A trip from Kuching to Bako National Park with Kids
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If you’re planning a trip to Borneo with kids, chances are wildlife is high on your wish list.
But while most families head straight to Sabah, we decided to add something different to our itinerary — a boat-only national park just 1.5 hours from Kuching that felt like stepping onto a desert island.
And surprisingly, it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our Borneo adventure.
Getting from Kuching to Bako National Park is surprisingly easy — even with tired kids and backpacks in tow — yet once you arrive, it feels completely cut off from the world. Think proboscis monkeys swinging through the trees, bearded piglets wandering past your lodge, jungle trails leading to empty beaches, and ranger-led night walks spotting glowing eyes in the dark.
We visited with our kids as part of a longer Borneo trip and stayed overnight inside the park — which gave us a very honest view of the accommodation in Bako National Park (including what I would absolutely do differently next time).
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to get from Kuching to Bako National Park, whether to visit as a day trip or stay overnight, what the wildlife is really like compared to Sabah, and what to expect from the lodges if you’re travelling as a family.
If you’re wondering whether Bako is worth it with kids — here’s everything we learned.
Table of Contents
- Is Bako National Park worth visiting?
- How to get from Kuching to Bako National Park
- Hiking the trails in Bako National Park with Kids
- Day trip vs overnight stay
- What is the accommodation in Bako National Park like?
- Bako National Park Wildlife: What to Expect
- How much is admission to the park?
- Food options inside Bako National Park
- What to pack for Bako National Park
- Why Bako Might Be the Most Underrated Stop in Borneo
- FAQs About Visiting Bako National Park
- Ready to Plan the Rest of Borneo?
- Looking for even more Borneo travel inspiration?
Is Bako National Park worth visiting?
Yes, planning a stop at Bako National Park in to your Borneo itinerary is absolutely worth it. It’s a beautiful slice of nature that’s easily accessible from nearby Kuching and has enough to occupy the kids for either a day or an overnight trip.
As it’s only accessible by boat, one of the joys of a visit is that you feel really and truly removed from the rest of the world. Bako really hits the spot for a number of reasons, but if you want:
- The chance to spot endangered species in the wild
- Stunning, isolated beaches
- Scenic jungle hiking trails to yourself
- Gorgeous sunsets
Then a trip to Bako National Park is definitely for you!
Even if your Borneo travel plans are focused on Sabah (which our two week Borneo itinerary covers) then if you have the time, adding a quick stopover in Kuching and visiting Bako National Park is worth the detour.
How to get from Kuching to Bako National Park
Given how remote it feels once you’ve arrived, getting from Kuching to Bako National Park is actually not that difficult. Which is why it’s a pretty perfect addition to any Kuching itinerary.
The journey involves a Grab taxi or bus to the Bako boat jetty, followed by a boat trip that leaves you on the beach at the park. The total journey takes around 1.5hours each way.
From Kuching, a Grab taxi will cost around RM30-35/£5.70-6.70/US$7.70-9. The journey should take around 30-40minutes depending on traffic. If you’re travelling with kids, this is the easiest and most convenient option.
Alternatively you can take the public bus from the Open Air Market on Jalan Power. The bus runs hourly, takes around one hour and costs only RM1/£0.20/US$0.25.
Once you arrive at the boat jetty you go to the ticket office to book your boat. A private boat (for 4-5 people) will cost RM200/£38/US$50. Even if you don’t fill the boat, it’s far better to take a private boat than a shared one.
You HAVE to take the same boat back, so if you’re sharing you’ll need to arrange with the other travellers on your boat when you want to come back. Which isn’t ideal when you’re travelling with kids who might get exhausted at any point!
The boat journey takes around 20-minutes and is part of the fun. You’ll hug the coast as you head towards the park, and you’ll see tiny villages and fishermen hauling in their catches. Then as the landing spot comes in to sight you’ll get a fabulous view of the park beaches and cliffs.
Be aware that there’s no boat jetty in the park. You’ll need to hop off the boat and wade through the shallow water to get to the beach (so plan and wear appropriate footwear, or take it off on the journey).
Hiking the trails in Bako National Park with Kids
There’s a total of 16 well-marked trails that lead from the information centre out across the park. When you arrive, check in at the reception desk where you can collect a map that shows all of the colour-coded trails and key info such as length and expected time required.
