Visiting Bako National Park – The Ultimate Guide To One Of Borneo’s Natural Gems
Last Updated: March 1 2021
Bako National Park is located about about 37km away from Kuching. This means it can be explored either as a day trip or an overnight stay. It is one of Borneos real gems and has so much wildlife to see! Visiting Bako National Park must be on your list when in Borneo; trust us you won’t regret it!
How to get to Bako National Park:
Bako National Park is super accessible to any traveller, especially when staying in Kuching! The journey consists of catching a public bus and a boat from the Bako National Park terminal.
The Bus number you want is the No.1. It will usually have a picture of Bako National Park and the Proboscis monkeys on the front! There are multiple bus stops in Kuching for this bus, however the picture below is the one we used. It is found next to The White Barouk, and Gloria Jeans Coffee right at the waterfront.
We recommend getting the first bus at 7am, as it takes around an hour on the bus and then you have to get a boat to the entrance too! This will give you loads of time to explore! If you don’t fancy that much of an early start, the timetable we were given states that they run every hour, on the hour from the bus stop above! The price is 5RM each (around £1) and takes you straight to the Bako National Park Terminal.
Bako National Park Terminal:
Upon reaching the terminal, you will have to go in and pay your entrance fee and the boat ticket. We got a return as we only did a day trip, so we are not sure what happens if you are staying overnight. When paying for an entrance free you will be asked to give your name and passport number, so make sure you know it or have it on you! The entrance fee is 20RM (around £3.75) which is so cheap! You then go to a separate counter to pay for your boat ticket. It costs 40RM (around £7.50) each for a return boat journey.
The boat dropped us off around 9am at the national park, and we were then told to be back at the jetty for 3pm for pick up. Be aware of tide times, as we got dropped off at a different location than the jetty because it was low tide. If you are unsure all you have to do is walk into the visitor centre, and there will be someone there for you to ask where you will be getting picked up.
The animals you could get a chance to see:
Visiting Bako National Park is a must for any animal lover, there is so much to see! These were the animals that we saw just on a day trip. People who stay here overnight probably would have experienced even more!
One thing to note when leaving the Bako National Park terminal is being safe in the boats. There are lots of signs saying to keep your hands in the boat and to be careful upon entering and exiting the boats. There are crocodiles found in the river, which is why these signs are up in the terminal. We didn’t see a crocodile on this trip though, and we are kind of glad as we were on a small boat! Apparently the crocodiles are found further upstream according to the locals.
What to do in Bako National Park:
There are multiple trails you can take throughout the park, ranging from 30 minutes to nearly 4 hours. The trails you do will obviously depend on whether you are staying overnight or on a day trip. We only did a day trip and only completed two of the trails. We walked the Tg. Sapi and Ulu Assam as these trails both had viewpoints over the park and we are so glad we did!
Tg. Sapi Viewpoint:
Ulu Assam Viewpoint:
The beach in low tide is also a good place to explore, and really gives you those Jurassic Park vibes seen as your in the middle of nowhere!
Ironically we found that the area around the headquarters was the best place to see wildlife when visiting Bako National Park! This is where we saw the Proboscis monkeys, Macaques, Langurs and Bearded pigs! When you are standing at the front of the headquarters, make sure you walk along the path towards the jetty terminal. If you come in during high tide you will know where that is. If you come during low tide like us you will be dropped off at the beach. Walk straight up to the headquarters and then left over a small wooden bridge. This is where we saw pretty much all of our wildlife, and it is a great spot!
The facilities within Bako National Park:
Upon entering the National Park there is a headquarters located close by which consists of toilets, a small cafe and information centre. The headquarters is the only facility located in the National Park so if you heading for the trails make sure you go to the toilet first haha!
Where to stay?
Unless you are staying in Bako National Park overnight, we recommend you to stay in Kuching! If you are visiting Sarawak it is the perfect place to use as a base. Semenggoh Orangutan Centre, the Cultural Village, Matang Widlife Centre and the Kuching Wetlands are all day trips that can be taken from Kuching. We stayed in Kuching on a budget, so stayed in the Hero Hostel. It is a superhero themed hostel which is super cool, with good facilities! You can get a private room for under £7 and we found it really comfortable! It is definitely a great base if you are planning on visiting Bako National Park.
Thank you so much for reading this post! We really hope it has inspired you to visit Borneo and visit Bako National Park; you won’t regret it!
P.S if you want to keep up with our adventures, follow our Instagram at:Â https://www.instagram.com/acouplescalling/
Thanks, Jack & Abbie.
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
