The first thing to understand about Kampung Simuti’s new tanju is that it is not a resort dropped into the hills. It is an open-air verandah built by the village, reached as part of a rural Padawan drive where the view and the people who maintain it belong in the same story. The timber platform is the kind of place where I would arrive in daylight, let the greenery do the work, and resist turning a living village into a quick photo stop. [image: 1788748436245-tanju-resized.jpg] Source: New Sarawak Tribune Tanju is the local name for this verandah, known here as KUD Ngerat. It officially opened in 2026 as a community-based tourism product, with a practical purpose beyond a lookout: the platform is intended to host camping, so visitors can stay close to the landscape rather than simply pass through it. That explains the broad, uncluttered deck and the way the structure faces out over the surrounding green rather than toward a commercial attraction. [image: 1788748436572-simuti1.jpg] Source: Majestic Padawan The more important detail is how it came into being. The initial construction used a RM20,000 government allocation, but the tanju itself was built through gotong-royong by Kampung Simuti villagers. Once fully operational, the village JKKK is meant to manage it and return proceeds to the community. This is not background decoration: the platform is a small experiment in letting a rural settlement earn from its landscape while keeping control of the visitor experience locally. [image: 1788748436650-simuti2.jpg] Source: Majestic Padawan Look beyond the railing and you can read the older layer of the place. Public trail and visitor records already identify Kampung Simuti as a Padawan outdoor destination, while older community photographs show the village as a landscape to move through, not a single built attraction. The new tanju changes that relationship: it gives the scenery a place to pause, and gives the village a clearer reason to receive visitors. A second development phase has been announced for toilets, changing rooms and an observation tower, so expectations should stay realistic while those additions are unfinished. [image: 1788748436739-simuti3.jpg] Source: Majestic Padawan I would combine this with a daytime Upper Padawan route, allowing time for the road, village etiquette and whatever local arrangements the JKKK has confirmed. It suits travellers who want a quiet community-led stop, a camping possibility and a closer look at how rural tourism is assembled. It may disappoint anyone expecting a staffed visitor centre, guaranteed food service, fixed ticket counter or a polished all-day attraction. The tanju is newly opened, and facilities are still developing; check access and camping arrangements with the village before setting out. Kampung Simuti, Upper Padawan, Kuching, Sarawak ️ Google Maps: Kampung Simuti, Padawan Would you make this a slow Padawan stop, or stay overnight if the village camping arrangements suit your route?

Kampung Temurang is the kind of Padawan stop where the information centre matters as much as the trail. From Kuching, the drive takes about an hour; from the village centre, the Rafflesia site is roughly a 20-minute walk with a local guide. I would arrive ready to ask what is blooming, because the forest decides whether this is a flower day or a limestone-and-river day. [image: 1788489442506-temurang-1-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan The walk is not just a hunt for a giant flower. Temurang sits along Borneo Heights Road in the Braang Bidayuh landscape, where local stories place early settlements on Braang Mountain. The heritage trail links old settlement routes with the present villages of Temurang, Bidak and Braang Payang. That is why a guide adds real value: the rocks and paths are cultural landmarks as well as terrain. [image: 1788489443179-temurang-2-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan Look closely at Batu Berketis, the small upright limestone pinnacles locals call the Narrow Stones. Nearby Buk Benang is associated with Braang legend and ritual traces, while several caves in the limestone hills carry wartime stories connected to Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. These details turn a generic jungle walk into a landscape with memory. Do not enter caves or climb sharp rock without local direction. [image: 1788489443730-temurang-3-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan The Rafflesia is the seasonal bonus. Older local tourism material says Temurang can be a nearer alternative to Gunung Gading, but a bloom is never guaranteed; call or ask the village before building a whole day around it. The wider Padawan river system also hosts rafting routes: in the 2024 Padawan Raft Safari, Temurang was one of the starting points and Kampung Git the finish. [image: 1788489444571-temurang-4-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan I would pair Temurang with a Padawan countryside route, allowing half a day for the guide-led walk and extra time if a flower is open. It suits travellers who want community-led nature, Bidayuh history and uneven ground. It will disappoint anyone expecting a guaranteed bloom, a paved botanical garden or a self-guided photo loop. Wear proper shoes, bring water and confirm guide, trail and bloom conditions before leaving. Kampung Temurang, along Borneo Heights Road, Padawan, Sarawak ️ Google Maps: Kampung Temurang Would you plan around the Rafflesia season, or come for the rocks and the stories even when there is no bloom?

