BAKO NATIONAL PARK

Occupying a jagged peninsula jutting into the South China Sea, Sarawak’s oldest national park is just 37km northeast of downtown Kuching but feels worlds away. Bako is notable for its incredible biodiversity, which encompasses everything from orchids and pitcher plants to proboscis monkeys and bearded pigs. Bako is one of the best places in Borneo to observe these endemics up close.

The coastline of the 27-sq-km peninsula consists of secluded beaches and bays interspersed with wind-sculpted cliffs, forests and stretches of tangled mangroves. The interior of the park features a range of distinct ecosystems, including classic lowland rainforest (mixed dipterocarp forest) and kerangas (heath forest), streams and waterfalls. Hiking trails traverse the central sandstone plateau and connect with several of the beaches.