Excursão de um dia ao Parque Nacional Gunung Gading em 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 took a swim in 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 shared many stories and lots of information about local culture during our trip. Then, Antonia at the park was outstanding; she spotted many interesting insects, and we managed to see three life cycle stages of the Rafflesia, including a bud almost ready to bloom, which was a great experience.

This itinerary 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 entire trip went very smoothly. In the morning, we first arrived at Gunung Gading National Park. The park guide, Antonia, introduced us to the Rafflesia flower. Although we didn't see a blooming Rafflesia, which is a rare sight, we understood the park's efforts to protect these flowers. We did see flower buds before blooming and the blackened, withered remains, and with Antonia's introduction, the overall trip was very informative. After the Rafflesia tour, Mas led us on a hike further up to the waterfall area to play in the water, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. Lunch was at the food court at the foot of the mountain. Since lunch was included, we ordered just enough food, and Mas paid for us. Afterwards, we went to Siar Beach to play in the water. Although the changing rooms were a bit dirty with mosquitoes, the weather was good, and the sea was calm, making it perfect for a family afternoon at the beach. Mas didn't rush us to leave at a specific time, but we decided to depart before 3 PM to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. Of course, we could have also returned to Kuching before 5 PM to let Mas finish work earlier.

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

It was the rainy season, but going deep into the jungle to search for the Rafflesia was an adventurous and enjoyable experience. Our guide was very thorough in showing us around and even took us to an unscheduled spot, which we really appreciated. Next time, I'd like to go during the dry season.

A very worthwhile trip! Saw many wild animals! Also saw the Rafflesia flower! The only slight drawback was that the local travel agency mistakenly noted the date, and the driver didn't show up on time. We had to make an international call to the agency for them to realize their mistake. Fortunately, they were very sincere in resolving the issue.