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Fluttering bats of Mulu

Route: Miri - Gunung Mulu National Park - Mulu Airport

Soar across the tree tops of the tropical rainforest before your plane lands on a jungle air strip in the largest national park in Sarawak, Royal Mulu National Park. During this Borneo tour, you'll stay in a rustic jungle lodge made entirely out of wood. Accompanied by your guide, you'll trek deep into the tropical rainforest where you'll explore one of the largest limestone caves in the world. This cave is filled with the most bizarre looking stalagmites, stalactites and other rock formations. As the sun goes down and you arrive at the cave exit, you'll experience the mass exodus as thousands of bats fluttering out of the cave into the night sky. To make your Borneo tour complete, you'll sail straight through the rainforest in a wooden jungle boat and will arrive back at your lodge in the dark.

Need more action and adventure during your Borneo tour? Then extend your stay and try a strenuous trek to the 'Pinnacles' of Mulu or go adventure caving deep in the labyrinth of caves.

You can start building your own Borneo trip using our bite-sized Borneo tours. Or, alternatively you can take your pick from our range of suggested holidays in Borneo. Want to combine your Borneo adventure with a trip to West Malaysia? No problem. Simply choose from our selection of bite-sized Malaysia tours or ready-made holidays in Malaysia.

Duration	3 days / 2 nights	Accommodation	Rustic jungle lodge or Rainforest Resort (see our photos here). Comfort level 2 or 4 (see accommodation)
Price	£ 150 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a jungle lodge £ 272 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a rainforest resort	Includes	Mini bus and boat transfer to and from Mulu, park entrance fee, jungle walks, cave visit (incl. 1 x lunch pack) with English speaking guide, 2 nights’ accommodation
Transport	Minibus and boat	Excludes	Domestic flight Miri - Mulu and other meals

Day 1 - Miri - Gunung Mulu National Park

You will begin this Borneo tour from Mulu, which is only a quick domestic flight away from Kuching (with a short layover in Miri) or Kota Kinabalu. Make sure you get a window seat; this alone will give you an incredible view of the tropical rainforest below you. After about 40 minutes you'll begin to descend and eventually land on Mulu's small air strip where your guide will be waiting for you. A 'longboat' will then take you to your modest wooden jungle lodge. The jungle lodge is built on 3m high poles, resembles traditional longhouses and was built according to longstanding traditions. All parts of the building are connected by a central wooden walkway. If you prefer a more luxurious accommodation, you can also stay at the only upgraded resort in the area. This resort is located in the heart of the jungle, on the banks of the Melinau River. Just let our specialists know if you would prefer to stay in this upgraded resort and we can include a stay into your itinerary.

After you check in, you can really begin your Borneo tour as you head straight out into the park and off on a 3km hike across a wooden walkway. Looking around you'll see a wide variety of amazing plants, birds, insects and if you look close enough, monkeys. The first cave you'll reach is 'Lang Cave', an enormous cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites. You may want to bring along a raincoat, quite a bit of ground water drops down from the cracks in the limestone. The cave is illuminated by large lamps and it is easily accessible by walking across the walkways.

The next cave, 'Deer Cave' is nearby. Millions of bats live in this cave. Don't forget to bring along a flashlight, the cave is quite dark and has some slippery spots. As the sun begins to set, you'll walk back towards the cave entrance (the largest cave entrance in the world). Out of nowhere, you'll hear an immense noise, whirring and fluttering. When you look around you'll see thousands of bats flying out of the cave. They'll head out into the nocturnal jungle as one swarm in search of insects. Watching this is quite an extraordinary experience and is sure to be a real highlight of your Borneo tour. At around 7pm or 8pm you'll be back at the lodge and you'll be able to sit down to a delightful meal at the restaurant. In the evening you can relax in your spacious, comfortable room.

Day 2 - Gunung Mulu National Park

At around 8:30am, after a hearty breakfast, you'll continue your Borneo tour as you set out through the jungle in a long, wooden jungle boat. Along the way you'll pass Penan tribe villages. The first cave you'll come across is the 'Wind Cave', an enormous cave filled with bizarre natural pillars. Your boat ride will then continue on towards 'Clearwater Cave', which was created by an enormous network of underground rivers. A long staircase will take you through this fascinating cave network. Temperatures can soar in the caves, so it's best to wear cool clothing. After visiting the caves, pull on those swimming trunks and hop into the emerald waters of the pools to cool off. While enjoying a picnic lunch, you may see the beautiful 'Rajah Brooke' butterflies fluttering above the water. Eventually your boat will take you back to your lodge where you'll arrive in the late afternoon, so you'll have time to sit back and relax until dinner. At the end of the day you'll spend the final night of your Borneo tour at the lodge.

