Hello again. Who doesn't like beaches? I don't know if I like beaches or not, but I am sure some people will get very excited when it is about a trip to the beach.
This time I am bringing you to the Golden Beach of Similajau. It is located in the National Park Of Similajau, Bintulu only 30 minutes drive to reach that place from the town. Remember, there is no public transportation but you can hitchhike or just grab a taxi driver. I am not sure about private car driver (because we don't have Uber here)
I decided to come here during Hari Raya holiday in 2016 with my colleagues from the office (those who like the jungle and love jungle trekking). I planned everything and we all agree that we will trek along the trail to the farthest part of the park- The Golden Beach which took us 6 hours trekking to and fro. 20KM walk! more than 10,000 steps made in a day. Great! This trip to the Golden Beach is not about going to swim there but more of a jungle trekking to reach a destination that you will find as a satisfaction and an achievement.
We went there early in the morning, but since we arrived too early and it is public holiday we have to wait until the gate is open. That delayed our trip at that time. But anyway, after we paid the entrance fee MYR 10.00 per person, we drove in and parked our car in front of the HQ office and walked our way towards the trail that runs along the coastline of the park.
Along the journey, we have to stop many times as some of us are not very used to the long walk up and down the hills. Though the track is not so complicated, still, going up and down hills can make a person gets tired easily. We saw monkeys, squirrels and beautiful birds.
We made a few stop to rest and have a look around the secluded beaches that we passed by on the trail to Golden Beach. The beaches are not very well maintained maybe because it is too far to reach by the park workers. So it is our responsibility as visitors not to leave our track there with rubbish! We didn't spend too long at all those beaches along the trail as our main plan was to reach Golden Beach. Some of my friends walked very fast and ahead of us that they will stop and rest while waiting for us to catch their pace.
Finally! despite humidity, we reached Golden Beach at 12 noon with a relief of the breathtaking views of the secluded beach scenery. We were all tired and sweating a lot and we managed to find a shady place to sit and relax and we were just in time for lunch. We brought rice and cans of foods in our bags, sandwiches, and fruits. I even have the thought to come back here next time and maybe spend a night and set up a tent here. But there's no proper place to do that and with the threat of saltwater crocodile, that they will come ashore during night time and the tide status is unknown, hrmmm probably not the right place to spend a night. We shared all of the foods that everyone brought in their bags.
Next thing we did was just to have fun and walk along the beaches. The threat of the saltwater crocodiles exist is true and their tracks seem to monopolised every area of the beach. Definitely not a place to set up your tent at night. In front of the place where we sat, there is a big pond in the middle of the sandy beach. Maybe a groundwater pond, I am not sure but it is not attached to the sea and the water is brownish and black in colour. Anyway, my friend, Petrus reminded everyone not to walk into the pond or walk along the water pond. That's the place where the crocodiles roam and we have to remain vigilant as we play at the beach. Scary! And he told me after I have walked across a shallow part of the pond. Fright me! Down towards the shore there are hundreds of hermit crabs, scurrying in and out of their tunnel networks dug in the beach. The sandy beach looks beautiful with all of this small creatures making their way down the sand to the sea and the entire surface of the beach is covered with tiny balls of sand where the crabs dug to make their underground passage.
We didn't spend a very long time playing at the beach as we have a long journey back to the park HQ and it was very hot sunny day to play on the beach. We packed our stuffs and put all rubbish in plastic bags. For the first few minutes, we all decided to walk along the beach rather than going back to the trail but after that we seemed to be lost and it was really hot! Nobody can stand the weather that afternoon so we climbed up to get back to the jungle trek. We walked very fast this time when we returning back to the park HQ. I guess we arrived around 4.30 in the evening. I have to stopped many times as I have to wait for the girls. Some of them who have arrived earlier than us bought us some drinks from the cafe and wait patiently for us to arrived at the park HQ. It was a good trekking, lot of sweating and many beautiful pictures of this special Golden Beach,
In conclusion, you won't regret it coming here. The trip to the Golden Beach was a remarkable memory for all of us who joined as none of us are from Bintulu but only live and make a living here. We are sure some of the young generations of Bintulu have not been to this Golden Beach and explore the local place and I hope you guys will go and explore this place as this is part of the place where you were born and tell the world about it. To other travelers who wish to come here, maybe if you go to the other beaches along the trail you won't feel any difference between this park with other national parks but the satisfaction to have reach the farthest point of the park is truly a valuable experience of a healthy and backpacking lifestyle.