You should also sign out in the visitors book at Reception so that staff are aware which hike you are attempting. And remember to sign back in when you return!
Several of the trails are short enough to attempt with kids; we did three separate hikes during our stay which were all around 2km in total and took us less than two hours. Remember that hiking is tougher in this heat and humidity, and even the most adventurous kids are going to get tired quickly.
There are walks that lead to waterfalls, beaches and mangroves, passing through the fascinating rainforest ecosystem as you go. Whilst some of the easier hikes include wooden walkways, others have more challenging climbs and very uneven terrain. Have a chat with the lovely staff at reception before you set out and they can advise which trails will work best for you and your family.
Day trip vs overnight stay
Some travel day trips can feel a bit squeezed in, but you really can get from Kuching to Bako National Park and back fairly easily in just one day. If your Borneo itinerary is pretty tight, then this is a great way to fit in a full day of exploring this beautiful park.
You’ll have time to soak up the gorgeous beaches, hike the trails, see some wildlife and get back to Kuching by the evening.
But if you CAN fit in an overnight stay then it will mean that you can really make the most of your visit. Staying overnight not only gives you more time to soak up the wonderful feeling of being cut-off from the real world on a desert island (which is worth the overnight stay on it’s own). It also gives you much more of a chance of spotting wildlife like the proboscis monkeys, who tend to be more likely to be out and about early in the morning when the park is at its quietest.
Plus, staying overnight also means you can book on to one of the ranger-led night tours that run from the centre each evening. This introduces you to a whole other side of the park after dark, allowing you to spot all kinds of insects and reptiles that you’re unlikely to see during daylight.
The night tours run mostly along the raised wooden walkways near the lodges and the info centre, which means they’re easy to join even for younger children.
What is the accommodation in Bako National Park like?
I’m not going to sugarcoat it – the overnight accommodation in Bako National Park is pretty basic. We are budget travellers by nature so it was fine for us – the rooms were surprisingly big and the bathrooms were clean and functional (albeit with cold showers, though that isn’t the worst thing in a hot and sweaty jungle environment).
It was also pretty lovely to wake up to the sounds of the jungle and to see the stars at night outside our lodge.
However. Our room only had a fan and it was HOT. All night. The kids were actually OK but I really struggled to get any sleep. If you do plan to stay overnight, then I really would highly recommend opting for one of the slightly more expensive lodge rooms that come with airconditioning. That way you won’t be *quite* as tired and grumpy as I was on our second day!
There are rooms with two single beds and family-sized rooms with four beds. There are also a couple of two-bed lodges that sleep up to six. Prices start at RM100/£17/US$23 a night for a room with a fan sleeping four people.
There is camping here too but I wouldn’t recommend this, especially with kids (and we are very much a camping family overall). It’s incredibly hot to be sleeping under canvas, and there are frequent thefts of all kinds of things from tents by the pesky monkeys.
You can book your overnight accommodation in the park here.
Bako National Park Wildlife: What to Expect
One of the main draws for visitors here are the endangered proboscis monkeys. With their big bulbous noses, they were fascinating for our kids. We’d also seen them on our Kinabatangan River safari in Sabah, which is one of the other key spots for seeing them in Borneo.
They tend to feed in the early morning and evening, and we saw several in the trees between the beach and the cafe area. Every spot was another new level of excitement for the kids – there’s something about these monkeys that look like strange little old men that really captivated our boys.
There are also quite a number of wild bearded pigs in Bako. And also adorable little bearded piglets too! Many of them hang around by the lodges and the information centre, or you can find them snuffling in the sand on the beach.
Troupes of macaque monkeys are also regularly seen here. As with elsewhere in SE Asia make sure you keep an eye on your stuff, and if you’re staying over, keep the windows and doors to your room firmly shut or they WILL try and steal your things.
On the night walks you can expect to see spiders, giant stick insects and a range of other insects plus snakes such as green vipers. There’s also plenty of birdlife to spot too.
Overall, I wouldn’t say we were blown away by the wildlife at Bako in the same way we were when we visited the Kinabatangan River or the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sabah. But the combination of wildlife spotting, scenic jungle hiking and gorgeous beaches is what makes Bako so special.
