Permai Rainforest Resort Treehouse
An eco-resort by the sea under the forested foothills of Mount Santubong, thirty-five kilometres from Kuching, bordered by protected rainforest on two sides. The treehouses are the rooms to book: raised units along the water's edge where, in the resort's words, you sleep level with the forest canopy and wake to the sea lapping the shore below. Each sleeps two with a king, queen or two single beds, and unusually for a treehouse they are air-conditioned with en-suite bathrooms, soap and towels, and tea and coffee. The resort runs jungle trekking and overnight forest trips, a high-ropes course, stand-up paddleboarding and dolphin-watching boat trips into the estuary, and it has hosted team-building groups for twenty years, so expect company on weekends. A Malaysian travel guide that reviewed it quoted nightly rates from about RM 450. Book direct with the resort.
Permai's shuttle, house rules and outings
The easiest way in from Kuching is the resort's own shuttle, which runs from Kuching International Airport or the city center and carries up to eight people per vehicle, so a family or small group can share one. If you drive, search the resort's name on Google Maps. Standard check-in is 2 pm and check-out 11 am; leaving later depends on availability and is charged by the hour. Bring some cash, because the resort takes a security deposit in cash at check-in, and non-Malaysians pay the Malaysia Tourism Tax the same way.
Permai calls its style Back to Nature, which means only selected modern comforts, and most units stand on their own, spread out for privacy. Meals are at the Feeding Tree, the hillside café that looks over the sea, where you may spot langurs and squirrels in the branches. The kitchen cooks local and Western dishes and can handle special diets with enough notice. After 8 pm only registered guests may stay on the grounds. Children aged four and under use the existing bedding instead of an extra bed.
Most of the activities start at the door. Trails around the grounds can be walked alone or with a guide, and the climb up Mount Santubong uses ladders on the steep parts; the resort repeats the claim that it is harder than climbing Southeast Asia's tallest mountain. On the water there are paddleboard lessons, kayaks, and body boards for days when the surf is small. Boat trips go out to look for Irrawaddy dolphins and crocodiles, tour a protected mangrove forest in the evening, and follow a scenic route to Bako National Park. For snorkeling, the resort heads to Satang Island, one of three islands Sarawak has set aside for turtle conservation.
Several sights are a short walk away. Sarawak Cultural Village is about five minutes on foot and Santubong National Park about ten, and the Damai golf club is also within walking distance. Boats to the islands of Talang-Satang National Park leave from Damai Beach for a ride of about 30 minutes. For a second Sarawak base, our directory also lists a cabin on the Adis River near Bau, and the Borneo page has the rest.
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Home: resort overview and activity list, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Accommodation: Back to Nature concept, stand-alone units spread out for privacy, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Getting There: shuttle from the airport and the city center, up to eight per vehicle, self-drive by Google Maps, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Offers: standard check-in and check-out, hourly late check-out, cash deposit and tourism tax at check-in, registered guests only after 8 pm, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Packages & Rates: children four and under use existing bedding, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Feeding Tree: hillside cafe over the sea, langurs and squirrels, local and Western food, special diets with notice, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: Recreational Activities: trails, Mount Santubong climb, paddleboarding, kayaks, body boards, dolphin and crocodile trips, mangrove tour, Bako trip, Satang Island snorkeling, read 22 October 2026
- Permai Rainforest Resort: In The Area: walking times to Sarawak Cultural Village and Santubong National Park, golf club, Talang-Satang boat time, read 22 October 2026
Santubong, near Kuching, Sarawak
Photo: Borneo mobilegrapher, CC BY-SA 4.0