Is a visit to Bako National Park on your travel plan during your trip around Borneo and are you curious about the hikes you can do? Then read on quickly.
Where is Bako National Park located?
Bako National Park is located on Borneo in Malaysia, at 20km north of Kuching, in state of Sarawak in the west.
Book your flight to Kuching here
Best time for your visit
Bako National Park can only be reached by boat. Therefore it is best to plan your visit on a (mostly) dry day between the months of March and October.
Because of the rainy season, you will have more chance of bad weather and a rough sea in the remaining months. It is then not or hardly possible for the boats to even reach the park or they cannot moor at the headquarters.
Map of the hiking trails
In total there are 16 hiking trails in Bako National Park. All walks are well marked with colours and are very diverse: from easy to hard and from short to long.
There are also a number of walks that you can do in combination with another hiking trail and walks of a few kilometers which will take you a day. So there is something to do for everyone!
At the headquarters you will find an information board with an overview of all the walks and you can pick up the map below to take with you during your visit.
The 16 hikes of Bako National Park
1. Tanjung Sapi
Distance: 700m
Duration: 30 minutes
Color of the route: red/white
Tanjung Sapi is the shortest walk in the park, but certainly not less difficult. After a short but steep hike through cliff vegetation you will be treated to a beautiful view of Telok Assam, the South China Sea and Santubong.
2. Teluk Delima
Distance: 1km
Duration: 45 minutes
Color of the route: white/blue
Teluk Delima is one of the most popular walks in the park. You walk through the habitat of the proboscis monkey and is therefore one of the best walks to spot this very special monkey. Also called the long-nosed monkey or Dutch Monkey. If you hear noises, be sure to stop and look as quietly as possible through the trees to see if you can spot the monkeys.
3. Telok Paku
Distance: 800m
Duration: 1 hour
Color of the route: white
This walk goes through a cliff forest to a small, secluded beach and is also the walking route where the Dutch monkeys are regularly seen. Especially in the early morning or late afternoon. When hearing sounds from the trees, make sure to stop and be as quiet as possible. Who knows, you might see a few proboscis monkeys sitting in the trees!
4. Ulu Assam
Distance: 700m
Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Color of the route: red/blue
5. Telok Pandan Besar
Distance: 1.9km
Duration: 1 hour
Color of the route: yellow
When you choose to walk the Telok Pandan Kecil route you can choose to also do the Telok Pandan Besar walk. The cliff, which is locatd at the end of the hiking trail is only 5-10 minutes walking from the Telok Pandan Kecil. Here you can relax on a bench while enjoying the beautiful view of the bay below.
6. Telok Pandan Kecil
Distance: 2.6km
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Color of the route: yellow
Do you want to do one of the most beautiful hikes in Bako National Park? Then go for the Telok Pandan Kecil.
You can start this hike from the headquarters or you can have yourself dropped-off at the beach. When you decide to start from the beach, you will start your hike with a 10-minute climb. The first part consists of stairs, but then it turns into a steep slope full of tree trunks. Did you start from the headquarters? Then you will have to descend here, so be careful.
Once you have finished the climb and have arrived at the top of the cliff, you have a beautiful view of the beach where you have just arrived by boat. From here the footpath leads to the headquarters through the forest and over a sandy path. Along the way you have the opportunity to also do the Telok Pandan Besar, where you can see the bay below.
Have you got some time left? Then there are several other longer hiking trails that you can discover.
7. Tajor
Distance: 3.5km
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: white/red
During the Tajor hike you walk via bushes and padang vegetation to a small beach. Although you don’t just reach the beach easily. First a steep climb is waiting for you.
Along the way you will also pass the small Tajor waterfall: the ideal place to have a rest and to cool down. From the headquarters it is about 2.5 hours of walking to the waterfall, which you can visit best after heavy rain. Then it is at its most beautiful.
The walking path does not provide (a lot) of protection against the burning sun, so be sure to use th sunscreen and possibly also choose to wear a hat or a cap.
8. Serait
Distance: 2.2km
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Color of the route: yellow/white
The Serait hiking trail goes along the largest trees of the rainforest to the border of the park. However, the path is hardly used due to its remote location.
9. Tanjung Rhu
Distance: 4.2km
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: yellow/red
The Tanjung Rhu is a hiking trail which you can do if you walk the Tajor route. As the name of the walk says, you walk to Rhu.
From the junction on the Tajor route you walk in about 45 minutes one way along an open stretch of land to this rocky peninsula and a small headland. A place where you can see different rock formations and rock pools.
