Bario is a small town in the highlands of Borneo. It has been nicknamed the ‘land of a hundred handshakes’, and we feel that bothering summarizes this small town better. The people are friendly and very hospitable. Bario is nestled high up in the Kelabit Highlands in the province of Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo. We feel that Bario is a perfect getaway destination.
Bario does not offer all the high end attractions and the things to do in Bario are more grounded in nature or are a reflection of the quiet and relaxed atmosphere.
This is a great place to come and unwind. That is not to say that our kids did not have fun here. Quite the contrary. Our kids had a blast exploring and being free. As did us parents! If you are wanting more action and business, then check out all the great things there are to do in Kuala Lumpur!
TIP: Explore our guide on how to travel around Malaysia with kids.
Weather
Since Bario is located in the highlands, the weather is much cooler than the standard Malaysian heat and humidity. While you can find colder spots in Malaysia: check Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill, or Genting Highlands, the temperature in Bario is always perfect! Year-round it is almost always the same, with little variance. Except daytime highs of around 25 degrees C (77F), and nighttime lows around 18 degrees C (64F). Our family enjoyed the cooler nights. No need for air conditioning! And the daytime temperature was great for walking and hiking. Not too hot, and not too cold!
There are some times of the year that are rainier than others, but because of the mountain ranges around the area, the precipitation levels are most consistent throughout the year. You can expect more rainfall around the months of April/May and November/December.
We went to Bario in December. The rainfall caused many things in the town of Miri, 170km to the West, to be closed because of flooding. When we arrived in Bario the ground was very muddy, but the rainfall was minimal and we were not negatively affected by it as we were down on the coast.
How to Get There
There are two ways to get into Bario. You can drive, or you can fly. The road into Bario takes about 8 hours of driving time. So far the only vehicles that can make it into the area are 4 wheel drive trucks and motorcycles. We were able to see the road going into Bario from the air, and it is a great option if you enjoy a bumpy and winding road. Surely the views would be amazing.
Getting there by air is the easiest method. There are flights into Bario run by a Malaysian Airlines subsidiary called MASwings. You can book tickets directly on the Malaysian Airlines site, or most online ticketing services. The flight into Bario from Miri takes around 45 minutes. They fly Twin Otter aircraft. These are small planes that hold 8 passengers. Actually, taking these flights were the main straw for us to fly in the highlands in the first place.
History
Before the first Christian missionaries arrived in the Kelibat Highlands in the late 1930’s, the tribes that lived here were mostly headhunting tribes. These tribes were originally attracted to this area because the area was known to have natural deposits of salt. However, once Christianity entered the area, the headhunting era ended. Thankfully, since our kids and us were not keen on visiting headhunters! However, the traditional ways of highland life are still seen in town to this day.
The longhouses were once the traditional house, and these can still be seen in the towns.
Different Things to Do in Bario
Here are some of the fun things available to do in Bario.
Korea Hill
This is a great hike for those who do not want to commit to a long hike. It is a short loop, perhaps slightly under 1km in length, and it is not difficult at all. Of course, dad had a large cut on his foot, plus had a cough, and he struggled massively on this small hike!
The hike starts just behind the House Museum in the center of town. It loops up a small hill to a little cross that overlooks the town. We saw some great birds on this hike. We recommend this hike for small kids.
Prayer Mountain
Prayer mountain turned out to be a rather long and difficult hike for the little kids. Ok, to be honest, it was a difficult hike for everyone. The starting point is a good ways on the outskirts of town. We chose to walk to the starting point. We don’t recommend walking. Our lodging offered a ride, which we declined wanting to be able to walk. It was further than anticipated.
The hike itself takes you though beautiful natural forests, but it is uphill all the way up to the lookout point. At the top there is a large cross that has been erected.
The original wooden cross was put there in 1973 to honor a vision/revival in the area. New larger metal cross was erected in 2015, but the original one is still there. The trail is not a loop; instead it is an out and back path. Along the way, slightly closer to the top end, they have built a simple wooden church. This serves as a great resting pit stop on the way up and back.
