Bako National Park is a completely different experience after dark. The diurnal mammals and birds that dominate the daylight hours retreat, and a cast of nocturnal specialists emerges: Bornean tarsiers, flying lemurs, civets, slow lorises, and an array of frogs, geckos, and moths that are never seen by day. A guided night walk from park headquarters is one of the most rewarding wildlife experiences available in Sarawak.
The park office organises guided night walks nightly, departing at 20:00 from the headquarters. A ranger or certified guide leads groups of up to 8 visitors on the first section of the Lintang Trail and the mangrove boardwalk. Booking is essential — sign up at the park office on the day of your visit. The walk lasts approximately 1.5–2 hours and covers 2–3 km. Bring a headlamp with a red-light setting (red light is less disturbing to nocturnal animals), insect repellent, and long sleeves.
On a typical night walk you can expect: the eyeshine of tarsiers in the understorey at 1–3 metres height; flying lemurs pressed motionless against tree trunks; common palm civets moving through the mid-canopy; a variety of geckos on trail-side vegetation; and a extraordinary diversity of invertebrates — stick insects, leaf insects, walking stick katydids, rhinoceros beetles, and atlas moths with wingspans approaching 30 cm. Slow lorises are occasionally encountered but are not guaranteed — Bako's population is small and their range overlaps with the tarsier survey area. Never shine a white torch beam directly at a slow loris; their eyes are adapted to total darkness and bright light causes real pain.
If you cannot join the guided walk, the chalet verandas at headquarters are excellent for night wildlife watching with no walking required. Geckos hunt moths attracted to the veranda lights; civets sometimes cross the lit paths between buildings; and frogs call from the vegetation edge. The mangrove at the beach edge, viewed from the jetty with a red-filtered torch, often reveals large water monitors resting motionless among the prop roots. Allow your eyes 10 minutes to adjust before each new section — the difference between adapted night vision and fresh-from-the-light vision is dramatic.