Bintulu travel guide

Bintulu, Malaysia

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Bintulu

Introduction

Bintulu is a coastal town on the island of Borneo, in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of the Bintulu District within the Bintulu Division of Sarawak.

You'll find it positioned along Sarawak's coast between other major towns: roughly 610 kilometres northeast of Kuching, 216 kilometres northeast of Sibu, and 200 kilometres southwest of Miri.

Before you go

Bintulu sits roughly halfway between Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, and works well as a base for exploring the surrounding region. From here you can reach destinations such as Niah Caves, Mulu National Park, Lambir National Park, Longan Bunut National Park, the Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary, Bakun Resort, Rejang Pelagus, Belaga and the Bario Highlands. The town itself is an industrial centre, with the Petronas LNG Complex and a Shell middle distillate synthesis plant in the port area at Tanjung Kidurong, east of the main town.

Plan your days around the town's layout. The town centre is where the main trading activity happens, with wild produce, seafood, fruit and everyday goods sold mostly at Pasar Tamu and Pasar Utama Bintulu, and the commercial area has spread toward Tanjung Batu. Kemena, about 10 km out, is the timber-processing zone, while Tanjung Kidurong, 10–20 km from town, holds the industrial facilities along with housing estates, schools and sports grounds. Medan Jaya and Medan Sentral, a paired township at a busy junction, is the main shopping area. Expect warm, humid conditions typical of this part of Sarawak, and pack accordingly.

Getting there

Bintulu sits roughly 624 km from Kuching and about 215 km from Sibu or 205 km from Miri, and you can reach it by air, road or river. The main gateway is Bintulu Airport, about 25 km from town and the arrival point for the wider Bintulu division, including onward travel to Sebauh, Tatau, Selangau, Belaga and Niah. Malaysia Airlines flies daily from Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia flies daily from Kuala Lumpur and Kuching plus an international service from Singapore four times a week, and MASWings links the airport with Mukah, Miri, Kota Kinabalu and Belaga. Note that all flights out of Sarawak count as "international", even when you are only heading elsewhere in Malaysia. From arrivals, a taxi coupon stand just outside the terminal gets you into town in about 20 minutes at a fixed fare; no buses serve the airport, and while you could walk about 1.5 km to the airport crossing for a Jepak bus into town, this is rarely done, so keep cash for a taxi instead.

Getting around

Bintulu's old town is compact and pedestrian-friendly, with plenty of traffic lights that include pedestrian phases, so you can comfortably explore the historic core on foot. Walking further afield gets tiring, especially to the Parkcity Commercial area and Medan Jaya, where a local bus costing under RM2 is a sensible substitute for the longer legs. There is no rail, metro or tram network, so plan your movements around buses, boats, taxis and walking.

Local buses run by City Public Link (also referred to as Jepak Transportation) reach minor parts of town and outlying areas such as Sungai Plan, Nyalau and Tatau/Kuala Tatau, with municipal buses found at one stop at the Pasar Tamu Bus Terminal. Passengers are typically rural residents and lower-income urban and suburban commuters rather than tourists, and English is not commonly used on the buses, so a few words of simple Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Iban or Sarawak Malay go a long way. Express boats from the River Front link the town with smaller suburban and rural communities such as Sebauh, Pandan, Labang, Tubau and Binyo, with departures generally clustered in the morning and some early-afternoon sailings; you can also rent a perahu or speed boat for greater adventure, but budget generously. For longer hops, taxis serve the town centre, and long-distance coaches leave from Medan Jaya for major Sarawak towns and cities as well as Brunei and Pontianak. From the airport, buy a fixed-price taxi coupon at the stand just outside arrivals rather than negotiating with a driver, as no buses serve the airport directly.

