Page 238 - The Guide To Sarawak

236 NATURE
The complex geology of Bako National Park has formed a stunning coastal landscape of rugged multi-hued limestone cliffs interspersed with exquisite white sand beaches.
and geological complexity. While a day trip offers fascinating experiences, the adventurous traveller could spend weeks discovering all of Bako’s secrets.
All visitors are required to behave appropriately to ensure wildlife are not excessively disturbed.
To get the very best out of Bako, hire the expert services of a park guide.
GUNUNG GADING NATIONAL PARK
(Kuching Division) Gunung Gading is a beautiful 42 sq km expanse of mountainous rainforest only two hours from Kuching, surrounded by 24 villages of various ethnic groups. Its Mixed Dipterocarp Forests are an important conservation zone for the spectacular Rafflesia (see also page 228), the largest flower
in the world. A plankwalk allows visitors to access an area of forest where Rafflesia are commonly found, and park rangers gladly guide visitors
to blooming flowers. Gunung Gading’s rugged terrain also offers crystal clear jungle streams
and waterfalls, some challenging mountain treks, and a man-made swimming pool fed with natural stream water.
Call (082) 735 714 or (082) 735 144 to find out whether plants are blooming.
habitat found in Borneo, and the species present include giant rainforest trees with buttressed roots, lianas as thick as an arm, insect-eating sundews
and pitcher-plants and symbiotic ant-plants. Bako’s geology is equally complex; the cliffs are laced with iron deposits, which create vibrant
red and brown patterns on the pale sandstone. Erosion, weathering and marine creatures such as
barnacles have worked together to create bizarrely beautiful rock formations such as the famous Sea Stack. Elsewhere, the rolling waves of the South China Sea have ground
the sandstone into powder to give Bako some of the finest small beaches in all of Borneo.
What makes Bako such
a delight for visitors is
the extensive network of trails which showcase the park’s rich biodiversity
The sea stack, formed by constant erosion, is one of Bako National Park’s most striking features.