The first thing I would listen for at Satow Waterfall is the water getting louder as the concrete path leaves Kampung Bobak and enters the shade. This is a village recreation place shaped around a living stream, not a polished resort pretending to be rainforest. [image: 1788402964010-satow-1.gif] Source: The Borneo Post Online Satow is known as a multi-tier waterfall with at least six levels. The first two are reached by a short paved walk and concrete stairs, which explains why families come for a quick swim or picnic rather than a full-day jungle expedition. A public Bombastic Borneo travel video follows the falls from tier one to tier six; I would treat each pool as its own stop instead of rushing to one viewpoint. [image: 1788402964134-satow-2.gif] Source: The Borneo Post Online The place also shows how the Singai area meets visitors. Kampung Bobak sits in the Bidayuh landscape around Bau, where village roads, shade shelters and barbecue places turn a natural feature into shared weekend space. The unusual megalithic feature at the sixth tier is the detail I would look for: it makes the upper section feel geologically older and more specific than a generic swimming hole. After rain, the six drops become louder and more connected; in a dry spell, the pools are calmer but less dramatic. [image: 1788402964182-satow-3.gif] Source: The Borneo Post Online There is a trade-off. Recent independent coverage records three gazebos, two barbecue pits and a short walkway, but also found the toilets and changing room unusable at that visit. Bring water, food, grippy footwear and a change of clothes, and do not assume facilities are operating. Rocks and algae can be slippery; children should stay close to the pools, especially after heavy rain. [image: 1788402964270-satow-4.gif] Source: The Borneo Post Online From Kuching, this works as a half-day Bau/Singai detour, paired with Adis Buan or another nearby village stop. I would choose Satow for multiple small cascades, shade and a local picnic rhythm without a long trek. Visitors expecting a managed national-park trail, guaranteed toilets or one dramatic plunge may be disappointed. Search for “Satow Waterfall, Kampung Bobak” and check local conditions before leaving. Kampung Bobak, Singai, Bau, Sarawak ️ Google Maps: Satow Waterfall Kampung Bobak Would you spend the morning moving through all six tiers, or stop at the first pool for a slower village picnic?

If I have one full day from Kuching for wildlife, I would start before the city gets hot and aim for Bako’s Kampung Bako jetty—not because the park is the easiest box to tick, but because the short boat ride is part of the arrival. The skyline gives way to mangrove, sandstone and a coastline that feels much farther away than the drive suggests. [image: 1779770950255-bako_rock.jpg] 来源：Borneo mobilegrapher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA The park suits travellers who enjoy choosing a trail, watching for movement and accepting that wildlife follows its own timetable. Proboscis monkeys, macaques, monitor lizards and wild boar are possibilities, not a guaranteed show. That is the honest trade: you get a compact taste of rainforest, beach, cliff, mangrove and kerangas landscapes, but anyone expecting a smooth, air-conditioned attraction may find the heat, insects, uneven paths and boat timing a lot. [image: 1779770950586-bako_panorama.jpg] 来源：Borneo mobilegrapher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA From central Kuching, allow roughly an hour by road to Kampung Bako, then around 20 minutes by boat, with weather and sea conditions able to stretch the schedule. I would keep the day flexible: take an easier walk around the headquarters and coast if travelling with children or older family members, or reserve several hours for a longer trail only when everyone is comfortable with heat and mud. The boat back is the part not to gamble with, so ask the operator for the day’s last return and leave a generous buffer. [image: 1779770951024-bako_trail.jpg] 来源：Orizan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY The park and jetty arrangement, trail access, conservation rules, fees and boat charges can change with weather, maintenance or management updates. Published figures are often quoted around RM10/RM5 for Malaysian adults/children and RM20/RM7 for foreign adults/children, before transport and boat costs; treat those as a planning guide, not a promise. Bring water, sun protection, mosquito repellent and sealed food—macaques are a good reason not to leave snacks loose. Check the Sarawak Forestry Corporation notice and the day’s jetty update before leaving, especially after heavy rain or if a trail is under repair. [image: 1779770951430-bako_mangrove.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons I would give Bako a full day, not squeeze it between two city attractions. It is worth the boat and the early start for travellers who want a real outdoor day near Kuching; it will disappoint anyone who needs guaranteed animal sightings or a polished resort-style walk. Pack light, keep your eyes on the trees, and let the return boat set the pace.

如果古晋行程里只能留一天给野外，我会在天还没太热时出发，先到 Kampung Bako 码头，再把那段约 20 分钟的船程当成旅程的一部分。船离开河岸后，红树林、砂岩海岸和海风会把“只是去一个景点”的感觉慢慢换掉。 [image: 1779770950255-bako_rock.jpg] 来源：Borneo mobilegrapher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Bako 适合喜欢自己选步道、边走边找动物的人。长鼻猴、猕猴、巨蜥和野猪都有机会遇到，但它们不会照着游客的时间表出现；把这里当成动物园，反而容易失望。它真正迷人的地方，是在不算大的范围里把雨林、海滩、悬崖、红树林和 kerangas 植被排在同一天里，只是天气闷热、蚊虫、泥路和船班也都是体验的一部分。 [image: 1779770950586-bako_panorama.jpg] 来源：Borneo mobilegrapher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 从古晋市区出发，我会预留约一小时车程到 Kampung Bako 码头，再加船程和等候时间。带孩子或长辈，可以把总部附近和海岸一带安排成较轻松的散步；同行者体力好、又想走长线，才考虑留出几个小时给更长的步道。回程船班不要压线，抵达后先问清楚当天最后一班船，再决定走多远。 [image: 1779770951024-bako_trail.jpg] 来源：Orizan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 公园开放安排、步道、保护区规定、入园费和船费可能因天气、维修或管理通知改变。网上常见的参考价是马来西亚成人/孩童 RM10/RM5、外国成人/孩童 RM20/RM7，但还要另算交通和船费，出发前不要把旧数字当成现场收费。建议带水、防晒、防蚊液和密封好的食物；猴子靠近时，背包和零食都要收好。大雨后或看到步道维修消息，更应该先查看 Sarawak Forestry Corporation 的公告与当天码头安排。 [image: 1779770951430-bako_mangrove.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons 我会给 Bako 整整一天，不会把它塞进城市景点之间。喜欢自然变化、接受“今天未必看到动物”的旅人，会觉得这趟车程和船程很值得；只想轻松拍照、希望每一步都有完善设施的人，可能会觉得辛苦。早点出发，把时间交给潮汐、天气和回程船，反而比较舒服。