Where to stay

Bintulu's budget beds cluster in a few pockets of town, so where you book shapes your stay as much as the room itself. Taman Sri Dagang accounts for a large share of the inns, among them Sun Star Inn, Garden Inn, King's Hotel, Faber Inn, Riverfront Inn, Houz Inn, Sri Dagang Inn, Lian Hing Inn, Fata Inn and Diamond Inn, with Sea View Inn and Sun Star Inn also sitting in the same area. Jalan Pedada is another dense strip, home to Royal Inn, Sunlight Inn, New Capital Inn, Centre Inn and New Lead Inn's neighbours along Jalan Keppel, where Hoover Hotel, Kintown Inn and Kemena Inn are found. Smaller clusters include Medan Sepadu (National Inn), the New Commercial Centre (Summer Inn, Mastama Inn), Jalan Law Gek Soon (Delight Inn, Bakun Inn), Jalan Sommerville (Utama Inn), Medan Jaya Commercial Centre (Medan Inn) and Parkcity (H-5 Inn).

For more comfort, Kemena Plaza Hotel in Taman Sri Dagang puts you near Pasar Tamu and the old town. New World Suites in Parkcity Commercial Centre sits at the doorstep of Parkcity Mall, surrounded by shopping, dining and entertainment, and is described as a gateway to Mulu and Niah Caves. Parkcity Everly Hotel on Jalan Tun Razak has a distinctive step-design facade and rooms furnished with modern conveniences. Li Hua Hotel in Berjaya Commercial Centre suits those who prefer to be a little away from the town centre, while Kemena Hotel in Assyakirin Commercial Centre has a cafe and a medium-sized banquet hall. Imperial Suites Bintulu on Jalan Tanjung Batu, opposite Tumbina and close to Tanjung Batu beach, offers suites, apartments and a penthouse with a wide range of facilities. Jinhold Apartment lies along the same road.

Food & drink

Bintulu suits casual dining whatever your budget, and the range of cuisines is broader than you might expect for a working town. For a single meal that spans several kitchens, head to the end of Kampung Baru, where one restaurant serves Thai, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Indonesian dishes under one roof — among the local favourites are broccoli with sea asparagus, sea cucumber soup, steamed or deep-fried fish with sauces such as asam nyonya or Cantonese style, tandoori, naan, biryani, sizzling plates, claypot dishes, kerabu and umai, the Sarawak specialty. Some seating is on the floor in pondok-style huts, with music playing through the evening. Nearby, another Kampung Baru restaurant near the roundabout draws visitors for kangkung in belacan sauce, fried chicken and ikan sebelah in curry, and lets you pick your own fish to be cooked.

For everyday eating, the local favourites are the rice and bread stalls. Nasi kandar and nasi beriani draw crowds after prayers at the nearby mosques, while nasi lemak, nasi ayam and cheap nasi campur keep people coming from upriver. Roti canai and roti sardin are worth seeking out — one shop in Medan Jaya is known for thick, crisp bread with generous filling, and another in Parkcity takes a little longer but rewards the wait. Mee Jawa, including a special version with satay, has its devotees in Medan Jaya, and northern Malaysian cooking — nasi bukhari, nasi beriani, pasembur — turns up in Parkcity, along with halal Chinese dishes like lemon chicken, Japanese tofu and butter prawn, and Chinese-Malay fusion such as curry mee and chicken rice. Seafood is a strength: Chinese restaurants in town and at Taman Sri Dagang serve crab, prawn, clams, mussels and lobster, and one place in Parkcity does traditional Chinese seafood that works well for a family weekend meal. For a splurge, Western dishes and old-style Chinese food — fried cod, beef steak, lamb chop — are available along Lebuhraya Abang Galau.

Nightlife reflects the oil and gas workforce, with bars, pubs, clubs and karaoke scattered around town. A fun pub on Lebuhraya Abang Galau is narrow, crowded and noisy, known for its sound system and live band, while another pub opposite City Point offers Iban songs and a floor for joget and poco-poco. For something quieter, a coffee house in Parkcity pairs dining with sunset views over the city.

