Mulu World Heritage Area
Mulu World Heritage Area
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The forested mountains feature spectacular razor-edged pinnacles and hide one of the largest limestone cave systems in the world.
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M Shaf
Melaka, Malaysia17 contributions
Aug 2022
The only missing part from previous visits (this is my 4th visit) is that the trail from Park HQ to Clear Water is no longer accessible at the last section connecting to the entrance of Wind Cave. So, it is not possible to hike on your own to Clear Water anymore for swimming (you could still take one of the package to Clear Water with 2 cave visits). Another thing I notice is that the number of bats (coming out of the main entrance of Lang Cave and Deer Cave) are much less than before (the weather was good). Previously I could see never ending snake-like streams streams of bats exodus (within the short window). Now only occasionally coming into view. Perhaps the bats prefer other entrances. Hopefully the Park monitors the population of the bats. Still a great place to visit/re-visit. New chalet accommodation units are good addition.
Written 2 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CLEMENT T
6 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
While filming, I was almost killed by a falling rotten tree trunk on my way to Deer Cave on 17/12/2021 afternoon. The park management failed to ensure the safety of their visitors. There are so many rotten dead tree trunks still standing along the cemented path. I had reported the incident to the park office together with photos and my video clip to the manager, Mdm Lucy. Her only explanation was that presently the park is short of staff because of Covid Pendemic. Based on the video clip recorded, the tree trunk just landed few feet from me.
Written 19 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Project25
Mumbai, India280 contributions
One of the most fun, challenging and traumatic trips of my life!
We did the pinnacles trail in August 2010 as a couple travelling independently.
While the Jungle trek was an experience of a lifetime (meaning we will never-ever do it again!), the co-ordination, accommodation and information available about this trip were abysmal!
Physical Demands
We are both reasonably fit adults used to climbing, trekking and other outdoor sports on a fairly regular basis. We climbed Mt Kinabalu without too much difficulty earlier the same week.
In comparison, The Pinnacles climb is like an SAS training course!.
The steep ascent is extremely tough on the legs and the high humidity at around 35-40 degrees doesn’t help.
My partner was literally pouring sweat by the time we got to the top and it wasn’t possible to carry sufficient water to replace the lost fluids.
The first 1.9k of the 2.4k trek is straight up through the different layers of forest until you reach the bottom of the ‘climb’ section. It takes 2-3 hours and is relatively boring, the only thing to concentrate on being the agony in your thighs. We saw little (no) wildlife and the vegetation is pretty dull (one pitcher plant and some mushrooms – whoop).
We arrived at the bottom of the first latter by about 9am but if you don’t reach this point before 11, you have to turn back. A number of parties who attempted the walk on the same day as us had to turn back disappointed at this stage as they weren’t made aware before hand of the severity of the climb (most people just wouldn’t be able to do it) or the time it takes to reach the checkpoint.
The ladders section is completely different. Being just around 500m, it takes at least an hour but most parties will take around 2 hours.
It is a combination of 15 ladders which have been mounted onto the sheerest crags, ropes up scrambles and metal walkways over large drops.
We are experienced rock climbers and had no problem with the climb, In fact it was far easier than the walk up, but there are numerous dangers and safety equipment is far below European/US standards.
If it has rained, ladder rungs are slippery, as is the rock. Hand holds are sharp in places and we had a few bleeds. Those with a fear of heights should not attempt this climb.
Equipment is old and not particularly well maintained. Using a narrow metal bar to cross a 30ft drop onto sharp limestone in the wet is not recommended in most situations. Basically, don’t attempt this climb if you are not prepared for a certain amount of risk. There are certain points where if you lose your footing and come off, the chances look bleak. Rescues in an emergency would be impossible.
Once arrived at the Pinnacles, we had 45 minutes to lunch and recuperate before the walk down.
The view is OK if you are a fan of Karst formations, 5 minutes is enough and we probably wouldn’t have bothered with the trip if we had known that the view is no more expansive that the pics you have seen on the internet.
Getting down is another challenge, some say more difficult.
You need to climb down the vertical staircase backwards and be vary careful about where you put your feet. One stumble and your gone.
Some groups take 5 hours plus to get down, by which time its almost dark.
By the time we got to the bottom, by partner had almost passed out with dehydration as we were stupidly told to leave our water at the half way point. Don’t leave it all as you will need it at the top to rehydrate.
It was absolutely exhausting and the only thing to do at the end is dive in the very refreshing river – fully clothed of course as you will already be soaked wet through!
Accommodation
Camp 5 is a dive. As you would expect.
What we didn’t expect were rats running over our feet in the night!
The rooms are raised wooden platforms above the floor.
Make sure you take a mosquito net to keep the obvious and larger vermin out!
There was a hole in the wall next to our bed through which a rat came each night to inspect our bags for treats.
It ran over our feet and around past our heads a few times. We were really freaked out and didn’t sleep for the rest of the night. We had to go on ‘rat watch’ the next night to keep an eye out for the dirty beggar. This could be easily solved with a few planks of wood and would make the whole place a lot more sanitary.
The kitchen is pretty confusing as there are a lot of locals who use it to prepare food for the large groups who have paid for a catered trip. Its not really clear what you can and cant use so we just dived in and got told off a few times.
The pans are like something out of Harry Potter and there isn’t really a clean area to give your stuff a good wash, you just have to endure it for a few days.
Take plenty of snacks as coking hot meals isn’t easy.
The showers and loos are surprisingly nice but the best place for a wash is the river – our highlight of the camp 5 trip!.
Logistics and getting there.
Organising this trip was a total nightmare. We were booked ahead and the reception at Mulu knew we were doing Camp 5. When we asked about hiring our own guide they said we couldn’t do it and had to go with a group as they weren’t enough guides. Apparently you have to state upfront if you want your own guide which weren’t made aware of and were pretty miffed about.
So, we got put in a group with three other, very nice, people. It took reception 1.5 hours to co-ordinate this meaning that we set off for Clearwater quite late.
After Clearwater the boat trip upstream takes about an hour and if the river is low you have to get out and push – make sure you take some sandals which you can go in the river with –TEVA, Crocs etc – we didn’t and the river floor was very sharp and painful.
Once at the drop off, put your boots on and prepare for the 8km trek to camp 5. ts totally flat and there are a few Indiana Jones type bridges which are good for pictures, but otherwise its pretty dull unless you have a keen eye for birds. We didn’t see anything
Overall, this trip is ideal if:
- you have a passion for Limestone formations
- Are extremely fit and not scared of heights or climbing
- You want a real jungle experience and don’t mind being dirty, tired and wet.
Don’t attempt it if any one of the above doesn’t appeal to you.
We did the pinnacles trail in August 2010 as a couple travelling independently.
While the Jungle trek was an experience of a lifetime (meaning we will never-ever do it again!), the co-ordination, accommodation and information available about this trip were abysmal!
Physical Demands
We are both reasonably fit adults used to climbing, trekking and other outdoor sports on a fairly regular basis. We climbed Mt Kinabalu without too much difficulty earlier the same week.
In comparison, The Pinnacles climb is like an SAS training course!.
The steep ascent is extremely tough on the legs and the high humidity at around 35-40 degrees doesn’t help.
My partner was literally pouring sweat by the time we got to the top and it wasn’t possible to carry sufficient water to replace the lost fluids.
The first 1.9k of the 2.4k trek is straight up through the different layers of forest until you reach the bottom of the ‘climb’ section. It takes 2-3 hours and is relatively boring, the only thing to concentrate on being the agony in your thighs. We saw little (no) wildlife and the vegetation is pretty dull (one pitcher plant and some mushrooms – whoop).
We arrived at the bottom of the first latter by about 9am but if you don’t reach this point before 11, you have to turn back. A number of parties who attempted the walk on the same day as us had to turn back disappointed at this stage as they weren’t made aware before hand of the severity of the climb (most people just wouldn’t be able to do it) or the time it takes to reach the checkpoint.
The ladders section is completely different. Being just around 500m, it takes at least an hour but most parties will take around 2 hours.
It is a combination of 15 ladders which have been mounted onto the sheerest crags, ropes up scrambles and metal walkways over large drops.
We are experienced rock climbers and had no problem with the climb, In fact it was far easier than the walk up, but there are numerous dangers and safety equipment is far below European/US standards.
If it has rained, ladder rungs are slippery, as is the rock. Hand holds are sharp in places and we had a few bleeds. Those with a fear of heights should not attempt this climb.
