Similajau National Park
Facts and practical information
Similajau National Park, located in the Sarawak region of Malaysia, is a stunning natural wonder that offers visitors a chance to explore the beauty of Borneo's lush rainforest and pristine coastline. The park covers an area of 90 square kilometers and is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, making it a paradise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
One of the main attractions of Similajau National Park is its picturesque golden sandy beaches, where visitors can relax and soak up the sun, go for a swim in the clear blue waters, or take a leisurely stroll along the shoreline. The park is also a popular spot for bird watching, with over 185 species of birds recorded within its boundaries, including hornbills, kingfishers, and eagles.
For those who enjoy hiking and trekking, the park offers several well-marked trails that wind through the dense rainforest, providing opportunities to spot a variety of wildlife such as proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, and monitor lizards. The Paku Waterfall Trail is a particularly scenic route that leads to a beautiful waterfall, where visitors can cool off in the refreshing pool at the base of the cascade.
Similajau National Park is also a great place for water sports enthusiasts, with opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and even windsurfing along the coastline. The park is home to a network of mangrove swamps and estuaries, providing a habitat for a diverse range of marine life, including crocodiles, otters, and mudskippers.
Best Ways to Experience the Park
Wildlife
AnimalsSee what popular animal species you can meet in this location.
Dugong
The dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal and the only herbivorous marine mammal, found in the coastal waters of approximately 40 countries across the Indo-West Pacific region. These creatures are highly dependent on seagrass for sustenance, thus confining their...
Mammals
Hawksbill Turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle, a critically endangered species in the Cheloniidae family, is the only extant member of the Eretmochelys genus. These turtles are distributed globally, with populations in both the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.
Reptiles
Irrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a captivating species that inhabits various regions of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia, often frequenting coastal areas, estuaries, and rivers. This dolphin is distinctive because it can thrive in both saltwater and freshwater environments.
Mammals
False gharial
The false gharial, also known as the Malayan gharial or Sunda gharial, is a freshwater crocodilian native to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. This fascinating species is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated global...
Reptiles
Finless porpoise
The Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, often simply referred to as the finless porpoise, is an intriguing marine mammal primarily found around the Korean Peninsula in the Yellow and East China Seas. There is also a freshwater population near Shanghai at the mouth of...
Mammals
Sarawak