The ecological wonders found in the intact primary native ecosystems of Borneo are renowned worldwide. Some of the world’s best-preserved tropical rainforests are here, and they support some of the highest biodiversity and greatest species densities on the planet.

A well protected seaside rainforest and mesa plateau encompassed by Bako National Park thrives near Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak.

Kampung Bako and its adjacent well-preserved peninsular ecosystem

The Bako peninsula is remarkable in its intactness and long term stewardship, for a low-lying ecopreserve so close to a major city and regional trading and manufacturing centre.

By sea

The serenity and ecosystem health of the Bako Peninsula probably owes in part to local respect for its large surrounding mangrove tidelands, and the absence of a road.

We arrived on small skiffs piloted by local skippers, which due to the fertile riverine delta, can only operate during high-to-mid tides. Basic on-site dining and accommodations were highly affordable, and more than adequate for the appropriately smaller-footprint experience.

The overnight stay is highly recommended for those accustomed to basic wildlife adventuring, and especially for those interested in seeing what emerges during guided nighttime walks!

An exotic centipede out stalking for prey at night

Seaside perfection

Upon arriving to the Bako National Park visitor centre, we were rewarded with a timeless paradise, won thru the avoidance of unnecessarily destructive extraction or development. This is a gift to those who value intact and irreplaceable native ecosystems, and we hope these arrangements continue to be worthwhile for those living nearby.

A colony of bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) lives under the administrative building, and can be seen calmly grazing the beach and fields throughout the day, fairly accustomed to humans that aren’t a threat.

Some of the residents co-living at the visitor centre

Come to learn

A local guide is highly recommended, particularly for those interested in more than a few of the typical monkey sightings, and for serious photographers.

Seasoned guide and herpetologist Sabariman, an invaluable local mentor for interested visitors

We were incredibly fortunate to find that independent guide Sabariman was available, and willing to guide us carefully through the park to see some of its finest aspects. Absorbing knowledge and etiquette of someone intimately familiar with the park is invaluable.

Lush wetlands to sparse highlands

Our first walk in the park took us into a wet forest draped over steep rocky bluffs, via an impressive coastal wetland boardwalk popular with kingfishers, sandpipers, mudskippers, and fiddler crabs.

Forest crabs

The coastal rainforest was replete with brightly colored forest crabs, which we happily spotted surveilling us from large tree trunks beside the steep trail.

The plateau

After a sporty ascent, we emerged to a vast rocky plateau with far less soil, reminiscent of coastal bluffs and billabongs in Australia. Here we were advised to keep eyes out for orchids (and orchid mantis), pitcher plants, and other dryland species like succulents. The light rains we experienced here were likely appreciated!

Communal environs

After a well earned modest lunch at the dining hall, we continued the tour under brightening skies, with eye-catching birds and juvenile snakes emerging for warmer activities in and around the visitor centre complex.

We were stunned to stumble upon a lone proboscis monkey calmly foraging for fresh leaves low in the canopy, at only ~10 metres away from us. He didn’t mind our presence at all, as we communed and photographed from this ideal distance for quite some time.

At this distance, a close and imaginative empathy is unavoidable!

Forest Secrets

A bit further into the woods, Sabariman directed our attention to a regionally special “spiderman” spider, the beautiful singing of a happily wild shama, and a gigantic longhorn beetle measuring something around ~10cm in length (with the antennae far wider than that!)

A high-detail digital stack of several close-up frames

I managed to record the shama’s song, and quite a few other birds while visiting the park, which is further highlighted here: Sounds of Bako.

Upon returning to ‘camp,’ we learned from other resident guides that a beautiful docile tree viper had been seen, as well as a colugo resting high in the canopy.

265670748 — North Philippine Temple Pitviper

Fungi

Being a rainforest, there were plenty of fungi happily coexisting with the biome, including a quite exotic looking stinkhorn(?) that had popped up right on the trail! I did not personally investigate its odor, but one can judge by its popularity with the fruit flies visible in the photo.

Monkeys

Of course, there were more monkeys as well, often perusing the canopy for snacks or naps just above the track and bungalows.

The night walk

One of the more exciting novelties when staying overnight in the park is the opportunity to join a guided night walk to see what else emerges under the cover of darkness.

I had been eager to find a nocturnal Heteropoda davidbowie spider ever since moving to Singapore, and Sabariman noticed one right away, nicely perched on a leaf for a photo.

Giant stick insects seemed to have emerged; we noticed two a short distance apart.

The exotic centipede mentioned earlier was hanging out on a stump right next to the boardwalk, waiting for our guides to point out as “something fun!” and “highly toxic!”

This water spider appeared to be having dinner.

265688175 — Common White-flanked Water Spider

Last but not least, just as we were about to exit the higher canopy, Sabariman let me know there was another thing I had been hoping to find–bioluminscent mushrooms!

This is something I had first seen while visiting a native-like woods in Singapore, and it was no less awe-inspiring to witness in Bako as well.

We were told (with apologies) that the full moon had deterred many more things from exposing themselves, which sound impressive given the number of very cool things that we did find!

Parting scenes

The night proved so pleasant that we continued back thru camp to visit the sungei wetland area, where Sabariman says he once saw a massive saltwater crocodile lounging near the elevated walkway.

While we didn’t see this modern day dinosaur that night, we were treated to a surreal light show by a great quantity of fireflies having a meeting on the trees.

Our relatively short visit to Bako also included a grand circuit through a tall-canopied hardwood forest, and around the vast sandy tidal headlands on the low tide. Millions of busy crabs kept their eyes on us while we shared the opportunity of receded waters to comb the beach.

The tides graced us with a pleasantly timed dry morning return from the jetty with additional sightings, including a shy crocodile and a couple more proboscis monkeys thoroughly enjoying their lush mangrove habitat.

We’ll certainly aim to visit Sarawak again, as we have barely dipped our toes in everything this ecologically healthy place has to show us!

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