10. Ulu Serait
Distance: 4.8km
Duration: 3 hours
Color of the route: yellow/blue
The Ulu Serait hiking trail is located a little further in the park and starts from the intersection with the Lintang route. After about 1.5 hours of walking along bushes, padang vegetation and swamp forest, you will walk along the base of Bukit Gondol: the highest point of Bako at 2660 meters.
11. Lintang
Distance: 5.8km
Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: red
The Lintang route is not only one of the most popular walks in the park, but also the only walking route which is a circle. During the walk you will encounter all types of vegetation that are present in the park and you even have the best chance to see a long-nosed monkey between Ulu Assam and Serait.
If you still have some energy left, you can add a small detour to your hike to the Bukit Tambi viewpoint.
12. Telok Sibur
Distance: 5.5km
Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: black/red
The longest beach of Bako can be found at the end of the Telok Sibur hiking trail, a day walk of about 3.5 hours.
To reach the Sibur hiking trail, first follow the Tajor trail and you will pass the Tajor waterfall. Then it is a 45-minute walk before you reach a junction: the start of the Sibur path.
From the junction it is still a tough walk to the beach. First a very steep descent for 45 minutes is waiting for you, you walk a stretch through the mangrove and then you have to cross a river. But then your effort will be rewarded and you will arrive on the longest beach in Bako National Park.
13. Bukit Keruing
Distance: 5.5km
Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: blue
From the Tajor waterfall it is a 1.5 hour walk to Paya Jelutong. The hiking trail takes you along the slopes of Bukit Keruing, which is also the second highest point of Bako National Park. And is located between the Tajor route and Bukit Gondol, where you also walk along the tallest trees in the park.
14. Paya Jelutong
Distance: 5.7km
Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: blue/white
The Paya Jelutong path is named after the Jelutong, a tree that is common in the area and whose softwood is used to make pencils. The hiking trail is the shortest route if you do not want to climb Bukit Gondol and takes you past a fresh water swamp forest.
15. Telok Limau
Distance: 13km
Duration: 8 hours
Color of the route: blue/red
The Telok Limau is the longest walking path of Bako National Park and runs from the headquarters to the small beach of Telok Limau.
Along the way you walk through rainforest, along scrubland and swamp forest, you will pass small streams and climb different hills, from where you can look out on the Muara Tebas peninsula.
Because of the length of the walk you can choose to camp at Telok Limau, so you can split the long distance in two and walk back the next day. Or arrange in advance at headquarters that you will be picked up by boat.
16. Telok Kruin
Distance: 12.8km
Duration: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Color of the route: black/blue
The Telok Kruin path is hardly used, because it is located completely on the other side of the park.
You will find the exit to the Telok Kruin path at about two-thirds of the Telok Limau path. Here you climb the first part of the Telok Limau for about 15-20 minutes through the forest and it is then another 25 minutes walk to the junction where you can turn to Telok Kruin.
As soon as you have arrived at the exit, the descent starts to an area where there is mainly a lot of scrub to be found. Special about this part of the walk is that you can come across carnivorous cup plants.
Along the way you can make four shorter walks where you can hike to a small rock pool and / or to a number of viewpoints: Bukit Keruin, Muara Tebas, Tanjung Keruin and Tanjung Po.
Be careful especially the last part of the walk! The descent to the mangrove forest is very steep. Once you reach the bottom you walk straight through the mangroves to your final destination: one of the best and also deserted beaches of Bako National Park.
The most popular hikes
With 16 hikes in Bako National Park you will have to make choices in which you want to do. Especially when you decide to take a day trip. Two good choices, which are the most popular when you visit Bako for 1 day, are:
Teluk Delima and Teluk Paku
Would you like to see the long-nosed monkey? Then the chance that you see one is greatest on these hiking trails.
Teluk Pandan Kecil
This is easy to combine with Telok Pandan Besar.
The Teluk Pandan Kecil and the Telok Pandan Besar are the most popular hikes in Bako National Park. The best way to start is on the beach at Pandan Kecil. Once you are dropped off by boat, you can walk back to the headquarters at your own pace.
When you choose to start at the headquarters, you are dependent on a boat to pick you up at a specific time and you have to descend along a steep slope during the last part of the walk.
Nightwalk
If you stay overnight in the park, you have the unique opportunity to take an evening walk (night walk).
After sunset and equiped with a flashlight and / or headlamp you will go on adventure in the dark rainforest together with a guide to search for all kinds of animals that are only active at night. Hereby you can think of fireflies, different frogs, cicadas and spiders.
Would you like to do the nightwalk? Then book this in advance at the headquarters.
Price: MYR 10 / € 2 per person.
Every day at 20.00h (08.00pm). Duration: 1,5-2h
Tip: when it rains or has rained in the park, you may suffer from leeches. Therefore choose to wear closed shoes, long pants and high socks (over your pants) during your visit. There are also special socks for sale against leeches. Check yourself and / or your traveling companions regularly on leeches during your walk(s).
