One of the few places that have been getting some bird watching attention is no other than the highland village of Bakelalan in Sarawak, Borneo. This is my Bakelalan birdwatching trip report for the serious bird watchers, done in November 2018.
First, Bakelalan or Ba'Kelalan, is a Lun Bawang tribe village located in the northeast highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is also in the district of Lawas, which can be easily accessed from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah or Miri in Sarawak.
Getting here is quite a challenge, but then again, not complicated. However, for bird watchers or photographers, you can take a flight or even drive overland, passing the famous Paya Maga Wetlands.
Bird Watching Trip Report For Bakelalan
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| Birding in Bakelalan is combined with some adventure and amazing outdoors. |
This was more of a birdwatching inspection trip to initiate cross-border birdwatching tourism between the two states of Malaysia and Borneo.
Our journey started from the town of Lawas, where the Borneo Bird Club flew in from Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu into Miri and then caught a MasWings flight into Lawas.
I was the only one that flew in from Kuala Lumpur into Miri and then caught a similar flight into Lawas, where we all met up to continue our journey overland using a couple of 4x4 off-road vehicles.
From Lawas, it takes around five to six hours overland through old logging roads, which is not that bad, considering we left as early as 7.00 AM and reached Bakelalan by 1.00 PM.
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| Bukit Demaring view point, on the way to Bakelalan |
Along the way, we made a couple of stops to admire the majestic view of the Maligan Highland Range, which is highly recommended for anyone using this route.
One particular stop is called the Bukit Demaring viewpoint, where you can see the beautiful highland range stretch as far as your eyes can see.
One particular stop is called the Bukit Demaring viewpoint, where you can see the beautiful highland range stretch as far as your eyes can see.
One main stop was for lunch at a small licensed logging camp, where a local cafe served coffee, tea, noodles, and even rice.
Paya Maga IBA in Sarawak
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| The signboard at the entrance of Paya Maga IBA in Lawas |
Along the way, we passed the much talked about bird watching spots called Paya Maga, an Important Bird Area or IBA.
Paya Maga was designated as an IBA in 2010, and it is here where you can spot the endemic Black Oriole, which many birders want to see or photograph.
Paya Maga was designated as an IBA in 2010, and it is here where you can spot the endemic Black Oriole, which many birders want to see or photograph.
We did not do bird watching in Paya Maga for this trip, as our mission was to explore Bakelalan and its surroundings. Hence, we stopped to take photos of the entrance area only.
Visiting the Bakelalan Salt Factory
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| Me (the writer) attempting to make some natural salt at the Bakelalan Salt Factory |
As we got closer to Bakelalan village, we made a stop at the Buduk Bui Salt Factory, which is recommended for anyone wanting to see how the local highland salt is processed.
Bakelalan is home to several natural salt wells, and the natural saltwater is pumped into a processing hut, where it is boiled over a wood fire until the salt is formed.
This part of the trip was more of an understanding of what the Lun Bawang people do in the highlands.
Again, the locals here are a farming and agricultural society; hence it is good to visit the Bakelalan salt factory when you are here.
Buduk Nur Village in Bakelalan
Again, the locals here are a farming and agricultural society; hence it is good to visit the Bakelalan salt factory when you are here.
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| The village of Buduk Nur seen from a nearby hill in Bakelalan |
We arrived in Buduk Nur around 2.00 PM, the main village in Bakelalan, where the small airport is located. We met our host and bird guide, Cikgu Sang, or Teacher Sang, a school teacher in Bakelalan.
After meeting his acquaintance, we adjourned by foot to his beautiful home located smack in the middle of the village. His wife, Julia Sang, welcomed us at his home, and we were treated to some home-cooked food.
Stories about bird watching filled the air while many questions were being thrown at Cikgu Sang, namely about one elusive bird called the Dulit Frogmouth (Batrachostomus harterti).
This is the one endemic bird that can only be seen around Bakelalan, and many bird watchers and photographers from around the world come here to see this nocturnal bird.
On our arrival day, we just hung out at Cikgu Sang's lovely home, settled into our simple and comfortable rooms, and just prepared for the following day of bird watching.
Day One - Birding in Bakelalan
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| Birding from the local roads around Bakelalan with Andrew Saini, Cede Prudente, CK Leong and David Tseu |
When we started early in the morning, we took two 4WDs towards a hillside road on a higher elevation overlooking Bakelalan. This was a supposedly new road linking Bakelalan to Bario, the sister village.
Reaching our stop, we gradually made our way down on foot and checked the birds in the canopy tops. Several spiderhunters, flowerpeckers and mid-sized birds were spotted.