Equipment is old and not particularly well maintained. Using a narrow metal bar to cross a 30ft drop onto sharp limestone in the wet is not recommended in most situations. Basically, don’t attempt this climb if you are not prepared for a certain amount of risk. There are certain points where if you lose your footing and come off, the chances look bleak. Rescues in an emergency would be impossible.
Once arrived at the Pinnacles, we had 45 minutes to lunch and recuperate before the walk down.
The view is OK if you are a fan of Karst formations, 5 minutes is enough and we probably wouldn’t have bothered with the trip if we had known that the view is no more expansive that the pics you have seen on the internet.
Getting down is another challenge, some say more difficult.
You need to climb down the vertical staircase backwards and be vary careful about where you put your feet. One stumble and your gone.
Some groups take 5 hours plus to get down, by which time its almost dark.
By the time we got to the bottom, by partner had almost passed out with dehydration as we were stupidly told to leave our water at the half way point. Don’t leave it all as you will need it at the top to rehydrate.
It was absolutely exhausting and the only thing to do at the end is dive in the very refreshing river – fully clothed of course as you will already be soaked wet through!
Accommodation
Camp 5 is a dive. As you would expect.
What we didn’t expect were rats running over our feet in the night!
The rooms are raised wooden platforms above the floor.
Make sure you take a mosquito net to keep the obvious and larger vermin out!
There was a hole in the wall next to our bed through which a rat came each night to inspect our bags for treats.
It ran over our feet and around past our heads a few times. We were really freaked out and didn’t sleep for the rest of the night. We had to go on ‘rat watch’ the next night to keep an eye out for the dirty beggar. This could be easily solved with a few planks of wood and would make the whole place a lot more sanitary.
The kitchen is pretty confusing as there are a lot of locals who use it to prepare food for the large groups who have paid for a catered trip. Its not really clear what you can and cant use so we just dived in and got told off a few times.
The pans are like something out of Harry Potter and there isn’t really a clean area to give your stuff a good wash, you just have to endure it for a few days.
Take plenty of snacks as coking hot meals isn’t easy.
The showers and loos are surprisingly nice but the best place for a wash is the river – our highlight of the camp 5 trip!.
Logistics and getting there.
Organising this trip was a total nightmare. We were booked ahead and the reception at Mulu knew we were doing Camp 5. When we asked about hiring our own guide they said we couldn’t do it and had to go with a group as they weren’t enough guides. Apparently you have to state upfront if you want your own guide which weren’t made aware of and were pretty miffed about.
So, we got put in a group with three other, very nice, people. It took reception 1.5 hours to co-ordinate this meaning that we set off for Clearwater quite late.
After Clearwater the boat trip upstream takes about an hour and if the river is low you have to get out and push – make sure you take some sandals which you can go in the river with –TEVA, Crocs etc – we didn’t and the river floor was very sharp and painful.
Once at the drop off, put your boots on and prepare for the 8km trek to camp 5. ts totally flat and there are a few Indiana Jones type bridges which are good for pictures, but otherwise its pretty dull unless you have a keen eye for birds. We didn’t see anything
Overall, this trip is ideal if:
- you have a passion for Limestone formations
- Are extremely fit and not scared of heights or climbing
- You want a real jungle experience and don’t mind being dirty, tired and wet.
Don’t attempt it if any one of the above doesn’t appeal to you.
Written 26 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WeeKean
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia8 contributions
Oct 2010
I went to Mulu when I was in university and told myself I must go back again, so I did! This time, I took my husband and our two young children :)
The plane journey was pleasant. Mas Wing was new and clean. The flight was a great geographical lesson for our 6 years old child (meandering river, long houses, mountain etc)
At the airport, we took the park van to go into the park. The van was old but luckily, still functioning. It was RM6 per pax per journey (free for children). The van dropped us off at the park entrance. There were no one to help us with our luggage so my husband and I had to carry everything by ourselves (3 backpacks, a baby bag, a pram and a baby in the sling...) Fortunately, the journey wasn't long, just need to cross a lovely rope bridge and a little walk... For family traveling with young children/baby, it's advisable to pack your luggage sensibly :)
It's also advisable to book your room as early as possible if you wish to stay in the park (if you stay outside the park, you need to pay the entrance fee every time you enter the park, besides the transport costs)
Bring enough cash (RM only) They don't take credit card and there were no ATM.... this is the rainforest...
We only managed to get one night stay in the park despite the fact that I called about 2 months earlier. We had an air-con room, with 4 single beds and hot shower. The room was clean and tidy but a bit smelly. The toilet had a few bugs here and there.... this is the rainforest.... We pushed all beds together to make a large beds so that our 8 months old baby won't roll/crawl out the bed.
Be aware that there will be no electricity between 12pm to early morning. Bring extra layers in case it gets cold in the night. Bring own towels if you don't like a bit old towels.
I noticed that, there were more new buildings/construction in the HQ compared to my first visit. They were building a hall which I doubt whether the design/colour will blend well with nature but this is my personal view...
The cafe served good quality local food and fruits. We enjoyed the nasi lemak, roti canai, curry laksa, pancakes with banana, local vegetable and fruits. As almost everything were flown in, be prepared to pay more.... this is rainforest... in the middle of nowhere...
On the arrival day, as we checked in at the park HQ, we straight away booked our trip to Deer Cave and Langs Cave which departed at 2pm that afternoon. We had good lunch, and bought bottles of water from the cafe. We packed sustainable snacks for ourselves and the children :)
The walk was easy. It was 3km on nice plank walk path. You probably can bring your baby pram/stroller/pushchair (please check with the park HQ before doing so) but it can be quite noisy (the stroller rolling on the wooden deck...)
It was quite hot and humid so the walk can be quite challenging for young children. Our 6 years old did the walk with a little bit of help from some yummy snacks :) I carried our baby in the sling (BabyBjörn)... it was a good work out :)
We didn't see any wild life except some interesting bugs and flora. On my first visit, I saw super cute pygmy squirrel!
The Langs Cave was as beautiful as I remembered. I didn't go into the Deer Cave as I knew that the bats dropping can be very very smelly, and I was worried that our 8 months old baby cannot hold her breath. I waited outside the cave, and enjoyed a little walk along the path. Our 6 years old enjoyed both caves very much.
Don't forget to bring your own torch light. A good torch will help you to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the caves. A good pair of trainers will help the walking too.
After about an hour or so of waiting, finally we saw the the amazing bat exodus. It was brilliant! Our viewing ended after about 30 minutes as the storm suddenly arrived.
The rainforest quickily became dark as the rain was pouring down. Luckily we had umbrella and rain coat for all of us. Even then, we were still soaking wet! I have to say, it was a great experience by itself. The plank walk path was dimly lit at some parts but there were parts were just pitch dark, only lit up by fire flies. Our 6 years old managed to complete the walk/run back without any fuss/complaint! She told us afterwards that that was one of the highlights for her!
So, besides your water, snacks, sun lotion, mosquitoes repellent/patches, and torch lights, don't forget to pack extra clothes, rain coat/rain cover/umbrella! This is the rainforest!
On the next morning, we went on the boat to visit the Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. The boat ride was ok, with a few rubbish here and there. The Penan longhouse was a disappointment for us although our 6 years old loved the free range chicken (she is a city girl!)
I was a bit disappointed with Wind Cave as there were no wind that day :( Well, at least, I still have a lovely memory of the sweet wind blowing into the small tunnel in the cave on my first visit :) It was one of the best things I have ever experienced! Hope we will have better luck with wind next time!
The stairs leading up to Clearwater Cave was challenging for young children (and mother carrying baby) but we did it!
We were lucky as we shared the boat with another couple, and they agreed to stay a bit longer instead of rushing back to the HQ. We sat by the wooden stairs, put our feet into the water, and enjoyed a free and natural fish spa (fish nibbling our feet) My husband and our child swam and enjoyed the fresh cooling water. We packed a little snacks to enjoy at this beautiful setting.
We checked out that afternoon, and called the hotel van to take us to Royal Mulu Resort for our second/last night. We spent the rest of our time in the resort (may be I will write a review about this resort)
We would love to go back to Mulu National Park again when our children are older so that we can do the canopy walk, more trekking and may be more caving activities that have age limit.
