Last Updated On : Sunday, February 19, 2017 06:55:54 PM


Loagan Bunut National Park

 

Tucked away on the upper reaches of the Sungai Bunutinthe Miri Division, is a huge lake, the largest natural lake in Sarawak. The local Berawan Fishermen call it Loagan Bunut. In 1991, an area of about 10,736 hectares encompassing the 650 hectare lake was gazette as a National Park as part of the on-going effort to preserve the unique habitats, rare and valuable plants and wildlife indigenous to the region. The lake is utterly dependent on the Sungai Bunut, Sungai Tinjar and Sungai Baram whose water levels are subject to seasonal fluctuations and this accounts for the fluctuating levels of the water in Logan Bunut. During spells of extreme dryness, usually lasting between 2 to 3 weeks, the lake is converted to vast expanses of dry cracked mud.

• FLORA AND FAUNA
The area is composed mainly of peat swamp forests supporting a fairly large and varied bird population. These include darters, bitterns, egrets, herons, hornbills and kites. Primates are represented mainly by gibbons whose extremely long arms enable them to

swing pendulum-like high up in the trees. The loud piercing calls of the females of the specie, are clearly audible in the early mornings.

• PLANNING AN ITINERARY
This remote park beckons those in search of something different.

For 2 to 3 weeks in February, May or June, the water level in the lake drop drastically on account of the dry weather. This is the time to witness and maybe even participate in the traditional "Selambau" method of fishing, developed and still practiced by the local Berawan fisher folk. This unique technique was developed to harvest the migrating fish during periods of fluctuating water levels. It is a rare and exciting activity, not to be missed.

You might even want to take the opportunity to kick off your shoes and walk barefoot across the dry cracked mud of the dried up lake, to get a feel of the simple pleasures in life-long forgotten by many! It could be an exhilarating experience, especially for the uninitiated.

• FACILITIES

There are no visitor facilities at the park, at present. However, there are plans to set up a park office and to develop visitor facilities in the near future.

Accommodation on the edge of the lake consists of privately-owned chalets.

• HOW TO GET THERE

It is accessible by road from Miri via Pekan Belura and Kg. Lapok. The journey by four-wheel drive takes about 2 hours.

From Kg. Lupok, a 1y hour journey in a long boat takes the visitor to Loagan Bunut.


INDEX of Kuching City  February 19, 2017 06:55:54 PM

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