Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia

Jagged grey limestone pinnacles rising through misty rainforest at Gunung Mulu National Park during sunrise.

Go for one of the most studied tropical karst landscapes anywhere, with caves full of bats and swiftlets and trails through rainforest.

The place

Gunung Mulu National Park lies in Miri Division in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, close to the Brunei border. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and most people come for its caves. The explored passages run to about 295 km and shelter millions of bats and swiftlets. Gunung Mulu National Park is frequently called the most thoroughly researched tropical karst landscape anywhere on Earth. Above ground the landscape is equatorial rainforest broken by steep ridges, sheer cliffs, gorges, karst towers and terraces, with hot springs and waterfalls in between. The park takes its name from Mount Mulu, which at 2,376 m is the second highest mountain in Sarawak. Mount Api and Mount Benarat are limestone peaks, while Mount Mulu is sandstone, so the rock changes with each walk. The western side is lowland, about 38% of the park, and the eastern side rises into mountain ranges. The Melinau River shapes many of the routes in and out. Getting there is the main planning decision. The small airstrip sits just outside the boundary, and flights can be disrupted by cloud. The park headquarters is the base for guided walks and cave tours, and it is the place where most visitors start and finish their days.

Its story

The story of Gunung Mulu National Park begins with outsiders describing a landscape that local people already knew well. The first written mention of the caves came in 1858, when Spenser St. John, the British Consul in Brunei, described limestone masses full of caverns and natural tunnels in a book about the forests of the Far East. He later tried to reach the summit of Mount Mulu and was turned back by limestone cliffs, dense forest and sharp pinnacles. Charles Hose, an administrator in the Raj of Sarawak, also failed to climb it in the nineteenth century. Progress came through local knowledge. Tama Nilong, a Berawan hunter, found the south-west ridge that eventually led to the top, and in 1932 he guided Edward Shackleton and an Oxford University expedition to the summit, the first successful ascent. In 1961 G.E. Wilford of the British Borneo Geological Survey surveyed Deer Cave and the Cave of the Winds, and he predicted that more caves would be found. In 1974 the Sarawak government gazetted the mountain and its surroundings as a national park. The park's reputation rests on the expedition that followed. The Royal Geographical Society's 1977–1978 expedition, the largest ever sent from the United Kingdom, kept more than 100 scientists in the field for 15 months. A smaller group surveyed about 50 km of caves, among them Clearwater Cave, Green Cave, Wonder Cave and Prediction Cave. There was then no airport and no logging road, so the work was slow and physically demanding. The expedition launched more than 20 later expeditions, now grouped as the Mulu Caves Project.

What to see

Culture

Gunung Mulu National Park is a protected landscape, but it sits within a Sarawak where many communities have longer ties to the forest than any expedition. Their histories run through the park's own story. The Headhunter's Trail follows the route the Kayan took from the Melinau River to the Melinau Gorge, so it is best walked as a route through the landscape rather than as a spectacle. Malaysia has a Muslim majority, but Sarawak has its own mix of faiths and customs, and local guides are the best source of information about what is expected in villages. Modest dress is simple to manage: cover shoulders and knees, and ask before entering a home or photographing a family. Inside the caves, the guide sets the rules for where to step, and in the forest plants, rocks and wildlife are left where they are. Near the bat exits at dusk, speaking quietly keeps the experience calm for everyone. Ask before photographing people or their homes, and keep to the marked paths, because stepping off them can damage cave floors and forest roots.

What to wear

Around Gunung Mulu National Park, traditional dress belongs to the many communities of Sarawak, and there is no single costume to describe. Older garments across the state were often woven and beaded, and the Iban pua kumbu, a ceremonial woven cloth, is among the best known textiles. Patterns, colours and materials differ between groups, so a local museum or an informed guide is the best source for specifics. Most people in the towns and villages now wear everyday clothes much like those in Miri or Kuching, and traditional dress is kept for festivals, weddings and ceremonies. Visitors should pack lightweight, long-sleeved clothing that dries quickly, because humidity and sweat are constant and rain is likely. Long trousers help against insects and leeches on the trails. Closed shoes with grip suit wet limestone and muddy paths, while sandals are fine for the boat. Bring a hat and a rain jacket, and dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, when visiting villages.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Mulu is equatorial, so it is warm and humid all year, with rain possible in any month. The drier stretch of roughly March to September suits trekking best, but flights are affected by cloud whenever the weather turns.

How long. 3

Getting there. Fly from Miri to Mulu airport (MZV), just outside the park boundary, with MASWings flights of about 30 minutes. The last leg is a minivan ride or a walk of about 1.5 km to Park Headquarters.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

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