Bako Cliff Viewpoint

The Bako cliff viewpoint sits on the southern edge of the park's high plateau, accessed via a short branch off the Lintang Trail. The view from this spot is among the most photographed in Sarawak — a sheer drop to the South China Sea below, the offshore sandstone sea stacks of Batu Kapal visible to the southwest, and on clear days the headlands of Tanjung Sipang and the Muara Tebas peninsula extending into the haze of the horizon.

To reach the viewpoint, follow the Lintang Trail from park headquarters for approximately 2 km until the trail levels onto the padang plateau. The cliff branch is signposted to the right and takes 5 minutes from the main trail. The final approach is across exposed sandstone with no protective railing — keep well back from the edge, particularly with children, and exercise caution in wet conditions. The drop to the sea below is roughly 80 metres of vertical sandstone.

The sandstone here records millions of years of coastal erosion. The horizontal banding visible on the cliff face — orange, rust, and grey layers — represents alternating iron-rich and silica-rich sediment deposited in the original shallow marine environment, then uplifted and now under attack by the same sea that originally laid it down. The Batu Kapal sea stacks visible offshore are remnants of harder strata that resisted erosion when the surrounding rock was carried away.

White-bellied sea eagles nest on the cliff face below the viewpoint, and the resident pair is regularly seen at eye level patrolling the coastline. This is one of the few opportunities to observe these large raptors from above or at the same level rather than looking up from the beach. Bring binoculars (8x42 minimum) and watch for the slow, deliberate gliding flight along the cliff base, occasionally interrupted by a stoop to the water below to take fish.

The viewpoint is best visited in the late afternoon when the low sun catches the sandstone face and the sea stacks. The walk back to park headquarters is approximately 90 minutes; allow for a final descent to be completed before dusk. Combine this stop with the broader Lintang Trail loop for a half-day excursion that takes in the kerangas, the padang, the clifftop, and the return through the dipterocarp forest.