Bako National Park

Bako National Park---where Proboscis Monkeys swim in the ocean and guests are free to roam the jungle trails without guides.

I figured that Bako might be a good introduction to Bornean rainforests before I get into the more remote regions. Bako is THE place to see the extremely rare Proboscis Monkey. There are only about a thousand left in the world. These monkeys are very large and have enormous noses and potbellies. You've probably seen them in high school biology textbooks. Watching a dozen of these monkeys crashing through the canopy above is indescribable!

I took a local bus from Kuching to a quiet fishing village. From the village, I hired a man and his boat to motor me to the park, which is on a peninsula. In the park I stayed in a small dormatory. During the four days I was there, I wandered around the park's trails looking for interesting flora and fauna. The list is long, but here are some of the things I saw: many types of pitcher plants, 3 species of monkeys (Long-tailed Macaques, Proboscis, and Silver Leaf), 8-inch long centipedes, foot-long geckos, wild pigs, various snakes, etc, etc.

The trails went to secluded beaches, up low mountains, through swamps, and to waterfalls. On my last full day, there was one trail I wanted to do especially. It was their longest loop trail in the park. I asked the ranger about it and he said not many people walk it. He said I could try if I wanted to and it would take about 9-10 hours. I gave him my itinerary before I went just in case something happened. I started off at 8AM. The first few hours was just how I expected it to be---a lot of ups and downs and very warm weather, but nothing harder than I'm used to. Beaches, heath forests, and dipterocarp forests flew by. I was making really good time and still seeing a lot of wildlife. Then, just before Bukit Gondol (a low mountain), everything got very rough. The trail disintegrated in a swamp. Huge fallen trees covered the swamp floor. Vines called wait-a-while's were the largest problem. They are long, strong, and have rows of hooks that pierce clothes and skin. Finally, after a few hours of blood-letting and frustration, I tramped out of the swamp and continued up the low mountain. At about 4PM I reached the headquarters. The experience taught me not to screw around during my upcoming remote jungle treks. Later, I've got to hire local guides because this shit is serious!

... And fun! Did I mention I saw two monkeys swimming in the ocean!?!

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