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I ♥ SarawakLand of the Hornbills
Golden Beach at Similajau National Park, where rainforest meets the sea
Beaches

Similajau National Park

Bintulu Division

Golden beaches and rainforest meeting the sea along a wild 30km coastline near Bintulu.

Similajau is Sarawak's long, thin coastal park — a ribbon of rainforest, golden-sand beaches and rocky headlands stretching along the South China Sea just northeast of Bintulu. Gazetted in 1978, it is best known for the aptly named Golden Beach and Turtle Beach, reached by a coastal trail that threads between forest and shore for kilometres.

The park's wildlife runs from gibbons and long-tailed macaques in the canopy to marine turtles that come ashore to nest, and estuarine crocodiles inhabit its river mouths — heed the signboards and keep to the marked trails and beaches.

Highlights

  • Golden Beach — the park's signature sweep of sand
  • A coastal rainforest trail with sea views most of the way
  • Turtle Beach, a seasonal nesting site for marine turtles
  • Boat trips along the coast as an alternative to walking

Good to know

  • Standard Sarawak national-park entrance fees apply (around RM20 for foreign adults) — check current rates on arrival
  • Estuarine crocodiles live in the park's river mouths — never swim near river outlets and heed all warning signs
  • The full walk to Golden Beach is a long, hot day — start early and carry plenty of water

Getting there

The park entrance is roughly 30km northeast of Bintulu — about a 30–40 minute drive by taxi, Grab or hire car. Bintulu itself is connected by air and by the coastal trunk road between Sibu and Miri.

Read our stories about Similajau National Park← All places

Cover photo: Paul White (CC BY 2.0); gallery photos as captioned — all via Wikimedia Commons.