'Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.’ United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Considering Mulu’s spectacular scenery and its biological significance, it was not surprising that Mulu was successfully listed as a World Heritage site in November 2000. To qualify for world heritage status a park must meet one of the four following criteria:
- Be an outstanding example of the world’s geological history.
- Be an outstanding representative example of on-going evolutionary processes.
- Be of exceptional natural beauty.
- Contain significant natural habitat for in-situ conservation of biological diversity and the protection of threatened species
Mulu meets all four of these:-
Earth’s history and geological features
• Mulu’s concentration of caves, its geomorphic and structural characteristics are an outstanding resource, which allows a greater understanding of Earth’s history.
Ecological Processes
• Mulu provides outstanding scientific opportunities to study theories on the origins of cave faunas.
Superlative natural phenomena or natural beauty and aesthetic importance
• Mulu has outstanding scenic values, including the natural phenomenon of millions of bats and swiftlets leaving and entering the caves is a superlative wildlife spectacle.
Biodiversity and threatened species
• Mulu provides significant natural habitat for a wide range of plant and animal diversity both above and below ground.
World Heritage status has created renewed interest in the park and a genuine desire of the government and people of Malaysia to ensure it is adequately protected. Accordingly, the Sarawak Government has committed to developing world leading conservation practices and high quality nature-based tourism activities at Mulu and has committed considerable resources to ensure its goals are achieved.
Famous for its extraordinary limestone karst formations and phenomenal cave systems, the Gunung Mulu National Park is one of the most awe-inspiring natural attractions in all of Southeast Asia. Located in Malaysian Borneo in the Sarawak State, this national park features some of the largest and longest cave systems in the world. Included in these is the world’s largest cave chamber, the Sarawak Chamber, which is estimated large enough to hold 40 Boeing 747 aircraft.
Situated among rainforest, crystal-clear rivers, rugged mountains and deep ravines, the park’s other remarkable features include the Pinnacles, a concentration of pointed, limestone spires, a karst sinkhole known as the Garden of Eden, and two majestic peaks, Gunung Mulu and Gunung Api. The park is also home to a number of wildlife species such as hornbills, bats, gibbons, barking deer and bearded pigs. In addition to guided cave tours and hiking, a popular activity here is walking high above the treetops along the world’s longest canopy walk.
Because Gunung Mulu National Park is located in a remote area, the best way to access it is by air into the Mulu Airport. However, it is also possible to reach it by a combination of road, boat and hiking from Miri, although this can take many hours or days. Arrangements with tour guides will provide transportation and lodging.
