Malaysia Malaysian Airlines Marriott Hotels Marriott International Marriott Rewards (replaced by Marriott Bonvoy) National Parks

Marriott Mulu Malaysia rainforest wilderness resort

A new Marriott Resort in the tropical rainforest on the island of Borneo, located in the Sarawak region of Malaysia, has me imagining standing inside the largest limestone cavern in the world with three million wrinkle-lipped bats and spotting a Malayan Sun Bear, the smallest bear species in the world in neighboring Gunung Mulu National Park. About 25,000 visitors entered the Mulu World Heritage Site last year.

Mulu World Heritage Site

The 101-room Marriott Mulu Resort & Spa has opened this week as a rebranding of the former 20-year old Royal Mulu Resort. The hotel style is in traditional ethnic longhouses.

Marriott Mulu Resort

What sets this Marriott apart is its location in the rainforest in a region so naturally rich in diversity of landscape, plants, animals and insect life. Gunung National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated near the border of Brunei.

Google Maps Gunung Mulu National Park

Google Maps pin for Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia on island of Borneo.

Google Maps Gunung Mulu NP close-up

Zoom in to the new Marriott Mulu Resort and Google Maps reveals little besides an airport in the forest. The airport is less than 25 years old.

Google Maps Marriott Mulu

Gunung Mulu National Park airport is MZV, just outside the National Park boundary. The airport is the primary entry point for visitors to the national park. You can arrive by boat if you want to start the wilderness adventure early. The only road in the region runs between the airport and the Marriott Mulu Resort.

The border of Brunei is covered by the Google drop down advertisement. To the east and south of the Marriott Mulu Resort is 200 square miles of Gulung Mulu National Park.

Mulu National Park is karst topography where limestone has been eroded to create landscape pinnacles and one of the largest cave systems in the world. Sarawak Chamber is the largest cavern known to exist on earth. The Royal Geographical Society mounted a major scientific expedition involving hundreds of scientists to study the Gunung Mulu region in 1977-78. The extensive cave system is still being mapped. Clearwater Cave at 151 km in length is the 10th longest cave in the world.

Mulu Canopy Walk

The Mulu Canopy Walk looks like a unique opportunity to traverse the rainforest 20 meters above the ground on a 480 meter elevated walkway, the longest tree canopy walkway in the world. 42.40 MYR is less than $12 USD.

MULU SURVIVAL KIT

Mulu is remote and isolated. Although we wouldn’t want it any other way it does surprise some visitor that they just can’t pop down the shop and pick up something they forgot to bring along for their trek.

That’s means, no banks, no chemist, hardly any roads and not many options.

Things you might want consider to pack:

  • Trekking Shoes
  • Raincoat
  • Torchlight
  • Water bottle
  • Insect repellent
  • 1st aid kit

Survival kits on sale in the gallery. Kit includes:

  • Torch (Batteries)
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Raincoat
  • Book of Mulu

http://mulupark.com/plan-your-trip/#weather

 

Getting to Marriott Mulu

Unless you are hiking Survivor style or have days to work your way to Mulu by riverboats, the airport is the way to arrive. Airfare is probably less than you would expect.

From Kuala Lumpur KUL to Mulu MZV is about $160 to $200 round trip on Malaysia Airlines.

KUL-MZV $200 Malaysia

Marriott Mulu Resort is a category 2 hotel at 10,000 points per reward night or 40,000 points for a 5-night stay.

Published rates are 467.50 MYR or about $130 per night.

I am flying to Kuala Lumpur in November 2015 and the new Marriott Mulu has moved to one of my top picks for what to do in Malaysia during the week I am in the country.

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