Aug 08, 2008 12:00 AMIslands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
In the morning I took a boat to visit this national park that comprises several islands offshore Kota Kinabalu. The boat ride takes ca. 20 minutes, depending on which island you choose. One island ticket costs 17 ringgits return, add 10 ringgits for any extra island. On top of that you have to pay a service charge - 6 ringgits, but I had a student's card and payed only 3.
There are great snorkelling opportunities around the islands but travelling alone I had a choice to take my camera or mask and snorkel. I chose camera and thanks to it took a lot of decent pictures. Polarizing filter came in handy when photographing fish, as it reduces reflections on water surface.
I also walked around on both islands and spotted many lizards - some of them were really huge - around one meter long.
Tomorrow I'm taking a bus to Sandakan - six hours, the guidebook says.
Aug 07, 2008 12:00 AMBack to Malaysia
My stay in Brunei Darussalam wasn't long - today I got back to Malaysia, but now I'm in a different state - Sabah. To get from BSB to Kota Kinabalu you first need to take an express bus (2 Brunei dollars, 30 minutes) to Muara ferry terminal, then a ferry to Labuan island (B$ 15 plus B$ 1 - departure tax, one hour) and then a ferry to KK (28 ringgits for a students ticket, 34 ringgits full fare, three hours).
I'm staying at Ang's Hotel in the centre of Kota Kinabalu. Air-conditioned room with attached bathroom costs 64 ringgits. Malaysia, especially Borneo, is more expensive than Indonesia. I hope the peninsula is cheaper. Tomorrow I will try to get to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and visit at least one of five islands comprising this NP. Unfortunately I didn't do any sightseeing today in KK - I dropped my camera and had to find a polarising filter to replace the damaged one. Fortunately the camera itself and the lens are intact.
Aug 06, 2008 12:00 AMBrunei - the real Borneo and overwhelming wealth
In the morning I took a boat to Bangar. There is nothing interesting in the town itself but is't a great journey through the rivers of wild Borneo. Actually it's a labirynth of smaller and bigger rivers and I had great fun speeding in a small boat through their muddy waters. The trip one-way takes 45 minutes and costs 6 Brunei dollars.
In the afternoon I visited the Royal Regalia Museum where I could see imressive gold-plated charriots used by the sultan for different ceremonies. The museum also houses a vast collection of gifts presented to the sultan by leaders of countries from all over the world.
Also Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is worth a visit, but you can enter only outside prayer time. Taking pictures inside is forbidden, but it's the mosque is a great place to be photographed when it gets dark. It's beautifully illuminated and located on an artificial lagoon, which makes almost every pic of this building excellent.
Tomorrow I'm leaving Brunei for Malaysian state of Sabah, i.e. Eastern Borneo.
Aug 05, 2008 12:00 AMWhere mosque domes are gold-plated
In the evening I arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam, a tiny country tucked into Malaysian state of Sarawak. You can easily spot it's a wealthy country - there is a lot of splendid architecture around - especially mosques and authorities' buildings. I like the city - it's not very big and clean. Tomorrow I plan to do some sightseeing in BSB as well as take a boat and go to Bangar - just for the sake of the cruise, which is said to be one of the best water journeys in Southeast Asia.
I'm staying at KH Soon Resthouse. It's very basic, but for Brunei it's cheap - 35 Brunei dollars for a single with attached bathroom and air-con.
Aug 04, 2008 12:00 AMThrough the jungle
This was a tiring day, although I spend in the jungle only 5 hours. But walking in primary tropical forest is not easy. Lien, my guide helped me a lot and showed me a lot of interesting plants and insects. He even spotted one cobra, but I couldn't see the snake. And for the first hour of our walk Lien kept talking about cobras and that their venom kills within 12 minutes - making me a bit scared this way. But I really enjoyed the hike. Fortunately it was dry and there were no leeches. Nevertheless, I was prepared as Lien gave me a leech stick to get rid of them in case they attach. I didn't have to make use of it.
I spent the evening in De Plateau talking with people from France who arrived today and Lien, who came to Douglas' lodge.
