We found the perfect holiday destination for the nature lovers and adventure seekers, and the good news is, it’s eco friendly !

Located on the Santubong Peninsula in Kuching, Sarawak, Permai Rainforest Resort is an eco resort offering a wide range of adventure & nature activities in a beautiful location. 

As you make your way through the wooden paths, you don’t realise how the resort actually blends in the nature.

It hit me when we were coming back from our boat trip. I was driving the boat (yes really !) and I couldn’t spot the resort. I was navigating thanks to the captain — who was keeping a close eye on my boat driving skills, don’t worry ! And only him could see where the resort was located. The only “building” we could see from afar was one of the tree houses, the only one that has a clear view on the sea. This is how discrete and respectful of nature the resort is. This is one of the many reasons why I fell in love with this place.

But for starters, we like how Permai is taking care of the environment by implementing eco friendly regulations.

What makes Permai Rainforest an Eco Resort ?

For the more adventurous kind, you can also camp in the forest and be truly in harmony with nature. Bathrooms and electricity are provided, you just have to bring your own camping gear. Not for the faint-hearted though, as the jungle around the resort is packed with all kinds of animals, some of which I would not like to find in my tent ! More on that down below…

Beach

There 2 beaches in Permai Rainforest Resort. Damai beach is shared with Damai Resort and the other one is private. After walking on a stoned path you are rewarded with a lovely remote beach. Watching the sunset from there is mesmerizing.

Private beach

Private beach

Restaurant

The Feeding Tree serves Halal certified food and does not serve alcohol. The interior has again a “tree house” feel with wooden tables and natural decorations. It has a gorgeous view on the beach, perfect for watching the sunset whilst enjoying a delicious meal or a fruit juice. The hearty local dishes served at the Feeding Tree definitely exceeded our expectations and made our stay all the more pleasant.

Outdoor Activities at Permai Rainforest Resort

Permai Rainforest Resort is not only known for its tree house and surrounding tropical rainforest, but also for its wide range of outdoor activities. They are all very well supervised by full time highly trained instructors, so be reassured, safety is their main concern ! Here are the ones we tried, but there are many other activities like a via ferrata and climbing wall.

High rope courses & Zipline Flying Fox

I am personally afraid of heights, but both Antoine and I are afraid of high ropes, so it was a real challenge ! But I’m sure for regular outdoor activities aficionados it’s super easy ! Freddy, our instructor was very patient. The zipline scared me to death but Antoine loved it ! Just watch our video to hear me scream…

Stand up Paddle

It was a first for us and an amazing moment.

The bay in front of Permai was the perfect place to try SUP.

It is definitely an activity we will do again in the future !

Jungle Trekking

There are several paths guests can take to explore the surrounding rainforest. It can be challenging with the heat and humidity combine, but other than that the path was very much walkable and easy as long as you watched where you were going ! The big reward is to see the waterfall and enjoy the lush nature.

Night jungle walk

Walking through the jungle at night was a great way to spot some of the wildlife inhabiting the forest in Permai. Thankfully, our nature expert, Freddy, helped us spot all the animals around us and taught us a few facts about them.

Make sure to wear long pants and closed toe shoes to avoid getting bitten by ants or other not so friendly animals…

Blue-eyed Lizard

Flying Lemur

Female Green Pit Viper

Dolphin Watching

The Kuching Bay is known to be home to Irrawaddy Dolphins. Don’t miss the opportunity to spot these interesting dolphins on a boat trip, if you (unlike us) have the chance to properly see them. Permai Rainforest Resort partners with University Malaysia Sarawak and Shell on Dolphin Population Surveys as part of the Sarawak Dolphin Project.

Trip to Satang island

Satang Island is visible from Permai beach, and is only a short boat ride away. It is part of the Turtle Islands group and is a protected area for marine green turtles. We didn’t find the snorkeling to be so interesting because of the cloudy water, but it is still worth it to take a boat to Satang to enjoy this remote little island with its turquoise blue water and gold sand beaches. Be careful of the sandflies though !

Santubong fishing village

During your boat tour to the mangrove, to spot the dolphins or to Satang Island, you will encounter many fishing boats. Santubong village is an old fishing village and worth stopping by to see how locals are living.

Bird watching tower

We visited the bird watching tower on our way back from the jungle trekking to the waterfall and it was already noon. Definitely not a good time to see birds, so we don’t have many images, but we did manage to see a few Silver Leaf Monkeys.

The bird watching tower is only accessible with ropes as it is 70 feet high ! Another way for me to fight my fear of heights…

See more of the incredible wildlife we spotted at Permai Rainforest Resort and on Borneo in general. Interested to try out other activities while in Kuching ? Check out the bamboo rafting and orangutan tour package we did !

Overall, we had an amazing experience at Permai Rainforest Resort. We felt like it was an incredible way to experience Sarawak’s nature and even try some activities we’ve never done before or were too scared to try !

We highly recommend to visit the resort during your time in Kuching, especially because it offers something for every budget, even the very low ones !