I agree with other guests who have stayed here before. It's a very unique hotel in a very unique location. The resort itself is beautiful and the surrounding is stunning. There are some things to keep in mind about this resort - it's inaccessible by road and building this resort in the middle of the jungle is quite a feat.
Originally Posted by
Alex_I
While I agree in general, I am also wondering who will work in such an isolated place where you can only get in by an airplane or by ca. 8 hr river boat ride? The occupancy was low and I do not know how this hotel is surviving at all. So if you like to visit Mulu National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage site and stay in comfortable hotel - I recommend to go now.
Some of the staff are local indigenous people (Berawan and Penan). Some come a bit further away.
Originally Posted by
quinine
Not sure if they still could offer dinner buffet everyday, last time I stayed for 5 nights and only open once, all others ala cater. If hotel could have bike to rent, then maybe I could explore even more rural side beyond park entrance, hotel and airport.
Not too sure if you can explore more on a bike because roads are very limited around there. The roads lead you to the airport, hotel, park entrance that's about it. When I was there, I was told that they could drop me off anywhere along the way between the hotel and park entrance but it's all villages around there. There's a small hiking trail just before the bridge to the Marriott that gives an excellent view of the surrounding areas plus mountains/airstrip.
Originally Posted by
Xiaotung
I stayed there last Christmas for 3 nights and didn't get any upgrade as the hotel was packed. The location is quite unique so I was not so fuss about the service and amenities. What I struggled the most was the more or less the same food everyday.
Didn't see the bat exodus due to rain which was a shame.
It's a shame about missing the bat exodus. Most food have to be flown or shipped in and this probably explains the lack in variety and it's very costly.
Originally Posted by
SanDiego1K
How do you get to the hotel?
What is there to see and do in the national park?
You can take a long boat ride from Miri (plus some taxi/Grab/bus transfer), or flights from Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, or Miri. It's not accessible by road. It's much cheaper to buy your Mulu tickets separately (i.e. BKI/KCH/MYY-MZV) than if you buy a through ticket say from Kuala Lumpur to Mulu (KUL-MYY-MZV). And IIRC, my MYY-MZV tickets are completely changeable plus fare difference (rates are mostly fixed so there are very little variations).
All visits to the caves are accompanied by a guide and organized by the Sarawak state tourism/forestry board. Highlights are the bat exodus and caves (which you should be able to do it in 2 days unless you want something that requires caving skills) - deer, clearwater, and wind caves are the main ones. You can also have a guided night walk in the jungle (or on your own if don't wander off trail).
Bat exodus is probably the top highlight for me. I stayed 3 nights and managed to watch it 2 out of 3 evenings (bats don't have an exodus if it's raining but rather they come out later or in smaller groups). It's incredible and surreal to see millions of bats flying out of a cave at dusk and watching bat hawks preying bats from above. The bat exodus is at Deer Cave (there's a viewing platform for it and it has decent toilet facility too) and you can walk back to the entrance after dark by yourself (please bring a torch with you). It's pitch dark but the path is well maintained and it's mostly on wooden platform due to the riverine forest in that area.
If you want something more adventurous, try climbing the Pinnacles (Gunung Api). It's a 3D2N trek in the jungle and I've been told wonderful things about the trek. Or you can visit Sarawak Chamber (world's largest cave chamber) and it's an overnight excursion. All these excursions are run by the state government (pretty well run and affordable) but you have to leave the comfort of your Marriott Hotel
Originally Posted by
Alex_I
Just a few more things to add:
(4) Mulu National park has a cafe with less expensive (vs. Marriott) menu. There is a convenience store a short walk from Marriott - you will see it on the right side of the road when driving to Marriott. Cannot comment on what you can buy there as we did not go.!
I think dinner at Mulu National Park cafe is slightly more affordable than Marriott and it's pretty good. Most raw ingredients have to be flown in and this adds up to the cost (which explains why a bowl of noodles anywhere around Mulu costs RM12-15). Try Ayam pansoh (Iban style chicken cooked in bamboo with herbs - but I don't think they cooked in a bamboo there)