Visiting Mulu National Park, day 3
A VERY early start today as we had a canopy walk excursion (RM48 / $11 USD) booked for 7:00am. This was a smaller group than the showcave tour from Day 1, only about 8 people total. Our guide showed up a bit hungover (his words) but still took the time to point out interesting plants and insects on the way up to the canopy walk entrance.
Mulu NP’s canopy walk is 420m long and 25m high. I was worried I’d be freaked out by the height, but it actually wasn’t too bad. The walkway is very skinny though, and it sways if you move too fast— so go slow!
Unfortunately, we didn’t see any animals at all, though we did hear bulbul birds. It was an interesting experience to be so high up among the trees, especially since every other hike was (obviously) down on the group.
After our canopy walk, Helene went to do an adventure cave tour and I went on the Paku Valley Loop, an 8km long trail that passes by Paku Waterfall.
It’s slightly different from the other trails in the park as there’s no wooden walkways except in the part that overlaps the main trail nearest HQ. It passes by the river and you can see boats from the locals fishing and doing whatever, and overall it feels much more “wild” than some of the other trails.
As a novice hiker, I felt that the Loop was a fairly easy trail– EXCEPT for the dozens of thick mud patches, the kind of mud that will suck your shoes right off your feet. This was Indiana Jones style mud patches, where the hero would get caught and struggle to free himself before the baddie caught up! I’d never seen much like that before, and to be honest I struggled getting past that area. A walking stick would’ve helped for sure, especially to help balance getting across the stone pavers that staff had put in the worst areas.
Still, I made it through! I eventually finished the whole loop in 2 hours 10 minutes. I didn’t bother swimming at the waterfall area (not into water activities) but that’s another option. If you want to do that, I recommend starting the loop from the Office area and going counter-clockwise, so by the time you get to the waterfall you’ll be able to cool down for the rest of the trek.
After my hike, I hung out near the canteen and waited to meet up with Helene again. We headed back to our guesthouse and packed for our next leg of our Borneo trip.
Overall, I highly enjoyed my visit to Mulu National Park and I definitely recommend adding it to your “must visit” list, especially if you enjoy hiking and going into caves. There’s not as many wild animal sightings as in other parks, but amphibian and insect lovers will have a good time.
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