Getting Around State of Sarawak

AirAsia schedules

Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) - Kuching
Frequency: Daily – Five flights a day
Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) – Miri
Frequency: Daily – Two flights a day
Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) – Sibu
Frequency: Daily – One flight a day
(effective April 14, 2003)

You have to book the ticket through internet booking at http://airasia.com.my (recommended)
or you may get it from the authorised travel agents around town area. Air asia do promotion frequently every year for the air fares. Good luck.

Early buses are just that, "Early" we wanted to catch an early bus to Kampong Bako Petra Jaya bus No6, 0640 the timetable said but as we approached the bus stop at 0630 it was pulling out.
So allow plenty of time to catch the buses, they go when the driver is ready not the passengers..
The Last regular bus back from Kampong Bako is 1700.
White minibuses (bas sewa) also go to Kampung Bako (About RM 3 one way). They operate from 6 am to 6 pm and depart from and arrive at the open air market. There is no fixed schedule - minibuses leave when they are full(ish).
Sometimes buses will call at the depot for running repairs, we had a tyre change whilst we were on our way to Jong's crocodile farm, so take a drink on all bus trips otherwise you might just melt.

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Mulu has a very nice airport terminal. The cafe there had prices similar to the Cafe Mulu. There are daily flights to Miri or Kota Kinabalu. I flew MASwings back to Miri for RM120 (RM84 + taxes = ~$32) but the fare can be as low as RM79. I highly recommend MASwings. It was Malaysia's first commuter airline and was officially launched on 1 October 2007. It is a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines and serves Sarawak and Sabah. The Fokker 50 aircraft was comfortable and the service excellent. They even served a free non-alcoholic drink on the 30 minute flight (really different from Air Asia!).

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I had read in my Lonely Planet Borneo that it was a 30 minute walk to the airport from Mulu Park headquarters. They also mention that there are minivans for RM3-5. There were no details about the minivans. I picked up my bag from storage at Park headquarters and crossed the suspension bridge to see what I could find. It turned out to be easy. The first building on the left is "Jowels Enterprise (Canteen and Transport)." It is also the Sweetwater Restaurant. There is also a smaller sign with the rates, i.e., RM5 one-way to the airport or Royal Mulu Resort for each person. The vehicle was his four seat pickup.

Two other people showed up at the same time that needed a ride to the Royal Mulu, so I got to see that area also. The guy was really nice. He even stopped for me to take a couple of pictures. He had told me that the Malaysian name of the two hills by the airport meant breasts. He also had a tissue box on his dashboard that said "Life is beautiful!" I could not resist taking a picture of them both together.

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Nuh's brother, Ding, provided the longboat. The trip from Long Terawan to the Melinau River was about two hours upstream on the Tutoh River . The Tutoh was wide but had shallow spots and small rapids; Ding had to be selective about which part of the river to traverse. After a lunch break on the bank at the confluence, it was another 30 minutes up the Melinau to Mulu Park headquarters. Ding's whole family came along since they have a house on the Melinau. BTW, two hours does not sound very long but your back can feel it, since there is no back support. At RM400, this longboat trip was one of the more expensive things on my up-country tour.

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It was raining when we left Tenyok Rimba at ~07:30, so I did not take any pictures. We had to return to Long Bedian to take the main road east. Although it stopped raining on the way, the roads were still muddy. Fortunately, we were back in another 4WD Toyota Hilux pickup and the roads were better, except for right after we turned north toward Long Terawan and started up the hills. We arrived at Long Terawan around 09:00.

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So-called express boats run between Kuala Baram near Miri and Marudi. The trip takes ~2.5 hours and costs RM30. There is also an express boat service between Marudi and Long Lama. I did not actually use either boat but I saw the latter one when I was in Long Lama. The departure time to Marudi was shown as 14:00.

According to JourneyMalaysia: "This express boat [Marudi] to Long Lama may or may not leave depending on demand and weather conditions. Time taken is 4hrs and fare is also RM20 - RM25 per person per way. Scheduled time is at 10.30am leaving from Marudi.

For more information on the boat schedule, call Tinjar Express at +6 019 8755831. This express provides transport from Marudi to Kuala Baram, Long Lama, Totuh and Tinjar."

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It is just a short trip up the Melinau River to the landing for the Mulu National Park headquarters. There are many houses and lodges along the river. On the way we dropped off Ding's wife and kids at their house and went by the Royal Mulu Resort bridge and landing. There are videoclips of the areas around the two landings.