• Fees/Permits
• See
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Stay safe
• Get out

View of Buduk Nur village of Ba Kelalan.

The Kelabit Highlands is a highland plateau in the interior of Sarawak in Malaysia. The isolated region bordering Kalimantan, Indonesia, is now very popular for jungle trekking as well as those hoping to get away from it all.

[edit] Understand

The Kelabit Highlands comprise a vast highland plateau in the interior of Sarawak, near the border of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The area is the headwaters of the mighty Baram, Limbang, Lawas Rivers. Administratively, it comes under the Miri and Limbang Divisions.

[edit] History

[edit] Landscape

The Kelabit Highlands is a highland plateau of over 1,000m. It lies between the Tama Abu Range and Apo Duat Range on the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. The many valleys in the region are peppered with settlements of cottage-like homes and often surrounded by paddy fields. The area also boasts many high peaks including Sarawak's highest mountain, the 2,423m Gunung Murud.

[edit] Flora and fauna

[edit] Climate

As most of the highlands is over 1,000m, the nights can get a little chilly. Daytimes are usually warm and humid, especially when struggling through thick forests while trekking. The rainy season is between October and February.

Students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bario (Bario Secondary School) performing a dance. Picture by Scott Apoi Ngimat.

[edit] People

The area is named after one of Sarawak's ethnic groups, the Kelabits. They are mostly highland farmers and staunchly Christian, belonging to the Sidang Injil Borneo (Borneo Evangelical Assembly) church. They are also known to place a lot of importance in education and many hold professional jobs, including the managing director's post of Malaysia Airlines.

Although the highlands are named after the Kelabits, it is actually home to many other groups such as the Kayan, Kenyah, Penan and Lun Bawang. The Lun Bawang, who are the same group as the Murut in Sabah, are the predominant people around Ba Kelalan in the northern part of the highlands. All of them are collectively known as the "Orang Ulu" or "People of the Highlands".

[edit] Villages

• Bario - The "capital" of the highlands and main entry point into the highlands
• Ba Kelalan - The Lun Bawang village is the starting/ending point of popular two-day trek to/from Bario
• Pa' Umor - a 50 minute walk from the airport of Bario centre. small but a good starting point for trekking or visiting cultural sites. Far more remote feeling than Bario with no power lines (which are currently inactive anyway). A church, longhouse, and a few private dwellings, there are a few guesthouses here and Gem's Lodge is on the edge.

[edit] Get in

A view from the air of the Bario Asal longhouse in Bario.

[edit] By plane

The most popular and simplest way of getting into the Kelabit Highlands is by plane. The highlands is dotted with little airfields, often just grass airstrips other than the main airport at Bario which is a modern tar-mac runway, these are linked by 16-seater Twin Otter planes operated by MASWings [1] since taking over from Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) on October 1, 2007. These are 18 seater flights and locals are given preferance due to it being the main transport in and out of the highlands but you can now book online at Malaysia Airlines website There are still some cancalations of flights due to bad weather but it is a falasy that this is regular. The transition period from FAX to MASwings saw cancalations due to MAS having much stricter regulations on safety and servicing. There is talk of legnthening the runway in the future for the larger planes.

The most popular entry points are Bario (BBN) and Ba Kelalan (BKM). There are also air services to Long Akah (LKH), Long Banga (LBP), Long Lellang (LGL) and Long Seridan (ODN) although these other locations do not have any purpose-built infrastructure for travellers.

The main coastal city that acts as the gateway to the highlands is Miri where most flights originate. However, there are also flights from Lawas and Marudi in the Lower Baram, which is connected to Miri by several flights daily as well as a combination of boat (between Marudi and Kuala Baram) and bus (between Kuala Baram and Miri).

• To/From Bario: 2 daily flights to and from Miri, except for Mondays when 1 flight only carries cargo. Tickets cost RM70 before taxes and surcharges. Journey time is about 50 minutes. Six of these weekly flights (no flights on Thursday) are via Marudi.