I hope my review will help family with young children (and baby) to enjoy this beautiful place :)
The plane journey was pleasant. Mas Wing was new and clean. The flight was a great geographical lesson for our 6 years old child (meandering river, long houses, mountain etc)
At the airport, we took the park van to go into the park. The van was old but luckily, still functioning. It was RM6 per pax per journey (free for children). The van dropped us off at the park entrance. There were no one to help us with our luggage so my husband and I had to carry everything by ourselves (3 backpacks, a baby bag, a pram and a baby in the sling...) Fortunately, the journey wasn't long, just need to cross a lovely rope bridge and a little walk... For family traveling with young children/baby, it's advisable to pack your luggage sensibly :)
It's also advisable to book your room as early as possible if you wish to stay in the park (if you stay outside the park, you need to pay the entrance fee every time you enter the park, besides the transport costs)
Bring enough cash (RM only) They don't take credit card and there were no ATM.... this is the rainforest...
We only managed to get one night stay in the park despite the fact that I called about 2 months earlier. We had an air-con room, with 4 single beds and hot shower. The room was clean and tidy but a bit smelly. The toilet had a few bugs here and there.... this is the rainforest.... We pushed all beds together to make a large beds so that our 8 months old baby won't roll/crawl out the bed.
Be aware that there will be no electricity between 12pm to early morning. Bring extra layers in case it gets cold in the night. Bring own towels if you don't like a bit old towels.
I noticed that, there were more new buildings/construction in the HQ compared to my first visit. They were building a hall which I doubt whether the design/colour will blend well with nature but this is my personal view...
The cafe served good quality local food and fruits. We enjoyed the nasi lemak, roti canai, curry laksa, pancakes with banana, local vegetable and fruits. As almost everything were flown in, be prepared to pay more.... this is rainforest... in the middle of nowhere...
On the arrival day, as we checked in at the park HQ, we straight away booked our trip to Deer Cave and Langs Cave which departed at 2pm that afternoon. We had good lunch, and bought bottles of water from the cafe. We packed sustainable snacks for ourselves and the children :)
The walk was easy. It was 3km on nice plank walk path. You probably can bring your baby pram/stroller/pushchair (please check with the park HQ before doing so) but it can be quite noisy (the stroller rolling on the wooden deck...)
It was quite hot and humid so the walk can be quite challenging for young children. Our 6 years old did the walk with a little bit of help from some yummy snacks :) I carried our baby in the sling (BabyBjörn)... it was a good work out :)
We didn't see any wild life except some interesting bugs and flora. On my first visit, I saw super cute pygmy squirrel!
The Langs Cave was as beautiful as I remembered. I didn't go into the Deer Cave as I knew that the bats dropping can be very very smelly, and I was worried that our 8 months old baby cannot hold her breath. I waited outside the cave, and enjoyed a little walk along the path. Our 6 years old enjoyed both caves very much.
Don't forget to bring your own torch light. A good torch will help you to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the caves. A good pair of trainers will help the walking too.
After about an hour or so of waiting, finally we saw the the amazing bat exodus. It was brilliant! Our viewing ended after about 30 minutes as the storm suddenly arrived.
The rainforest quickily became dark as the rain was pouring down. Luckily we had umbrella and rain coat for all of us. Even then, we were still soaking wet! I have to say, it was a great experience by itself. The plank walk path was dimly lit at some parts but there were parts were just pitch dark, only lit up by fire flies. Our 6 years old managed to complete the walk/run back without any fuss/complaint! She told us afterwards that that was one of the highlights for her!
So, besides your water, snacks, sun lotion, mosquitoes repellent/patches, and torch lights, don't forget to pack extra clothes, rain coat/rain cover/umbrella! This is the rainforest!
On the next morning, we went on the boat to visit the Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. The boat ride was ok, with a few rubbish here and there. The Penan longhouse was a disappointment for us although our 6 years old loved the free range chicken (she is a city girl!)
I was a bit disappointed with Wind Cave as there were no wind that day :( Well, at least, I still have a lovely memory of the sweet wind blowing into the small tunnel in the cave on my first visit :) It was one of the best things I have ever experienced! Hope we will have better luck with wind next time!
The stairs leading up to Clearwater Cave was challenging for young children (and mother carrying baby) but we did it!
We were lucky as we shared the boat with another couple, and they agreed to stay a bit longer instead of rushing back to the HQ. We sat by the wooden stairs, put our feet into the water, and enjoyed a free and natural fish spa (fish nibbling our feet) My husband and our child swam and enjoyed the fresh cooling water. We packed a little snacks to enjoy at this beautiful setting.
We checked out that afternoon, and called the hotel van to take us to Royal Mulu Resort for our second/last night. We spent the rest of our time in the resort (may be I will write a review about this resort)
We would love to go back to Mulu National Park again when our children are older so that we can do the canopy walk, more trekking and may be more caving activities that have age limit.
I hope my review will help family with young children (and baby) to enjoy this beautiful place :)
Written 6 March 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nilingzi
Singapore, Singapore53 contributions
Apr 2011
Extremely fun for the outdoorsy type, extreme torture for couch potatoes.
It's a kind of trip where you will only do once so you have to do proper planning prior embarking on this adventourous trip. Our group of 6 (made out of 4 late 20s/early 30s, a triathlete and a marathon runner) made our bookings close to a year prior to our trip. We travelled mid April 2011. We have been advised by many climbers to make the booking as early as possible to avoid dissapointment. A guide will be assigned to you and he/she will meet you on the day you leave Park HQ for Camp 5 or will meet you at Camp 5 itself. Our guide, Susan, was wonderful and so patient with us as we peppered her with questions about the climb. We also got a porter, Tegong, who helped us lug our food supplies. We were advised to prepare 3 litres bottles for you to carry up the Pinnacles.
Getting to Camp 5
We packed lunches before the boat ride. You have to take a boat ride up Clearwater River for approximately 45 minutes until you reach the drop off point. It would be good to be equipped with comfortable hiking sandals (Tevas, Soloman etc) here as you will be proceeding with your 8.8km immediately.
During the wet season, expect lots of mud and leeches. Get a good leach repellant. Our group found that MosiGuard worked wonders with the creatures. Watch where you step as the ground gets rockier nearer to the Camp. I tripped over a fairly small rock and broke my toenail clean in half. Take a lunch break near the river at about 5.5km right after a bridge. There is a small sitting area there to rest.
Camp 5
Reasonably clean with dry toilets/bathrooms and wonderful cold rushing river where you can take baths in. You will be assigned to a communal room with mats on raised platforms. It is advisable you bring your own sleeping bag. We cooked our meals in the communal kitchen with guides who cooked for those who catered food for their trips. Guides there are friendly and were really nice to us. Do not disregard the fact that every single thing there was brought in through foot. So do not assume you can use the salt,sugar, oil etc in the kitchen if it was placed in a corner. Carry your own condiments if you require it during cooking. If in doubt, ask.
We had no problems in cooking wonderful complete meals including soups (pic attached) for 6 people along with coffee/tea for after dinner. Cooking/eating utensils available for shared use. Water is boiled by the guides for all guests to use. Lights out by 9.30ish. Use this water to refill your bottles for the hike up.
Rooms are reasonably clean for a wooden lodge. Be thankful you don't have to pitch tents. We brought small chunks of mosquito coil to keep out the mossies but kept those in a tin container to elimiate the risk of burning something. Mossie tents can be rented at the camp along.
Pinnacles
Our journey started at 6am and we packed lunch. We all wore longish pants and I wore long sleeves as we already knew that this is not a walk in a park. If you do not reach the first ladder by 11am, you have to turn back. It gets dark in the forrest really fast. The first 1.9km trek was mostly going up on a sharp incline with rocks and tree roots everywhere. A pair of gloves are handy to grab onto things. We saw lots of plants and insects as well. We all thought the pillow worm was endearing.
A friend and I usually do not eat alot of breakfast made a mistake of eating more than usual in anticipation of the calorie burning hike. We felt like puking halfway through due to the steep climb. With your 3 litres of water, it is no easy climb. Halfway up the mountain, you guide will let you know where to put HALF of the water supply for the trip down.
After the 1st ladder, you will have to start using your upperbody strength to pull yourself up almost vertical rock walls or inch along metal rods placed across lime-stone crevasse. This is not a journey for those with the fear of heights. There is not much of a safe environment for you to operate in. This is a World Heritage Site and very minimal things have been put in place for the climb in order not to destroy unnecessarily. We understood the risks before proceeding.
The triathlete and marathon runner in our group found the climb to be slightly challenging but did not have to take as many breaks as the rest of us. I found that to compete the 2nd part of the climb, you should be of a minimum height requirement. I am 160cm but i found certain parts of the climb quite challenging as I couldn't quite reach the ladder rung or foothold. My teammate had to boost me over certain areas or let me know where my foot will land if I let go of a handhold.
