MY · Sarawak · 3.74°N 115.48°E

bario

Tiny plane into the Kelabit Highlands for Bario rice and longhouse stays.

Best time
Any time of year. It's cool at night, so bring a jacket. Pesta Nukenen, the Bario food festival, is usually held in late July.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Miri (about 2 hours 15 minutes), then take the small plane to Bario, about 50 minutes. There's also a rough logging road from Miri, a long day by 4WD.
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MY · Sarawakbario3.74°N 115.48°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Tiny plane into the Kelabit Highlands for Bario rice and longhouse stays.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBarioMY, Sarawak
KLbario
≈ 1,532 km from KL, as the crow flies
Rural Evenings

Photo: Intrepid Navigator · CC0

1 / 3

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A cluster of Kelabit longhouses on a plateau about 1,000 metres up, close to the Kalimantan border. Most people arrive by small plane from Miri, and come for the cool air, the rice paddies, the treks between villages and the slow pace of highland life.

Makan

  1. Bario riceFragrant, soft highland rice from the paddies around the village. Buy a bag to take home.Map ↗
  2. Bario pineappleVery sweet, grown in the cool highland climate.Map ↗
  3. Homestay mealsRice wrapped in leaves, wild ferns, jungle vegetables and smoked meat, cooked Kelabit style.Map ↗
  4. Bario saltMineral salt from the local springs, used in cooking and sold as a souvenir.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Prayer MountainA steep morning climb to a hilltop cross, with views over the paddies and the highlands.Map ↗
  2. Longhouse visitsSee a traditional Kelabit longhouse such as Bario Asal, ideally with your homestay host.Map ↗
  3. The salt springsBario salt is still made the old way, by boiling water from local salt springs.Map ↗
  4. MegalithsOld Kelabit stone monuments are scattered around the highlands. A guide can show you.Map ↗
  5. TrekkingWalk between villages such as Pa' Lungan, or go multi-day across the highlands with a local guide.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Book flights early. The planes are small, fill up fast and have tight baggage limits.
  • Bad weather can delay or cancel flights, so leave a spare day.
  • Bring warm clothes. Nights can be chilly.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.