Last Updated On : Sunday, February 19, 2017 06:55:54 PM
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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.
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INDEX of Kuching City February 19, 2017 06:55:54 PM |
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