Getting here:
The easiest way to get to Bako Village from Kuching is by taxi, but that can easily set you back anywhere between RM30-40 per trip. A cheaper way is by taking the Petra Jaya bus no. 6 from the bus terminal at Kg Masjid in Kuching. The bus fare is about RM3 for a 45-minute journey.

Description:
Kampong Bako is the main (and only) jumping-off point for visitors traveling to Bako National Park. The village is built along the muddy river estuary of Bako River that flows into the massive South China Sea a few kilometres away. The main boat jetty at Kampong Bako provides a glimpse of the village ambience - views of meandering river banks, patches of mangrove forest, kampong houses built on stilts and village fishermen in small-powered wooden boats (though some of them have opted for fibre glass ones).

The journey to Kg Bako from Kuching will also provide you the village experience of Kg Bako further inland. I actually took the local bus from downtown Kuching to Kg Bako. The bus was filled with locals and school children. At the bus stop near the main jetty, village kids were seen playing by the roadside. You can smile or say hello to them, and they will return the favour without batting an eye. There are also a number of small coffee shops at the jetty should you wish to quench your thirst after the bumpy bus ride. I also got the chance to peek at a small grocery shop selling fresh catch from the river estuary.

The houses by the river banks are built in the simplest of design. The stilts are properly measured in length to ensure that the reverse backflow from the South China Sea during high tide will not submerge the living floors. While most of the houses do have electricity and water supplies to wash clothes and to take a shower, it will not be surprising to see a few villagers using the river water for that purpose, just like in the old days.

During the boat journey to Bako National Park, you will pass by a number of fishing traps erected in the middle of the river. The construction is quite exquisite and probably cannot be found in many other places. There are a number of mangrove tree trunks tied together at two opposite spots. The fishing traps will be fastened together by these mangrove poles. Uniquely, you will be able to see the fishing nets during low tide. At high tide, the fishing nets will be fully submerged, creating an effective fishing trap for the fish going at both directions. As the low tide comes again, the fishing net will be fully exposed to reveal the day's catch. Rather ingenious, I must say.