The walk was easy as it was downhill, and the cooling weather made it fun and enjoyable. This is one of the plus points of bird watching in the highlands.
We chilled out at the Cikgu Sang's beautiful homestay in the afternoons, exchanging birding information and casual talks among the group.
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| A Black and Crimson Oriole perched behind some leaves. |
After the sun sets, our callings start, and we wait with excitement. No response and we call again. Still no reply, and after about 30 minutes, we move to another spot to repeat the call.
Well, Cikgu Sang mentioned that the Dulit Frogmouth may be nesting or with a baby; hence it may not show. Thus we decided to call it a night and head back.
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| The trek up and down Pa' Sarui Hill in Bakelalan. Buduk Nur is in the distance |
Same as day one, we started early with the trucks, and this time around, we went to Pa' Sarui Hill and its vicinity. This is also where the famous Bakelalan Owl House is located at.
The journey here requires you to walk through paddy fields and then cross a small stream leading to the beautiful stand-alone wooden house.
Once you reach the Owl House, a trail from the back leads you up to Pa' Sarui Hill, which also doubles as one of Bakelalan's best viewpoints.
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| Owl House in Bakelalan |
The trail up is considered medium, but I would not recommend this trail if you have knee or walking issues. Please take note of this before going up to Pa' Sarui's viewpoint.
At the end of the day, the journey up the hill, spotting some birds and seeing the fantastic scenery was good enough for our group.
By lunch, we had gone back down and headed back to Cikgu Sang's home, and after that, we were invited over next door to see the last traditional Lun Bawang Longhouse, which was quite an experience.
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| Crossing streams to look for the Dulit Frogmouth in Bakelalan |
Our final day of birding saw us returning to our original spot from day one to see if we could spot one of the much sought-after birds - Hose's Broadbill.
With luck on our side, after some calls, a couple of them did show up, but they landed in the thick bush; hence we managed to spot them through our binoculars.
As for bird photography, luck was not on our side due to the thick bushes. However, we were pleased to know that they are, in fact, there.
Our night session was the final, where we went out to look for the Dulit Frogmouth. This time, Cikgu Sang took us deep into a secluded area, crossing three streams and doing a bit of trekking.
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| The journey to seek the Dulit Frogmouth in Bakelalan |
Luck was not on our side, as we still could not spot it with multiple calls from the Frogmouth. But it was just there, about 10 meters up in the canopy.
Well, I can say that the Dulit Frogmouth is found in Bakelalan, and it doesn't mean you will be guaranteed to spot it. One theory was that it was the breeding season; hence they don't really show themselves.
My next trip to Bakelalan will guarantee that I will be seeking this endemic bird of Borneo, which is apparently spotted in several places around Bakelalan.
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| An Ashy Drongo spotted in Bakelalan |
Below is our checklist of birds we spotted in Bakelalan over the three days of exploring these beautiful highlands of Sarawak.
1) Hose's Broadbill
2) Black and Crimson Oriole
3) Oriental Honey Buzzard
4) Bat Hawk vs Rhinoceros Hornbill
5) Bornean Bulbul
6) Bornean Leafbird
7) Cinereous Bulbul
8) Bornean Barbet
9) Black-Thighed Falconet
10) Whitehead's Spiderhunter
11) Boobook
12) Whiskered Treeswift
13) Yellow-Vented Bulbul
14) Blue Eared Kingfisher
15) Cattle Egrets
16) Barn Swallows
17) Eurasian Tree Sparrows
18) White-Breasted Woodswallow
19) Chestnut Hooded Laughing Thrush
20) Temminck's Sunbird
21) Red-Necked Phalarope
22) Little Cuckoo Dove
23) Verditer Flycatcher
24. Mountain Serpent Eagle
25. Mountain Barbet
26. Blue-eared Barbet
27. Little/Malaysian Bronze cuckoo
28. Dusky munia
29. Chestnut Munia
30. Spotted Dove
31. Grey-rumped treeswift
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| A male Scarlet Minivet with an insect catch |
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| The female Scarlet Minivet with another insect photographed nearby |
1) Tufted Ground Squirrel
2) Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel
3. Bornean black-banded squirrels
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| The location of Bakelalan in Sarawak |
Bakelalan is a highland village located in the Maligan Range northeast of Sarawak, Borneo. The town is also the closest to the border of Kalimantan, Indonesia.
For the locals, Bakelalan is nearer to Miri, Lawas or even Brunei. From Kota Kinabalu, it will take you about 9 hours to drive there, while from Bandar Seri Begawan, it will take less than seven hours drive.
How Long To Spend In Bakelalan For Bird Watching?