If you stumble across this post, and you would like to come here to experience it yourself. You can contact me to find out how to get here or maybe if the time is right, I can take you there (for a cheaper cost). Don't forget to follow me on my Facebook page or subscribe to my Youtube Channel.
One way trekking time from HQ
- viewpoint : 50 mins/ 30 mins via shortcut
- Selunsur Rapids: 2 hours 30 Mins
- Turtle Beach 1: 2 hours
- Turtle Beach 2: 2 hours 30 mins
- Golden Beach: 3 hours
- Selubong Pool: 20 mins (plus boat trip you can arrange with park HQ
Here are few things you might need to know before coming here:
1. So if you plan to come here, you might want to book a place to stay overnight, or you can bring your own tent and camp here (this one is truly recommended as I've heard people done it before and they liked it.2. The park provide places to set up your tent and BBQ pit near the beach. Toilets and shower is just within the HQ office and you can make your move the next day by arranging a taxi to pick you up.
3. If you plan your time well, then you won't have to worry about coming out very late from the jungle trek. Bring a torchlight (small one) just in case you love the nature so much that you need to spend longer time with them. I spent few minutes on every stop to take pictures. Be safe and return back to the park HQ before nightfall.
4. If you drive here, be sure to park your car in front of the HQ office or any parking space provided. Park at your own risk if you park under the shady trees.
5. Please register yourself at the park entrance and put complete details after you pay the entrance fee. Safety measure is very important. Do not put fake name or phone number. Write nicely. I know how different is everyone's handwriting from different countries. Maybe you should put details like where do you stay while traveling to Bintulu. (eg: guesthouse name or phone number). They won't ask about this but just for safety reason.
6. Bring enough water and foods if you are going to start early, you can stop at one of the beaches for lunch. Turtle Beach 1 or Turtle Beach 2 before you continue to Golden Beach. Bring back your own rubbish and throw in bins provided in the park. Save the environment.
7. DO NOT SWIM! That is really off the agenda to come here. Yeah it is sad that everywhere you go in the beaches in Bintulu, you are not allowed to swim. The Similajau National Park beaches are famous for its saltwater crocodiles. I have never seen one but I had seen their tracks on the beautiful sandy beaches. You might have the chance to see it if you stay overnight at the park as this animal comes out when it is cold. But maybe you can try to ask the HQ office where is the safe place to swim, but I guess they allowed people to swim at the beach behind the park HQ depending on the sea status. If it is too dangerous they will put a sign to that. But don't you think even in the 'safe place' to swim, the threat is still there.
8. Get phone numbers of the authorities such as local police, rescue team and the park HQ for safety. You do not know what might happen though I can't guarantee if you can get signal inside the jungle. Maybe yes because when we were here at the Golden Beach, I still remember my friend taking his phone out and making a phone call.
9. Wear suitable shoes and bring a small towel. Wear head cover when you are at the beach as it is extremely very hot! Bring change clothes if you feel you need a refreshing shower in the park Shower rooms.
10. Respect the jungle and the beach. Keep them clean. Please do not take or pluck any plants that you see, or bring anything out from the jungle.
The trip to the Golden Beach was a remarkable memory for all of us who joined as none of us are from Bintulu but only live and make a living here. We are sure some of the young generations of Bintulu have not been to this Golden Beach and explore the local place.
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| Group photo |
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| Almost giving up when we reach Turtle Beach knowing we still have an hour to go to reach Golden Beach |
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| Turtle Beach II |
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| Lunch time! |
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| The Beach, the sand and the pond |
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| My friend Emilda a Dayak Selako girl. |
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| Hermit Crabs |
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| Washed up LIGHT BULB! |
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| Yeah it's a hot sunny day |
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| BEWARE OF CROCODILE |
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| This is the pond in the middle of the sandy beach. I was not supposed to go in there but I did not know and this part here is not deep so why not, take a photo. |
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| SKULL! ahahaha |
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| CROCS track. |
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| Diana the runner. |
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| Exhausted when we arrrived at the park HQ. Waiting to be rescued. |
