Gunung mulu park caves. Mulu national park, borneo, malaysia Mulu malaysia
The real exotic begins in Borneo, although in order to get it in full, it is still better to get deeper into the forests. Good choice in that case it will be a visit to Mulu. Here you can find a real Rainforest with a capital "T". And, which is typical, in order to see it, you will not need to undergo any hardships. Everything is very well organized for tourists, you can even come here with children and I think your children will be delighted if, of course, they are interested in nature, and not just computer games.
What can you do here? The park has tons of options, depending on how close you want to get to know the rainforest.
If you just want to see that you are not bitten by leeches, then for such cases there are many routes for walking. No extreme: many kilometers of wooden paths are laid everywhere, along which you can walk without even getting your feet dirty. In most cases a guide will go with you, but there are options that you can explore on your own.
The rainforest is a must see at least once in your life. Everything here is huge: if it's a tree, then it's a tree that you can't even grasp five of us, if a leaf is a meter long, if a beetle, then a beetle will be the size of ... but by the way, I won't write horror about beetles. All sorts of beetles are found here, and they are not worse than ours, our own. The riot of vegetation is simply amazing. Vines grow on larger trees, and on them, in turn, grass and moss grow, on which sometimes something also grows. Even from the ropes that hang along the paths, some leaves sprout. And the plants, which we often unsuccessfully try to plant in our apartments, rise to human height here.
From the fauna in the park, there are monkeys-carriers, various birds, bats, frogs with crazy songs, the aforementioned beetles, butterflies and a bunch of some small animals, which, in principle, are not visible, but very well heard, especially at night. You can meet larger animals, but you should not seriously count on this, because this is not a zoo, but an ordinary forest, whose inhabitants, in principle, are not inclined to frequent communication with people. But, I will repeat myself, even if you do not see some supernaturally rare animals, you will still find a way to have a good time.
In addition to the above, the park has a river, waterfalls and a more or less traditional village with pets and folk crafts. All this can also be visited, examined and photographed as much as you like. There are places for swimming: the water is clear, and crocodiles have not been seen in this part of the river for a long time. 🙂
And if you want to get acquainted with the rainforest very close, then a three-day excursion to the pinnacles has been specially invented for you, for the sake of which a good half of tourists come here. Pinnacles are such rock formations as in the photo below, only in those places where people go to look at them, these pinnacles are not overgrown with moss.
No paths, mosquitoes, leeches, crossing streams, spending the night in the forest, climbing mountains and so on. Like? Then you need to take care to book this pleasure in advance, at least two months in advance. Bought a plane ticket and immediately booked pinnacles. Otherwise, you can fly by: a month before the trip, there were no empty seats for our dates. It’s just an amazing thirst for adventure overcomes the inhabitants of the civilized world, since they line up to get wet for a few days in the swamp.
The event was not easy, we saw with our own eyes how a group of Malay tourists, returning from an excursion, then for two days walked from bed to canteen, barely moving their legs. In addition to the pinnacles, there is a four-day hike with the intriguing name “Bounty Hunter's Trail”. Everything is the same, only without pinnacles. Apparently, it was temporarily canceled, but there is hope that it will be resumed.
There are also caves in Mulu. If you are not claustrophobic and generally enjoy these things, then you will love them. All caves are equipped with paths, electric lighting and the maximum problem that you can encounter here is the smell of guano bats, which live in incredible numbers in the largest of them.
The local cave system has been explored about 130 kilometers deep, and no one knows where it ends. If you wish, you can also get to know her better: there are different options for excursions, lasting from one and a half to 12 hours. On a long excursion, there will be an underground river, self-seekers and other delights, but there are no convenient paths and light bulbs, but you will have a guide with you who knows the route and will never leave you. However, fans of extreme sports can relax: no one will allow you to leave on the sly without a guide for all 130 kilometers.
Accommodation.
Tourists arriving at the park can choose from several accommodation options, breakfast is included in all accommodation options:
1. Small houses for 8-10 people. Very simple, they have beds, bedside tables, one bathroom for all. We looked into them - inside it is quite possible to live, cleanly and modestly. Beds in such houses cost mere pennies and sell out very quickly. If you are traveling in a large company, this is an excellent choice. It is better to clarify about the air conditioner if you book, it was not there before. 43 MYR
2. Double bungalows. We did not look into them, but judging by the photographs on the Internet, everything inside is the same as in large ones, only for two people and with an air conditioner. Costs 220 MYR.
