Gunung Gading National Park Day Tour in Sarawak

We were picked up at our hotel right on time by the very friendly guide Mas Daud and a driver (didn’t catch his name). The drive to Gunung Gading National Park took about 1.5 hours. We were greeted at the Park by Antonia, a freelance park guide. You can tell Antonia is passionate about her job and equally passionate about all the plants in the forest. We were regaled with information about the various plants and flowers we saw off the trail. And most important of all, we saw a fully bloomed Rafflesia!! It appears Antonia keeps track of all the Rafflesia buds and has perfect knowledge of the probability when these very elusive and beautiful flowers will bloom. She was able to point out numerous other Rafflesia buds which we wouldn’t have spotted at all. Be sure to request for the very friendly and very knowledgeable Antonia if you fancy catching sight of the beautiful Rafflesia when you are visiting the Gunung Gading National Park.

The driver (Mas Daud) shared many things with us along the way down. subsequently, a local park ranger guided us through the main trail to see various stages of rafflesias. we also too a swim in the waterfall #1 before having lunch in a local eatery and heading back over the river via a vehicle ferry.

Excellent guide assigned to us, which makes my son's and my experiences in nature park memorable. A shout out to Mr Mas who shared generously with us and ensure that my son and I ( city folks) are well taken care of. i strongly recommend this day tour.

The tour operator sent text messages via WhatsApp one day before the tour to detail the pickup information, including the driver's number and vehicle plate. The driver/guide, Mr. Mas Daud, is a kindly helpful gentleman. He was always ready to answer my questions and offer alternative plans. On the way back, he suggested not go to the beach but stop over at Matang Wildlife Centre due to the rainfall. I am generally satisfied with the tour agency and its staff. I would like to recommend Ooo Haa Adventure due to its professionalism of guide and consideration for customers.

Our driver Mr Yusuf was very friendly and told many stories gave us lots of infos during our trip on local culture etc. Then Antonia at the park was outsanding, she spoted many interesting insects etc, we managed to see 3 of the life cycle stages from the Rafflesia including a bud about ready to bloom so great experience.

This tour is a bit far from Kuching, so not many people have participated in it. We were a little worried at first. However, we met a great guide, Mr. Mas, and the whole trip went very smoothly. In the morning, we first arrived at Gading Mountain, where Antonia, a guide in the park, introduced us to the Rafflesia flower. Although we didn't see the Rafflesia in full bloom, which is something you can't always guarantee, we learned about the park's efforts to protect the Rafflesia. We did see flower buds before they bloomed and the blackened remains of withered flowers. With Antonia's introduction, the overall trip was very informative. After the Rafflesia tour, Mas took us further up to the waterfall area to play in the water, which the children really enjoyed. Lunch was at the food court at the foot of the mountain. Since lunch was included, we ordered just the right amount of food, and Mas took care of the bill. After that, we went to Siar Beach to play in the water. Although the shower room was a bit dirty with mosquitoes, the weather was good, and the sea was calm, making it perfect for families to play by the sea in the afternoon. Mas didn't rush us to go back at any particular time, but we decided to leave around 3 p.m. to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms. Of course, we could also return to Kuching before 5 p.m. to let Mas get off work earlier.

Our tour guide for the park Antonia was extremely knowledgeable and did a thorough tour for our group of 5! Mr Foo and Abang Mas were great with their tour of the market an the rest of the tour!

It was the rainy season, but venturing deep into the jungle to search for Rafflesia was adventurous and fun. The guide was very helpful and even took us to places not on the itinerary, which was great. I'd like to go during the dry season next time.

Quite worth the trip! Saw lots of wildlife! Saw Rafflesia too! The only thing that deducted some points was that the local travel agency remembered the wrong date, and the driver didn't show up that day. We only found out after we made an overseas call to the travel agency. Fortunately, the other party solved the problem sincerely.