The oldest national park in Sarawak, Bako National Park is a tourist favourite in the state.
Located about 30km north of Kuching city, the park was established back in 1957 before Sarawak became part of the Malaysian federation.
Bako National Park is a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life especially if you are living in Kuching.
Unlike other national parks near Kuching such as Santubong National Park, Kubah National Park and Matang Wildlife Centre where you can still hear faint sounds of vehicles, you are completely immersed in the silence which nature offers at Bako National Park.
Most of the time, you can only hear the sound of the waves crashing, the trees rustling, and the pigs snorting.
And yes, it is pretty hard to ignore the park’s residents. Beside the bearded pigs, you will also get acquainted with other residents including silvered-leaf monkeys and long-tailed macaques.
However, the star of Bako National Park is none other than the proboscis monkey.
Some say that the proboscis monkey is one of the most unusual animals in the world.
It has reddish-brown fur with greyish limbs and its long tail and lower back are white.
Adult males have a huge, distinguising red nose and a pot belly.
Although they can be easily spotted near the headquarters in the evening, when you explore the trails you might find more of them.
With so many trails to choose from in Bako National Park and so little time, these are the three easy trails you can visit:
1.Teluk Paku
Proboscis monkey, check. Doable trail, check. Secluded beach, check.
It takes about one-hour to hike to this small secluded beach called Teluk Paku.
If you are taking the trail early or late in the day, you might spot a proboscis monkey at close range.
2. Lintang
This is a good trail for botanists or plant lovers out there.
Lintang trail makes a great introduction to the plants of Sarawak with many trees labeled with their botanical names.
It is a loop trail which takes up to 4 hours to complete.
3.Teluk Pandan Kecil and Teluk Pandan Besar
It takes one hour to Teluk Pandan Besar and other half an hour to Teluk Pandan Kecil.
Pitcher plants can be found along the sandy paths of this trail. The trail ends with a breathtaking viewpoint overlooking the South China Sea. After which, you can descend to Telok Pandan Kecil beach to enjoy the seaside.
Always be aware of your surroundings, as there have been many reports of crocodile sightings in the area.
Read more:
What to do at Santubong, Sarawak?
