August 1-4, 2012 - Gunung Mulu National Park
This was certainly not my first UNESCO World Heritage Site I had the chance of visiting, not even the first one on this trip I started back in February, but in order to start my personal list at some point, let it be Mulu.
There is a way to get to Mulu over land but it is a long and unpredictable journey. The easiest way is a short flight from Miri by MAS Wings. Although I had only booked 2 days in advance, the flight was less than half full and as there are 2 flights a day, it usually should not be too difficult to secure a seat.
Once I arrived at Mulu airport, a couple of pick-up trucks were waiting to take passengers to the park for accommodation or to one of the nearby dorms. Accommodation inside the park usually has to be done at some point in advance through the internet and was pretty much full by the time I booked. I hadn't stayed in a dorm for decades, but as this was the only option ... it was actually a nice spacious dorm with some 20-30 beds lined up on both sides of the longhouse and enough space in between. Only the showers and toilets could do with some fixing in the nearby future.
The park was an exceptional experience and apart from the walks and tours offered, it was the park and the dorm staff who made the trip truly memorable. Everybody was extremely friendly and helpful, whether it was the workmen at the park, the staff at the park office or the tour guides.
Don't expect to see too much wildlife as most of the bigger animals or birds are probably gone before people would spot them, so I was mostly in critters, lizards and bugs, and of course the millions of bats which leave their caves every afternoon between around 5 and 6 p.m.
I wish some of the photos were sharper but often it was quite dark and shady and although I had cranked up the ISO and widened the aperture, I still had to live with a slow shutter speed. Here are some of my Mulu National Park photos:
Taken on one of the tours showing the surrounding country side
Wildlife Object No.1
Wildlife Object No.2 - a small stick insect
Plants and trees in full blossom
A villager working on a dart for a blow pipe
Blow pipe darts
Wildlife Object No.4 - ?
From inside one of the caves
Wildlife Object No.1 - a cotton bug
I often found myself walking all alone in this quiet and peaceful environment
Wildlife Object No.1 - a green lizard
As someone had left the door unlocked, I could explore the Mulu Canopy Skywalk on my own - a bit scary in the beginning as one is high above the ground (15-25 meters) walking on a small path which swings quite a bit. At 480 metres is the longest tree-based walkway in the World.
3 Million bats leave the caves every late afternoon in their nightly search for food, mostly insects.
Details of the day/s:
Roundtrip airfare Miri - Mulu - Miri incl. taxes: 272 RM
Shuttle from Mulu airport to park or dormitors: 5 RM each way
Dormbed incl. breakfast per night: 35 RM
Park entrance fee: 30 RM for a 5 day permit
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