Mount Singai Hike
Just Do It!

I love Sarawak Delta Geopark Mount Singai sign

How Far, How High & How Long?

The Mount Singai Hike is a challenging but satisfying workout with a hiking distance of 4.3km (up and down). Gunung Singai is 562 metres above sea level and the elevation gain on the trail is around 650 metres.

I went there in May 2026 and here is my review. I would rate the difficulty level as Hard. My wife and I (senior citizens!) took about 3 hours to get to the top and 90 minutes to get back down. Younger, fitter hikers should be able to complete it in 3 to 3.5 hours.

There are great views from the summit and a variety of bird, insect and flora along the way. The Stations of the Cross and the Church add to the interest on this hike. This is one of the best hikes within easy reach of Kuching.

Trailhead

CMPC entrance gate with cross and Christian statues

The hike starts through this gateway marked CMPC which stands for the Catholic Memorial & Pilgrimage Centre at Mount Singai, Bau.

After passing through this gateway you enter a cabin where photos of previous missionaries and priests serving in the Singai-Sagah Mission and St. Stephen's Parish in Bau are displayed. The early Christian missionaries were Europeans and the more recent ones are Malaysians.

From here you climb the 14 stations of the cross which takes one hour as far as the church. Then there is another 2 hour hike from the church up to the summit.

Map giving climbing times for each section

14 Stations of the Cross

the first station of the cross at Mount Singai

There are 14 Stations of the Crosses like this one. Their descriptions are as follows: 

I Jesus Christ Condemned to Death
II Jesus Receives the Cross
III Jesus Falls the First Time Under Weight of the Cross
IV Jesus is Met by His Blessed Mother
V The Cross is Laid Upon Simon of Cyrene
VI Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
VII Jesus Falls a Second Time
VIII The Women of Jerusalem Mourn for Our Lord
IX Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
X Jesus Falls the Third Time Under the Cross
XI Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
XII Jesus Dies Upon the Cross
XIII Jesus is Laid in the Arms of His Blessed Mother
XIV Jesus is Laid in the Sepulchre

flights of wooden steps leading up to the next Station

Each Station is separated by steep flights of wooden steps. These can be a bit tiring but there are shelters with seats located at each Station so you can get your breath back if required.

mosses, ferns, bamboo, fungus, snake and butterfly seen at Mount Singai

The vegetation along the way is quite varied and includes massive dipterocarp trees, lofty palms, giant bamboo, mosses and ferns. The baby snake was spotted at the summit.

Catholic Memorial & Pilgrimage Centre building

After an hour or so you reach the Catholic pilgrimage centre buildings. Here you can visit the church, use the toilet or rest briefly before starting the next part of the hike to the summit.

Continue on to the Summit

signs pointing the way to to the summit and the church

Summit trail this way. From this point onwards there are no more wooden stairs. You are in off-road mode! But the trail is well marked and easy to follow so you shouldn't get lost.

there are ropes in place to assist your climb and descent

The trail starts gently but soon becomes steep and you need to scramble up slopes with the help of ropes which have been provided to assist you. These ropes are equally useful when coming back down the mountain. There are plenty of tree roots which help with your footing. It was a dry day during our hike but I imagine it would be more slippery and difficult during or after rain.

Gunung Singai sign at the summit

'It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves' 

Eventually you arrive at the summit where you can enjoy the spectacular views and congratulate yourself on your achievement.

All you have to do now is return the way you came. It is much quicker provided your knees are not acting up.

Opening Hours

There are no enforced opening hours.
Go during daylight hours (6:30 am to 6:30pm) since hiking in the dark is not recommended.

Entrance Fee & Tickets

Entrance is free.

If you come by car there is a parking fee of RM3 for the car park next to the entrance.

Registration

This is not a National Park and online registration is not required.

Mount Singai Hike Rules

A signboard tells us how important this area is to the local community:

'This area belongs to us the Bisingai Bidayuh Community where our ancestors once settled for a few hundred years. Thus we consider it our precious heritage which we treasure very much. Because it contains many unique features, historical sites and abundant biodiversity which are of interest to many, we open this area to visitors to appreciate, cherish and enjoy, to enable us to preserve, conserve and protect these treasures, we need your cooperation to observe the do's and don'ts.'

To summarise:

  • do not remove anything, take nothing but photographs
  • no vandalism
  • leave nothing but footprints, bring your rubbish home with you. Actually better not to leave footprints either since these damage the vegetation and insect life. Try to tread lightly and stick to the paths.

How To Get to Mount Singai Hike Trailhead

The start of the hike is around 40 minutes drive from Kuching Waterfront Hotel. The location is shown on this 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 760 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.