Gunung Gading National Park

Gunung Gading National Park is a protected area in Sarawak on the island of Borneo, Malaysia, best known for populations of giant Rafflesia flowers. The park protects lowland rainforest on and around the hill named Gunung Gading and is managed for both conservation and visitor access.

The main attraction is the Rafflesia, a parasitic plant that produces the largest single flowers in the world; individual blooms can reach roughly one metre in diameter. The park also offers short rainforest trails, river and waterfall features, and basic visitor facilities including a park office and marked walking routes.

The area was set aside as a national park to conserve the Rafflesia and the surrounding forest habitat and has since been managed as a site for both botanical interest and low-impact tourism. Conservation and monitoring of Rafflesia populations are part of the park’s ongoing work.

Gunung Gading is located in the Lundu district of western Sarawak on Borneo, on the island’s northwestern coastal side. It lies inland from the coast and is reachable by road from Kuching, roughly around a one- to two-hour drive depending on route and traffic.

• Rafflesia size and seasonality: Home to giant Rafflesia species whose individual flowers can reach about one metre in diameter; blooms are seasonal and unpredictable.
• Visitor information and trails: Park headquarters provide trail information and guidance on recent flower sightings; trails are mostly short but can be steep and slippery in wet weather.

What to See #

• Rafflesia viewing areas: Areas where flowering Rafflesia can be found are reached by short forest trails and include viewing platforms or roped-off sections to protect the plants and their host vines.
• Waterfalls and picnic trails: Picnic and short-walk zones with small waterfalls and rainforest streams that form the core visitor trails inside the park.