• To/from Ba Kelalan: Flights between Lawas and Ba Kelalan run on Monday and Saturday. RM46 one-way before taxes and surcharges. Flights take about 35 minutes.
• To/from other villages: Flights operate between Miri and Marudi and the various "Longhouses" in the highlands once or twice a week.

[edit] Over land

Getting to the Highlands by land is hard work, especially when compared with flying.

• To/from the Sarawak coast

The easiest and fastest way is by four-wheel drive or trucks between Lawas and Ba Kelalan. The journey, which takes about four or five hours, is over old logging roads and you are virtually guaranteed a bumpy ride as well as the possibility of being bogged in mud during the rainy season.

The labyrinth of trails fanning out from Bario and the nearby villages can possibly lead you to the lowlands. Besides walking, you may have to take boats to travel down river. The journey will take several days of tough walking. Guides will be necessary and costs may be high for boats. Not surprisingly, most, including the locals, turn to planes.

• To/from Kalimantan, Indonesia

It is possible to enter/leave Indonesia via the Kelabit Highlands. In fact, the trek between Bario and Ba Kelalan goes through Indonesian territory and the village of Long Bawan is within easy reach. There are immigration officers in Bario and Long Bawan. From Long Bawan, there are flights to other East Kalimantan cities.

Note that Long Bawan is NOT and visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry point (see Indonesia's Get in section) and an Indonesian visa must be obtained before you cross the border. However, the visa requirement is waived if you are just trekking between Bario and Bakelalan. However, you must carry your passport.

There is now a logging road from Miri to the Bario area which is mainly suitable for supplies and vehicles to be brought into BArio, but this is an option for travelling although you will need to know locals as this is privatly used only.

[edit] Fees/Permits

Permits were once required but are now not necessary. Bring your passport however if you intend to trek through Indonesian territory, such as on the trek from Bario to Ba Kelalan.

[edit] Get around

[edit] On foot

The usual way to get from one village or longhouse to another is on foot. Some of the usual walking trails linking the various settlements are now doubling up as hiking trails by visitors. See the "Do" section below for details on the more popular hiking trails.

A few vehicles, mostly trucks and motorcycles have made their appearance in the highlands and you can try thumbing a lift from the friendly locals. These are generally used around the "urban centre" of Bario.

[edit] By air

If slogging through steep slopes between Bario and Bakelalan does not sound attractive to you, MASWings [2] flies between the two settlements on Thursdays (departing Bario at 09:55, returning from Bakelalan at 10:30). Journey time is about 20 minutes and the fare is RM23 before taxes and surcharges.

Although several of the other settlements in the highlands have working airfields, there are no flights between them or with either Bario or Ba Kelalan. Flights are to Miri and Marudi.

[edit] See

[edit] Do

[edit] Hiking

Pa Lungan village near Bario.

This is probably the main reason why travellers make their way to the highlands. The hikes range from lazy strolls which last a couple of hours to tough treks which require several days. Guides are necessary to navigate the many trails criss-crossing the highlands. Here are some of the popular trails:-

• Bario-Pa Umor: (Diffuculty 1/10) Around 50minutes at a fast pace but many people take this scenic walk to Gem's Lodge homestay and walk slowly with a camera in hand for the views, orchids and various flora and fauna along the way in which case this can be a relaxing 1-3 hr walk.
• Pa' Umor - Pa' Umor Salt Spring: (Diffuculty 4/10) About 50mins+
• Pa' Umor - Pa' Umor Monolith:
• Bario-Pa Lungan:
• Bario-Pa Berang:
• Bario-Ba Kelalan:
• Bario - Ulong Pallang: (Diffuculty 1/10) Through the padi fields, past monoliths and the 2 schools, churches, the police station. A very nice, easy walk.

[edit] Mountain climbing

• Gunung Murud: Sarawak's highest peak at 2,423m.
• Batu Lawi: A spectacular 2,043m mountain with twin peaks.

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Lodging

[edit] Camping

[edit] Backcountry

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out