Museum house
In the center of town the city has created/restored a traditional house on stilts. The purpose is to show a glimpse into the daily traditional life of a typical family. They have displays on how firewood is dried, cooking methods, how ladders were used, and some traditional games. Overall they have done a great job and provide a lot of good information.
There is a 5 RM fee to go inside. No person to collect the money. They just had a deposit box and used the honor system.
You do have to remove your shoes to go inside.
Asal Longhouse
Besides the homes on stilts, the other traditional housing was the longhouse. This is basically the tribal version of an apartment complex. As families grow, additions are added and the home continues to grow. The Asal Longhouse is one such example of these that you are allowed to visit.
It is actually still in use with locals still living in it. You can also book a ‘homestay’ at this longhouse, but we don’t recommend it with kids. You can arrange a visit to this longhouse on a tour through your accommodation.
We just walked in on our own and peeked around. There was a sign to pay 5 rigging to enter, but there was no person there to pay and no box or system in which to give money.
Walk Though Town
If you’ve read through our blog much you will know that our family enjoys a good walk. Yes, our family also has that one kid who never walks to join in on the walk; we understand! But even the kid who does not enjoy the walk usually finds something along the way that they remember fondly. So, we make them walk.
Bario was an enjoyable town to walk through. Built up along a small road, the city is peaceful and quiet. The people were friendly and said ‘hi’, and it was great to see the farming and the mountains that surrounded the valley in which the town is built. Near the edge of town, the rice paddies were amazingly beautiful.
So, while not exactly an attraction peruse, we highly recommend exploring Bario on foot.
Some other amazing Malaysian small towns to walk through are Sungai Lembing and Fraser’s Hill but for very different reasons. Each town in Malaysia seems to offer something a little different.
Twin Pioneer Crash
We were fortunate that our accommodation was also at the site of the 1960’s Twin Pioneer airplane crash.
The airplane crashed near where the town’s original airstrip was located. The wreckage has been left in place although the wings and a few panels are missing. Our kids were very excited to explore the wreckage of a real plane crash.
For those who are interested or concerned, all those on the plane made it out alive. Also, this was a US military aircraft.
Town Center
The center of town does have a few shops along the road. When we were there most, maybe 4 out of 5 shops were closed. You can buy a few nic-nacs here. You can also load up on local snacks and basic supplies here.
Homestay Fishing – A Kids Highlight
We chose to stay at NancyHarriss Guesthouse, and our host had a few small fishing ponds on the property. These ponds were directly next to the Twin Pioneer plane crash actually. The owner of the property gave our kids a few fishing poles made of bamboo and let them fish for many hours. When our kids caught some fish, she had them prepared for dinner that evening.
The boys were happy about being able to bring home dinner that evening.
So while this is not a normal activity you can plan for, options like these can present themselves when you go to these off the beaten path destinations. Go with the flow and see what there is to do.
Small Plane Hopping
Honestly, our entire family was obsessed with flying on the Twin Otter planes. We even booked a ticket that had an extra stop on the route from Bario to Miri. This was so we could land and take off again. This gave us a 10 minute layover in another small town, then a final 15 minute flight into Miri. It was awesome. And the price for flying just for fun is cheaper than most activities in Kuala Lumpur such as going up the Twin Towers.
We found booking flights directly on the Malaysian Airlines website was the most convenient and cheapest way to book flights with MASwings. We wanted to book through our credit card portal to get the extra points, but the cost was almost double that from booking directly!
Conclusion
So the question is, is it worth coming to visit Bario?
We would say yes, if you are wanting to get a little off the beaten path and see a small rural town in Malaysia. That is, if you are wanting an authentic experience. If you are wanting a touristy rural experience, then this is not the place.
If you are looking for some other low key relaxing town around Malaysia then we recommend Sungai Lembing or Fraser’s Hill.
For some more energy and developed places, then we recommend Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, or the Cameron Highlands. These will offer more excitement. One of our favorite exciting places in Malaysia with kids is Legoland Resort down in the southern part of Malaysia in Johor Bahru. Legoland is reached most easily by flying into Singapore.