Mount Kuwai Hike
Sematan, Sarawak

view at the summit of Mt Kuwai

Try the Mount Kuwai Hike and traditional retreat stay to reconnect with nature and enjoy a fabulous coastal view over Telok Melano.

Hiking Trails

map of the trails at Mt KuwaiDay hikers start where it says 'Register'. The Retreat is marked as 'Village'.

There are four main hiking trails,:

  • Monyet Trail (1,110m one way -yellow Markers)
  • Batu Trail (790m - orange markers)
  • Ruai Trail (890m - blue markers)
  • Kuwai Trail (3200m - red markers)

I took the Monyet to the summit and returned by the Ruai which took about 1 hour 30 minutes altogether. There are picnic tables and even toilets on some of the trails as shown on the map.

There is also a concrete walkway through a mangrove swamp.

trails through the jungleThe trails are very clearly marked with coloured paint so you won't get lost. Turn left for Kuwai trail, right for Monyet.
rattan vines, green and spikey

The vegetation is quite varied with some giant trees and a lot of rattan. Earlier this year some visitors were fortunate enough to see the rare Giant Voodoo Lily (Amorphophallus) in full bloom on the Ruai Trail. No such luck on our trip!

pheasant tail feathers with round eye markingsGreat Argus Pheasant Feathers

In the Retreat's dining area were some very attractive feathers. The kind lady who runs the place, Lucia Paya, joked that these come from a bird whose call sounds like 'kuwai' or 'go-away'. I believe the bird is the Great Argus Pheasant (kuau raja in Malay) and these feathers are prized for use in indigenous ceremonial headgear in Sarawak. Lucia said that we might spot this bird while hiking if we were lucky. We didn't, but amazingly we saw a pair of them the following day at Gunung Gading National Park.

One type of wildlife which is abundant here is the mosquito. Even though I was wearing long trousers and long sleeves and plenty of powerful bug-off I was still bitten multiple times during our stay and I am not usually prone to mozzie bites. Be warned!

Mount Kuwai Retreat

entrance to the Retreat Mt KuwaiAlthough the retreat is only a few years old it has been constructed in a traditional design with Kenyah Dayak motifs.

My wife and I stayed at the delightful Mount Kuwai Retreat, a longhouse-inspired wooden hotel with 8 rooms and a campsite.

We opted for a very spacious and comfortable King Deluxe Suite which had a super king bed, a queen sized bed and a sofa bed, quality bed linen and towels, a rain shower head and air conditioning.

room rates as at August 2026

Here are the room rates as at August 2026. Not the cheapest, but a huge breakfast was included and our room could easily have accommodated 5 people.

mee goreng with chickenLunch and dinner are available with prior booking. This was dinner.
long dining table made from one piece of tropical hardwoodOur meals were served on this massive heavy table which we were told took 25 men to lift into place.

The retreat is off-grid and powered by a gen-set and there were periods during the day when the power was switched off but this was no inconvenience as we were busy hiking.

For more details about the accommodation, facilities and camping prices please take a look at the official website.

Opening Hours

concrete walkway through the mangrove swampThe concrete walkway above the mangrove swamp is illuminated at night.

For day hikers, the trails are open from 7am - 5pm daily.

Guests staying at the Retreat can have extended hours and the mangrove walkway is lit up after dark.

Entrance Fee & Tickets

Day hikers pay RM 15 per person. Just walk in and register at the entrance.

Retreat guests do not have to pay or register. Just inform the staff and they will show you how to get to the start of the trails.

Where Is Mount Kuwai Hike and Retreat?

Mount Kuwai is about a two hour drive from Kuching so a day hike is quite feasible.

Finding the start of the trail and the Retreat was a bit confusing because the approach road was being resurfaced with tarmac during our visit. There was also a large new beach resort under construction here at Teluk Serabang.

The Mount Kuwai View Point is shown on this map. I have added the location of the Retreat and am awaiting Google Maps to update the map.

Nearby Attractions

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AUTHOR BIO

the author

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing first-hand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published over 790 pages on this website, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places that even some Malaysians have never visited.