mulu National Park is located in Miri, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia.

The park has great biological diversity due to the changes in its topography form just 50 meters above sea level near the park’s headquarters to the highest peak at 2377 meters above sea level. The geology, which consists of a combination of alluvial clays, sandstone and limestone formations, further adds to the variety and specialization of the park’s biology. The park plays host to some 3500 species of flora which includes a variety of highly specialized orchids, pitcher plants, palms, gingers and an unusual “One Leaf” plant. The diverse fauna species includes deer, monkeys, giant porcupine, civets and all of Borneo’s hornbills. However, there may be limited sightings due to the nature of the animals and their habitat. many animal species are shy or nocturnal, have excellent camouflage abilities or live high in the rainforest canopy. There is also a large number of insect species that resides in the park. There is some 458 species of ants that is recorded in the park and insects with camouflage adaptations most notably the stick (Phasmids) and leaf insects.

Gunung Mulu has great caves and for cave enthusiasts. The caves at the park is a holy grail that possesses some of the largest and most spectacular caves in the world. The park had played host to numerous caving expeditions that resulted in the mapping of over 300 kilometers of cave passages. The expeditions have revealed the extent of the Clearwater Cave System within Gunung Api, 108 kilometers of which have been mapped. Spectacular discoveries include the Sarawak Chamber, which at 12 million cubic meters is the world’s largest single cave chamber. Perhaps best known is Deer Cave, the world’s largest cave corridor, which plays witness to a spectacular daily flight of bats from the cave each evening. Daily tours with park guides are available to all the show caves. Visitors are not permitted to enter any of the caves without a guide.

Clearwater and Wind Caves are the biggest in the world. Visitors can ride in a longboat down Melinau River passing Mulu community or take the long route and walk through Moonmilk Cave along the way to the Cave of the Winds. The park Guide will meet visitors at the cave of the Winds where millions of years ago, the first minute calcite crystals were deposited which became the foundations of the majestic columns and stalagmites in the King’s Chamber. The Clearwater Cave has a roaring river that has travelled along its subterranean route for over 108 kilometers. Giant logs thrown high on the banks and wedged under boulders are evidence of the power of this mighty underground river. Visitors can take a dip in the crystal clear water outside the cave as well as take a picnic lunch and relax at the Claerwater picnic site. Guided tours run daily, leaving from the Cave of the Winds entrance at 9.45am and 10.30. Visitors must be at the cave 10 minutes before the tour leaves. Bookings for all cave tours must be made at the Park office. Other caves are the Turtle Cave which can be reached through the river from the Clearwater Cave. The Deer Cave has the largest cave passage. Visitors will be amazed at the millions of bats hanging from the ceiling. The Langs Cave is located just 1oo meters from the Deer Cave. It is small with walls that have long shawls, layers of rim stone pools on the floor and throughout the cave are spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. The Garden of Eden tour will lead take visitors through the caves and the rainforest. The destination is the glowing pool of light and water at the end. Be prepared to get dirty and wet, this is the home to millions of bats and swiftlets, and you will be passing near 30 meter columns of water falling from the roof of the cave. Retrace your steps back to through Deer Cave to wait for the Bat Exodus.

Gunung Mulu’s accommodation is located at the edge of the rainforest on the Melinau River. Boardwalks connect all the buildings with soft lighting to show the way at night. Housekeeping and cafe staffs are on duty from 7 am to 9 pm but Security staff are on duty 24 hours a day.

The primary means of transportation in Gunung Mulu is through the river. The park’s steep landscape means most of the access is restricted to the rivers flowing on the park’s boundaries in the lowland areas. The park can be reached by air via Miri to Mulu. There are daily flights through Fly Asian Xpress. River trips from Miri to Mulu is also available. The boat departs from Luala baram to the Baram River to marudi where a second boat will take visitors to Long Terawan which is the departure point to the park.