Gunung Mulu is the jewel in the crown of Sarawak's national parksnetwork. It is by far the largest national park, covering 544sq km of primary rainforest, which is criss-crossed by clear riversand jungle streams. The park is dominated by three mountains -Gunung Mulu, Gunung Api and Gunung Benarat - and contains thelargest limestone cave system in the world.
Mulu's system of caves is truly spectacular and justifiably famous.The world's largest natural chamber (Sarawak Chamber), the world'slargest cave passage (Deer Cave) and the longest cave in SoutheastAsia (Clearwater Cave) are all found at Mulu. The sheer size ofthe system means much of the underground network remains unexplored.Although 195 kilometres of cave passages have already been surveyed,this represents just 30% of the estimated total.
The Show Caves
Many of the caves already surveyed are not open to visitors, asthey are either too dangerous, inaccessible, or contain delicaterock formations that require total protection. However, thereare four "show caves" which can be visited as day tripsfrom the park headquarters. All are accessible by plankwalks andwell-lit paths. Clearwater Cave & Wind Cave are reachedby longboat whilst a plankwalk leads through the forest to DeerCave and Lang's Cave. A number of other caves are also opento visitors who wish to arrange adventure caving trips.
Bio-Diversity
The Mulu Experience is not confined solely to its undergroundattractions. Above ground the visitor will find plenty to seeand do. The park contains 15 different types of forest - includingmixed dipterocarp, heath, peat swamp, moss forest and montanevegetation - and thousands of species of ferns, fungi, mossesand flowering plants, including 170 species of wild orchid and10 species of pitcher plant. Not surprisingly, Mulu's wildlifeis as rich as its flora. The park is inhabited by an impressivevariety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insectsand other invertebrates.
Jungle and Mountain Treks
Such a rich natural environment provides the perfect travel destinationfor naturalists and adventurers, who can opt for a whole rangeof nature-based activities. In addition to rainforest trails,Mulu has some excellent jungle treks and mountain hikes. Theserequire a certain level of fitness, include overnight stays atjungle camps, and give the visitor the opportunity to experiencethe natural environment, enjoy the beauty of the rainforest andsee some of Mulu's unique biological and geographic features.
The Gunung Mulu Summit Trek is for those with a cravingfor adventure and high level of fitness. The trek to see to the Pinnacles of Gunung Api is less demanding and a truly memorableexperience. The trail passes through some beautiful scenery beforeit reaches the viewing point, where the razor sharp limestonepinnacles tower above the surrounding forest. Another populartrek is the Headhunters Trail , which combines jungle trekkingwith river travel and a stay in an Iban longhouse. This trek isa unique and interesting way of entering or leaving the park.
The town of Miri serves as a "jumping off" pointfor Gunung Mulu National Park. For travel information, destinationfacts etc., go to the Mulu Fact File.