Heading to Borneo

[Sockhom]

Hello

I will spend some holidays in Borneo with my wife in february / march (12 days) - (before a more serious and lonely trip in old Indochina a couple of months later)- and we're wondering which parts of the the malaysian territory is the most interesting (not only from a Nepenthes point of view): Sabah or Sarawak?
Any suggestion would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
François.

mount kinabalu, kundasang, sabah.. there are several species of nepenthes there. n. lowii if youre really lucky.

btw, around kundasang there are many homestay programmes, whereby the locals from different ethnic groups bring you around town. furthermore, they charge really cheap for lodging and food etc. for me, it was around RM80-90 a day including lodging and food etc. theyve got chalets for tourists, next to their own home.

lots and lots of agricultural activities revolve around kundasang, and you can certainly immerse yourself into a melting pot of culture. kadazandusun, dusun, sungai are the few ethnic groups that live there.

dont worry. i myself have been to kundasang and its really awesome. you feel like youre part of their family, and everyone makes you feel special. although majority of them are muslims, theyre very open and place differences of religion and culture aside.

however, im not sure whether you would like the cold weather as kundasang is located amidst mountains, and its actually at the foot of mt. kinabalu. so imagine how cold the peak of mount kinabalu can get!

[edwardyeeks]

If you want to see rajah, mount kinabalu in Sabah is the best place. Plus, Sabah is relatively quiet and cool, nice area. Sarawak is bigger and larger. By the way, Malesiana Tropicals nursery is in Kuching, Sarawak.

Cheers, have a nice trip

[harris]

I prefer sabah.

One place you should not miss, Gaya Street Market in Kota Kinabalu every Sunday from morning 'till late afternoon. The town council will close Gaya Street and make it a shopping heaven. I enjoy the colours, the food and the people there. You can get souvenirs, ethnic handiwork, local food, t shirt etc here.

There will be neps sold in this street market, but buying it is not advisable because it is illegal to bring them out of Borneo. The sellers are usually porters that carry Mount Kinabalu climber's belongings and to make extra money the will collect whatever wild plants they think could make them money including ferns, neps and orchids.

Even for people that buys it, it is going to be a waste of money since these plants are used to the cool, humid surrounding and they will eventually die if brought to lowland.

Anyway, don't miss Mount Kinabalu. The best place to view these wild plants is in their natural habitat!

[Sockhom]

Hello.


Thanks for the tips guys!

We have bought the "Lonely Planet" book on Borneo and we think we will stay in Sabak and will spend a few day in east Sarawak to see Mulu Park. Is it easy to go to Mulu from Sabah in bus? How long is the trip?

Many thanks,


François.

[bactrus]

Dear Francios,

Why not hit both the states, Sarawak then Sabah. I did some backpacking in my young days and enjoyed it thoroughly amidst some security fear then (now think 99% safe).

Stop by first at Kuching. Do a little city tour and visit the Bako national park. Maybe Robert can elaborate more here.

Next fly to Miri. Goto Mulu national park. I took a bus those days cos cheaper. You may have to stay in Miri overnight to catch a flight to Mulu national park. Look at teh four famous caves, clear water, lang, deer ???and also the pinnacles. Will take you 2 days.

To your question about going to Mulu by bus. You'll never get there unless it is a special build 4x4 bus and will take you forever to get there. Usually people fly in from Miri but there are people who will go by long boats which will take about 5 hours? (I stand corrected)

Next stop, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. There are some places to visit in town. Kundasang at the base of mount Kinabalu is a nice rest stop. Muruvarn went there earlier this year. Maybe he can tell you more. Enjoy cold air and neps there. Hopefully some raflesiana (the flower not nep) be there to greet you with its smelly odour.

Proceed to Sandakan to see the Probosis monkey (Big nose monkey). They are unique to the region. Also not forgetting the Sipilok Orang Utan santuary. a Kinabatangan River cruise be pleasant to end your stay in Sandakan. An overnighter will definately be recommended as you have higher chances to seeing elephants and other wild life.

End your trip in Sempourna where you'll meet beautiful corals and nice beaches. This part I have not been to cos ran out of money. Don't worry about pirates as described by lonely planet. In any case, if you're captured, it will propell you to world wide fame. Hehe...

The above places are just coastal regions except mount kinabalu. If you want to go inland... talk to Robert and Junglemike.

Hope this helps. Have fun planning.

[Sockhom]

Many many thanks for your help guys.

I'm very happy to visit that fantastic place.
Currently, we think we will stay in Sarawak, wandering around Kuching and spend a couple of days in Mulu.
We should go to Sabah next time.
10 days are so short.


François.

[kentosaurs]

raflesiana

Hi bactrus

Well i know this has nothing to do with the thread but its not called a rafflesiana.If i'm not wrong its a rafflesia....anways mini matter no one cares as long as ppl get the point.

Ken

[edwardyeeks]

Hahaha, ken, very funny. Have a nice trip and happy holidays!

Cheers

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Sockhom

Many many thanks for your help guys.

I'm very happy to visit that fantastic place.
Currently, we think we will stay in Sarawak, wandering around Kuching and spend a couple of days in Mulu.
We should go to Sabah next time.
10 days are so short.


François.

Hi François, Borneo was such a big island there is no end to choose the best place to visit. Each has its own beauty. For a start kuching or any location was a fine. In kuching the first to visit i would recommend the Sarawak Museum to learn and understand its various native tribes, history of the immigrants and white rajas ( raja Brooke). Though the museum is not well kept but still a good place to visit.

The next would be Bako National Park where you will be able to observe some lowland nepenthes, the floras and faunas of the park. The local tour guide would be able to handle.There are many trails and you may want to stay overnight.

The next interesting would be the Orang utan rehabilitation centre, then the Gading national park -the best place to see rafflesia Tun Mudae in bloom, if your timing of visit was the right time.

probably visiting the Iban native longhouse was one of your itinery or skip it.

wrapping up the last -the Mulu National park-the world's largest underground cave system. lots to see here-the neps trail, the limestone pinnacles, local native culture .. etc.. 2-3 night stay recommended.

Good luck