Bukit Gondol Summit

Bukit Gondol stands at 260 metres above sea level — the highest point in Bako National Park — and the trail to its summit is the most demanding walk in the park. The route follows the Bukit Gondol trail from park headquarters, ascending steeply through primary dipterocarp forest before emerging onto exposed sandstone ridgelines with sweeping views across the Muara Tebas peninsula, the South China Sea, and on clear mornings the distant hills of the Sarawak interior.

The trail covers 7.5 km return and typically takes 5–6 hours including time at the summit. The ascent involves 260 metres of elevation gain over roughly 3.5 km, with several steep sections where fixed ropes assist on the most exposed stretches. The upper trail traverses an area of kerangas forest on the summit plateau where Nepenthes rafflesiana — the giant climbing pitcher plant — hangs at eye level. This is one of the best places in the park to see mature upper pitchers up close, sometimes containing partially digested invertebrate prey.

The view from the summit clearing is the trail's reward. A 360-degree panorama takes in the full extent of Bako's coastline — from Tanjung Rhu in the north to the offshore sea stacks of Batu Kapal in the south — and inland to the cleared agricultural land beyond the park boundary. On the clearest days, the limestone peaks of the Sarawak interior are visible 50 km away. Photographers should bring a wide-angle lens; the scene is hard to capture in a single frame at normal focal lengths.

Flying lemurs (colugos) are frequently spotted in the tall trees near the summit ridge in the late afternoon. The cryptic grey-green fur of these gliding mammals presses flat against tree bark, and they look like loose flaps of bark to the untrained eye — examine each likely-looking trunk carefully. As dusk approaches, watch the gaps in the canopy below the ridge for the silent glides between trees that are the colugo's signature locomotion.

Start the Bukit Gondol trail no later than 07:00. The summit section has no shade and becomes intensely hot from 10:00 onwards. Carry a minimum of 2 litres of water per person. Register your start time at the park office (this is mandatory for all day walks) and inform them of your expected return time. Trail conditions deteriorate rapidly after heavy rain — fixed rope sections can become hazardous — so check current status before departing.