Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak

Gunung Mulu National Park, at the entrance to Deer Cave
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gunung_Mulu_National_Park#/media/File:Fishtail_Palms_(Caryota_no)_(15481798316).jpg
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE


Gunung Mulu National Park (GPS: 4.09206, 114.8958) is probably the best known national park in Sarawak. Often called simply as Mulu National Park, it is located in the Miri Division, and is the only site in Sarawak inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a recognition that came in 2000 to celebrate its high biodiversity and amazing karst formations.

Gunung Mulu National Park covers an area of 52,864 hectare. It stands as the most studied tropical karst location in the world. The national park is best known for its immense cave systems collectively known as Mulu Caves. So far, 295 km of caves have been explored within the national park. The most notable cave in the national park is the Sarawak Chamber at Gua Nasib Bagus. It measures 2300 feet (700 meters) long by 1300 feet (396 meters) wide and at least 230 feet (70 meters) high, and is widely claimed to be able to fit St Peter's Basilica as well as 40 Boeing 747's inside.

The Gunung Mulu National Park is exceptionally rich is plantlife, with about 3,500 species of vascular plants having been documented. It is particularly noted for its many species of palms, with 109 species representing 20 genera having been noted.

Dominating the national park is Gunung Mulu, the second tallest mountain in Sarawak after Gunung Murud.

Gunung Mulu National Park is part of the Melinau Formation, which includes Gunung Buda National Park. With its geomorphic and structural characteristics, the Melinau Formation provides geologists a better understanding of the Earth's history.

Trekking Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park offers one of the best trekking experience in Sarawak. You should always engage an experience guide to go on any of these trails. If you are an independent traveller, one way is to ask around upon arriving at the park headquarters to hook up with fellow travelling so that you can together engage a guide and split the cost. The three most popular trails withing the park are listed below:

The Pinnacles Gunung Mulu Trail Headhunter's Trail

Other Sites at Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park is on the map of National Parks in Sarawak

List of National Parks in Miri Division, National Parks in Sarawak and National Parks in Malaysia

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