Travel Tips

I visited Gunung Gading NP on 10 Apr 2009, which happened to be within those 5 blooming days of Rafflesia. How lucky was I!

Gading is the home to numerous rare plants including the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia tuan-mudae (bunga pakma) At full bloom this giant flower streches nearly one meter in width.

Gunung Gading national Park is located in the Lundu District, southwest of sarawak. The Park consists of rugged mountain peaks which provides a scenic backdrop to the nearby beaches at Pandan and Siar. The waterfalls in the upper reaches of Sungai Lundu have become a popular recreational destination for both local and foreign visitors. The more adventurous visitors can take a hike right up to the peak of Mount Gading which is 900 meters high.

The flowers can be found on specific vines like the Tetrastigma. The spores settle on the host plant and develop into a bud which then becomes a gigantic flower, brownish red in colour. It stays in full bloom for about a week only. The main pollinator for this flower is the carrion fly. A trip to Gunung Gading may be incomplete without catching the rare sight of the blooming Raffesia. However, these unique plants bloom infrequently and have brief flowering period. Visitors are advised to check with the Park Headquarters at Gunung Gading National Park or the National Park Booking Office to find out if any flowers are about to bloom or already in full bloom.

I put a 1.5 litre water bottle beside the flower, so you can measure how big the flower is!

http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/homepage.htm

The National Park & Wildlife Division (Forest Department Sarawak) has built plank walks and jungle trails close to where the Rafflesia are commonly found, and they are often viewed from here. These jungle trails and plank walks allow the visitors to tour the park without damaging the delicate ecosystem particularly the young Rafflesia budding all over the forest floor. If the plant is flowering deeper in the forest, the park staffs or trained freelance guides will take visitors to the site.

There are 3 main waterfalls which is along the jungle trail. Waterfdall no. 1, 3, 7. It takes about 1 hour to walk from Parks HQ to waterfall 7. From there, it would be another 2.5 hours to reach the summit.

There are two units of chalets; each contains 3 bedrooms and accommodate up to 6 people. One unit of Forest Hostel with 4 rooms with 16 beds each. For those who wish to stay outdoor, campsites are provided and visitors need to bring their own camping gears.

I paid for the whole hostel room for myself at RM40 (Apr 09). Per bed is RM15.

http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/homepage.htm

On-line booking click http://ebooking.com.my

As accommodation facilities in the Park are limited, hostels in Lundu Pandan and Siar offer alternatives. Beaches at Siar and Pandan are scenic and provide swimming spots.

Each hostel room has 2 buck bed.

The Park is just 5 minutes drive from Lundu town or about 2 hour's drive from Kuching. Visitors can choose either day-trips or overnight stays when visiting the Park. Travellers should take STC (Sarawak Transport Company) Lundu Express Bus or Bus No. 2B from Kuching City to Lundu town centre. From there, take a Pandan bus and ask to be dropped off at the park.

Bus fare RM10 from Kuching to Lundu. Theere are 4 buses daily, deaparting at 8:30am, 11am, 2pm, and 4pm. Same timing from Lundu to Kuching. The journey took about 1.5 hours.