Bako National Park: Trails, Boats and Proboscis Monkeys

Bako National Park was gazetted in 1957, making it Sarawak’s oldest national park, and it packs a remarkable range of scenery into about 27 square kilometres. Sandstone cliffs and sea stacks line the coast, and behind them are mangroves, swamp forest and open heath studded with pitcher plants. The real draw is wildlife: Bako National Park is home to around 150 endangered proboscis monkeys, and you have a good chance of seeing them close to park headquarters.

There are no roads into the park. You arrive by boat across the estuary, which gives even a day trip from Kuching a sense of adventure.

Getting to Bako National Park by boat

First, travel to the Bako jetty at Kampung Bako, about 45 minutes by car or Grab from Kuching. Public bus No. 1 also runs from the city centre to the village. At the jetty you pay the park entry fee and hire a boat for the 20 to 30 minute ride to Telok Assam, where park headquarters sits. Boats are charged per boat for up to five passengers, so it pays to share with other travellers.

Agree your return pick-up time with the boatman before you leave, and stick to it. Low tide can make landings tricky, and from November to February the crossing can be rough during the northeast monsoon.

Bako entry fees and opening hours

The park is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Entry fees are set by the Forest Department Sarawak: at the time of writing foreign adults pay RM20 and children RM7, while Malaysians pay RM10 and RM3, with under-sixes free. The boat transfer is paid separately. Check current rates on the Forest Department fee page.

Trails and wildlife

Bako has 16 colour-coded trails, from a 700-metre stroll near headquarters to full-day hikes into the interior. Most can be finished in under four hours. On a day trip, good choices include Telok Pandan Kecil, which climbs over heath to a viewpoint above a sandy cove and a famous sea stack, and the short Telok Paku trail, a reliable spot for proboscis monkeys in the late afternoon.

Around headquarters you will also meet Bornean bearded pigs, silvered langurs and long-tailed macaques. The macaques are bold thieves, so keep food zipped away and doors closed. Staying overnight lets you join a ranger-led night walk to look for tarsiers, flying lemurs and sleeping birds.

Day trip or overnight

A day trip is easy to organise and covers the headline sights. An overnight stay is better for wildlife, which is most active early and late. Park accommodation is basic and must be booked ahead through Sarawak Forestry, as rooms fill quickly in peak periods.

How Bako fits a Sarawak trip

Bako pairs naturally with Semenggoh Nature Reserve for orangutans, and both feature in our 5 days in Kuching plan and the Borneo leg of our 2 weeks in Malaysia route. See the Sarawak guide for more.