The view looks the same as in any postcard of the Mulu Karst formations but it is the sense of being able to see it yourself that makes the difference, especially after climbing 3 hours. We took an hour up there having lunch and prepared to climb back down. It took us 6 hours to reach Camp.
Climbing down is more treacherous as limestones, loose pebbles and roots are slippery. With the exeception of the ironmen, the rest of us started to fill the burn in our legs from the contast pressure of trying to prevent ourselves from pitching forward. It started to rain halfway down and we were thankful for our ponchos. It was a good break as we sat down on rock outcroppings while we waited for the rain to stop and break out the energy bars. Almost the entire journey down, I had to fnd handholds to keep my balance as my hiking shoes lost traction. Going down backwards on ladders and iron handholds can be quite scary. Susan told us that we had to keep in mind how to get back down when we climbed up.We all headed to the river to soak our feet once we got back down to relax and numb our aching muscles.
In a nutshell, only attempt this is you are more than 160cm, willing to take risks, fine with heights, reasonably fit, trained for this kind of hikes, don't mind the creepy-crawlies, mud, sleeping in the jungle and roughing it out. You will enjoy every minute of this.
It's a kind of trip where you will only do once so you have to do proper planning prior embarking on this adventourous trip. Our group of 6 (made out of 4 late 20s/early 30s, a triathlete and a marathon runner) made our bookings close to a year prior to our trip. We travelled mid April 2011. We have been advised by many climbers to make the booking as early as possible to avoid dissapointment. A guide will be assigned to you and he/she will meet you on the day you leave Park HQ for Camp 5 or will meet you at Camp 5 itself. Our guide, Susan, was wonderful and so patient with us as we peppered her with questions about the climb. We also got a porter, Tegong, who helped us lug our food supplies. We were advised to prepare 3 litres bottles for you to carry up the Pinnacles.
Getting to Camp 5
We packed lunches before the boat ride. You have to take a boat ride up Clearwater River for approximately 45 minutes until you reach the drop off point. It would be good to be equipped with comfortable hiking sandals (Tevas, Soloman etc) here as you will be proceeding with your 8.8km immediately.
During the wet season, expect lots of mud and leeches. Get a good leach repellant. Our group found that MosiGuard worked wonders with the creatures. Watch where you step as the ground gets rockier nearer to the Camp. I tripped over a fairly small rock and broke my toenail clean in half. Take a lunch break near the river at about 5.5km right after a bridge. There is a small sitting area there to rest.
Camp 5
Reasonably clean with dry toilets/bathrooms and wonderful cold rushing river where you can take baths in. You will be assigned to a communal room with mats on raised platforms. It is advisable you bring your own sleeping bag. We cooked our meals in the communal kitchen with guides who cooked for those who catered food for their trips. Guides there are friendly and were really nice to us. Do not disregard the fact that every single thing there was brought in through foot. So do not assume you can use the salt,sugar, oil etc in the kitchen if it was placed in a corner. Carry your own condiments if you require it during cooking. If in doubt, ask.
We had no problems in cooking wonderful complete meals including soups (pic attached) for 6 people along with coffee/tea for after dinner. Cooking/eating utensils available for shared use. Water is boiled by the guides for all guests to use. Lights out by 9.30ish. Use this water to refill your bottles for the hike up.
Rooms are reasonably clean for a wooden lodge. Be thankful you don't have to pitch tents. We brought small chunks of mosquito coil to keep out the mossies but kept those in a tin container to elimiate the risk of burning something. Mossie tents can be rented at the camp along.
Pinnacles
Our journey started at 6am and we packed lunch. We all wore longish pants and I wore long sleeves as we already knew that this is not a walk in a park. If you do not reach the first ladder by 11am, you have to turn back. It gets dark in the forrest really fast. The first 1.9km trek was mostly going up on a sharp incline with rocks and tree roots everywhere. A pair of gloves are handy to grab onto things. We saw lots of plants and insects as well. We all thought the pillow worm was endearing.
A friend and I usually do not eat alot of breakfast made a mistake of eating more than usual in anticipation of the calorie burning hike. We felt like puking halfway through due to the steep climb. With your 3 litres of water, it is no easy climb. Halfway up the mountain, you guide will let you know where to put HALF of the water supply for the trip down.
After the 1st ladder, you will have to start using your upperbody strength to pull yourself up almost vertical rock walls or inch along metal rods placed across lime-stone crevasse. This is not a journey for those with the fear of heights. There is not much of a safe environment for you to operate in. This is a World Heritage Site and very minimal things have been put in place for the climb in order not to destroy unnecessarily. We understood the risks before proceeding.
The triathlete and marathon runner in our group found the climb to be slightly challenging but did not have to take as many breaks as the rest of us. I found that to compete the 2nd part of the climb, you should be of a minimum height requirement. I am 160cm but i found certain parts of the climb quite challenging as I couldn't quite reach the ladder rung or foothold. My teammate had to boost me over certain areas or let me know where my foot will land if I let go of a handhold.
The view looks the same as in any postcard of the Mulu Karst formations but it is the sense of being able to see it yourself that makes the difference, especially after climbing 3 hours. We took an hour up there having lunch and prepared to climb back down. It took us 6 hours to reach Camp.
Climbing down is more treacherous as limestones, loose pebbles and roots are slippery. With the exeception of the ironmen, the rest of us started to fill the burn in our legs from the contast pressure of trying to prevent ourselves from pitching forward. It started to rain halfway down and we were thankful for our ponchos. It was a good break as we sat down on rock outcroppings while we waited for the rain to stop and break out the energy bars. Almost the entire journey down, I had to fnd handholds to keep my balance as my hiking shoes lost traction. Going down backwards on ladders and iron handholds can be quite scary. Susan told us that we had to keep in mind how to get back down when we climbed up.We all headed to the river to soak our feet once we got back down to relax and numb our aching muscles.
In a nutshell, only attempt this is you are more than 160cm, willing to take risks, fine with heights, reasonably fit, trained for this kind of hikes, don't mind the creepy-crawlies, mud, sleeping in the jungle and roughing it out. You will enjoy every minute of this.
Written 13 May 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Genevieve123456
Cairns, Australia48 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Outstanding! The rainforest was beautiful. We didn’t see too much big wildlife but it didn’t matter too much as the small wildlife was weird and totally wonderful. We saw so many interesting insects and even some snakes.
Written 31 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BecBacon
London, UK99 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
Mulu park is incredible and if you want to experience Malaysian rainforests then by far the best place to do it!
Getting there is easy - flights run by Air Asia go from Kuching or Miri most days of the week.
There are two accomodation options - Royal Mulu Park (run by Marriott) which is more expensive but more luxury, or the Park HQ. Park HQ has private bungalows, long house rooms and a hostel for backpackers. The bungalows are spacious, relatively basic but comfortable and with good air con and a decent shower room (although hot water is limited at times)
Book early! They are well managed, clean and comfortable if a little basic.
There is no tv and wifi is only available at the restaurant area and it is incredibly slow and unreliable.
There is a restaurant on site (local dishes, slightly pricey and very basic) and a small shop which sells crisps and sweets. Bring your own snack bars and supplies if planning long treks as supplies there are quite limited and food, while nice, is quite local and not to everyone's taste and portions are very small.
Bottled water available. The restaurant also has canned drinks and beer available.
The HQ runs different trips (must book early for the adventure caving and any guided tours)
We did the canopy skywalk - interesting, walking alongside tree canopies.
Long langsaat - a boat trip takes you along the river, and the views are amazing, after visiting a long house and village you continue along a small tributary into the rainforest where you then stop and trek for ten minutes along a river reaching a secluded waterfall where you can swim.
Deer cave walk is also amazing, but be warned it is quite difficult inside the cave (they don't warn you about the amount of climbing up rocks etc that is involved)
The caves are incredible and worth visiting, particularly the bat exodus.
The night walk is also amazing as they take you right into the jungle and you see so many insects and creepy night creatures.
One fault is that they don't warn you about the level of walking ability. Proper walking shoes are a necessity, as is suncream for boat trips, and deet for mosquitoes- none of which is sold there. The walking is often through the rainforest, with no boardwalks, and you are literally scrambling over tree roots etc. anyone of average fitness will be fine in the humid heat if prepared with proper shoes, a rucksack, water etc.
The bat cave walk (Eden valley) is quite difficult. Some of the others less so (take you along boardwalks), and they also run pro trekking walks with guides etc. and proper adventure caving (you need certs showing experience to do these)
It is absolutely beautiful there and I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience rainforest properly, and not just see touristy areas of Malaysia! It is relatively cheap and really, really amazing being in the heart of the rainforest like that!