And if Kinabatangan feels like a safari, Bako feels more like exploring on your own. Which makes it a real adventure!
How much is admission to the park?
For non-Malaysians, admission is RM10/£1.90/US$2.50 for adults and RM7/£1.35/US$1.80 for children aged 6-18. Children under 5 are free.
You’ll need to book your tickets in advance – the easiest way to do this is via the SarawakPass app. This also allows you to register your details for entrance to the park.
Once you’re at the park you can book and pay for the night tours at the reception desk. We paid RM60/£11.50/US$15.50 for the four of us.
Food options inside Bako National Park
The information centre just off the beach when you arrive has a cafe that serves a surprisingly big range of food for somewhere so remote. The main meals include plenty of staples like fried rice and noodles, and even bowls of fries. Our kids had several options that appealed to them when it came to ordering.
None of the food is mind-blowing, but it’s pretty cheap and also pretty decent considering the location. In total we paid RM58/£11/US$15 for lunch and RM63/£12/US$16.25 for dinner for the four of us.
The cafe also serves snacks and drinks throughout the day, which makes it a good spot to chill out after a sweaty jungle hike.
What to pack for Bako National Park
This is a hot and humid jungle environment so you’ll need lightweight clothing, decent walking shoes or sandals and plenty of suncream and insect repellent.
If you’re staying overnight, you’ll need a few extra essentials:
- Travel towels (towels are not provided in the lodges)
- Basic First Aid kit (the hiking trails are good but still uneven, so plasters, antiseptic, basic wound dressing items plus paracetamol/ibuprofen and any other meds you might need)
- Torch
- Camera/Phone plus chargers
- Travel game/pack of cards for the evening/downtime
- Extra toilet roll/tissues (provided in the lodge bathrooms but not always available in the communal toilet blocks elsewhere)
Why Bako Might Be the Most Underrated Stop in Borneo
Bako National Park might not have blown us away with wildlife in the same way as Sabah — but that’s not really the point.
What makes Bako special is the combination of jungle hikes, wild beaches, boat access, and that wonderful feeling of being completely removed from the modern world – without actually having to trek for days to get there.
For families travelling through Borneo, especially those on a longer adventure or gap year, it’s an easy add-on that delivers real jungle experiences without overwhelming logistics.
If you have the time, stay overnight (with air-conditioning!). If your itinerary is tight, a day trip from Kuching still gives you a brilliant slice of Sarawak’s wild side.
And if you’re mapping out a bigger Borneo adventure with kids, make sure you read our full family Borneo itinerary next — it’ll help you piece together Sabah and Sarawak into one unforgettable trip.
FAQs About Visiting Bako National Park
The journey takes around 1.5 hours each way. This includes a 30–40 minute taxi or bus ride to the Bako boat jetty, followed by a 20-minute boat transfer into the park.
Yes. It’s very doable as a day trip, especially if you take a Grab taxi to the jetty. You’ll have enough time for 1–2 short hikes, wildlife spotting, and some beach time before returning to Kuching.
Yes — if you choose the right trails. Several hikes are under 2km and manageable for adventurous children. The raised boardwalks near the lodges also make the evening night walks accessible for families.
Bako National Park wildlife includes proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs (and piglets), macaques, monitor lizards, snakes, stick insects, and a wide range of birdlife. Wildlife sightings are more common early in the morning and late afternoon.
Accommodation in Bako National Park is basic but functional. Rooms are clean and spacious but can be very hot without air-conditioning. For families, upgrading to an air-conditioned lodge is strongly recommended.
Yes. Entrance tickets must be booked through the SarawakPass app, and accommodation inside the park should be reserved ahead of time — especially during school holidays.
Ready to Plan the Rest of Borneo?
So… are you now planning a family trip to Borneo?
That’s how it starts.
Our two week Borneo itinerary doesn’t include Bako (we couldn’t fit everything into two weeks — tragic, I know), but it does show you how we balanced wildlife, adventure, and actual rest days with kids in tow.
If you want the exact route we took — plus all the “learn from our mistakes” bits — join our newsletter below and I’ll send it over.
Because planning Borneo is much easier when someone else has already done the sweaty jungle part.
Looking for even more Borneo travel inspiration?
Check out our other posts below for reviews, family travel tips and all the info you need for planning the perfect trip.