Where do the hiking trails start?
Most of the 16 hikes start and end at the headquarters, which is a 20-minute boat ride from Bako Bazaar: the place where all the boats leave for Bako National Park.
However, there are also a number of hiking trails that start / end at one of the beaches: Telok Paku, Telok Pandan Kecil, Tajor, Telok Sibur, Telok Limau and Telok Kruin.
Boats at Bako National Park
Wanneer je kiest voor een van deze wandelingen, dan kan je je het beste met een boot laten afzetten op het desbetreffende strand. Zo kan je rustig terug lopen naar het hoofdkwartier en hoef je niet op een afgesproken tijd een boot te halen (behalve de boot tussen 15.00-16.00u naar Bako Bazaar als je 1 dag in Bako bent).
If you choose to do one of these hikes, it is best to arrange a boat to drop you off at the beach in concerned. This way you can walk back to the headquarters at your own pace and you don’t have to arrange a pick up by boat at an agreed time (except the boat between 15.00-16.00h / 03.00-04.00pm to Bako Bazaar if you are in Bako for 1 day).
If you start from the headquarters, you have to agree upon a certain pick-up time with the skipper to pick you up at the beach. Are you not on time on the location where the boat will pick you up? Then you have a big chance that the skipper will sail on and you will have to wait for the next boat.
This way, the employees know that you are present in the park, which walk(s) you do and with how many people, as well as what time you left. Don’t forget to unregister at the headquarters upon your return, before they will start searching for you.
How long do you need for your visit?
I chose to visit Bako National Park for 1 day and this was enough for me. You can do the most popular walks in 1 day. However, make sure that you are in the park as early as possible. This so that you can catch the last boat between 15.00h (03.00pm) and 16.00h (04.00pm), back to Bako Bazaar.
Of course it is very personal how long you need. But at least there are enough hiking trails to keep you entertained for several days. Although then you will have to stay overnight in the park itself.
Do you need a guide?
The hikes are easy to do on your own, so a guide is not necessary in my opinion. But if you want to know more about the nature and the animals that live there or maybe you prefer not to visit the park on your own, hiring a guide can certainly be fun. And it is quite affordable.
The costs per group per hour are around MYR 35 / € 7.50 and for an entire day between MYR 80-120 / € 16.50-25. Do you want to explore the nature park with a guide? Then you need to book a guide at Bako Bazaar in advance, before you take the boat.
Where to spend the night?
At Kuching
Most travelers take a day trip to Bako National Park from Kuching and stay there. Here you can find a lot of different possibilities to spend the night, from hostels to very comfortable and luxury hotels.
Do you want to stay a bit more low-budget in Kuching? Then the Check In Lodge and the Tune Hotel Waterfront Kuching are very good options. Or if you are looking for more (certainly affordable) luxury, then the The Waterfront Hotel Kuching or the Grand Margherita are lovely hotels to stay. We stayed at the Grand Margherita and really enjoyed it!
At Bako National Park
Do you choose to pay a multi-day visit to Bako National Park? Then it is convenient to stay in the park itself and also to book this in advance. You can camp on the campsite at one of the 50 camping sites or stay at the hostel or in one of the different lodges.
TIP: do you prefer to stay at the lodge? Then choose Forest Lodge type 5 with the newest rooms! State this clearly as a preference during your booking.
The costs vary from MYR 5 / € 1 per person, per night for a place on the campsite or MYR 15 / € 3 per bed, per night for a bed in the hostel to MYR 150 per room, per night in one of the lodges .
Depending on the chosen accommodation you have a shared bathroom and toilet or a private bathroom and toilet, as well as a fan or air conditioning for a cooling breeze at night.
And when staying at the campsite, don’t forget to bring your own camping gear and at the hostel your own towels and bed linen.
Here, book your stay Bako National Park
Payment must be made before you arrive and can be done online with VISA, Mastercard or by bank transfer through certain banks.
To be able to check in at one of the above accommodations in Bako National Park you need to show the invoice and the printed confirmation.
Check-in is possible from 14.00h (02.00pm) and the check-out is at 11.00h (11.00am).
TTX – Tourist tax
Since 1 September 2017 all foreign travelers must pay tourist tax, the TTX. This surcharge is MYR 10 / € 2 per room per night and must be paid when you check in or out. Are you a resident of Malaysia? Then you do not have to pay the surcharge.
Check for more practical information about Bako National Park the blogpost “Bako National Park: discover Sarawak’s oldest nature park”.
All times and prices mentioned above are subject to changes.