Many people recommend Bako park over Mulu but having been to both I would not. Bako is lovely - it has more wildlife ie monkeys so definitely worth a visit, but a day is enough. Mulu needs several days. They walks in Mulu are much better (Bako is probably more tiring and less impressive when you reach the end, although it does have some great beaches) Mulu is far better run and much nicer, without losing the wildness of the place. The accomodation is far better and the food much more edible!
Getting there is easy - flights run by Air Asia go from Kuching or Miri most days of the week.
There are two accomodation options - Royal Mulu Park (run by Marriott) which is more expensive but more luxury, or the Park HQ. Park HQ has private bungalows, long house rooms and a hostel for backpackers. The bungalows are spacious, relatively basic but comfortable and with good air con and a decent shower room (although hot water is limited at times)
Book early! They are well managed, clean and comfortable if a little basic.
There is no tv and wifi is only available at the restaurant area and it is incredibly slow and unreliable.
There is a restaurant on site (local dishes, slightly pricey and very basic) and a small shop which sells crisps and sweets. Bring your own snack bars and supplies if planning long treks as supplies there are quite limited and food, while nice, is quite local and not to everyone's taste and portions are very small.
Bottled water available. The restaurant also has canned drinks and beer available.
The HQ runs different trips (must book early for the adventure caving and any guided tours)
We did the canopy skywalk - interesting, walking alongside tree canopies.
Long langsaat - a boat trip takes you along the river, and the views are amazing, after visiting a long house and village you continue along a small tributary into the rainforest where you then stop and trek for ten minutes along a river reaching a secluded waterfall where you can swim.
Deer cave walk is also amazing, but be warned it is quite difficult inside the cave (they don't warn you about the amount of climbing up rocks etc that is involved)
The caves are incredible and worth visiting, particularly the bat exodus.
The night walk is also amazing as they take you right into the jungle and you see so many insects and creepy night creatures.
One fault is that they don't warn you about the level of walking ability. Proper walking shoes are a necessity, as is suncream for boat trips, and deet for mosquitoes- none of which is sold there. The walking is often through the rainforest, with no boardwalks, and you are literally scrambling over tree roots etc. anyone of average fitness will be fine in the humid heat if prepared with proper shoes, a rucksack, water etc.
The bat cave walk (Eden valley) is quite difficult. Some of the others less so (take you along boardwalks), and they also run pro trekking walks with guides etc. and proper adventure caving (you need certs showing experience to do these)
It is absolutely beautiful there and I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience rainforest properly, and not just see touristy areas of Malaysia! It is relatively cheap and really, really amazing being in the heart of the rainforest like that!
Many people recommend Bako park over Mulu but having been to both I would not. Bako is lovely - it has more wildlife ie monkeys so definitely worth a visit, but a day is enough. Mulu needs several days. They walks in Mulu are much better (Bako is probably more tiring and less impressive when you reach the end, although it does have some great beaches) Mulu is far better run and much nicer, without losing the wildness of the place. The accomodation is far better and the food much more edible!
Written 2 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlexandJess
Canberra, Australia8 contributions
May 2012 • Solo
Spent 5 days in the park, and had a fantastic experience. All the guides were fantastic, i can't praise them enough. All the raised walkways can be done at any time (even at night), just sign out on the whiteboard next to the security desk when you come over the footbridge. We didn't see a single leech, and didn't get bitten by any mosquitoes.
We tried to book accommodation at the park headquarters, but couldn't get rooms (3 months in advance), so if you want to stay there book early. We stayed at the Royal Mulu Resort, which was terrible and extremely expensive.
We did the following walks/tours;
- The Valley Walk (Garden of Eden) - It was a big day, all up about 8 hours. You walk to Deer Cave visiting Langs Cave along the way. You leave the walkway at the end and then scrabble up the river to the other end of the cave to the Garden of Eden. The last bit of the hike to waterfall is steep in sections, but the waterfalls are very nice. You stop at the exit of Deer Cave on the way back to watch the bat exodus. They provide lunch.
- Clearwater/Wind Cave Connection - Very hard day physically. We did it the day after doing the Valley Walk, so were pretty exhausted. You enter in Wind Cave, then leave the walkway and scramble for a few hours to reach the Clearwater River, and then walk/swim/float down the river for a few kms to reach the entrance to the cave. There are 3 squeezes, so if you don't like tight spaces, don't do it. It is also very physically demanding, both lower body and upper body, and you'll need a decent level of fitness to do it. If you're not used to the humidity take lots of water, you'll sweat like crazy (we went through 3 litres each). Also, buy a set of gloves from the shop next to the cafe at the park headquarters, as you'll get very muddy and you will end putting your hand in bat crap. Take food with you, as you eat lunch underground. The river is stunning, crystal clear and in a large cavern. There are also some amazing stalagmite/stalactite formations. A big day, but so worth it!!
- Canopy Walk - Gives a good view of the rainforest canopy and a nice view of the Paku River.
- Night Walk - You'll a lot of insects, frogs and spiders. We didn't see a lot of mammals, but that could have been due to the massive storm that was rolling in. Also saw 2 pit vipers which was fantastic.
- Fast Lane - Nice cave, all on raised walkway. Not very demanding physically. Nice rainforest walk to get there. You'll go up river on a boat first (though you can walk there in about 30 mins from park HQ if you want to walk back after the tour instead of getting the boat)
- Moonmilk Cave - About an hour walk from the headquaters. You can do this whenever you like, just sign out at the security desk. When left in the afternoon and walked back a night. The stairs up to the cave entrance are very steep. The cave itself is small, takes about 3 minutes to walk through, where the path continues on towards Wind and Clearwater Caves.
- Paku Waterfall - Nice walk, but there was only a trickle coming out when we got there due to a lack of rain. However the next day it was apparently raging due to a big storm the night before, so it might be worth checking with the park HQ before you leave. You leave the raised walkway and walk on the ground for about 25mins.
We tried to book accommodation at the park headquarters, but couldn't get rooms (3 months in advance), so if you want to stay there book early. We stayed at the Royal Mulu Resort, which was terrible and extremely expensive.
We did the following walks/tours;
- The Valley Walk (Garden of Eden) - It was a big day, all up about 8 hours. You walk to Deer Cave visiting Langs Cave along the way. You leave the walkway at the end and then scrabble up the river to the other end of the cave to the Garden of Eden. The last bit of the hike to waterfall is steep in sections, but the waterfalls are very nice. You stop at the exit of Deer Cave on the way back to watch the bat exodus. They provide lunch.
- Clearwater/Wind Cave Connection - Very hard day physically. We did it the day after doing the Valley Walk, so were pretty exhausted. You enter in Wind Cave, then leave the walkway and scramble for a few hours to reach the Clearwater River, and then walk/swim/float down the river for a few kms to reach the entrance to the cave. There are 3 squeezes, so if you don't like tight spaces, don't do it. It is also very physically demanding, both lower body and upper body, and you'll need a decent level of fitness to do it. If you're not used to the humidity take lots of water, you'll sweat like crazy (we went through 3 litres each). Also, buy a set of gloves from the shop next to the cafe at the park headquarters, as you'll get very muddy and you will end putting your hand in bat crap. Take food with you, as you eat lunch underground. The river is stunning, crystal clear and in a large cavern. There are also some amazing stalagmite/stalactite formations. A big day, but so worth it!!
- Canopy Walk - Gives a good view of the rainforest canopy and a nice view of the Paku River.
- Night Walk - You'll a lot of insects, frogs and spiders. We didn't see a lot of mammals, but that could have been due to the massive storm that was rolling in. Also saw 2 pit vipers which was fantastic.
- Fast Lane - Nice cave, all on raised walkway. Not very demanding physically. Nice rainforest walk to get there. You'll go up river on a boat first (though you can walk there in about 30 mins from park HQ if you want to walk back after the tour instead of getting the boat)
- Moonmilk Cave - About an hour walk from the headquaters. You can do this whenever you like, just sign out at the security desk. When left in the afternoon and walked back a night. The stairs up to the cave entrance are very steep. The cave itself is small, takes about 3 minutes to walk through, where the path continues on towards Wind and Clearwater Caves.
- Paku Waterfall - Nice walk, but there was only a trickle coming out when we got there due to a lack of rain. However the next day it was apparently raging due to a big storm the night before, so it might be worth checking with the park HQ before you leave. You leave the raised walkway and walk on the ground for about 25mins.