3. VIP bungalow. We lived in exactly this, but the fact that we are such dudes, just at the time of booking, other options had already been sorted out. It is more expensive than everything else (262 MYR), but we have never regretted that we were kneading in this one. Our VIP bungalow had a kettle, air conditioning, a separate bathroom with full-length windows (!), Two huge beds, two terraces with garden furniture, which are very pleasant to sit in the dark, sip tea and listen to the sounds of the jungle. There is no TV, but I don’t know when to watch it and why. The price differs from the usual bungalow by only 42 MYR, so if I choose between the two options, I would choose VIP.
4. A few kilometers from the park there is hotel Royal Mulu Resort with pool, massage and so on. It is not cheap and I don’t know how everything works there in terms of excursions. But, if it seems to you that living in the park itself is not comfortable enough, you can inquire and book through the website national park, or by writing in [email protected]
Nutrition.
Mulu, this is not a city or even a village. This is a tiny island of civilization in the middle of the jungle sea, so there is no particular choice in terms of food.
There are several cafes where you can eat, one of them right next to the main office. Local food is cooked well, but European dishes are edible, but a little strange. The cost is 10-15 MYR per person per meal. Some souvenirs and books are also sold there. There are no shops, little things like drinks and nuts can be bought at the canteen, but if you want whiskey or sausages, you will have to take it all with you.
How to book.
Write to the e-mail indicated on the site. I wrote on [email protected], but you better check, maybe something has changed. In the letter, indicate the expected dates of your arrival. If you want pinnacles, then write about this too. In a couple of days you will definitely be told what they have in stock. Choose the appropriate option, you will be sent a confirmation and that's it, consider that Mulu and pinnacles are in your pocket. They do not ask for advance payment, which is very positive. Payment upon arrival at the park. Moreover, you can pay both in cash and by credit card, but for a credit card they will take a commission of 2-3%. It's still cool: imagine paying by cards somewhere in the middle of the Siberian taiga. Unreal? And in Malaysia it is real.
Now you can start booking transport.
How to get there.
In an amicable way, there is only one way: by plane. There are literally no roads around, there are no train buses, but the airport has been built. I read somewhere on the Internet that there is an option to get there by boat. Surely it will be very exciting, but it will take several days in time, which is a pity within the framework of a two-week vacation.
You can buy plane tickets via the Internet, the MAS WiGS airline, in order to buy a ticket is not expensive, you should take care of this in advance, at least a month in advance. Small planes fly on schedule 2-3 times a day. Depending on your route, you can buy a ticket from Kuching or from Kota Kinabalu with a transfer to Miri.
The airport is tiny, from the airport to the park gate is only one and a half kilometers, you can walk. But in order not to get lost (and there will most likely be no one to ask for directions), I personally advise you to take a minibus at the exit from the airport and get there for 5 MYR, they all hang out right next to the exit from the airport when the plane arrives. And on foot to the airport you will take a walk on the way back.
From the gate, cross the bridge and go to the right, to the main office, 15 meters. Inside you will be met, asked your name, given the keys to the house and offered to choose the excursions you want to visit. Take your time to choose everything and pay: for excursions and for accommodation at once. Meals are not included in the price.
What to take with you:
You definitely need comfortable closed shoes with non-slip soles, there are more than enough wet and slippery surfaces in the park. Trekking boots are fine.
Raincoat, if you are afraid to get wet, rain is quite possible at any time of the year.
A locally produced repellent, our Russians do not really work on Malay mosquitoes.
Components for tea drinking, there are kettles in the rooms.
Bathing accessories.
All products that you take with you should be sealed and eaten right away, because if not you, then the ants will devour them in the morning. By the way, ants run for food, if there is nothing edible, then ants are not visible either.
If you are going to a multi-day event, take everything that you usually take on a hike, except for tents, etc.
Photo and video: the moisture in the forest is unreal, get ready for the fact that the equipment can fail, if the equipment is expensive and you feel sorry for it, then I would personally attend to the protection from moisture.
