Getting to Gunung Mulu National Park

I spent the last few days of 2013 at the Gunung Mulu National Park in the state of Sarawak.

To get there, we took an AirAsia flight to Miri and then changed to Mas Wings which is the only airline that flies to Mulu National Park.

Mas Wings also operates flights from other parts of East Malaysia to Mulu National Park. So it's best to check the website here.

I love their tagline: Wings of Love

Despite its tiny size, the plane had a small screen that screens the safety procedures.

Each passenger was given a Milo drink.

Minum Milo Anda Jadi Sihat dan Kuat :-)

The Mulu airport is one of the smallest airports I've seen. I think most to most only 2 flights arrive and 2 flights depart daily.

The flight from Miri to Mulu was only 30 minutes. This means by the time you get comfy in your seat, it's time to land. Well, thank heavens for short flights.

The Mulu airport does not have any ATM. If you need to withdraw cash, you would need to do all your banking in Miri airport or whichever airport you're coming from.

I had forgotten to withdraw cash in Miri and wanted to do so in Mulu but alas the airport does not have a single ATM. Thankfully we had just enough cash between us to spare. Credit cards are accepted at the Mulu National Park but there is a 2% surcharge and the minimum transaction is RM100. More on that later.

After exiting the Arrival Hall, you'll see this counter on the right side of the steps:

We bought our return tickets to Mulu National Park headquarters as what most people told us to do when we were researching for this trip.

This is the van that brought us to the park:

The drive is only 5 minutes from the airport. So you can actually walk but you need to know the way.

I always feel good seeing a rosary hanging from the rear view mirror.

Upon arrival at the park we got down and crossed the bridge to check-in at the Mulu National Park.

This is the Gunung Mulu National Park office where we registered and paid for our lodging and trips:

I was impressed with the office - it is air conditioned and clean despite being in the middle of the jungle. In fact it looks like any office in the city.

As I mentioned earlier, credit cards are accepted at the park for transactions of minimum RM100. Be reminded that there's a 2% surcharge for all credit card transactions, which is quite negligible if you've exhausted your cash and need to pay by credit card.

All visitors to the park will need to purchase a 5-day pass worth RM15. You will be given a waterproof wristband which states your arrival date and this must be worn throughout your stay at the park.

If you decide to stay longer than 5 days, you would need to pay for another 5-day pass and replace your wristband.

The wristband is valid for 5 days in tandem with the duration of the 5-day pass. Different coloured wristbands are distributed daily. So if you want to know which day a particular traveller had arrived at the park, look at his/her wristband :-)

Next: Dormitory in Gunung Mulu National Park