Written 21 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe T
Singapore, Singapore18 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
Our itinerary
Day 1: Garden of Eden trek (Deer & Lang cave included), 8hrs
Day 2: Lagang Cave / Fast Lane (PM)
Day 3: Clearwater & Wind Caves (AM)
It was a pity that most travelers come here for only 2 days?! But the main issue is the highly unpredictable nature of the weather + the tour availability. So we didn't get to do most of what we had in mind.
1. We wanted to do the Pinnacles trek, but somehow when enquiring around, they seem to have like a fixed start date for the trek and it seems like there was only 1 trek in the whole week among the diff operators, which didn't fit our flight schedule. I thought we could easily find another local guide to take us but nopeeee, no one seems to want to do our business (weird??). Finally, the contact that our Miri hostel lady gave us could arrange it for us but cause our flights got delayed by 5 hrs, we ended up cancelling the trek... Didn't get to meet him but here's his number for anyone who is desperate for a guide! (Willy +60 12872 9159)
2. Since Pinnacles was a no go, we told the HQ staff that we want to do Clearwater Connection (8 hrs, Advanced trail) on the last day, but then we'll need to do either a Beginner (Adventure Caving) or Intermediate (Racer) course first before we can be 'certified' by the guide to do the Advanced trail. However, because it was only 2 of us & you need min 3 persons to start a tour, the staff ended up not putting in our names for any of the tours. By the time we enquired again, we found out that Racer was full, and they said there is no guide to take us for Adventure caving although the staff had previously told us as long as there's 3 pax, we can do it. Was super disappointed!!! Cos that means we couldn't do Clearwater Connection either and these were the adventurous trails...
So yes, highly unpredictable & I recommend that you guys should leave your name at any tour you are keen on, even if you decide to back out last minute (although it just troubles others instead, but at least higher chance on going for what you want).
Some things to note:
1. (-ve) UNMOTIVATED STAFF.
Staff don't seem to be good in upselling the tours - I mean that, when the tour you're keen on is fully booked (max 8 persons), they will just literally close the book on you. YOU will have to pester them and ask them about which other tours are taking place, can you start a new group etc cause they seem happy to have less people on the tours ._.
One Romanian girl in our hostel even mentioned how when she asked the staff to recommend which tours she should join, one replied: "If you don't know what to do, then you must as well go back to your homestay and sleep." ?!!! (I mean, most of the staff aren't so sarcastic, but they don't seem interested in selling their tours too).
2. (+ve) LAGANG (the 5th) CAVE IS WORTH IT.
We joined Lagang Fast Lane cave cause it was the only available one left for the day. Turns out that it was all our FAVOURITE (that makes 4 of us)!! It was unexpectedly beautiful with a different landscape in each 'segment'. Honestly don't know why nobody seems to talk about it (everybody talks about the 4 caves) & the staff barely even mention it, but it's WORTH IT!
3. (-ve) NON INFORMATIVE GUIDES.
I'm not sure if we were unlucky, but honestly, the guides walked so fast and barely shared much info, it seemed like they can't wait to finish the tour. If you hang around the cave to take a few shots, the next moment you'll know, the rest of the group is like 300m ahead already. Good luck to you photographers. But there is usually a 2nd guide at the back, so I guess, you can just take your time and separate from the rest of the group cause the info is not super enlightening either...
Quite disappointing cause this is a UNESCO site & the British comes every 2-3 years to explore more of the caves, so I'm sure there's a lot more educational info out there that the guides can't be bothered to share with us. Guess this is the problem with hired staff VS privatised guides who are usually motivated to give a great tour since they rely on referrals...
A photographer in our hostel did his own night walk & found so many amazing creatures, he even found some on the tour which the guides just walked right past. Wouldn't recommend walking alone in the night though unless you're confident (but you can't do that for the caves, there's a gate w guard).
4. (+ve) BAT EXODUS WAS SO COOL.
Looks like black smoke from a chimney. Would strongly recommend that you guys make time for it as long as the evening don't seem too rainy. Cause during our 4 evenings there, we only managed to catch it once (& heard that the other evenings, it rained too much so the bats didn't come out).
5. OUT OF LUCK WITH TOURS?
Like I mentioned, we didn't get to join some of the tours we really wanted cause we thought that only the HQ organises it. But it seems like Mulu Village also organise some of their own tours, so for those who are desperate for alternatives, can try checking them out. (WA them before you arrive in Mulu since you won't get much reception there).
Also, got the contact of another guide Ben: +60198745892
6. YOU NIDDA MAKE MOST PREPARATIONS BEFOREHAND.
I'm usually quite a last minute traveler, but Mulu... Well, book your Pinnacle trek months before (before booking your flights), and book the tours you are interested in at least 2-3 days beforehand. Or at least leave your name there!! You barely get reception there so it's hard to call into the HQ to book any slot / negotiate w the staff, and the office closes at 5pm so if you're out for all the diff tours, don't forget to make your booking during lunch or early morn ...
But accomms, doing walk ins seems pretty norm there (unless peak season). I stayed in Mulu Backpackers Homestay and the service & room was great for budget price! I recommend it though it is far from HQ / close to airport.
7. 3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER.
Didn't seem to see this tip anywhere but BEST TO TRAVEL AS 3 PERSONS so you can do ANY tour you want (as long as it's not maxed out / if you book early). We were 2 and we ended up playing a gamble everyday w the tour availability. Another German solo traveller I met was even more unlucky, all his tours except 1 was cancelled due to weather or no show of those who signed up - and he alone could not start any new tour. There isn't too many great self guided trails either, so... he just loitered around.
8. GREAT! LITTLE MOZZIES.
Really, I expected many more mosquitoes and annoying insects eating my food since we were surrounded by rainforest, but apparently the bats ate up a good amount of them, so just some mozzie repellent will do.
9. ADIDAS KAMPUNG SHOES IS THE WAY TO GO + everything waterproof.
Those shoes are great for trekking through muddy grounds + water (read it online), cost only RM15 in the HQ shop (they have most sizes available, though not below size 35/36 i think). I couldn't find them in Miri but the HQ carries sufficient stock (can't guarantee though). Wear socks with them! With that said, I don't think it's necessary to bring those mountain hiking shoes that are hard to wash or nike shoes that gets soaked once it enters water. It's just less gross pouring out water from your waterproof shoes VS wearing soaked dirty shoes that won't dry by the next day.
Also, bags best to be waterproof cause it RAINS SO MUCH EVERYWHERE EVERYDAY, and you might trek through rivers.
PONCHO IS A MUST, for trekking & living in Mulu.
10. WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
I have to say that the caves seems well taken care of. Boardwalks were really clean & caves not too lighted up (to not disturb the creatures). HQ also has really nice facilities, surprisingly for a ulu rainforest.
11. HQ CAFE IS GOOD.
Most food there is pretty yummy, can't seem to go wrong with anything. Prices range from $2 noodles to $7 beef rendang.
So yup.... Mulu is HIGHLY UNPREDICTABLE, for weather and tours. But really nice nonetheless.
Day 1: Garden of Eden trek (Deer & Lang cave included), 8hrs
Day 2: Lagang Cave / Fast Lane (PM)
Day 3: Clearwater & Wind Caves (AM)
It was a pity that most travelers come here for only 2 days?! But the main issue is the highly unpredictable nature of the weather + the tour availability. So we didn't get to do most of what we had in mind.
1. We wanted to do the Pinnacles trek, but somehow when enquiring around, they seem to have like a fixed start date for the trek and it seems like there was only 1 trek in the whole week among the diff operators, which didn't fit our flight schedule. I thought we could easily find another local guide to take us but nopeeee, no one seems to want to do our business (weird??). Finally, the contact that our Miri hostel lady gave us could arrange it for us but cause our flights got delayed by 5 hrs, we ended up cancelling the trek... Didn't get to meet him but here's his number for anyone who is desperate for a guide! (Willy +60 12872 9159)
2. Since Pinnacles was a no go, we told the HQ staff that we want to do Clearwater Connection (8 hrs, Advanced trail) on the last day, but then we'll need to do either a Beginner (Adventure Caving) or Intermediate (Racer) course first before we can be 'certified' by the guide to do the Advanced trail. However, because it was only 2 of us & you need min 3 persons to start a tour, the staff ended up not putting in our names for any of the tours. By the time we enquired again, we found out that Racer was full, and they said there is no guide to take us for Adventure caving although the staff had previously told us as long as there's 3 pax, we can do it. Was super disappointed!!! Cos that means we couldn't do Clearwater Connection either and these were the adventurous trails...
