Attractions in Sarawak

- Sibu Heritage Centre

      The Sibu Heritage Centre is housed in the former Sibu Municipal Council building, and displays the rich cultural heritage of the various ethnic groups of the Central Region. Sibu Cultural Heritage Museum houses a fine collection of antiques, artifacts and photos, cultural exhibits on the various ethnic groups of the Rejang. An exhibit at the museum includes the early beginnings of Sibu, the coming of early Chinese migrants from the various dialect groups and also those of the earliest ethnic tribes.

Also from Iban longhouses displaying genuine skulls which were hung, reflecting the tribes’ warrior past to the seafaring Melanaus’ tools and early signs of the Malay culture, this is a must see for visitors.

Another very impressive feature in the museum is its eye catching collection of Chinese porcelain and clay vases. These vases, some of which carries with them great sentimental value to the owners, are by far the most tangible link, which the Chinese here have with Imperial China back then. From time to time, new exhibits are added to give variety and keeping the museum up to date.

Visitors can view taxidermied animals from around the world and those found in the heart of Borneo, such as the moon rat, the rhinoceros hornbill or even the gigantic Orang Utan.

- Mount Mulu National Park

       Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.

Gunung Mulu National Park, situated in the Malaysian State of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, is outstanding both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,376 m-high sandstone pinnacle and the property is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The geological Melinau Formation contains a remarkable concentration of caves, revealing a geological history of over more than 1.5 million years.

High in endemism, Gunung Mulu National Park provides significant natural habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species, both above and below ground. The 52,865 ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera recorded, making it one of the worlds richest sites for palm species. Providing protection for a substantial area of Borneo’s primary tropical forest and a home for a high diversity of species, including many endemics and threatened species, the large cave passages and chambers provide a major wildlife spectacle in terms of millions of cave swiftlets and bats.

The property is home to one of the world's finest examples of the collapse process in karstic terrain and provides outstanding scientific opportunities to study theories on the origins of cave faunas.  The deeply-incised canyons, wild rivers, rainforest-covered mountains, spectacular limestone pinnacles, cave passages and decorations found within the property produce dramatic landscapes and breathtaking scenery that is without rival.

- Deer Cave

A 3km walk through the rainforest takes you to these adjacent caverns. Deer Cave – over 2km long and 174m high – is the world’s largest cave passage open to the public, while Lang Cave – more understated in its proportions – contains interesting stalactites and stalagmites. Be sure to stay on for the 'bat exodus' at dusk.

Deer Cave is home to 2 to 3 million bats, belonging to 12 species (more than in any other single cave in the world), who cling to the roof in a seething black mass as they gear up for their evening prowl. Every day between 4pm and 6pm (unless it’s raining), millions of bats exit the cave in spiralling, twirling clouds that look a bit like swarms of cartoon bees. It’s an awe-inspiring sight when viewed from the park's bat observatory, a kind of amphitheatre outside the cave. The bats’ corkscrew trajectory is designed to foil the dinner plans of bat hawks perched on the surrounding cliffs.

The record is silent on who did the calculations or how, but it’s said that Deer Cave’s bats devour 30 tons of mosquitoes every night. If it’s raining the bats usually stay home because echolocation (the way they find prey) is not very good at homing in on flying insects amid an onslaught of raindrops.

- Niah National Park

      Niah National Park provides some interesting and impressive sights. The area was a major centre of human settlement as early as 40,000 years ago, and features one of the world’s largest cave entrances, Palaeolithic and Neolithic burial sites and iron-age cave paintings. The nearby Painted Cave houses wall-paintings depicting the boat journey of the dead into the afterlife, along with remnants of “death-ships” on the cave floor – boat-shaped coffins (its contents have been transferred to the Sarawak Museum).

Visitors leaving its Great Cave around sunset will see two great black clouds intermingling – the nightly ‘changing of the guard’ as hundreds of thousands of swiftlets return to their nests, whilst an approximately equal number of bats fly out to forage in the forest. A variety of luminous fungi can be clearly seen from the plankwalk at night. The surrounding area is covered in dense primary rain forest and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. Even today, the caves remain important for local communities, with birds nest and guano collection providing valuable employment and income. The national park runs a swiflet conservation programme in ‘Gua Perintah’.

Niah Caves is a very pleasant place to spend a few days, although most of the major attractions are accessible to the day visitor. An Iban longhouse – Rumah (house) Patrick Libau – homestay experience can be had and it is accessible through the national park.

The park has a visitor centre and good accommodation, and is very easy to get around, thanks to an extensive network of plankwalks.

A flashlight and good walking shoes are absolutely essential – the caves are unlit, and the plankwalk can become slippery from the constant dripping of water and bat guano from the ceiling of the cave. A wide-brimmed hat is desirable, for obvious reasons.

The Park is located on the Sungai Niah, about 3 km from the small town of Batu Niah, 110 km south-west of Miri.

- Lambir Hills National Park

         The famed Lambir Hills National Park is located along the Miri-Bintulu road, 36 km south-west of Miri town in Sarawak, East Malaysia. It was gazetted as a park in 1975, and covers an area of 6,952 hectares. There are around 1,173 tree species in the park alone, with 286 genera and 81 tree families making Lambir one of the more diversified forests in Malaysia. Wild animals can also be found in the deeper parts of the park, especially monkeys, sun bear, pangolin and bats.