Day 3 - Gunung Mulu National Park - Mulu Airport

After breakfast you'll be taken to Mulu airport, here we can arrange for you to take a turbo prop plane back to Miri where you can choose to continue travelling on to the traditional city of Kuching or thriving capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Perhaps you might wish to continue your Borneo tour in Sabah with a flight to the modern city of Kota Kinabalu. No planes are allowed to fly into Mulu after 4pm so that they do not disturb the bats leaving their caves.

Borneo tour accommodation (Click to enlarge)

Borneo tour extension

Fluttering bats and a climb to the Pinnacles (4 days / 3 nights)

One of Mulu National Park's most distinguishing features is the presence of so called 'pinnacles' (see photo). These pinnacles are quite unique and they are certainly worth a visit. Anyone in relatively good health and a reasonable level of physical fitness can complete the climb to the panorama view at 1175m.

Day 1: Mulu Airport – Gunung Mulu National Park

You will begin this Borneo tour extension from Mulu, which is only a quick domestic flight away from Kuching (with a short layover in Miri) or Kota Kinabalu. From the small airstrip you will board a 'longboat' to your modest wooden jungle lodge. After you check in, you'll head straight out into the park and off you go on a 3km hike across a wooden walkway. You will visit 'Lang Cave', an enormous cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites. The 'Deer Cave' is nearby and is where millions of bats live. At around 7pm or 8pm you'll be back at the lodge and you'll be able to sit down to a delightful meal at the restaurant. In the evening you can relax in your spacious, comfortable room.

Day 2: Gunung Mulu National Park - Camp 5

On day two of this extension to your Borneo tour, you won't return to your chalet at the end of the day. You'll head out by boat at 9am to the village Long Litut, approximately an hour away. From here trek through the rainforest for about three hours to the Camp 5 where you'll be served dinner in the evening.

Day 3: Gunung Mulu National Park (Camp 5) - Pinnacles

After an early breakfast you'll start out on the last climb of your Borneo tour. The path is quite steep and goes on for 2.4km up the mountain to the panoramic view at 1175m. As you climb, you'll see the most beautiful orchids and 'pitcher plants'. The view is simply stunning and the intriguing rock formations, created by years of erosion, shoot up from the ground into the heavens. Sometime in the afternoon you'll arrive at the Camp 5 where you can go for a swim in the river.

Day 4: Gunung Mulu National Park (Camp 5) – Mulu Airport

The following morning a boat will take you back to the park entrance where a transfer will be waiting to take you the airport for your onwards flight.

Borneo wildlife adventure - Jungle clearing

Duration	4 days / 3 nights	Accommodation	Rustic jungle lodge or Rainforest Resort - Comfort level 2 or 4 (see accommodation).
Price	£480 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a jungle lodge £595 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a rainforest resort	Includes	Mini bus and boat transfer to and from Mulu, park entrance fee, jungle walks, visits to caves and 2 day trek to the Pinnacles, English speaking guide, 1 night in a jungle lodge and 2 nights in Camp 5, meals: 3 x breakfast / 3 x lunch / 3 x dinner
Transport	Minibus and boat	Excludes	All other meals

Another Borneo tour extension option...

Fluttering bats and Borneo adventure caving

For the adventurous at heart who are also physically fit, we offer an exciting outdoor activity: adventure caving. You'll wade through underground rivers, crawl through small passage ways, climb over boulders and slide down a tightened piece of rope. This is an absolute must if you want to explore the caves completely... adventurous travellers only.

If you would like to participate in this excursion on this Borneo tour, be sure to mention this on the quote request form or booking form and we'll add it to your travel proposal. Please note you will have to spend a night either in our jungle lodge or rainforest resort accommodation either side of this Borneo tour.

Duration	2 days / 1 night Mulu National Park Caving extension	Accommodation	Rustic jungle lodge or Rainforest Resort - Comfort level 2 or 4 (see accommodation).
Price	£ 192 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a jungle lodge £ 255 per person - based on 2 people sharing in a rainforest resort	Includes	1 day of adventure caving with English speaking guide, 1 night in a jungle lodge, meals: 1 x breakfast / 1 x lunch / 1 x dinner
Transport	None	Excludes	Anything not mentioned in the tour description

Borneo tour tips

Best time to travel
You can visit Royal Mulu National Park any time of year; but be prepared to encounter plenty of other jungle-enthusiasts during local holidays and school holidays. As these tours can be booked up months in advance, to avoid disappointment, it's advisable book your trip early or avoid visiting the park during these times if at all possible.

What to bring along
Bring along a raincoat, or even better yet, bring along a poncho so that you can also cover your daypack and/ or camera. A flashlight is also a must. Both can be purchased at the spot or in Kuching or you can simply bring them along from home. For the Pinnacles tour it may be advisable to bring with you some hard wearing gloves with a good grip.

Footwear
Don't go out and buy expensive fancy footwear if you're only going to use them during this Borneo tour. If you do choose to book an extension to visit the Pinnacles or to go adventure caving then it's best to bring along closed shoes with a sturdy tread. Some paths can be steep and if it rains some areas can become slippery.

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