Car Rental in Bintulu, Gateway to Central Sarawak
Bintulu is a small, charming town in Central Sarawak. Fifty years ago, it was just a small fishing village that was off the radar. Thanks to the discovery of liquefied natural gas off the coasts of Bintulu, it has now evolved into a thriving industrial centre. Bintulu is now well on its way to become a tourist heaven with proactive measures by the local authorities and Sarawak Tourism Board to promote the town. It is prime time to hop on a car rental in Bintulu and start exploring this hidden gem before anyone else!
Part coastal, part riverine town, Bintulu is sandwiched between Sibu and Miri (both roughly 200 kilometres away from Bintulu), making it a favourite stopover location for overland travelers. The Bintulu Airport (IATA: BTU, ICAO: WBGB), located southwest of the city, is just a mere 5 km away from town. Although the airport is small in size, it is perfectly capable of serving the influx of travelers starting to make their way to the small town. Plenty of people who are traveling in Borneo opt to fly in, hop into a car rental in Bintulu and drive onwards to their destination. The most notable destination is Similajau National Park, which is just 30km away. The park is home to a golden (literally!) beach that will take your breath away.
The Golden Beach in Similajau National Park. Credit: Vezio Paoletti. www.photo.net
Bintulu has an extensive network of well-paved roads that link Bintulu to major towns and cities. Regardless of whether you are heading towards Pontianak or even Tawau in Sabah (both more than 1000km away), getting a car rental in Bintulu is the perfect destination to start your drive. It is also the transit town from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu. Considering that rural parts of Sabah and Sarawak are lesser developed, it is essential that travelers stop by satellite towns like Bintulu to rest, recuperate and restock before venturing off to explore the depths of Borneo. Although Bintulu boasts one of the most efficient bus transportation network in the state of Sarawak, the reality is only rural locals use the bus. Unless you have a fair command of Bahasa Melayu, Iban or the local dialect, you are bound to encounter difficulty communicating with the bus travelers in this remote region. This is why a car rental in Bintulu is essential to facilitate a smooth itinerary.
Similajau National Park Canopy Walk in the Forest. Credit: sarawaktourism.com
With Sarawak being the land of national parks, Similajau National Park is definitely not the only attraction that you can look forward to in Bintulu. Some of the other places of interest that are within vicinity are Niah National Park, Gunung Mulu National Park, Loagan Bunut National Park and the Bario Highlands. A car rental in Bintulu with Hawk Rent A Car awaits to bring you to your next Borneo adventure!
