Miri is rapidly becoming Sarawak's most popular tourist area, leaving behind its past reputation for being nothing more than an oil and timber town. No longer just a staging post for touring around Sarawak, Miri is now visited by a steadily increasing number of visitors annually who are drawn to the region by Miri's attractions including the nearby national parks, cascading rivers, adventure and heritage travel destinations and some of the best scuba diving in Borneo. There is a wide range of Miri hotels and accommodation availalbe not to mention some great beaches and dozens of spirited restaurants, bars and pubs to be enjoyed.
For the adventure holiday of a lifetime look no further than fabulous Miri!
Located in northern Sarawak on the island of Borneo, Miri has a population of around 300,000 people. Miri is known as the place where Malaysia's and Sarawak's petroleum industry originated. Even today, oil is a major industry and, along with tourism, is responsible for Miri's prosperity. The original oil well, the grand Old Lady, drilled in 1910 by Shell has been declared a national monument and is just one among many tourist attractions in Miri.
Mulu National Park can be reached in 40 minutes by air and the Niah Caves are just a two hour drive away. 25 minutes from Miri are the Lambir Hills, which is the world's largest bio-diversity park in the world. Loagan Bunut, a bird watchers' haunt, is a lake that shrinks every summer, making its bed visible. To get there, you have the option of taking a four-wheel vehicle or a boat. There are a number of Miri tours and activities available to introduce you to the natural beauty of Miri and her surrounds.
While Miri on the north-western coast of Sarawak is a growing resort and prosperous oil town, it also serves as a portal to some spectacular caves, untouched rain forests and rivers in the Mulu National Park. Miri is a wonderful place to be in whether it is business or recreation that brings you here. Teeming with fine dining restaurants, alfresco stalls, quick-eat outlets and cafes, Miri leaves visitors spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a venue. The open-air stalls and shops in Miri are great because you can stroll around and have a good look before you order. For Muslims, halal food is available everywhere. The Miri City Centre, with its air conditioned shopping malls, lets you browse and buy in comfort.
In Miri most places are within strolling distance. If you do not want to walk, there are plent of transportation options including buses and taxis in plenty. If you want to travel out of Miri it is well connected to the other parts of Sarawak by express buses which depart daily from the Outstation Bus Terminal. Apart from this, you can take some of the regular flights or the express boat service too.
There is an entertainment option for everyone in Miri. There are clean beaches which swarm with people on weekends and for the avid golfer, pro or amateur, there are two golf courses in Miri conforming to international standards.
Indigenous communities like the Bidayuhs, Ibans, Kayans, Penans, Punans, Kenyahs, Berawans, Lu Bawengs and Kelabits live in Miri. The Miri Cultural Week and the Gawai Dayak festivals are events that give visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of these local people.
Mulu
Mulu, a national park which has been recommended as a World Heritage Site, can be found 110 km west of Miri on Borneo, an island in the Malaysian territory of Sarawak. It is near the source of the River Tutuh, which is a tributary of the River Baram. This evergreen park's attractions include hiking, caving and observing wildlife.
The stellar attraction of the park is the network of caves, reputed to be the longest in the world. The astonishingly large Sarawak Chamber, spacious enough to accommodate forty Boeing 747s, is one of them. These caves, which originated five million years ago, are the oldest on earth. The Mulu Cave in the Mulu National Park was actually a group of four caves that have joined to form a single one.
The Deer Cave, which is also in Mulu, is the largest cave corridor and is big enough to house five cathedrals as large as the Saint Paul's in London. The Clearwater Cave, the longest cave is South East Asia, is a major draw. Great masses of bats and cave swiftlets fly out from these caves to feed at dusk, darkening the evening sky.
For those who seek adventure, there are the Pinnacles. Singularly well-named, these are huge, sharp spikes and plunging gorges formed by the weathering of tropical limestone. The Royal Mulu Resort organises challenging yet fulfilling treks in Mulu which extend beyond a day.
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