Bako National Park with kids – Trekking through the Borneo rainforest

A day of adventure – trekking through the Borneo rainforest at the Bako National Park with kids.

As we inched across the fallen log, our feet stepping carefully in front of each other I suddenly became aware that to my right the earth was moving. Falling away in front of us.

As bewilderment turned to panic I realised that rather than the ground moving it was actually a snake. Striking and beautiful, its tongue flicking casually in and out.

“Snake!” I shouted, unsure exactly what response I was trying to elicit from the rest of my family.

Rather than running in the opposite direction my eight and six-year-old children came rushing back to see.

The guide we were with was impressed. “Wow” he shouted back, “don’t get too close. I haven’t seen many of these, it’s a paradise tree snake.”

The children were intrigued. Watching it wrap itself around the tree and listening to our guide explain how it could fly from the trees by parachuting down.

About Bako National Park with kids

We were in the Bako National Park. An hour north of Kuching in Malaysian Borneo and had met with our wonderful guide earlier in the day.

Our hotel, the Permai Rainforest Resort, in the heart of the jungle had recommended Jak to us. And we immediately felt in safe hands.

Jak was from Bako and knew the rivers and jungle trails with his eyes closed.

As we bounced along in our speedboat from the mainland to the park, the swirling chocolate milk coloured river churning underneath us, the wind in our hair, I felt that inner glow of travel happiness.

This was a real adventure.

I glanced over at my children, smiling and whooping with every lift of the boat, and felt so pleased to be able to share this opportunity with them.

Our desire to explore and share experiences with our children has meant we have never been a family to sit still for an entire holiday. Travel for us is always filled with adventure.

The world is huge and we look for any opportunity to share every tiny corner of it with our children and in turn they have developed an adventurous spirit.

Our jungle adventure in Borneo was our most spectacular adventure yet though.

Arriving in Bako National Park with kids

As the speedboat pulled onto the deserted beach hundreds of tiny crabs dived for cover, popping back into holes in the sand. We carefully jumped into the bathwater-warm water of the South China Sea, eyes darting carefully about for lurking crocodiles. Grabbing a handful of gorgeous coiled sea shells as we went.

We had arrived on to the Bako National Park and Jak had picked out a jungle trail that would be perfect for us. Not too long but with a good chance of seeing the Proboscis monkeys we longed to see in the wild.

Borneo rainforest trek with kids

We set off, enjoying an early sighting of a wild bearded pig snuffling his big bundle of whiskers around the base of the palm trees. And some bright blue soldier crabs, creating a carpet of colour across the mud banks of the river.

Here the trail gave way to sun-hardened mud and babbling streams to pick our way across.

The children were entranced, listening carefully to Jak’s facts about each creature we came across, eyes constantly scanning to see what else lay ahead.

This was far away from the electronic devices they can seem so attached to at home. It was wonderful to watch them so unplugged and full of wonder.

Although the route was less than a kilometre long, it was going to be testing. Climbing high over unmade paths, using exposed tree roots as ladders to help us clamber through areas where the route was blocked.

The children loved it, holding on to twisted vines to help pull them through the jungle.

Spotting creatures in the Borneo rainforest with kids

Suddenly Jak stopped and pointed to the tree tops. High, high above us a proboscis monkey was looking down examining these intrepid explorers.

We stood and watched carefully, listening to his call as he communicated with others nearby but unseen in the dense jungle tree canopy.

We could have watched him for hours. And I loved that my children got to see this beautiful creature here in the wild where he belonged.

As we set off again suddenly my nine-year old spotted something, “Jak”, he called out “I’ve found a lizard”.

Jak carefully made his way back from the front, congratulating my son on his discovery of a green-crested lizard, perching precariously among the branches. We had a few moments watching him before he darted away as fast as he could. My son beaming with the discovery he’d made.

We spotted many more indigenous creatures as we walked including long-tailed macaque, golden skink and red dragonfly.

Hours later we emerged from the dense jungle filled with a sense of adventure and proud of our tree scrambling skills.

The beach at Bako National Park with kids

The path gave way to the most beautiful deserted beach, where my children dashed into the warm waters and we rested on the sand. This was the perfect reward for a jungle trek.

As my children paddled their feet in the South China Sea, watching the sun set, they were full of stories of the adventures of the day.

The memories from this trip were something wonderful to take back from our Malaysian holiday. Far better than any souvenir they could buy.

They still talk about it now. The day I screamed about a snake and how they saw real monkeys in the wild.

I love that travel makes them even more full of excitement for this beautiful world and I can’t wait to share more of it with them.

Top Tips for visiting Bako National Park with kids

• Take closed toe shoes as it can be a tricky walk and there are lots of creatures around.
• Make sure you have good sun protection as it can be a very hot walk.
• Pack hats, long-sleeved but light tops and trousers and a good insect repellent.
• I would definitely advise taking a guide. You can visit by yourself but the guides are really inexpensive and we wouldn’t have spotted half the creatures we did without Jak. Also it was really reassuring having someone who knew what all the creatures we saw were which helped us to all stay calm.
• Ask for recommendations though, not all guides are equal.
• It is possible to stay overnight in Bako National Park but I would personally suggest staying on the mainland. I know there have been some water shortages there and it can be very basic in the park. We stayed at Permai Rainforest Lodge which while also quite basic still gave the opportunity to sleep in the rainforest but with some more creature comforts.
• Take a really good supply of water as there’s nowhere to fill up as you go.
• If your children aren’t so used to rough terrain walking ask your guide to organise for the boat to pick you up at the end of the first walk, rather than having to return by foot which will halve the walking time.
• Do make your children aware that this stretch of water contains crocodiles so definitely do not bathe here. Our guide was able to point out a safe part of the beach to paddle in while he kept watch.
• Read more of our travels through Malaysia with kids for other exciting trips and excursions we took.
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