Price: 2011 - 845 MYR. This amount includes: a plane to Mulu with a transfer in Miri. 405 MYR for a round-trip ticket if purchased in advance. Accommodation and excursions for three days and two nights + entrance fee to the nat. park 350 MYR (VIP-cottage, two double beds). Average cost of a short excursion per person 20-30 MYR. + Food, drinks, souvenirs - about MYR 90
In front of you detailed map Gungunga Mula National Park with city names and settlements in Russian. Move the map by holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or by turning the mouse wheel.
In which country is Gunung Mul National Park
National park Gunung Mul is located in Malaysia. It's wonderful a nice place, with its own history and traditions. Coordinates of the Gununga Mula National Park: latitude north and east longitude (show on a large map).
Virtual walk
The figure of the "little man" above the scale will help to make virtual walk in the cities of the Gununga Mula National Park. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Choose the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The "Satellite" option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the "Map" mode, you will get the opportunity to familiarize yourself in detail with the roads of the Gungunga Mula National Park and the main attractions.
Malaysia, Borneo Island, Borsarmulu Park, Miri, 98008 Sarawak, Malaysia
To show on the map+ (60 8) 579 23 00 www.mulupark.com entrance ticket - 10 ringgit, inspection of the caves - 20-30 ringgitIn Malaysia, only Malaysianringgits. Mon-Sun 08: 00-17: 00
Gunung Mulu National Park is a real natural treasure of the island of Borneo. Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Sarawak province to see it with their own eyes. unusual place entered in the book World heritage UNESCO.
The national park was formed in 1985 at the initiative of the government of Malaysia. Almost 53 thousand hectares of tropical jungle, mountains and rivers make up its area.
In the center of the reserve is the forested "mountain crown" Gunung Mulu, consisting of three peaks: Mulu, Api and Benarat. Highest point the Mulu ranges are located at an altitude of 2376 meters above sea level.
Among the landmarks of the Gunung Mulu Conservation Area are the sharp white Pintakli cliffs that adorn the Gunung Api summit plateau. Roofing felts similar to large 40-meter stone spikes, roofing felts on the spiers of Gothic towers. They were created by nature in the process of centuries of weathering and leaching of limestone rocks.
But the greatest natural secrets of the national park are hidden under the forest hills, deep in the mountains.
The Gunung Mulu Nature Reserve is home to the most famous and largest cave systems in the world. Here you can see giant grottoes, huge cave spaces, deep crevasses, bizarre limestone sculptures and underground reservoirs.
Karst caves stretch for many kilometers. The longest passage - the Deer Cave - reaches two kilometers. The vaults and ceiling of the Deer Cave have been chosen by countless bats. It is curious to watch how at sunset they leave the grotto for an evening meal.
Each underground cave the national park is unique and has its own unique atmosphere. Deep Cave belongs to a group of four connected voids: Green Cave, Lang and Stone Horse.
The next cave complex, connected by narrow passages, leads to the most mesmerizing underground hall in Sarawak, 20 football pitches in size and the height of a 25-story skyscraper. The giant "palace" is decorated with stalactite-stalagmite columns of different shades from white to honey-brown.
There are very beautiful underground "rooms" leading to the Sarawak Chamber: Wind, Clear Water, Swaying Forest and Cobra Cave.
To date, speleologists have explored only one third of the underground voids. Moreover, a small three-kilometer route is open for tourist walks. Several times a day, groups leave from the administrative building of the park for an hour-long excursion to the caves.
Gunung Mulu National Park is also of great biological importance for the conservation of the natural complex of the island of Borneo.
The rich collection of the reserve includes about 100 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles, 3500 species of plants. More than 25 species of bats can be seen in the Deer Cave alone.
To meet in the Gunung Mulu jungle gibbons, long-tailed macaques, nosed monkeys, Malay bear biruang and many other inhabitants, you can get here by plane or boat. The nearest major airports are in the coastal town of Miri and Limbang. From there, you can fly to the reserve in 40-45 minutes. The boat trip from Maroody along the three rivers of Sarawak state will take more than three hours.
This is the most significant attraction in Sarawak. Cave complex 150 km long was first explored between 1976 and 1984. To appreciate it, you will need at least a two-day overnight trip. You also need to have enough stamina, especially if you decide to hike to the limestone pinnacles on Gunung Api. (mountain of fire).
