Sama Jaya Nature Reserve

A patch of jungle right in the city, Sama Jaya Forest Park gives urban dwellers a taste of the wilderness, while at the same time serving as an important research centre. One of the few areas of virgin jungle within the Kuching urban area, this kerangas forest is popular with strollers and wildlife enthusiasts, while more active visitors appreciate the fitness trail and jogging tracks through the trees. There are other ways to get healthy too. The Reflexology Park or ‘Path of Good Life’ is a pebble path on which visitors walk barefoot. The pebbles stimulate the reflexology points on the feet and promote well-being. Nature conservation and education are the main objectives of the reserve and, while the forest remains in its natural state, the park headquarters a number of educational and recreational facilities. Not to be missed is the ethnobotanical garden with its more than 80 species of plants and herbs from throughout Sarawak.

The wonderful panorama of Sarawak’s forest can be found in the Timber Products, Bamboo and Forest Biology Museums that focus on the importance of forests to the State’s ecology and economy. A viewing tower gives visitors a panoramic vista of the area. Visitors can also get a taste of Japan in the Hiroshima-Sarawak Friendship Garden. Sarawak Forestry, the Forest Department of Hiroshima Prefecture and the Hiroshima Landscape Architecture Association collaborated closely on this garden, complete with teahouse, to emphasise the close friendship between Hiroshima and Sarawak. Sama Jaya is just a 10-minute drive from Kuching’s city centre, but gives visitors a taste of the delights of all the national parks.