Borneo Wetlands Tour of Kuching Wetlands National Park | Sarawak, Malaysia

Last Updated on November 29, 2019 by Christine Kaaloa


Borneo Wetlands Tour : Kuching Wetlands National Park | Sarawak, Malaysia
Kuching Wetlands National Park was a 30 minute drive outside of Kuching city center. At 6,610 hectares of wetlands it was a habitat for locals and wildlife native to Sarawak.

It was late afternoon when we started at the Telaga Ai Jetty. A quick stop for a refreshing coconut ice cream shake at anearby cafe  and we set off, cruising down the river. Village houses dotted the inlet of one of the shores.  The waters were known to hold saltwater crocs, yet locals swim in the waters.

kuching wetlands
Coconut shake cafe anyone?
kuching wetlands
Yum
mangrove forests, kuching wetlands
Villages

Table of Contents: Borneo Wetlands Tour of Kuching Wetlands National Park | Sarawak, Malaysia

Mangrove Trekking in  Kuching Wetlands National Park

Our boat dropped us off at the shores of a beach of Kuching Wetlands National Park. My guide and Sarawak cooking teacher, Joseph, brought out rubber boots for me. It made trudging through the high weeds and brush easier, as shrubs were tall and mosquitoes lightly buzzed around. Earlier on, Joseph prepared me by telling me I should wear long pants (my Northface convertible pantsir?source=bk&t=grrrltraveler 20&bm id=default&l=ktl&linkId=029a62ba6446edb61b327bc0f7bc1a6f& cb=1484003685702 were seriously getting a lot of good usage on this journey) and a long-sleeved shirt.  You might see anything from proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, birds and squirrels. That day many animals were hidden; Joseph showed me other things in the forest. He pointed out plants that he and villagers might use for survival or practical needs. He showed me traces of resident animals, who made the wetlands their refuge and hunting ground.

mangroves, borneo mangroves
Mangroves
Kuching Wetlands trek, Kuching Wetlands tour
Kuching Wetlands trek
Kuching Wetlands trek, borneo trekking,
Trekking through the wetlands

Jungle Survival Cooking

Sunset approached and we stopped on a beach outside the village (near his boatman’s house). It was dinner time and Joseph and his boatman created a fire for dinner. Joseph brought out a bamboo and used the hollow section to cook my vegetables. My bamboo cooked vegetables had a smoky flavor; the taste was simple but probable as to how villagers eat their foods. Joseph also brought me a salad and cheese sandwich and banana for extra sustenance.

kuching wetlands, jungle food
Jungle survival
My backup dinner
My backup dinner

My first river night safari

After dinner, came my favorite part–  a night safari on the river where we sought out nocturnal animals.  With nightfall all around us on the river, only the flashlights from Joseph and the boatman shone evidence beyond the black landscape. Joseph and his boatman drove around shining flashlights searching for any tiny lights reflecting back. The reflecting lights are signs of animals perched in the trees.  You have to be quick upon sighting them. This is the wild, not a tourist park.  Animals hide when they sense humans. We saw a handful of things from a kingfisher, slow lorus, a crocodile (!!!) and more.

Finally, we drove to an area to see fireflies, glowing and swarming in the dark like little floating Christmas tree lights.

It was a full safari adventure I’d gladly take again.

River night safari, Kuching Wetlands
Kuching Wetlands: River night safari
kuching wetlands
kuching wetlands: Pin on Pinterest to save it

Information

 Adventure Cruise & Sunset Jungle Trekking
– With A Traditional Dinner Cooked By Chef
Bumbu cooking class  (Read my review)
*Note: trekking equipment will be provided (boots, headlamp, poncho etc…)

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