Mulu Airport

Mulu Airport is about as far from a bustling international hub as you can get, and that's precisely part of its charm. The terminal is small and unpretentious — a single modest building that serves this remote corner of Sarawak — so don't arrive expecting a food court lined with competing stalls. What you will find is a compact café area where you can grab a hot drink and a simple snack before boarding. It's basic, yes, but there's something refreshing about a travel experience stripped back to essentials.

The real culinary magic happens before you reach the airport, or just after you land. The nearby Mulu National Park lodges and the small township offer a much better taste of local Sarawakian cooking. Look out for midin, a wild jungle fern stir-fried with garlic and belacan that has an addictive, slightly nutty bite. Umai, a Melanau-style ceviche of fresh river fish cured in lime and chilli, is another regional gem worth seeking out. If you're staying overnight near the park, the lodge restaurants serve hearty rice and noodle dishes that fuel a day of caving and trekking beautifully.

Savvy travellers treat Mulu's dining scene as part of the adventure itself. Pack a few local biscuits or kuih from a Miri shop before flying in, because airside options won't leave much to remember. The café at the terminal does serve Sarawak-style kopi — that rich, slightly roasted local coffee — and it's genuinely good, a small but authentic pleasure while you watch light aircraft taxi across this jungle-fringed runway. Think of it less as airport dining and more as your first, or last, quiet moment in one of Borneo's most extraordinary places.