My first time to Bukit Lambir

23rd February 2020 - Happy National Day to Brunei

It was my first time to Bukit Lambir. Extremely excited as it was my first time getting my feet on Lambir ; however nervous as I was told it's gonna be a day-long hike!


Lambir is located just 32 kilometres from Miri Town, Sarawak, Malaysia. Had to leave home early and get to the Brunei customs/immigration as early as possible - they open at 6 in the morning. Fetched my hiking partner, Sophia at around 5:30am after making a stop at Jee Juan cafe. I got us some bread and fried noodles to munch in the car, gonna fuel up before the hike! Drove straight to the meet point - Miri Airport - after clearing the customs and immigration and met up with the rest of the hiking group; Cyril, Jenny, Mulyani, Ivan, Hao Wen and Eva.

Started our destination at 7:15am and it took us around 40 minutes to get to Lambir National Park by car. Alternatively, they do provide bus services from Pujut Corner Bus Terminal if you do not have a car. Otherwise, hop on a taxi ; just make sure you have arranged a pick-up time for the return journey as the park is quite isolated.

Lambir Hill National Park
Opening Hours: Daily @ 08:00am - 05:00pm
Address: 1-76, Bintulu - Miri Rd, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Website: Lambir Hills National Park
Contact: +60 85-471 609

Before entering, you have to register yourself at the Registration Counter.
Entrance fee is RM10 for Malaysians whereas RM20 for foreigners (adult)

For this hike, we had a very experienced and fit man, Sifu Guang as our guide. We were told that there are two entrances for this Bukit Lambir. One is located just next to the registration hut (main entrance) and the other at the back of the hostel.

We started off this hike from the main entrance. It was an enjoyable, pretty much chill-paced walk from the beginning just after the bridge. The challenging part started after some ascending and descending trails when we got to the rope climb, river crossing and some steep trails.


There are paint indication (markings) on the trees which serve as guidance of the direction we are going. The color paint indication/code can be seen from this website.






As I mentioned earlier, we had to cross a river, that has no bridge! That was a new experience for me. Sifu Guang placed some logs over the river to aid us in crossing the river. This helped to prevent our shoes from getting soaked! If you pay attention to the river, you'll be able to see some lively tiny organisms such as baby fishes and prawns.


After few hours, WE FINALLY WE REACHED THE SUMMIT! There's a concrete sign which states the official measurement of the height of the mountain done by the Sarawak Survey Department. As usual, we took a group photo together.


Taken by Drone

Oh ya! There's a couple of waterfalls leading to Bukit Lambir but due to time constraint, we only took a short detour which led us to one of the waterfalls - Dinding Waterfall before heading back to the base. 

Unfortunately, Sophia and Hao Wen were experiencing leg cramps/sore hence they did not get to join us at the waterfall and just continued their journey back to the base along with Sifu Guang.

"Take risk or lose the chance"
I always wanted to dip in waterfall pools but I can't swim (not even float!). Came across a couple of waterfalls before but I was too afraid to get in. Thanks to the ladies for giving me the courage to step in the pool of water. The water is so super cooling and refreshing!

Dinding Waterfall

Overall, it took 8 hours from start to finish, which is about 21 kilometres. Just a heads up for those who are keen to hike at Bukit Lambir, bring at least 2 to 3 litres of water and some snacks - preferably quick carbs like energy bars, etc. I totally underestimated the hike and only brought a tiny 150ml of isotonic drink as I don't usually drink much when exercising. Fortunately Sifu Guang brought extra bottles of water, some sweets, Yoko-Yoko gel, Parang knife etc - our life savior!

Here are my recommendations on what to bring, along with few tips:
1. Bring at least 2-3 liters of water
2. Bring some food / snacks / sweets
3. Bring hiking stick/pole (*optional) - helps to reduce the impact of hiking on knee joints and leg muscles
4. Wear proper hiking socks (I wore normal socks and ended up with blisters)

Note:
We were told that if you are unsure of your fitness level (especially beginners), maybe you shouldn't attempt this hike. If you insist to give it a try, once it seems to be too difficult for you to continue, just stop prior to reaching the waterfall and make a u-turn back. To make a comparison on a scale to 10 on difficulty of this hike, comparing to Bukit Shahbandar/Tasek Lama in Brunei, if Bukit Shahbandar /Tasek Lama are 1, this Bukit Lambir is close to 10.

After the hike, we took a quick shower at Cyril's place before heading to Ming's Cafe in town for dinner.

Conclusion, I will definitely come back to this Bukit Lambir again next time!

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