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Tanjung Datu National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks of Sarawak. Unlike other fantastic parks in Borneo like Bako National Park and Semenggoh Nature Reserve, this park still retains a wild charm because of its many deserted white sand beaches and remote location. In this post, I will tell you everything you need to know about this hidden gem that is hardly visited by foreign tourists.
Tanjung Datu National Park seen from Telok Melano Beach
Tanjung Datu National Park is located on the most Western tip of Sarawak in Borneo just next to the border with Indonesia. It is one of the smallest parks in Borneo and, due to its remote location, it hardly sees any foreign visitors.
This is actually a plus if you like to slow travel to off-the-beaten-path places and if you fancy having a beautiful destination with astonishing nature all to yourself.
The Park HQ, Tanjung Datu, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Tanjung Datu National Park consists of a large strip of unspoiled rainforest (mainly mixed dipterocarp forest) and spectacular white-sand beaches.
The sea is home to small patches of coral and a diverse range of marine life. It is possible to snorkel in the clear emerald-green waters and there’s a chance you’ll meet turtles along the way!
Taman Negara Tanjung Datu
Tanjung Datu National Park lies at the most Western tip of Sarawak close to the border with Kalimantan. In the past, Tanjung Datu National Park was very hard to reach because there was no road loading to the park and the small village of Telok Melano.
The park was only reachable by boat and it was quite expensive for tourists to get there. However, in 2019, a new road was built between Sematan and Telok Melano which makes it easier now to reach the park overland.
Tanjung Datu National Park lies approximately 135 kilometers (84 miles) from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. If you have your own vehicle, you should be able to get there in two to three hours. However, if you rely on public transport, the story is more complicated.
I’ll get into that later in this post.
There is an abundance of wildlife living in Tanjung Datu National Park but don’t expect to see much if you’ll only visit the park on a day trip.
The park is home to palm civet cats, flat-headed cats, hornbills, gibbons, pig-tailed and long-tailed macaques, Proboscis Monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, bearded pigs, mouse deer, sambar deer, monitor lizards, and a diverse range of birdlife.
Turtle conservation program, Tanjung Datu Sarawak
On our trip, we only saw a gigantic monitor lizard, a bat, a few butterflies, and some monkeys rustling in the trees but they were too high up to figure out which type of species it was. We only spend one day in Tanjung Datu, and we wished we could’ve stayed longer to see more wildlife!
Turtle nesting beaches, Tanjung Datu National Park
Aside from all the wildlife mentioned above, Tanjung Datu National Park also runs a turtle conservation program. Green turtles, Hawksbill turtles, and Olive Ridley Turtles use the beaches of the park as nesting grounds.
After the turtles lay their eggs on the beach at night, the rangers retrieve them and transfer them to the hatchery to protect them from poachers and certain predators like monitor lizards. The eggs take about 45 to 60 days to hatch. After that, they are released back into the sea.
The main nesting season is from April to December but it is possible to see them year-round. At the moment of our visit (December 2022), there were about 40 nests in the hatchery and they just released one back into the sea.
Trails in Tanjung Datu
There are only a few trails inside Tanjung Datu National Park, but don’t let that put you off. The trails are beautiful and the rainforest is still intact which makes for a truly magical experience. Because the trails are remote and rarely walked, hiking here ignites a sense of true adventure!
Wooden boardwalks around the HQ of Tanjung Datu National Park
These are the four trails in Tanjung Datu National Park:
If you start this trail in Telok Melano, it can be a bit difficult to find the start of the trail. From the village, start walking in the direction of the park. There is only one main road in the village so follow that road. At a certain point it will split, take to the left. Cross a little bridge and you will see a wooden house on your left. After a while, you will arrive at a long bridge that is in a bad state. Cross it and afterward, you will pass by a house that plays a really loud recording to attract swallows (no idea why though!). You can’t miss it! After wading through some greenery, you will arrive at the jungle trail.
We wondered if it was possible to walk along the beaches to Telok Melano to skip the exhausting climbs in the heat inside the park. Unfortunately, while it is maybe possible at low tide, the staff advised against it arguing that it is too dangerous.
Booking.com: For the best cheap guesthouses and homestays or small hotels
Hostelworld: To find the best hostels located in the cities
Homestay: For unique immersive homestays
Public transport in Sarawak is not abundant. If you want to get to some remote places you will have to turn to travel agencies or, like us, hitchhike! Here are the best resources we found online:
12GO: The best transport website for long-distance buses and flights in Sarawak.
