MULU: While many people think that Gunung Mulu National Park is only suitable for adults and youngsters, most of its visitors are surprisingly families with young children.
The 528.64 sq km Unesco World Heritage Site area offers first-time visitors awe-inspiring picturesque views of the equatorial rainforest as well as its extensive range of four caves and karst formations.
Of all four caves, Clearwater Cave attracts the most visitors, particularly children.
For Tom, who visited the park with his family, he said the most thrilling part of the tour was the Clearwater Cave.
The 12-year-old boy from Holland said he was mesmerised by the abundance of stalagmites and stalactites that had formed in the cave.
“Clearwater Cave is the most interesting cave. The caves here are higher and warmer compared to the other caves that I had visited before,” he said, adding that the 200-step climb to the cave’s mouth and descending walkway to its interior was worthwhile but challenging.
Tom’s elder sister, Frank also said that the Clearwater Cave was the most interesting one.
The 15-year-old said she really enjoyed her first trip to Asia here and could not wait to share her experiences with her friends back home.
She was interviewed by New Sarawak Tribune last Friday during a media familiarisation trip to Mulu hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).
At the picnic area in front of the wooden staircase, a local visitor, Saiful, who came with his family of five, also agreed that the Clearwater Cave was worth visiting.
“Getting into the cave was very challenging, it was extremely steep.
“But it was worthwhile dipping myself into the water,” said 11-year-old boy from Kuala Lumpur.
STB spokesperson Nurhaidiatul Sukinah Jamali described the overall trip as “surprisingly moderate and suitable for all”.
“With a guided walk, the activities provided such as jungle trekking are suitable and convenient for all types of visitors, including families,” she said.
Nurhaidiatul, 29, called upon all Sarawakians to support local ecotourism by visiting the Mulu National Park.
“Many people think they are unable to visit Mulu National Park because it involves outdoor activities like jungle trekking. This mindset should change.
“This place is an oasis of serenity for the urbanites. They can relax here, away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle,” she said, adding that visitors could strengthen their family bonds by choosing Mulu as their family vacation destination because of the limited Internet access in the area.
