Mulu National Park

[OSFlanker]

Mulu National Park is a World Heritage Site. Having spent a week there, I would highly recommend this place to everyone. For those less inclined to walking in the jungle, all the show caves are accessible by boat and wooden walkway. For kids, I would say this place is highly educational. It's a pity that most of the people that I saw there were foreigners.Anyway, here are some photos to share :A map of the Mulu National Park. The pinnacles is situated on Gunung Api.

#01To get to the park, fly to Miri then take MasWings' FOKKER propeller plane to Mulu airfield :

#02Taking a boat ride upriver to one of the many caves at the park

 

[OSFlanker]

#03
The entrance to the Deer Cave and the Lang Cave. Deer cave I think is claimed to be the biggest cave chamber in the world.

#04
Alien lifeforms inside the Lang Cave?

#05

#06

 

[OSFlanker]

#07
Bats streaming out of the Deer Cave.

Here are more pictures of the bats taken with my PnS Ricoh Caplio R6:

This what everyone wants to avoid in the jungle : the leech!

Some sort of millipede :

I did overtake this snail on my way up to the Pinnacles :

Racer snake inside the cave :

Damsel Fly, I think :

 

[OSFlanker]

This is the trail to the Mulu Pinnacles. The whole trail is around 2.4km long, and you reach an altitude of around 1,200m which means it's a steep ascend of 45 degrees....ALL THE WAY!

If you don't pass this point (2,000m distance from base camp) by 11am then they won't allow you to continue :

After the 2,000m point, the "trail" turned from 45 degree to 90 degree up!

A great view of the vastness of the Borneo rainforest :

 

[OSFlanker]

I reached the pinnacles around 11am after 3 hours and 40 minutes of going constantly uphill. The climb was relentless, no flat ground for 2.4km.

#08
The karst formations, what everyone came to see :

#09

#10

#11

#12

#13
Don't try this at home, but I managed to hold on

 

[OSFlanker]

This is the basecamp for the Mulu Pinnacles and Headhunters' Trail, known as Camp 5. From the park HQ it's a 45-min boat ride and 9km trek. There are dormitories, cooking facilities and proper toilets here. Limited electricity, so cannot charge your batteries here ;-)

This is the river next to Camp 5, perfect for a dip for the weary limbs and body.

The next day after the Pinnacles climb, we set off on the 12km Headhunters' Trail.

The trail takes us to the far side of the Mulu National Park and this is the ranger station, signifying that we will be leaving the park boundaries.

The view from the ranger station :

 

[OSFlanker]

We spent the night at a longhouse. Not the traditional type, as this one had astro & fridge.

#14
The loooooonghouse

#15
Our room inside the longhouse

#16
This part of Sarawak, they are Christians :

#17
The rice field around the longhouse. They grow rice mainly for own consumption.

 

[OSFlanker]

#18
Along the river, on the way back to civilisation.

#19
Not sure if the mark on the hat is flare or dirty marks on the lens.

#20
Crocodiles have been spotted on this river before.....unfortunately I didnt see any.

#21
Finally we made it back to civilation. The boat left us at a place called Medamit, around 45 mins by car from the main town, Limbang.

In the van to Limbang. Can you count how many people are in the van?

 

[OSFlanker]

The town of Limbang is sandwiched by the 2 parts of Brunei. It was in the news last week, as Brunei has claim on the territory. It's a border town and much more developed than you envisage for such an outpost.

#22
Office block and shopping complex in Limbang

#23
The tiger is strong here

You can't get away from the taxman, even as far away as Limbang

#24
Croc infested river, I am sure a lot of smuggling goes on along this river.

#25
The blue sky gave way to black clouds

 

[climenta]

Very very nice nature shots for a change man

 

[535i]

OS - nice FR ... :top:

errr .. did not see Princess Santubong kaa ?

 

[OSFlanker]

OS - nice FR ... :top:

errr .. did not see Princess Santubong kaa ?

Miri and Mulu quite far away from Santubong lah. I was looking for Jessica Alba though, did not find her. But I think there are a lot of pickings for Angelina Jolie to adopt......

 

[johnj]

awesome man!! cheers!!

 

[Lennon Tan]

Good write up and pics. !Looks like u have fun .

 

[fabianyee]

He was incommunicado for 1 whole week, I thot he found Jessica Alba lookalike and ran off into the jungle..

 

[ALBundy]

Wah, like National Geographic documentary...found any orang utan??

Show more!!

 

[fabianyee]

BMWClub trip to Mulu.. Anyone??

 

[jarance]

Look like hard work and fun.

BTW,

flight cost?
Longhouse stay?
Food cost inlcusive of package?
Loonghose got astro, yes but got aircon? hee..hee.
best time to go there? Moonsoon rain?

 

[BlackCat]

Thanks for the lovely photo-essay OS.

Enjoyed every bit of it... Awesome pics too!


BlackCat

 

[anaksarawak]

Thanks OSFlanker!! You are a better Tourism Ambassador then me... a Sarawakian.

Wonderful photo story of Mulu!