• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work & Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
      • Readers’ Choice Awards
        • Moving house? Get your Wi-Fi connection right!
        • earth hour festival earth hour Singapore WWF SingaporeSwitch Off for Earth Hour by WWF Singapore
        • Lydia Ko plays golf tournament in singaporeWatch a women’s golf battle for the Team Series title!
        • real estate in united states owning property in USOwning Real Estate in the United States
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Elke & man k9 empawer walkWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • St Patrick's Day 2023 - irish pubs and drinking spotsSt Patrick’s Day: Great bars to celebrate at
        • Lydia Ko plays golf tournament in singaporeWatch a women’s golf battle for the Team Series title!
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
        • Mental health support for toddlers to teens
        • Fun obstacle course in Singapore for kids and adultsHomeTeamNS challenges you to the ultimate obstacle course!
        • education system in Singapore Astor international schoolAstor: Small Singapore school with big impact
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • Beautiful interior design by Arete CultureNeed decorators, home stylists or interior designers?
        • Bedrooms: Bed frames, bedding & bedside tables!
        • Affordable art in SingaporeBuying affordable art in Singapore – it is possible!
        • Where to buy a really good bed and mattress in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • property in sydneyBuying property in Sydney
        • international health insurance for singapore expatsHealth insurance for Singapore expats
        • Travel News & Hotel Deals
        • Chloe from E&A InteriorsBuilding a holiday villa in Sri Lanka from start to finish!
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • crab bee hoon singapore recipeAll you need to know about crab bee hoon in Singapore
        • local desserts in singapore - Rainbow ice cream breadMust-try local desserts in Singapore
        • St Patrick's Day 2023 - irish pubs and drinking spotsSt Patrick’s Day: Great bars to celebrate at
        • Best Restaurants in Singapore – Where to eat for foodies!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • ear piercing in SingaporeEar piercing in Singapore: types & how to avoid infection!
        • hairdressers in singaporeBest Hair Salons in Singapore for Haircut & Style
        • Best facial in Singapore? Read our face spa & beauty salon reviews
        • Niessing gold jewellery in SingaporeI discovered a 150-year-old jeweller in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • Here’s why sleep is so important
        • core exercises in singapore7 Singapore Pilates studios for core exercises & more!
        • at-home personal training yoga in singaporeYoga classes in Singapore, and the benefits!
        • Here’s what inspires a top urologist in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

National Parks in Sarawak – for orangutans and more!

3rd January 2022 by Dinesh Ajith 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/national-parks-sarawak-wildlife-and-orangutans-in-borneo/

If wildlife and nature are what drives you to explore the world, Borneo’s untamed national parks in Sarawak are a prime pick for intrepid travellers. The Malaysian State lies on the jungle-swathed island and is just a short flight away from Singapore. If you’ve got your future planning hat on, here are the three national parks to visit if you want to see wildlife in Sarawak and discover ancient civilisations. These alluringly remote destinations also give you the opportunity to encounter orangutans in Borneo.

Bako National Park – to experience Sarawak’s diverse wildlife

Bako National Park is Sarawak’s oldest park and serves as an ideal introduction to Sarawak’s native wildlife. The park is located at the tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula and is just 40 kilometres from Kuching (by car and boat), making it perfect for a daytrip. Despite its modest size of 27 square kilometres, the park encompasses a remarkable range of biomes. In addition to swampy mangroves and padang scrublands, you’ll also find rugged coastlines with sandy bays and dramatic sea arches.

Bako National Park Borneo sea stacks
Bako National Park Borneo wildlife
Bako National Park Borneo wildlife
Bako National Park Borneo wildlife

The park features a well-maintained network of 16 marked trails of varying lengths and difficulties. This allows hikers of all skill levels to explore the park at their leisure. And, if wildlife is a highlight for you, the park is known for its remarkable biodiversity. Commonly spotted species include the long-tailed macaque, Bornean bearded pig, monitor lizards, otters and silvered langur. Bako is also home to approximately 150 proboscis monkeys and regarded as the best place to spot the endangered species.

On the way back to the city, take the opportunity to spot Bako’s iconic sea stacks. These unique coastal rock formations are one of the park’s most iconic natural landmarks. You can also stop for a meal at the floating seafood restaurants along the way.

Semenggoh Nature Reserve – for encounters with Sarawak’s critically endangered orangutans

There are few wildlife experiences as breathtaking as coming face-to-face with Borneo’s majestic orangutans. To check this off your bucket list, visit the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. Located within Semenggoh Nature Reserve and just 20 kilometres south of Kuching, it’s the biggest orangutan rehabilitation centre in Sarawak and a must-see for visitors to the park.

Semenggoh Nature Reserve wildlife orangutan
Semenggoh Nature Reserve wildlife orangutan
Semenggoh Nature Reserve wildlife orangutan

The centre is home to a colony of semi-wild orangutans who are acclimated to human encounters. This gives you the rare opportunity to interact with them during feeding time. Many of the orangutans at the centre were once kept illegally as pets, but have since been rehabilitated. If you’d like to help conservation efforts, the park also offers an orangutan adoption program.

The park also offers opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts to spot other rare animals like the giant squirrel, pygmy squirrel and gibbons. 

Niah National Park – for discovering an ancient culture

Once you’ve gotten a little closer to Sarawak’s orangutans and other wildlife, venture deep into Niah National Park to uncover one of the region’s most intriguing caves. The Niah Caves were first explored in 1864 by mining engineer Robert Coulson who discovered remnants of early settlements within. Almost a hundred years later, further exploration by the Sarawak State Museum discovered more evidence of an ancient civilisation that dated back to the Paleolithic era – almost 40,000 years ago. This makes Niah Caves the site of one of the oldest recorded civilisations in Borneo and East Malaysia.

Niah National Park Borneo
Niah National Park Borneo

Today, visitors can explore the Painted Cave which showcases ancient burial sites and paintings depicting the journey to the afterlife. You can also discover remnants of the “death ships”. These boat-shaped coffins were believed to ferry the dead into the afterlife. Niah National Park is located approximately 90 minutes away from the city of Miri by car.

Readers in Singapore who’d like more information on Sarawak tourism, trade and investment opportunities, can visit the Sarawak Trade & Tourism Office (STATOS Gallery) at #01-02A at 80 Robinson Road (open weekdays, 9.30am to 5pm). There’s also Retail@Gallery, a new initiative by STATOS, showcasing authentic Sarawak handicrafts including unique Penan handwoven bags and foods. You can also stay up to date on current operating hours and updated information on Sarawak at fb.com/statossg.

Written in collaboration with STATOS and Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

 

Read about more interesting destinations in our Travel section.

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

Categories: Asia Travel Tags: Borneo national parks orangutans sarawak Wildlife

Dinesh Ajith

Dinesh is a seasoned writer and editor with seven years of experience covering travel, restaurants and bars. His interests include film photography, cheesy 90s monster flicks, and scouring the island for under-the-radar craft beer bars.

You May Also Like

Chloe from E&A Interiors

Building a holiday villa in Sri Lanka from start to finish!

holidays in marrakech

Holiday 2023 – Chinese zodiac signs & your best destination!

Hiking in Kuching and Miri: Trails to add to your bucket list

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.