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It would be difficult to overstate the attraction of Malaysia for anyone who appreciates the natural world. Its primal forests, ranging from shoreline mangrove to
mountaintop oak, are of the sort that most of the world now knows only in myth. Although Malaysia's size is similar to that of Norway, natural trees and forests cover almost three quarters of the land, an area equivalent to almost the entire United Kingdom. One can walk for hundreds of miles in Malaysia under a continuous canopy of green, marveling at an abundance of plant and animal species equaled by no other location in the entire world. A single half-kilometer plot of land in Borneo's lowland dipterocarp forest, for example, may well contain more than eight hundred different species of trees alone, a stunning degree of variety that pales, however, in comparison to the profusion and diversity of flowers, birds, ferns, and insects.
This endlessly varied environment also shelters a host of the world's rarest and most remarkable animals: the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Clouded Leopard and Malaysian Tiger, the Sun Bear, the Monitor Lizard, and the Orang
Utan, or "man of the forest," are just a few examples. Malaysia's forests are also home to Southeast Asia's highest peak, as well as to the world's most extensive and capacious natural caverns. The forest itself is one of the most ancient on the planet, far older than the equatorial forests of the Amazon or the Congo. It has for tens of thousands of years been the home of nomadic forest peoples, and ancient civilizations have flourished as well as disappeared in its vastness. Legends abound, and archaeologists have only just begun their efforts here. Equally exciting discoveries are now being made by genetic biologists, who have begun searching the wealth of life in Malaysia's forests for new medicines with which to combat AIDS, cancer, and many other illnesses.
In order to safeguard its precious natural heritage, Malaysia has set aside many areas as parks and wildlife reserves. Together with natural forest management, conservation of wildlife, birds and marine life, nature reserves have been established through a network of protected areas. Almost one and a half million hectares of conservation areas are protected by legislation.
Besides the many splendid sights in Malaysia's National Parks, visitors can enjoy an exhaustive tour of thrills and spills during their visit--boating through swirling rapids or between emerald green islands, stalking big game and fly-fishing for giant carp, bird-watching, mountain climbing, spelunking, swimming in placid river waters, or camping amidst giant tropical trees.
Bako National Park
The Bako National Park covers 2,742 hectares of a rugged sand stone peninsula to the east of the Bako River near
Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Millions of years of erosion have created a coastline of steep cliffs, rocky headlands and stretches of white, sandy bays. Wave erosion at the base of the cliffs has carved many of the rocks into fantastically shaped sea arches and sea stacks. Colored patterns formed by iron deposition have also dominated the rocky headlands.
Nearly every plant in Borneo is visible here. Animal highlights include the rare proboscis monkey, silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, and monitor lizards.
The coastline is also dotted by a sandstone cliff vegetation characteristic of
Bako. Other major vegetation types include the mangrove forest, mixed dipterocarp forest; peat swamp forest, kerangas (heath) forest, and kerangas scrub on the plateau.
The park is accessible from Kuching along a 37 km road and a short ferry ride across Sungai
Santubong. The Bako Road is flanked by coconut plantations before reaching Kampung Bako near the mouth of Sungai
Bako. To reach the park, another 25-minute long boat ride along the Bako River is needed. A regular bus service operates from Kuching to Kampong
Bako.
During the monsoon season, from October to March, the sea is rough and to access the Park may not be possible.
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