MALAYSIAlonelyplanet.com MALAYSIAN BORNEO – SARAWAK •• Bario & the Kelabit Highlands
stream of bats (which kind of looks like a
cartoon swarm of bees) emerges from the cave
to search the jungle for tasty insects. A second
tour features the not-to-be-missed Cave of the
Winds and Clearwater Cave. The newly opened
Lagang Cave rounds out the list. In between
visits to the show caves, try the Mulu Canopy
Skywalk (RM30), easily one of Borneo’s best.
If you thought the caves were amazing, wait
until you hit the trails! Mulu offers some of
the best and most accessible jungle trekking
in all of Borneo. The three main treks in the
park are the Headhunters Trail , the routes to
the Pinnacles , and the hike to the Gunung Mulu
summit. An attempt at any of them will in-
volve some expense (around RM610/RM470
per person for Headhunters/Pinnacles when
travelling in twos), so it’s best to form a group
with other travellers to reduce the cost of both
transport and guide. All three trips are multi-
day affairs. Although only a fraction of visi-
tors attempt these trails, it’s best to book in
advance as the park officials cap the number
of daily hikers for conservation purposes.
Sleeping & Eating
Given Mulu’s popularity and penchant for
tour groups, you must book your accommo-
dation in advance with Mulu Park (%085-792300;
http://www.mulupark.com)..) Park accommodation takes
the form of a 21-bed hostel (dm RM40), which is
a clean, spacious room sleeping both men and
women. Hot showers and lockers are available.
Comfortable private rooms are available as
well, including simple Rainforest rooms (from
RM110) and the charming Deluxe Longhouse
rooms (from RM170). Camping is permitted
at the park HQ for RM7.50 per night. See the
website for images and additional info.
There are no cooking facilities in park ac-
commodation. Simple but tasty meals are
served at Café Mulu (the Canteen; meals RM10-15;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) – try the Mulu laksa,
it’s a staff favourite. There are also a couple
of low-key eating spots peppered around the
main road back to the airport.
Getting There & Away
The most practical way to reach Gunung
Mulu is by direct flight from Miri. MASwings
(%1300 883 000; http://www.maswings.com.my),,) a branch
of Malaysia Airlines, operates two flights per
day (usually in the morning) on either their
Fokker 50- or 68-seater ATR aircraft. The
flight takes approximately 30 minutes. It’s
possible to travel to Mulu from Miri by river,
but it’s a long, long journey and it actually
costs more than flying.BARIO & THE KELABIT HIGHLANDS
A land of sacred stones, of muddy longhouse
pilgrimages, of wispy clouds thumbing
thick greens like lazy fingers – the Kelabit
Highlands is a faraway land indeed. Snuggled
up against the Indonesian border like a sleep-
ing leviathan, this kingdom of earth and sticks
rests quietly under the rain as time tiptoes by
oh-so slowly.
Bario, a gathering of wooden cabins and
quaking rice paddies, is the region’s largest
community and the best place to base oneself
for a visit to the region. Short day trips from
Bario include fishing, bird watching, trekking to
Prayer Mountain (two hours return), and visits
to the nearby villages of Pa’ Umor and Pa’ Ukat.
You can also hike up to Bario Gap (half-day re-
turn), a visible notch that was cut in the rain-
forest on a ridge above town to celebrate the
millennium and 2000 years of Christianity. A
variety of intriguing tribal megaliths are strewn
throughout the quiet landscape – many are
within a day’s reach. Multiday treks are quite
popular and can be tailored to one’s inter-
ests and time constraints. A popular option
is the three- to five-day trek known as the
Kelapang Loop (the trail is actually more of an
oar shape), which takes in three of the main
longhouses south of Bario: Pa’ Dalih, Ramadu
and Pa’ Mada. The three-day hike from Bario
to Ba Kelalan is a good route for those who
don’t want to cover the same ground twice
(you can arrange to fly out of Ba Kelalan).
There are no bank, ATM or credit-card
facilities in the whole Kelabit Highlands.
Travellers should bring plenty of small-
denomination cash for accommodation, food
and guides, plus some extra ringgit in case
you get stranded.Sleeping & Eating
Little Bario is a great place to base yourself dur-
ing a visit to the highlands. There are several
cosy options – most offering bed-and-board
services for a flat per-person rate. You don’t
need to book ahead in Bario – internet con-
nections are limited and tourist traffic isn’t ex-
actly bustling. Check out http://www.ebario.com for
more information about accommodation.
Labang’s Longhouse ([email protected]; r per per-
son RM20, with 2/3 meals RM43/58) A friendly place523