Mulu World Heritage Area, Sarawak, Malaysia

5M Shaf 5:00 PM Sep 1, 2022

Still One of Must-Visit National Parks in Malaysia
The only missing part from previous visits (this is my 4th visit) is that the trail from Park HQ to Clear Water is no longer accessible at the last section connecting to the entrance of Wind Cave. So, it is not possible to hike on your own to Clear Water anymore for swimming (you could still take one of the package to Clear Water with 2 cave visits). Another thing I notice is that the number of bats (coming out of the main entrance of Lang Cave and Deer Cave) are much less than before (the weather was good). Previously I could see never ending snake-like streams streams of bats exodus (within the short window). Now only occasionally coming into view. Perhaps the bats prefer other entrances. Hopefully the Park monitors the population of the bats. Still a great place to visit/re-visit. New chalet accommodation units are good addition.

5WeeKean 5:00 PM Mar 5, 2011

Great nature experience with young children!
I went to Mulu when I was in university and told myself I must go back again, so I did! This time, I took my husband and our two young children :) The plane journey was pleasant. Mas Wing was new and clean. The flight was a great geographical lesson for our 6 years old child (meandering river, long houses, mountain etc) At the airport, we took the park van to go into the park. The van was old but luckily, still functioning. It was RM6 per pax per journey (free for children). The van dropped us off at the park entrance. There were no one to help us with our luggage so my husband and I had to carry everything by ourselves (3 backpacks, a baby bag, a pram and a baby in the sling...) Fortunately, the journey wasn't long, just need to cross a lovely rope bridge and a little walk... For family traveling with young children/baby, it's advisable to pack your luggage sensibly :) It's also advisable to book your room as early as possible if you wish to stay in the park (if you stay outside the park, you need to pay the entrance fee every time you enter the park, besides the transport costs) Bring enough cash (RM only) They don't take credit card and there were no ATM.... this is the rainforest... We only managed to get one night stay in the park despite the fact that I called about 2 months earlier. We had an air-con room, with 4 single beds and hot shower. The room was clean and tidy but a bit smelly. The toilet had a few bugs here and there.... this is the rainforest.... We pushed all beds together to make a large beds so that our 8 months old baby won't roll/crawl out the bed. Be aware that there will be no electricity between 12pm to early morning. Bring extra layers in case it gets cold in the night. Bring own towels if you don't like a bit old towels. I noticed that, there were more new buildings/construction in the HQ compared to my first visit. They were building a hall which I doubt whether the design/colour will blend well with nature but this is my personal view... The cafe served good quality local food and fruits. We enjoyed the nasi lemak, roti canai, curry laksa, pancakes with banana, local vegetable and fruits. As almost everything were flown in, be prepared to pay more.... this is rainforest... in the middle of nowhere... On the arrival day, as we checked in at the park HQ, we straight away booked our trip to Deer Cave and Langs Cave which departed at 2pm that afternoon. We had good lunch, and bought bottles of water from the cafe. We packed sustainable snacks for ourselves and the children :) The walk was easy. It was 3km on nice plank walk path. You probably can bring your baby pram/stroller/pushchair (please check with the park HQ before doing so) but it can be quite noisy (the stroller rolling on the wooden deck...) It was quite hot and humid so the walk can be quite challenging for young children. Our 6 years old did the walk with a little bit of help from some yummy snacks :) I carried our baby in the sling (BabyBjörn)... it was a good work out :) We didn't see any wild life except some interesting bugs and flora. On my first visit, I saw super cute pygmy squirrel! The Langs Cave was as beautiful as I remembered. I didn't go into the Deer Cave as I knew that the bats dropping can be very very smelly, and I was worried that our 8 months old baby cannot hold her breath. I waited outside the cave, and enjoyed a little walk along the path. Our 6 years old enjoyed both caves very much. Don't forget to bring your own torch light. A good torch will help you to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the caves. A good pair of trainers will help the walking too. After about an hour or so of waiting, finally we saw the the amazing bat exodus. It was brilliant! Our viewing ended after about 30 minutes as the storm suddenly arrived. The rainforest quickily became dark as the rain was pouring down. Luckily we had umbrella and rain coat for all of us. Even then, we were still soaking wet! I have to say, it was a great experience by itself. The plank walk path was dimly lit at some parts but there were parts were just pitch dark, only lit up by fire flies. Our 6 years old managed to complete the walk/run back without any fuss/complaint! She told us afterwards that that was one of the highlights for her! So, besides your water, snacks, sun lotion, mosquitoes repellent/patches, and torch lights, don't forget to pack extra clothes, rain coat/rain cover/umbrella! This is the rainforest! On the next morning, we went on the boat to visit the Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. The boat ride was ok, with a few rubbish here and there. The Penan longhouse was a disappointment for us although our 6 years old loved the free range chicken (she is a city girl!) I was a bit disappointed with Wind Cave as there were no wind that day :( Well, at least, I still have a lovely memory of the sweet wind blowing into the small tunnel in the cave on my first visit :) It was one of the best things I have ever experienced! Hope we will have better luck with wind next time! The stairs leading up to Clearwater Cave was challenging for young children (and mother carrying baby) but we did it! We were lucky as we shared the boat with another couple, and they agreed to stay a bit longer instead of rushing back to the HQ. We sat by the wooden stairs, put our feet into the water, and enjoyed a free and natural fish spa (fish nibbling our feet) My husband and our child swam and enjoyed the fresh cooling water. We packed a little snacks to enjoy at this beautiful setting. We checked out that afternoon, and called the hotel van to take us to Royal Mulu Resort for our second/last night. We spent the rest of our time in the resort (may be I will write a review about this resort) We would love to go back to Mulu National Park again when our children are older so that we can do the canopy walk, more trekking and may be more caving activities that have age limit. I hope my review will help family with young children (and baby) to enjoy this beautiful place :)