GRAB: for taxi rides in cities and nearby attractions.
MAXIM: a slightly cheaper alternative to Grab but doesn’t drive as far outside of city centers as Grab cars.
Note that there is a local bus service that is operated by the government to Lundu and Sematan. It cannot be booked online and there is no information to be found online. It leaves from the Boulevard Mall in Kuching and only costs RM 1. Ask Grab or Maxim drivers about this local bus or ask around at the Sentral Bus Complex where the long-distance buses leave. Most Sarawakians have their own car and will not be able to help you. As far as I know, there is only one bus/per day.
There is a public bus system in Kuching but there is also little information online and most of the time it is not up to date. For the most recent routes and travel times check out the information at the bus station at the open-air market in Kuching. These buses also go to Bako National Park and Semenggoh Nature Reserve and only cost RM 1.
STICKY RICE TRAVEL: The best sustainable travel agency in Malaysian Borneo.
BORNEO ADVENTURE: another reputable travel agency organizing trips to Mulu National Park and Tanjung Datu.
KUCHING KARL FROM “SECRET SARAWAK ADVENTURES”: If you are looking for a different experience aside from the regular tours then don’t hesitate to contact Kuching Karl! He is affiliated with Woodpecker Lodge in Kuching and operates customized trips in 4×4 trucks at prices lower than the travel agencies. He is also the only tour guide that specializes in the best local food around Kuching and incorporates visits to “hidden gem restaurants” into his trips. You can get in touch with him through Woodpecker Lodge or Whatsapp him at +60199158965.
Deserted beaches at Tanjung Datu National Park
If you want to spend more than one day in Tanjung Datu, and I highly recommend doing this, then there are two options to choose from.
You can either stay overnight in the park accommodation or you can opt to sleep in a homestay in the village of Telok Melano. I will tell you in the next paragraphs about the pros and cons of each option.
Outdoor kitchen, Tanjung Datu National Park camping space
At the time of our visit, the only available accommodation option was to camp in a designated area near the park HQ. While the park is equipped with a few outdoor kitchens to cook meals, you should bring camping gear, like tents, sleeping mats, and a sleeping bag.
Pros:
Cons:
Telok Melano
While staying in the park itself might be an alluring option for avid hikers and nature lovers who are used to camping in tropical environments, other conscious travelers might rather want to stay in the nearby village of Telok Melano.
Hornbill homestay surrounded by swaying palm trees
Telok Melano has started a homestay program in the village in recent years and, while it is very well-known among domestic tourists, it hardly sees any foreign visitors.
The village consists of only a few streets with guesthouses and restaurants, a local school, a market, and a police office. It is beautifully located by the ocean and you can see some amazing sunsets here.
Homestays in Telok Melano, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia
Staying at Telok Melano is a little bit more expensive than in the rest of Sarawak. Expect to pay around RM 100 to 150 for a basic room without or with air conditioning. Some homestays provide outdoor kitchens where you can cook yourself. Other guesthouses provide the guests with homemade meals.
Beach of Telok Melano
Pros:
Cons:
Boats near Tanjung Datu National Park
Getting to Tanjung Datu National Park used to be a very expensive undertaking before the road to Telok Melano was established. At present, aside from renting a car, there are two ways to reach Tanjung Datu National Park.
If you want to make it easy for yourself, an organized tour from Kuching to Tanjung Datu National Park is your best bet. Not only will they arrange the transport and accommodation but they will also make sure you will be provided with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and water.
This will save you a lot of hassle but, as with all tours, you won’t have the freedom to explore at your own pace. To book an organized tour, you can contact Borneo Adventure.
If you want to visit Telok Melano and Tanjung Datu on your own terms, you’ll have to either rent a car and drive yourself or use the following instructions as a guide.
As me and my boyfriend started looking into getting to Tanjung Datu National Park we couldn’t find any information online about public transport. As we asked people around Kuching, we were told every time that there is no public transport going to that part of Sarawak.
Eventually we decided to hitchhike our way to Telok Melano which went wonderfully well. We got three rides (the first one to the city of Lundu, the second one to Sematan, and the last one from Sematan to Telok Melano) and were able to reach Telok Melano from Kuching in four hours.