So yes, highly unpredictable & I recommend that you guys should leave your name at any tour you are keen on, even if you decide to back out last minute (although it just troubles others instead, but at least higher chance on going for what you want).
Some things to note:
1. (-ve) UNMOTIVATED STAFF.
Staff don't seem to be good in upselling the tours - I mean that, when the tour you're keen on is fully booked (max 8 persons), they will just literally close the book on you. YOU will have to pester them and ask them about which other tours are taking place, can you start a new group etc cause they seem happy to have less people on the tours ._.
One Romanian girl in our hostel even mentioned how when she asked the staff to recommend which tours she should join, one replied: "If you don't know what to do, then you must as well go back to your homestay and sleep." ?!!! (I mean, most of the staff aren't so sarcastic, but they don't seem interested in selling their tours too).
2. (+ve) LAGANG (the 5th) CAVE IS WORTH IT.
We joined Lagang Fast Lane cave cause it was the only available one left for the day. Turns out that it was all our FAVOURITE (that makes 4 of us)!! It was unexpectedly beautiful with a different landscape in each 'segment'. Honestly don't know why nobody seems to talk about it (everybody talks about the 4 caves) & the staff barely even mention it, but it's WORTH IT!
3. (-ve) NON INFORMATIVE GUIDES.
I'm not sure if we were unlucky, but honestly, the guides walked so fast and barely shared much info, it seemed like they can't wait to finish the tour. If you hang around the cave to take a few shots, the next moment you'll know, the rest of the group is like 300m ahead already. Good luck to you photographers. But there is usually a 2nd guide at the back, so I guess, you can just take your time and separate from the rest of the group cause the info is not super enlightening either...
Quite disappointing cause this is a UNESCO site & the British comes every 2-3 years to explore more of the caves, so I'm sure there's a lot more educational info out there that the guides can't be bothered to share with us. Guess this is the problem with hired staff VS privatised guides who are usually motivated to give a great tour since they rely on referrals...
A photographer in our hostel did his own night walk & found so many amazing creatures, he even found some on the tour which the guides just walked right past. Wouldn't recommend walking alone in the night though unless you're confident (but you can't do that for the caves, there's a gate w guard).
4. (+ve) BAT EXODUS WAS SO COOL.
Looks like black smoke from a chimney. Would strongly recommend that you guys make time for it as long as the evening don't seem too rainy. Cause during our 4 evenings there, we only managed to catch it once (& heard that the other evenings, it rained too much so the bats didn't come out).
5. OUT OF LUCK WITH TOURS?
Like I mentioned, we didn't get to join some of the tours we really wanted cause we thought that only the HQ organises it. But it seems like Mulu Village also organise some of their own tours, so for those who are desperate for alternatives, can try checking them out. (WA them before you arrive in Mulu since you won't get much reception there).
Also, got the contact of another guide Ben: +60198745892
6. YOU NIDDA MAKE MOST PREPARATIONS BEFOREHAND.
I'm usually quite a last minute traveler, but Mulu... Well, book your Pinnacle trek months before (before booking your flights), and book the tours you are interested in at least 2-3 days beforehand. Or at least leave your name there!! You barely get reception there so it's hard to call into the HQ to book any slot / negotiate w the staff, and the office closes at 5pm so if you're out for all the diff tours, don't forget to make your booking during lunch or early morn ...
But accomms, doing walk ins seems pretty norm there (unless peak season). I stayed in Mulu Backpackers Homestay and the service & room was great for budget price! I recommend it though it is far from HQ / close to airport.
7. 3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER.
Didn't seem to see this tip anywhere but BEST TO TRAVEL AS 3 PERSONS so you can do ANY tour you want (as long as it's not maxed out / if you book early). We were 2 and we ended up playing a gamble everyday w the tour availability. Another German solo traveller I met was even more unlucky, all his tours except 1 was cancelled due to weather or no show of those who signed up - and he alone could not start any new tour. There isn't too many great self guided trails either, so... he just loitered around.
8. GREAT! LITTLE MOZZIES.
Really, I expected many more mosquitoes and annoying insects eating my food since we were surrounded by rainforest, but apparently the bats ate up a good amount of them, so just some mozzie repellent will do.
9. ADIDAS KAMPUNG SHOES IS THE WAY TO GO + everything waterproof.
Those shoes are great for trekking through muddy grounds + water (read it online), cost only RM15 in the HQ shop (they have most sizes available, though not below size 35/36 i think). I couldn't find them in Miri but the HQ carries sufficient stock (can't guarantee though). Wear socks with them! With that said, I don't think it's necessary to bring those mountain hiking shoes that are hard to wash or nike shoes that gets soaked once it enters water. It's just less gross pouring out water from your waterproof shoes VS wearing soaked dirty shoes that won't dry by the next day.
Also, bags best to be waterproof cause it RAINS SO MUCH EVERYWHERE EVERYDAY, and you might trek through rivers.
PONCHO IS A MUST, for trekking & living in Mulu.
10. WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
I have to say that the caves seems well taken care of. Boardwalks were really clean & caves not too lighted up (to not disturb the creatures). HQ also has really nice facilities, surprisingly for a ulu rainforest.
11. HQ CAFE IS GOOD.
Most food there is pretty yummy, can't seem to go wrong with anything. Prices range from $2 noodles to $7 beef rendang.
So yup.... Mulu is HIGHLY UNPREDICTABLE, for weather and tours. But really nice nonetheless.
Written 3 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aldo V
Switzerland19 contributions
Dec 2011 • Solo
I spent 3 nights in Gunung Mulu Park in Dec. 2011. I had emailed the park for accomodation, reserving a Long House for 2 nights; they had nothing left for my first night, and suggested a homestay. The homestay was just outside the park entrance and was "very basic" (and cheap: RM15), but worth the experience. It was essentially a large house on stilts, with a couple of dorm rooms and shared bath/shower room. When I got to the park reception to check in, there was a bit of confusion over my reservation, which resulted in an upgrade to the Deluxe Garden Bungalows for 2 nights (only RM30 more than the Long House anyway). Palm Bungalow was very clean, spacious and comfortable.
I arrived on the 2:00p.m. flight, so unfortunately it was too late to do any tours, but I did sign up for the "Night Watch", an evening tour in the jungle. Before the Night Watch, I walked along Moonmilk Trail, which is one of the few unguided trails you can do. Even though it's on a wooden pathway, it gives you a good feel for the jungle's denseness and I was lucky enough to see some Brooke's Birdwing butterflies.
The Night Watch was advertized as a 2 hours walk, but ended up being 1 hour. Also the guide didn't seem very "into it"; our group spotted as many insects as he did. One interesting insect was a stick insect which was very fat; looking a bit like a scorpion or langoustine. Apart from that we saw a frog, a small sleeping bird, a spider, and a stink bug.
The next day I went on the Garden of Eden Valley and River Walk, which includes Deer Cave. Deer Cave was everything I'd expected and more. The entrance with its giant ferns is a bit like Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs. The bat guano piled up inside is pretty amazing, in particular the bugs and crickets crawling on top of it. Our guide spotted a poisonous cave millipede which we followed as it crawled across the guano. Before we went inside the cave, our guide got word by walkie talkie that we had to cancel the Garden of Eden part due to high water and the risk of getting stranded on the other side, which was what had happened to some tourist a week or so prior to our visit. It was very disappointing news, but obviously a prudent decision.
After we left Deer cave, we had our picnic lunch at the bat observatory, from where we saw a tall tree come crashing down somewhere near the path leading to the entrance of the cave. Apparently this happens from time to time, due to wind and heavy rain fall and the fact that the tree roots are not very deep.
That afternoon I did another solo trek to Paku Waterfall, though I didn't make it all the way since I wanted to get back at 5:00 for the bat exodus from Deer Cave. On the trek to Paku, you really have to pay attention to the trail, since it's not on a wooden path, and there are fallen trees that force you to leave the trail to navigate around. The bat exodus is not just a single huge cloud of bats coming out; it occurs in waves that look like swarms of bees. An impressive sight though, as they undulate back and forth apparently to avoid predators. On the way back from the bat observatory, we almost stepped on a cobra, which slithered across our path and back into the jungle. We only saw the back half of it, but it was a good size and an impressive sight. Deer cave is 3km from the park HQ where the accomodation is, and at the start of the walk back, it started to pour. By the time I got back, my running shoes were completely soaked.