It is a common question that birders will be asking, and most think they can just travel in and out for this part of Sarawak.
In reality, the optimum time to spend in Bakelalan for bird watching would be four days and three nights. This will ensure that you get to spot the birds that you came for.
While many birders will want to also spot the Black Oriole, the trip will be broken up into two sections, one at Paya Maga and the other at Bakelalan for the Dulit Frogmouth.
How To Get To Bakelalan?
For the locals, Bakelalan is nearer to Miri, Lawas or even Brunei. From Kota Kinabalu, it will take you about 9 hours to drive there, while from Bandar Seri Begawan, it will take less than seven hours drive.
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| Spotting birds in Bakelalan, Sarawak |
It is a common question that birders will be asking, and most think they can just travel in and out for this part of Sarawak.
In reality, the optimum time to spend in Bakelalan for bird watching would be four days and three nights. This will ensure that you get to spot the birds that you came for.
While many birders will want to also spot the Black Oriole, the trip will be broken up into two sections, one at Paya Maga and the other at Bakelalan for the Dulit Frogmouth.
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| Kevin from the Sarawak Tourism Board and Rona Sultan from Heart of Borneo Tours do weight checks at the Lawas Airport check-in counter. |
The best way to get to Bakelalan in Sarawak is to fly into Lawas and then from Lawas to Bakelalan. This journey will require you to take two or three planes.
Please note that there are only two or three flights from Lawas to Bakelalan per week; hence you need to time your flights for the trip to Bakelalan.
Flying From Kuala Lumpur: Fly into Miri (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia), connect to Lawas with MasWings, and from Lawas, connect to Bakelalan with MasWings.
Flying From Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: Fly into Miri ((Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia), then connect to Lawas with MasWings, and from Lawas, connect to Bakelalan with MasWings.
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| Driving back to Lawas from Bakelalan is a long journey but worthwhile in many ways. |
This would be a more accessible but time-consuming option as you may spend around 10 hours from Miri, Brunei or Kota Kinabalu.
However, driving gives you the flexibility to stop and enjoy the local lifestyle along the way and even do some ad-hoc bird watching.
Some bird watchers may prefer to do it this way as you can also make a stopover at the famous Paya Maga IBA, spending the night at the Merarap Hot Spring Resort.
Driving From Kota Kinabalu: From KK, you go south and pass Sipitang to the Sindumin Checkpoint. From there, drive to Lawas town, which is around four or five hours drive to Bakelalan using the old timber roads from Lawas.
The total time without checkpoints and stops from Kota Kinabalu: is 7 Hours, but we are looking at around a nine-hour drive with checkpoints and stops.
Driving From Brunei: From Bandar Seri Begawan, you drive to the Tedungan Immigration Post, then head to Limbang town, and to Ujung Jalan, then to the Mengkalap ICQ, and then to Lawas. From Lawas, it's a 4 to 5-hour drive to Bakelalan.
The total time without checkpoints and stops from Bandar: is 6.5 hours, but with visits and so on, it will take 8 to 9 hours to drive.
From Miri: Head to Sungai Tujuh Checkpoint, then to the Tedungan Immigration Post, then head to Limbang town, and to Ujung Jalan, then to the Mengkalap ICQ, and then to Lawas. From Lawas, it's a 4 to 5-hour drive to Bakelalan.
The total time without checkpoints and stops from Miri: Eight hours drive, but realistically, it will take you a good 10 to 12 hours.
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| Our cross-border team with Cikgu Sang (4th from right) and Julia Sang (3rd from right) with Rona (Right) |
Bakelalan is one of the hidden birdwatching destinations of Sarawak and is slowly getting some recognition for some of the endemic birds found here.
Serious bird watchers have started coming here since 2015, and over the last few years, more birders have been making their way here.
While the accessibility may not be commercially feasible, it makes the entire birding experience more memorable. I have also done an article about the many things to do in Bakelalan when you are there.
With some of the notable Sabah birdwatching guides exploring this destination, it is now easier for them to bring in bird watchers who want to experience birding in Sabah and Sarawak.
Hopefully, this Bakelalan birdwatching trip report will provide additional information about this exotic birding destination. A huge thanks go out to the Sarawak Tourism Board for making this happen.
I would also like to thank Cikgu Sang and his beautiful wife, Julia Sang, for their kind hospitality during our stay there. And also to Rona Sultan from Heart of Borneo Tours for making our trip smooth and memorable.
If you have questions, please ask them in the comment form, and I will do my best to answer them. Otherwise, you can also follow my Malaysia birding website, Birdwatching.Asia, for more birdwatching information and reviews.