Explore Kuching Citywalk & Nearby National Parks: Ultimate Guide (3/3)

Sarawak, as a famous state of national parks in Malaysia and a gateway to exploring the tropical rainforests of Borneo, has dozens of national parks. Faced with so many national parks, what can be seen in each national park? How should we choose?

Since Kuching is the capital city with the most convenient public transportation, our exploration of national parks in Sarawak this time mainly focused on the areas around Kuching. Here are 8 of the most worthwhile national parks selected.

The content is written in more detail, but due to the word limit, more detailed information is placed in the images, shared for friends who plan to visit Kuching in the future~

[One] Bako National Park
[Keywords]: Proboscis monkeys, pitcher plants, easiest to reach, oldest, numerous hiking trails, mangrove swamps, bay cliffs
[What to see?]
1) The charming coastline features various cliffs and mangrove swamps, where fireflies light up the entire mangrove at night.
2) Currently, there are 7 hiking trails available for self-exploration.

During the hike, there is a high chance of seeing proboscis monkeys, silvered langurs, long-tailed macaques, wild boars, and various other animals. There are night tours led by guides to see animals, and here we saw owls, snakes, flying squirrels, and more, even more diverse than what we saw in Mulu.

3) Pitcher plants can be found everywhere along the hiking trails, and we discovered about 4-5 species of pitcher plants.
4) Along the long coastline, there are beaches for strolling and bird watching, but swimming is prohibited due to the presence of crocodiles.

[Two] Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
[Keywords]: Orangutans, easy to reach, half-day
[What to see?]
There are two feeding times for orangutans daily, from 9:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-4:00 PM, during which the park will close for clearing. Outside of the fruit season, the chances of seeing orangutans are quite high. We saw 6 in late August.

[Three] Kubah National Park
[Keywords]: Frogs, palm trees, waterfalls, summit of Mount Serapi, huge tree shade
[What to see?]
1) If you are interested in frogs, the frog ponds here can be heard with a deafening chorus of frog sounds at sunset, and there is an opportunity to find very rare horned frogs and black-webbed tree frogs.

2) If you have a lot of energy, you can try the Summit Road, which is the route to the summit of Mount Serapi. It is a cement road with clear signs, and the path has good tree shade to avoid the scorching sun. Alternatively, you can choose the waterfall trail, which goes through the forest and allows you to play in the waterfall upon arrival.

[Four] Gunung Gading National Park
[Keywords]: Rafflesia, waterfalls
[What to see?]
1) The world-famous largest flower, the Rafflesia, blooms only a few times a year and withers within 5 days after blooming. Specific blooming information can be obtained through the park’s Facebook page, which is frequently updated with the latest status.