My Sarawak Adventures continued from Niah National Park to Gunung Mulu National Park. Although it was my second visit to Gunung Mulu National Park, I was excited to explore the caves of Mulu by doing adventure caving or spelunking. My first visit was strictly for Mulu Summit and Mulu Pinnacles with a short visit to Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. By short visit, I meant hurried visit before heading to Camp 5 for the Pinnacles.
The journey to Gunung Mulu National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site began with 30 minutes plane ride to Mulu Airport with MAS Wings. Flying low in the sky, the ride offered scenic view of the floodplains that sprawled like a snake.
Different packaging for salted peanuts on Maswings!
After we checked in at one of the nearby guesthouse, we registered at Mulu HQ and decided on the activities we would like to do for our 2D1N trip to Gunung Mulu National Park. A guide by the name of Undi was assigned to our group of three.
Mulu Discovery Centre
It was when Michael asked if I had visited the Mulu Discovery Centre that I realized I had never been to Mulu Discovery Centre. Mulu Discovery Centre is situated on your left side when you enter the Mulu HQ Park office. It is an excellent starter for you as it outlines the the brief facts on Mulu as World Heritage Area. There’s also a diorama where you can see a full scale of Mulu and where your activities will take you. On a quick tour, I gathered as much info about the formation of Mulu and its caves and the richness in biodiversity that Mulu is blessed with.
A plate of rice at the restaurant near the bridge came with a message.
Gunung Mulu National Park : Botany Trail
Botany Trail is a new botanical path meant to replace the Plants of Life Trail. The Botany Trail will introduce you to some of the 2,500 species of flowering plants and 750 non-flowering plants, 100 species of palms, 250 species of orchids, 10 species of pitcher plants that live in Mulu.
To be honest, it was in Sarawak National Parks that raised my interests in plants. Do you know that moss is the ancestor of all plants? Dating back to 3.8 billion to 450 million years ago, when all life remained underwater, the flamentous algae stranded between high tides and adapted to the out-of-water environment. It slowly turned into moss.
I have written about Borneon ironwood or belian trees in the previous post on Niah National Park. Along the trail, we bumped into a dead Borneon ironwood.
Interestingly, the outer shape of the ironwood tree bore great resemblance to that of limestone’s surface. Although there are other trees which are stronger than Borneon ironwood, the Borneon ironwood gets its reputation when the termites do not eat it and fungi does not affect it. Thus, it lasts for years. The one we saw in Mulu was 1000 years old when it died.
Among other things we saw :- ferns, mosses, lyanas, wild ginger plants, fungi, orchids and some insects.
If you want to see more, you’ve got to spend more time on the trail.
One of the trails. So green, so beautiful.
Near Mulu Canopy Skywalk, there was a huge tree trunk.
Mulu Canopy Skywalk
Apart from the trekking at Botany Trail, another interesting activity in Mulu Rainforest is Mulu Canopy Skywalk. Although it was drizzling, we managed to walk on the canopy skywalk. If there is a heavy rain, you are not allowed to do this activity. The Mulu Canopy Skywalk is the longest tree-based walkway in the World standing at 480 metres. The walkway is supported by huge tree trunks such as Meranti and Kasai. As we walked about 15-25 metres above the forest floor, we saw the ferns and vines.
Let me not trouble you on what are lianas, crepers, vines and woody stems. Most importantly, observe how they climb the tree trunks and survive.
Look there’s a river underneath the Mulu Canopy Skywalk. Serene view from above.
Monkey species are canopy specialists along side squirrels and Hornbills. If you are lucky, you will be able to spot them while walking on the canopy skywalk.
4 Comments
Good read!
Thanks Michael. A great experience for me too.
I guess those who are really into ‘Macro Photography’ would definitely love to spend all of his / her time at the botany trail. Too much to capture! As mentioned by you earlier the ferns, mosses, lyanas, wild ginger plants, insects and etc.
It is indeed a macro photography haven. I wish I had a macro lense. Along the trail, you will probably bump into frog scientist or butterfly scientist etc.