What to see and do

Start across the Kemena River at Kampung Jepak, a traditional fishing village reached by tambang from the main town or by road via the Bintulu–Sibu Road exit for Kuala Tatau. Most residents are Bintulu Melanau and Malay, and you can watch sago processing, fish drying, and the making of belacan, cencaluk, Terendak headgear and tutop food covers. Back in town, the Council Negri Monument marks the site of Sarawak's first legislative assembly meeting, commemorated with a centenary stone, clock tower and fountain, and sits on the way to the heart of town. The side-by-side Pasar Utama and Pasar Tamu on Jalan Main Bazaar are the most visited spot in Bintulu, with sections for fruit, wet fish and seafood, vegetables and basic goods; head upstairs at Pasar Tamu for local delicacies, and take home Bintulu belachan and cincaluk. The Pasar Malam runs every day, holidays included, for apam balik, roti canai, burgers, nasi campur and, for non-Muslims, pork delicacies such as siew pau.

For open air, Tanjung Batu pairs a rocky shore with a sandy one, good for jogging, strolling and sun-tanning, though the coastline is dangerous during the monsoon. The Bintulu Promenade, the state's longest waterfront, near the Kemena River delta, is made for an evening stroll, sunset and sea breeze. On Jalan Iskandar, Kuan Ying Tong Temple, the area's only Chinese temple, stands among three churches and has a rock garden courtyard, man-made waterfall and dragon fencing. Taman Tumbina, the only zoo in northern Sarawak, keeps crocodiles and pythons and draws visitors for jungle trekking and hill climbing, with South China Sea views from the top. Farther out, Similajau National Park, roughly 30 km north, offers easy forest hikes, beaches and saltwater crocodiles; there is no public transport, so arrange an e-taxi, and bring mosquito protection. Golfers can play the Bintulu Golf Course, ringed by pine trees along the rocky Tanjung Batu beach, while anglers try the Kemena rivermouth, the sea, or the Tubau, Tatau and Jelalong rivers upriver, minding crocodiles and shallow, log-strewn water. Time a visit for the International Borneo Kite Festival, the Bintulu Regatta boat races, or the year-end An Evening in Bintulu.

When to go

Bintulu has a wet tropical year shaped by two monsoon seasons, so your timing depends on how much rain you are willing to plan around. The northeast monsoon is the wetter stretch, and along the coast January brings the maximum rainfall. Expect frequent rain and high humidity around 85% during this period, and plan for wet days and muddy ground if you visit then.

The southwest monsoon covers the drier part of the year, with minimal rainfall from June to August in the coastal region. That makes it the better window for outdoor plans, though rain is still possible and inland areas stay more evenly wet. The transitional periods between the two monsoons are the calm stretches: rainfall is less dominated by monsoon patterns then, and conditions are a reasonable middle ground for a visit.

Three days in Bintulu

Day one: Start in Bintulu itself, getting your bearings between Pasar Utama Bintulu and Pasar Tamu, where the market stalls give you a feel for the town's daily rhythm. Head out to Tanjung Batu for the coastal side of the district, then follow the Kemena riverfront and the central commercial areas of Medan Jaya and Medan Sentral. Expect warm and humid conditions typical of Sarawak, so plan your walking for the cooler parts of the day and keep the afternoon flexible.

Day two: Turn your attention to the wider region. Niah Caves and Niah are reachable from Bintulu and make a full day out, while Mulu National Park, Lambir National Park, Longan Bunut National Park and the Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary sit further afield and need more planning. If you prefer to stay closer, the Petronas LNG Complex and Shell operations at Tanjung Kidurong show the industrial side of Bintulu District. Plan transport in advance, since distances in Bintulu Division are considerable.

Day three: Use your last day for the places that reward a slower pace. Bakun Resort and Rejang Pelagus appeal if you want river scenery, while Belaga and the Bario Highlands are for travellers with time to go deeper into Sarawak. Closer in, Sebauh, Tatau and Selangau are part of the Bintulu Division and suit a half-day excursion. Bintulu Airport connects onward to Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Kota Kinabalu, with Malaysia Airlines among the carriers serving the route, so leave buffer time before your flight.

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