Miri

Sarawak's oil town, home to the Niah Caves (inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2024), Lambir Hills National Park and coral reefs, and the air gateway to Mulu.

Miri is the second-largest city in Sarawak, Malaysia, located in the north of the state on the South China Sea, right next to the Brunei border. In 1910 Malaysia's first oil well struck oil on Canada Hill, and the town grew into an oil city; today it is tidy, has a large ethnic Chinese population and a laid-back pace of life. Miri is also the gateway to northern Sarawak's rainforests: Niah National Park, about 110 km southwest, was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2024 for the Archaeological Heritage of the Niah Caves; Lambir Hills National Park on the southern outskirts has world-class tree diversity and swimmable waterfalls; and most small-plane flights to the World Heritage-listed Gunung Mulu National Park and the Bario Highlands depart from Miri. In town, visit the Grand Old Lady oil well and the Petroleum Museum, the Tua Pek Kong Temple, Tamu Muhibbah market and San Ching Tian Temple, and catch the sunset at Marina Bay or Luak Bay in the evening. To the south, Tusan Beach is known for its sandstone sea cliffs and "blue tears" (bioluminescent plankton), and offshore you can dive in Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park. March to September is relatively dry, while the November–February northeast monsoon brings more rain and rough seas. Miri Airport has flights to Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Brunei, and overland you can enter from Brunei via the Sungai Tujoh checkpoint. Plan on 2–3 days, plus extra time for a Mulu trip. Food to try: Sarawak laksa, kolo mee, pork belly and seafood.

Top sights

Niah National Park (Great Cave) – A giant limestone cave inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2024, where human remains about 40,000 years old were found. The cave mouth ri…
Canada Hill & Grand Old Lady – The hill where the Grand Old Lady, Malaysia's first oil well drilled in 1910, stands. It overlooks Miri city and the South China Sea and is…
Painted Cave, Niah – A small cave behind the Great Cave, with red haematite rock paintings about 1,200 years old and a boat-shaped 'death ship' coffin found her…
Lambir Hills National Park – A lowland dipterocarp rainforest about 30 km south of Miri with some of the world's richest tree diversity. Several trails lead to waterfal…
Petroleum Museum Miri – A petroleum-themed museum on a hilltop, with interactive exhibits that tell the story of oil exploration and extraction and how the oil ind…
Tusan Beach – A sandstone cliff beach south of Miri, where you can walk beneath the cliffs at low tide. It is famous for 'blue tears,' bioluminescent pla…
Miri City Fan – A large fan-shaped park in the city center with Roman, Chinese, Malay, and other themed gardens, plus a musical fountain. It is the heart o…
Luak Bay Esplanade – A seaside promenade and beach park on Miri's southern outskirts, with a wide beach and many seabirds. Locals come here to watch the sunset…
Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park – A rare near-city coral reef marine park in Malaysia, covering about 1,860 square km, known for hard corals, sea fans, and wreck dive sites.
San Ching Tian Temple – One of the largest Taoist temples in Southeast Asia, completed in 2000, with red walls, gold roofs, and finely carved dragon pillars, dedic…
Tua Pek Kong Temple, Miri – Miri's oldest Chinese temple, located beside the river mouth in the city center, with busy incense and old streets, a wet market, and food…
Tamu Muhibbah – An indigenous market in central Miri selling Sarawak specialties such as rainforest vegetables, wild boar meat, spices, and handmade bamboo…
Marina Bay Miri – A waterfront area west of the city center with a yacht marina, beach promenade, and restaurants. It is a popular spot to watch the sunset o…
Piasau Nature Reserve – A small coastal nature reserve north of central Miri, converted from a former Shell staff camp and popular with birdwatchers for its wild h…
Loagan Bunut National Park – A peat swamp forest home to Sarawak's largest natural lake, where the water nearly dries up in the dry season and locals fish using the tra…

Where to eat

Madli's Satay Restaurant – A long-established halal satay restaurant in Miri. The family has sold satay since 1970, and charcoal-grilled beef and…
Hock Kopitiam – A popular coffee shop in Marina Parkcity, Miri, known for its rich, smooth Sarawak laksa broth and generous prawns, oft…
Sin Yakin Food Centre – A large Chinese hawker centre operating for more than twenty years, with about 20 stalls and famous for kolo mee, curry…

Itineraries

North Borneo: Brunei, Miri, Mulu & Kota Kinabalu – Travel overland from Brunei to Sarawak to see Niah Caves and the Mulu World Heritage site, then fly to Kota Kinabalu fo…
Sarawak Rainforest & Caves Expedition – See orangutans and longhouses in Kuching, fly to Mulu to explore massive caves, and head to Miri to discover Niah Caves.