I had booked Racer Cave for the next day, since it's an intermediate cave and requires that you do at least one show cave prior to it. It was well worth worth it and I would highly recommend it. There are ropes that you need to use to climb up and down so you do require some upper body strength. I had been warned that you get quite muddy, but that day it wasn't too wet. We also saw 2 of of the racer snakes, after which the cave is named. One was just inside the entrance above the passage that you need to squeeze through. We also saw cave crickets and lots of huntsman's spiders with their reflective eyes. We also saw strands of web spun by the thread worm larvae, and witnessed it catching a fly.
The afternoon after Racer Cave, I did the Canopy Walk. I'd read about it being only 480m of walkway, but it exceeded my expectations, as it's a series of (5 or 6?) suspended walkways between the trees at a height of 20 metres. There was only 3 of us plus the guide, and we were luckly enough to see a family of macaques. At one point one of the macaques dislodged a large branch which came crashing down to the forest floor in 2 pieces. We also saw a couple of hornbills in flight in the distance and heard the whoosing of their huge wings.
On my last day, I had a 10:30 flight out, so I got up at 6:00a.m. and went to the Tree Top Tower, which is 30m above the jungle floor. I had expected to see at least a few birds but saw none. I did see 2 very large squirrels with long tails, at close range.
I arrived on the 2:00p.m. flight, so unfortunately it was too late to do any tours, but I did sign up for the "Night Watch", an evening tour in the jungle. Before the Night Watch, I walked along Moonmilk Trail, which is one of the few unguided trails you can do. Even though it's on a wooden pathway, it gives you a good feel for the jungle's denseness and I was lucky enough to see some Brooke's Birdwing butterflies.
The Night Watch was advertized as a 2 hours walk, but ended up being 1 hour. Also the guide didn't seem very "into it"; our group spotted as many insects as he did. One interesting insect was a stick insect which was very fat; looking a bit like a scorpion or langoustine. Apart from that we saw a frog, a small sleeping bird, a spider, and a stink bug.
The next day I went on the Garden of Eden Valley and River Walk, which includes Deer Cave. Deer Cave was everything I'd expected and more. The entrance with its giant ferns is a bit like Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs. The bat guano piled up inside is pretty amazing, in particular the bugs and crickets crawling on top of it. Our guide spotted a poisonous cave millipede which we followed as it crawled across the guano. Before we went inside the cave, our guide got word by walkie talkie that we had to cancel the Garden of Eden part due to high water and the risk of getting stranded on the other side, which was what had happened to some tourist a week or so prior to our visit. It was very disappointing news, but obviously a prudent decision.
After we left Deer cave, we had our picnic lunch at the bat observatory, from where we saw a tall tree come crashing down somewhere near the path leading to the entrance of the cave. Apparently this happens from time to time, due to wind and heavy rain fall and the fact that the tree roots are not very deep.
That afternoon I did another solo trek to Paku Waterfall, though I didn't make it all the way since I wanted to get back at 5:00 for the bat exodus from Deer Cave. On the trek to Paku, you really have to pay attention to the trail, since it's not on a wooden path, and there are fallen trees that force you to leave the trail to navigate around. The bat exodus is not just a single huge cloud of bats coming out; it occurs in waves that look like swarms of bees. An impressive sight though, as they undulate back and forth apparently to avoid predators. On the way back from the bat observatory, we almost stepped on a cobra, which slithered across our path and back into the jungle. We only saw the back half of it, but it was a good size and an impressive sight. Deer cave is 3km from the park HQ where the accomodation is, and at the start of the walk back, it started to pour. By the time I got back, my running shoes were completely soaked.
I had booked Racer Cave for the next day, since it's an intermediate cave and requires that you do at least one show cave prior to it. It was well worth worth it and I would highly recommend it. There are ropes that you need to use to climb up and down so you do require some upper body strength. I had been warned that you get quite muddy, but that day it wasn't too wet. We also saw 2 of of the racer snakes, after which the cave is named. One was just inside the entrance above the passage that you need to squeeze through. We also saw cave crickets and lots of huntsman's spiders with their reflective eyes. We also saw strands of web spun by the thread worm larvae, and witnessed it catching a fly.
The afternoon after Racer Cave, I did the Canopy Walk. I'd read about it being only 480m of walkway, but it exceeded my expectations, as it's a series of (5 or 6?) suspended walkways between the trees at a height of 20 metres. There was only 3 of us plus the guide, and we were luckly enough to see a family of macaques. At one point one of the macaques dislodged a large branch which came crashing down to the forest floor in 2 pieces. We also saw a couple of hornbills in flight in the distance and heard the whoosing of their huge wings.
On my last day, I had a 10:30 flight out, so I got up at 6:00a.m. and went to the Tree Top Tower, which is 30m above the jungle floor. I had expected to see at least a few birds but saw none. I did see 2 very large squirrels with long tails, at close range.
Written 26 December 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Please advice how to book day tour only and for 2 person, and how much per pax? We already booked the flight and Marriott hotel by ourselves ( from 31 /Mar to 02/Apr)
Written 11 March 2024
Le escursioni debbono essere prenotate in anticipo sul sito internet o posso scegliere e prenotarle direttamente quando arriveró lì? L'escursoone ai pinnacoli è davvero così terribile? Doversi portare dietro i pasti e la carta igienica non sembra il massimo!
Written 28 February 2018
Hi Stefania L,
when are you plan to come? i suggest you to book tours in advance from website to secure places, June until Oct is our peak season. For pinnacles, yes you may need to bring your own food to Camp 5 and you can cook there, kitchen and all utensils is provided but no need to bring toilet paper, as we have toilet in jungle complete with toilet paper.
Written 2 April 2018
- ESCURSION BOOKING -
Can I book the escursions when I'll arrive at the Mulu park? Or should the excursions be booked on the web site before?
Thanks a lot!
Written 28 February 2018
Best to book ahead. Then you can be sure not to miss anything you wanted.
Written 14 November 2018
Hello.
In January we will visit Mulu park. Our plane arrives 14:30 (2.30pm). On the same day we planned participating Deer and Lang cave tour but park HQ last tour starts top early. Are there any other tour guides, who could start some time later. There are 4 people in our group.
Written 31 October 2017
Hi Janar,
have you contacted the park? They are really helpful. I recommend you to get their help with your itinerary.
Written 3 November 2017
Hello, may I have the email address and contact nos. of Rainforest Lodge at the park HQ ?
Thank you
Written 4 October 2017
good morning. you can contact them through their official website
Written 5 October 2017
We are coming to mulu next April as part of a holiday tour, we are happy to walk the two miles to the entrance to deer cave, but do not want to go in, will the rest of our tour come out the same entrance and is there some where we can wait ?
Written 27 August 2017
Hi Judith,
Bats exodus is self guided if you doesn't want to join the Deer & Lang caves tour. Get the maps for Park upon your arrival and our team will be happy to assist you.
Written 29 August 2017
My wife and I are planning for a 5D4N trip in September to Gunung Mulu National Park. I understand there would be lots of walking and activities that require physical stamina. We are in the mid-seventies and generally in good health and fitted for our ages. Some of our old friends are not supportive of our trip plan. I would appreciate any comments and advice? Thanks!
Written 3 April 2017
Certain activities in the a park do require physical fitness, but then again, the signature activity like the Deer and Lang caves are magnificent, and yet reasonably effortless as most of the trail will be on the cement and plank walk. I would advice you to contact the park, to arrange for the activities most suitable with your physical fitness. They are quite responsive in their mail reply as of last year. During my trip last year, one of my tour was joined by another physical disabled tourist and it was overall fine for her. You may arrange something more customise to you and your partner with the park office, and they are very professional in advising what's the best.
The days of stay should tailor to the number of activities you will be able to join. Example: Lang and Deer caves can be done in one day. Mulu Pinnacle climb will need at least 3 nights.
Written 4 April 2017
Has anybody on this forum stayed in the bungalows inside the National Park, and do you recommend them? Does the power go off at midnight as in other places? Are they clean and comfortable, and importantly, air-conditioned? I am not looking for a Marriott 5 start experience - 3 star is ok.
Written 18 October 2016
Staying in the national park is worth it.Rooms are nice, spacious and clean. All tour starts from here, so u can get out of room when it's time
The canteen is also open quite late so u can enjoy food next door. We stayed there and had a good time
Written 5 November 2016
kerrywms
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Can i engage kitchen helpers to cook for us at Camp 5 while on the way to the pinnacle?
Written 29 June 2016
I think you will find this information from the Forestry Department office on site. It's Taman Negara Mulu, you can google it. They have access to locals and workers doing these tours.
Written 18 July 2016
or you may take the riverboat. drive to marudi and take a boat down to mulu (journey might take the whole day, 12 hours the most)
Written 23 January 2017
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