Gunung Mulu
Giant Caves, Bat Exodus and the Pinnacles
A UNESCO World Heritage rainforest park in northern Sarawak with no road to it: you fly in on a small plane, usually from Miri. It holds some of the largest caves known: Deer Cave's vast passage, where millions of bats stream out at dusk, Clearwater Cave's underground river, and the Sarawak Chamber for experienced cavers. Above ground, a canopy skywalk, and the three-day trek to the knife-edge limestone Pinnacles, with limited places. All cave visits are with park guides, booked ahead through the park; flights and rooms are few, so book them first.
Highlights
- Bat exodus from Deer Cave at dusk
- Deer Cave and Lang Cave
- Clearwater Cave by longboat
- Mulu Canopy Skywalk
- Pinnacles trek (three days)
- Adventure caving in Racer or Sarawak Chamber
Things to do
- Deer Cave & Lang Cave, then the bat exodusAfternoon · 4h
- Longboat to Wind & Clearwater CavesMorning · 4h
- Mulu Canopy SkywalkMorning · 2h
- Guided night walkEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: March – October
Worth knowing
Haze from Kalimantan Fires
Sarawak is closest to the fires in Indonesian Borneo, and in dry years August and September bring thick haze, unhealthy air and flight delays at Kuching and Miri. Check the air index before you go and keep the itinerary flexible.
Heads up
Mulu: Book Flights, Rooms and Cave Tours Ahead
Mulu is reached only by small plane, has few rooms, and every cave visit is with a park guide; the three-day Pinnacles trek takes a limited number of people. Book the flight first, then the park's tours and the Pinnacles, months ahead for the dry season.
- Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri — During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk: Malay restaurants are quiet by day and the evening Ramadan bazaars, with food stalls at every mosque and market, are the best street food of the year. Don't eat or drink in the street in Kelantan and Terengganu. At its end, Hari Raya Aidilfitri brings the "balik kampung" exodus: buses, trains and flights sell out weeks ahead and KL empties for a week. Dates move about 11 days earlier each year; they are set by the new moon.
- Gawai Dayak (Sarawak harvest festival) — The Dayak peoples' harvest festival, with open longhouses, rice wine (tuak) and dancing; Kuching holds parades and the Sarawak Cultural Village its biggest shows. Longhouse visits round 1 June are welcome but book ahead, as Sarawakians travel home.