A 35-minute flight from Miri to the airport near the Gunung Mulu headquarters was organized. Alternatively, you can reach the park headquarters (by land and by boat) also from Miri, but this trip has four stages. First you must take a bus or taxi to Kuala Baram, the mouth of the Batang Baram River. Here you need to hire a motorboat to Marudi to catch a boat that leaves at noon to Long Terawan, and then transfer to a longboat and head along Sungai Tutokh and Sungai Melinau to the headquarters of the park. This is the only alternative to flying, and you will have to spend the whole day traveling by bus and boats. Flying from Miri over the rainforest in a small plane is considered the best way to start your stay in Mulu. It is recommended to return in exactly the same way.
In Gunung Mulu, the four main caves that are shown to tourists are Deer, Lang, Pure Water and Wind. There are many more "wild" caves, but they are too dangerous and ecologically vulnerable to visit without special passes and qualified guides.
Sarawak-Chamber Cave, considered the largest cave in the world, has an area of ​​16 football fields. Guided tours began in 1998, but usually only seasoned cave explorers are allowed there. If you would like to see this impressive underground hall, please specify all the details when purchasing your tickets.
The closest things to Gunung Mulu headquarters are Deer Cave and Lang Cave. In the Deer Cave with a huge entrance, about 2 km long and up to 220 m high, deer once hid. It is unclear whether it was used by people as a burial place for the dead, since there are many other caves nearby. As in many other large open caves, it is also home to millions of bats that flock out at dusk in search of food. One of the attractions of the caves is the "soul of Adam and Eve" - ​​a cascading waterfall that falls from a height of 120 m from the ceiling of the cave. Deep inside the cave - about an hour's walk away - lies a hidden green valley known as the Garden of Eden.
Nearby is the Lang Cave, which was discovered by a Berawan man named Lang, who got lost while hunting a wild boar. Although this cave is smaller in size, there are many different stalactites and stalagmites in it, as well as impressive rocky "curtains".
The Pure Water and Wind Caves can only be reached by longboat from the Gunung Mulu Park Headquarters. The Cave of Pure Water stretches for 50 km. After walking past the moss-covered stalactites near the entrance, you'll need a good flashlight to see the limestone formations. The hardiest cave explorers can enter Wind Cave from the Pure Water Cave, but others should enter from the riverbank.
To inspect the pinnacles, located 900 m from Gunung Api, you will have to add additional days to the excursion, but you cannot miss them - this is a truly mesmerizing sight: hundreds of giant stone needles piercing the sky like petrified ghosts, hidden under cloaks with a hood, towering above solid forest carpet. You will also need extra time if you want to try to climb the Gunung Mulu (2376 m), the summit of which was successfully conquered in 1932 by Lord Shackleton after earlier attempts in the 19th century had failed. The ascent to Gunung Mulu can take up to five days, but experienced climbers can make the climb in less than two days.
The rich flora and fauna of the park has been the subject of many scientific studies, with 1,500 species of flowering plants, 4,000 species of mushrooms, 75 species of mammals, 262 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles and 281 species of butterflies. Among the birds, it is worth mentioning the stork gurials living along the river banks, and the yellow-capped bulbul living in the forests.
To watch wild nature hiding under a forest canopy, you can hide on a 30 m high observation tower or in a hidden area near the park headquarters, as well as just below the 480 m long suspension bridge.
Mulu caves
With permission, experienced cave explorers can enter the less accessible Mulu Caves and wade chest deep in water through underground streams. The best guides will give you mining helmets with built-in lamps, in which you can penetrate into the depths of the caves, where the sunlight does not reach. You should bring very sturdy boots with rubber rather than leather, lots of socks, sturdy old clothes, a pair of gloves and a light sleeping bag.
Bird's nest soup
Descendants of the Penan nomads, who in the 19th century. rediscovered the wealth of bird nests in the Nia caves, divided the cave into jealously guarded "shares" that are passed from father to son. To remove nests from the ceiling of the cave, Penan people climb a wall over 60 m high on swaying bamboo poles tied together, or crawl through narrow "chimneys" in the rock. As the old song says, “Many men managed to do it, but many men died” - and no one knows how many. High price the delicacy is explained by the great risk for the hunters for this prey.
White-bellied swiftlets (a kind of swifts) they create such expensive nests from practically one saliva, without impurities, which makes seaweed especially sticky. The inferior quality product is called the "black nest" - it is obtained when swiftlets mix feathers with saliva. Not everyone, of course, will appreciate such a dish, but the Chinese claim that the viscous, transparent soup is simply delicious. It is incredibly popular in the Chinese market.