However, during our time in Telok Melano, we met a German tourist who found out that there is a local bus running between Sematan and Kuching once a day for only RM 1. When we returned from Telok Melano, we first hitchhiked to Lundu to visit Gunung Gading National Park. We looked for a bus station in Lundu and were happy that there actually was a bus, that started in Sematan and also made a stop in Lundu to go all the way to Kuching. It is very weird that most Sarawakians don’t know about this!
The bus stop in Kuching is located in front of the Boulevard shopping Mall in Kuching. I haven’t been able to find out the timetable for the bus departure from Kuching to Sematan, unfortunately, but the one from Sematan to Kuching should depart around lunchtime.
In Kuching, it is best to ask for the departure time at the Sentral Bus Station or at Grab drivers, who mostly know this too. Cars are a thing in Sarawak, and most locals own at least one and sometimes even two or three so they don’t know anything about public transport. Don’t ask them.
From Sematan, you can hitchhike or look for a taxi but this will cost around RM 70. You can try to get a cheaper price by booking a car through Grab but I am not sure there are many Grab drivers around Sematan. During peak season, there’s also a boat running from Sematan to the park HQ.
Sunset near Tanjung Datu National Park
Here are some more tips and information to make your visit to Tanjung Datu National Park an Telok Melano as easy as possible.
Sri Keli cafe, Telok Melano
The two restaurants I frequented the most were Sri Keli Cafe and Hana Cafe. They are not really restaurants, but wooden beach huts with simple seating and a few meal options.
Hana Café, Telok Melano
As I said before, they are fully operational during the weekend because of the huge influx of domestic tourists, but they tend to close during the evening on weekdays.
If you want to have dinner, it is better to let them know in advance, along with what you want to eat, because they are often short on ingredients otherwise.
We arrived in Telok Melano on the weekend and the place was packed with domestic tourists. It was hard to find a homestay available and we were lucky to find a room at Hornbill homestay.
On the other hand, on weekdays, there is not a soul around in Telok Melano, except for the approximately 250 inhabitants. Depending on your wishes (and especially if you like loud karaoke or not!) you can opt to stay during the weekend or on weekdays.
If you want to go during the weekend, it is best to make a booking at a homestay in advance. You can find most of the cellphone numbers of the homestays when browsing Google Maps.
As we found limited information online about Tanjung Datu National Park and Telok Melano, we were not sure what to expect but at least we expected there to be a market for groceries and basic food in general.
In reality, we struggled a little bit in Telok Melano to find what we wanted foodwise. As a vegan, it is already harder to find decent food in touristy areas but this was of another level.
Even though fruit grows on the trees in the gardens of most of the houses in Telok Melano, it is hard to find any fruit for sale. You can find coconuts at the market during the weekend but this stand is also closed during the week. We were lucky that our homestay brought us papaya when we asked for some fruit and that we got some rambutans from domestic tourists visiting Hornbill Homestay.
There are also no vegetables for sale in Telok Melano. If you plan on cooking yourself, you will have to bring fruits and vegetables with you from Kuching or Sematan.
Fresh produce that we did see for sale in Telok Melano were eggs, potatoes, and onions. We also couldn’t find any vegetable oil or plant-based butter, so bring that too if you want to cook for yourself.
We did find basic white flour in Telok Melano. For breakfast, we baked flatbreads in our homestay kitchen just using water, flour, and a bit of salt.
There is a really strong wifi network in Telok Melano that runs all over the village. Just type in the password at your homestay and you will have strong wifi no matter where you go in the village.
Do note that this wifi network doesn’t work in the national park.
The best time to visit Tanjung Datu National Park depends completely on your own wishes. Tourists will mainly visit Tanjung Datu National Park during peak season which runs from June to August. It is possible that there will be many domestic tourists during that time of the year. There is little rain during that period and the boats from Telok Melano and from Sematan will be running.
It is however also possible to visit Tanjung Datu National Park in the rainy season as I did. You can expect an occasional shower or two but it will be sunny during the largest parts of the day. Do note that the boats don’t run from Sematan and Telok Melano.
The deserted beaches of Tanjung Datu National Park
There you go! I hope you enjoyed this guide about visiting Tanjung Datu National Park. There is not much information online about this location so I hope this guide was helpful.
If you have any more questions about Telok Melano or Tanjung Datu National Park, feel free to drop a comment below or leave a message through my contact page!
Also, don’t forget to check out my resources page with my favorite booking platforms and tips to start planning your trip. Additionally, have a look at my favorite travel gear if you want to pack more consciously!
Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links. If you click on them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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