Aug 03, 2008 12:00 AMWarrior dance in Pa' Lungan
In the morning I left De Plateau and went with my guide, Lien, to La' Palungan village. To get there it took us about 4 hours and we were making a lot of stops on the way for pictures. We were walking along the 'highway' - this is how locals call the path that leads to the village.
When we got to La Palungan, the owners of a lodge there gave me a very friendly welcome and then I learnt I was their first guest from Poland. I was given special treatment and local people were invited to perform traditional Kelabit dances for me. They also tried to teach me warrior dance, but I'm not a good dancer...
I was also given a traditional Kelabit necklace. I will remember my stay there for long.
Aug 02, 2008 12:00 AMOn a tiny Twin Otter to Bario
It was an exciting flight. To get to Bario you have to take a small plane from Miri. There were only 12 seats in this version of Twin Otter and it was really small, but I really enjoyed the flight. We flew over Mulu National Park and could see the Deer Cave. Take a seat on the left-hand side when flying from Miri, as only from there you can see the cave.
Bario and Kelabit Highlands is a really remote area and a flight is the only reasonable way to get there. I was really surprised to meet a Polish couple in this tiny aircraft. We then stayed at the same lodge - De Plateau the owner of which is Douglas a very nice man who can arrange guides for treks around and knows a lot about the area. As soon as we arrived we were served lunch. Douglas and his wife prepare excellent food and it can only be food to go there, actually. Plus the juicy and sweet pineapples they serve with every meal are just excellent. A package (accommodations plus three meals is only about 60 ringgits/day).
There is no electricity in Bario - only from generators that are started when it gets dark. Neither mobile phones work. The only way to contact with the outside world is via satellite internet (very slow) and satellite telephone (very expensive).
In the afternoon I went with the four other travellers to see the oldest longhouse in Bario. We were invited in and could see how the local community lives now.
There are also very picturesque rice paddies around and it's a good place to take beautiful pictures.
Aug 01, 2008 12:00 AM8 hours on a bus to Miri
It wasn't a very interesting day - 8 hours on a bus to get to Miri. It's not a very interesting town, but I have a flight from here to Bario tomorrow. I'm going to spend there three days trekking in the joungle and meeting local people.
In Miri I'm staying in Highlands. It was recommended by LP and I booked a room there but I don't like it. For 50 ringgits I have a private room but facilities are shared. It's not good value here.
Jul 31, 2008 12:00 AMCruising Batang Rejang
I'm still in Sibu. Today I went to Kapit by a speedboat. It was a great experience to go up and down the river through lush jungle of Borneo. The boat is really fast - ca. 30 knots and the journey takes 2.5-3 hours to Kapit. There is not much to see in Kapit - just the local market and Fort Sylvia - the oldest building in the town. I stayed there just for three hours and went back to Sibu. The journey itself is a great experience - although air-conditioning on board is rather curse than a blessing. Tomorrow I'm going to Miri. The bus ride is going to take as much as 8 hours.
Jul 30, 2008 12:00 AMMr Tan Teck Chiang on Taoism and Buddhism
It was the shortest flight in my life - just 20 minutes in the air. But it saved me a lot of time as the bus ride from Kuching to Sibu takes 8 hours. Sibu is located on the Batang Rejang river and generally Borneo has many rivers so it was a great experience to see them meandering from the air. Sibu airport is located ca. 25 kms from the city centre and the only way to get there is by taxi (35 ringgits). Don't be surprised if you hear price in dollards - this is how many people here refer to their currency.
Without any problems I found a room at Hoover Lodging House. It's excellent value for money - for 31 ringgits I have a newly refurbished spacious room with air-con and bathroom (hot water shower) attached. It's also conveniently located 5 minutes walk from the Kapit Wharf. I'm planning to go to Kapit tomorrow for a day-trip.
In the afternoon I went to see the Tua Pek Kong Temple. I had a great time there talking to and listening to Mr Tan Teck Chiang, who gave me a lot of information about Taoism and Buddhism.
The Internet is cheap (3-4 ringgits/hour) and fast here but there are much fewer internet cafes than in Indonesia.