It is best to visit the park in the morning, as there would be ample time to go along the various trails in the park. The main attraction of the park is its beautiful waterfalls, the nearest just a mere 0.18 km is Latak Waterfall. It is a 20 minutes walk from the Park office. If you stop to look at the wonderful forest flora and fauna along the way, it would probably take longer.

Before entering the park, register yourself at the Park office where the guide will explain some necessary safety rules before entering the park. If you are going to the waterfalls further ahead, it is best to go early in the morning as the journey will take several hours.The guide will also advise that visitors to the park exit the park grounds by 5 pm as the gates to the park will be closed at this time.

Other waterfalls in the park are ones on the Pantu trail such as the Pantu and Nibong waterfalls. It takes up to two hours journey to reach the falls. Then there are the Pancur, Tengkorong and Dinding waterfalls along the Bakam Trail. The other primary trails are Main and Lepoh-Ridan. There are other trails in the park, of which further information can be obtained from the park office.

There is even a 22-metre Tree Tower is situated on the Pantu Trail, about a kilometre from the Park Office. Visitors can climb and view the scenic Dipterocarp forest profile. It is also an excellent place for bird watching.

- Loagan Bunut National Park

       Loagan Bunut features a unique ecosystem based on Sarawak’s largest natural lake (65 ha). The shallow lake usually drains completely when the water in the nearby Tinjar river is low (normally February and late May or early June/July). As the water level subsides, huge flocks of wading birds gorge themselves on fish and other aquatic creatures trapped in the mud. When the lake is dry, plants sprout from the mud and are eaten by insect larvae. When the rains come and the lake fills up, returning fish feed on the larvae, breed in the lake, and the whole cycle starts again.

The surrounding terrain features a variety of forest types, ranging from mixed peatswamp forest with huge stilt-rooted trees at the water’s edge, to towering Alam forest with a canopy height of over 60 m, and helps to make Loagan Bunut a birdwatcher’s paradise. Permanent residents include eagles, swallows, malkohas, stork-billed kingfishers, magpies, robins, doves, bulbuls, racket-tailed drongos, pied hornbills and kites, while darters, egrets, herons, bitterns, storks and broadbill arrive during dry spells to feed on the trapped fish. Other animals found in the park include barking deer, bearded pigs, sambar deer, long-tail macaques, black banded langurs, lesser mouse deer, small-tooth palm civets, giant squirrels, provost squirrels, Bornean gibbons, many species of frogs and small lizards, dog-headed water snakes and a variety of tree snakes. Estuarine crocodiles are occasionally sighted.

During dry spells it is possible to stroll across the dried-up lake bed, but visitors must be accompanied by a local guide for safety reasons. More permanent trails include the Hydrology Trail (2km) which provides a close-up view of the peatswamp ecosystem. The 260m Tapang Trail showcases the towering tapang tree (Koompassia excelsior), the world’s third tallest tree, whose heavy, dense wood is claimed to be the best for making blowpipes. The Belian Trail (720m) features the belian tree (Eusideroxylon zwageri, also known as Borneo ironwood) which produces one of the world’s hardest, and most valuable timbers.

Boat trips can be arranged at the Park Headquarters. Early morning is the best time to appreciate the mist-shrouded scenery, midday is best for viewing wading birds feeding on trapped fish, and late afternoon offers superb sunsets and more bird watching possibilities. The boatmen usually drive the narrowboats right into the forest, amongst huge stilted tree roots where monkeys and squirrels can often be seen. A boat trip will usually include a visit to the fascinating Selambau scoop nets, and during fish migrations, visitors can watch the fishermen at work and buy freshly caught fish. The boatmen will also point out an ancient Berawan burial platform, or Klirieng supported above the lake by sturdy belian pillars. The boats are operated by local Berawan fishermen who have a great deal of local knowledge and usually speak acceptable English. The charter rate is RM 60.00 per boat per hour for up to 4 passengers, with an additional RM 15.00 per hour for every extra passenger.

- Similajau National Park

       Similajau National Park is situated 30 km north-east of the town of Bintulu. The park’s main attractions are the geological features of its coast, its beaches and near-shore waters and its tropical rainforest. Similajau is essentially a narrow strip of protected forest, fronted by beaches and rocky coves. 

There is a mix of habitats at the park including beach forest, mangroves, heath forest and mixed dipterocarp forest. The main attractions of the park are close to the shoreline. A trekking trail follows the coastline from the park HQ to Golden Beach. The most popular activities are jungle trekking, river and coastal cruises and bird-watching.

24 species of mammals are found at Similajau National Park, including wild boar, civet cats, gibbons, long-tailed macaques, barking deer, mouse deer, squirrels, porcupines and the Sarawak Langur, one of the rarest primates in the world.  The park is also home to 185 species of birds.

Similajau is home to the estuarine crocodile and these are often seen in the river near the park HQ, especially at night. Whilst no crocodile attacks have been recorded at Similajau, visitors are advised to be cautious. Use the bridges to cross the larger rivers and take note of the red signs warning of the presence of crocodiles. Don’t swim in the rivers or on the beaches.

Green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs at the park’s beaches and Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises are occasionally seen in the nearshore waters. Horseshoe crabs are sometimes seen on the beaches during the dry season.