Trip to Tanjung Datu Nationalpark

This beautiful nationalpark is located on the Cape of Sarawak directly on the border to Kalimantan. You have to go to Semantan and take a boat there. There are 3 possibillities: You could organize a pickup from the headquarter with the touristoffice in Kuching. You can use the irregular local boat service to the Kampong (Village) Serabang or hire a boatsmen from the Semantan jetty to bring you there. From there you can walk a path near the beach to the Headquarter about 1 hrs. You can also stay in the house of the village chief if you like. In the head itself quarter is one little room. They also provide a lot of open raincovered shelter with matts, blankets and mosquitonet. There is a camp site too and enough trees for your hamock. You have to bring all your food to the HQ, they have a kitchen with cooking facilities frigde and mineral water. Its is much easier to go back to Semantan than getting there. It is possible to buy very simple food in the village nearby.

The water is very clear, the coralreefs are medium but worth to see. Depending on the season you can see dolphins and turtles and passing by under water. At night you may spot the sea turtles landing and laying eggs on the beach. You are not allowed to use torch light on the beach at night because of them. Near to the headquarter are some controlled nesting areas where you can may see small turtles running around in the morning.

There are 3 different trails around the head quarter. One trail will lead you up to the Summit of Gunung Batu Datu (536 m) direct to the border of Kalimantan. There is also a long round trail where you can see a huge diversity of trees and plants. One path leads north to the Cape Dato and will end somewhere nearby, on low tide you could choose to walk on the beach north. There is also a path to the village Serabang. Soory, there is no good trail map available at the moment.

It is worth to do a nightwalk with the chief of the headquarter. You probably will see mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, civit cats, slow loris, bearded pigs, macaques, gibbons and many other mammals. And of course, there is also a wide varity of interesting insects and reptiles to observe.

On daytime you can see lots of birds (also hornbills and peacocks), monitor lizards on the beach digging for turtle eggs, different spezies of squirrels and different bats (also white ones) hanging on the little cave right hand of the headquarter.

Picture Gallery - Please click to enlarge!
Semantan Beach	On the boat	Beach on HQ	Clear water & reefs
HQ Beach	HQ Beach	Limestone walls	Indonesian border
Turtle nesting	Clear rivers	Bee eater	Snale
Spider	Slow Lori	Giant Squirrel	Flower
What to bring for the trip:		How to get there
Walking boots or sport shoes Water bottles can be refilled in HQ Much food - the headquarter sells nothing to eat or drink - to walk to the fisher village needs 1h Swimsuit (nice swimming) Snorkling gear - nice coral reefs 2 Torchlights and batteries Medical aid, mosquito repellent Sunmilk and a cap against the sun		You have to go to Semantan 110 km west of Kuching (1,5 - 2h) From Semantan by boat to HQ or by boat from Semantan to the fisher village and walk to HQ 1h Book the boat in the touristinformation in Kuching Ask Eric to organize it for you