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Today we go to the Mulu National Park (Taman Negara Gunung Mulu), located in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, near the city of Miri. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for the grandiose Mulu cave systems, karst formations and mountainous rainforests. Founded in 1985, the area is 50 thousand hectares. We fly from Kota Kinabalu to Mulu with Malaysia Airlines via Miri, Sarawak state.
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Upon arrival in Miri, we need to go to the airport, stamp our passport and fly the same plane to Mulu.
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Fly about an hour to Miri along the coast.
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And a little less to Mulu, deep into the forest.
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Mount Mulu (2362 m) can also be reached by bus to Miri and then by water (about 100 km). Before the airport opened in 1991 and helipad this was the only way to get to the national park.
We arrived at Mulu airport at 14:20. The airport here is, of course, very simple.
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It is only 1.5 km from the airport to the park reserve, if you wish, you can walk. But the heat is terrible, bags. The fare is 5 ringgit per person.
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A couple of minutes and we are at the entrance to Gunung Mulu National Park.
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We cross the river along cable car.
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I sent a request for hotel reservations a week in advance. And even then there was nothing but a hostel. We agreed to a hostel. We get the linen, the key to the locker and go to see what a hostel is in this village.
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So, today's visit plan: Paku Waterfall, then Night walk. The first item is free, independent walk to Paku waterfall, the second is paid, as the guide leads the group.
Before you go anywhere on your own, you need to go to the security house, write your name and time of departure on the blackboard. This is done, most likely, for control - if someone gets lost, then it will be possible to know from this log where to look. If you do not check in before the trip, no one will scold, but we still did not break the rules.
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In Mulu, everything seemed too touristy. Many kilometers of roads to the inspection points are paved in the form of a wooden bridge. Despite the fact that you are in the rain forest, you can walk here simply in shorts and flip flops. Everything is clean and tidy everywhere, there are beautiful signs.
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Walk 2.8 km to Paku waterfall, walk for about an hour, first along the paved road, then follow the sign and go down the forest path.
Along with us were two more who arrived on the same flight: the American Nicholas (in the background in the hat) and the Spaniard Jesus. Before that, he lived and worked in Spain for a couple of years. Nicholas has Ukrainian roots and even knows several phrases in Russian. So he immediately changed from Nicholas to Kolya. It turned out that he had been traveling for 8 months, having traveled all over Asia. He says - I will finish, as the money runs out, and they are already running out.
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The road to Paku waterfall was long, but passed quite unnoticed. While in the forest, the chirping of cicadas and other insects is constantly in the ears.
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The park is home to about 3500 species of vascular plants. It is home to about 80 species of mammals, about 270 species of birds, 55 species of reptiles, 76 species of amphibians, 48 ​​species of fish and more than 20 thousand species of invertebrates.
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Finally we reached the final sign to the waterfall. Ahead, an American shouted: "What? Waterwall? I want my money back!" It was said, of course, as a joke. But the waterfall, I must say, is really not what we imagined.
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After a long walk, the clothes were wet through and through, very hot and stuffy. Plunged into the cool river.
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The downpour began, and after a while we had the last item on today's program - Night Walk at 7 pm.
We approached the security by 19:00 - there, besides us, a few more people were waiting for the night excursion. And the rain continued to pour. The guide came out, said that we were waiting 15 minutes, if the rain does not end, we will postpone it to another day. While waiting, the guide told about the local caves, where else you can go, what to see. And then the rain stopped, and then it ended altogether. Hooray! A night walk through the forest will take place!
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Night Walk is a walk through the forest to view the animals that are visible to the naked eye at night. Unpretentious flashlights are given out. We had our own flashlights, better and more powerful. Noticing this, the guide said: "Oh, good lantern, give it to me, and take mine yourself." Well, yes, he's a guide!
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The walk goes like this. A guide goes ahead, looking through the forest with a flashlight. As soon as he discovers something interesting, he calls everyone - look what I found !! The group runs up screaming: "Wow, wow, let me take a picture too!"
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And here's the first prey - a stick insect.
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And it was not the guide who noticed him, but Nicholas. He, as it turned out, is a terrible lover of all sorts of bugs, spiders and other creatures. Moreover, the uglier and larger the creature, the more joy and happiness it gave him.
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Another stick insect
