Bako National Park is a gem of Sarawak
Published on: Thursday, May 28, 2015
Kuching: The Bako National Park is the oldest and smallest national park in Sarawak, but it also offers one of the most spectacular views. The 27 sq km park has stretches of white sandy bays, rocky shorelines and fantastic rock formations that is the result of millions of years of sandstone erosions. Its rainforest is also home to almost every type of plant life found in Borneo. The beautiful jungle trails lead to secluded beaches and breathtaking waterfalls.
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The park, established in 1957, is located some 37km off Kuching and faces the expansive South China Sea. Its location is rather secluded and thus is only accessible via speedboat. However, the park still sees no less than 30,000 visitors every year, particularly from overseas. The view during 30-minute speedboat ride from the fishing jetty in Kampung Bako to the national park is monotonous, due to the vast greenery along the ride. Visitors would usually be dropped off by the shoreline in Telok Assam and from there they can catch a view of Mount Santubong.
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The mountain, when seen at an angle, resembles the figure of a woman lying on her back. Accommodation, tour guides and cafes are available near the registration office in Telok Assam to help provide visitors a better experience.
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The park's jungle is home to 25 distinct types of vegetation that form seven impressive ecosystems, including mangrove forests and peat swamps. Jungle trails make these ecosystems easy to explore and visitors do not need extensive botanical knowledge to notice the contrast among them. There are 600 flower species at the national park, 49 of which are orchids.Many people come to Bako to view the wildlife. The writer was lucky enough to catch glimpses of the rare proboscis monkey on arrival, as they were hanging around near the trees by the registration office. Bako is home to some 275 proboscis monkeys. The endangered monkeys are found only in Borneo. They are usually sighted in early mornings and late evenings as they scour among the mangroves for food. The writer was also able to view the silver leaf monkeys, with their fur yellow in colour when first born and the fur turns into silver as they grow older. These monkeys are rather tame and unafraid of human presence. The park is also home to 267 animal species, 30 of which are mammals, 34 are bats, 24 reptiles and 16 amphibians. Bako is also a birdwatcher's paradise, with 196 species of bird calling it their home. Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the wildlife there would have better luck at dusk and at night. Many visitors, cognisant of this fact, choose to spend the night at the park and go on the night trail. Lucky visitors may even come across boars scavenging for food by the beach, where they often go in search for crabs. The park has an extensive trail system comprising 18 colour-coded trails, each of a different distance and difficulty level. Among them are Tanjung Sapi, Telok Paku, Ulu Assam, Telok Delima, Telok Pandan, Serait, Lintang, Tajor, Tanjung Rhu, Bukit Keruing and Telok Limau.Visitors would tend to choose the shorter and easier routes such as Telok Paku (800m) or Telok Pandan (2.6km), which are between one and three-hour hikes.The tracks are fairly even but visitors still need to be properly shod for safety. A good supply of drinks is also a must, as the trail can get rather hot.A tour guide at the park, who calls himself Bujang, said it would take at least a week to fully explore the 2,727-hectare national park. The most challenging trail is Telok Limau. Although only 5.74km long, it would take some 12 hours to trek to and from the trail. Bujang said that in his 15 years as a tour guide at the Bako National Park, he has come across very few who dared traverse the trail. The rock formations in Bako are between five million to 27 years old, and are a thing of wonder to look at. One of the seastack formations is shaped like the head of a cobra and is the landmark of the Bako National Park. Visitors can take a speedboat from Telok Delima or Telok Paku to get a closer look at the fantastic rock formations. The geologically intriguing process that creates these plateau sandstones often draw geoscientists to the park for research. Iron concretions can also be found at the park, particularly at Telok Paku. These giant mushroom-shaped rock structures are oddly beautiful, many seeming like modern art installations. The national park is open year round, but visitors need to register at its counter at the Bako jetty before going into the park. Adult tickets are priced at RM10 per person while children, students, senior citizens and the disabled are charged RM5. The speedboat service takes passengers along the Bako River to the national park at a rate of RM47 for one way. Each boat can accommodate five passengers. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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