Exploration Borneo Tours

By Roger Rajah
Copyright (c) 2006

"I'll meet you for breakfast at half eight," I said and was really looking forward to the trip with Suzette. The next day was in every way perfect; the sun was shining but not as hot as what would be normal for this time of the year. Breakfast was simple, at a local coffee shop, one of hundreds in Kota Kinabalu, Capital of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. A Chinese family managed this small coffee shop. The usual early diners were already filling up the crowded and smoky place. I wondered what we were going to order. I suggested to Suzette that we would have the usual breakfast and she nodded. She never once disagreed with my choice of food. So, with a bowl of local Malaysian 'Curry Laksa Noodle' - a real local favourite judging from the number of people in this place, we ate with our own thoughts playing and thinking of what would lie ahead. "How was it?" I asked, forgetting that we had eaten here before. Still she answered, "Could do with more hot spices." I forgot she was used to the extra hot food after all her travels in Thailand. "I'll remember that next time," I muttered.

Later, we boarded a mini bus travelling towards the interior of Sabah, cramped with about nine other passengers. The mini bus moved away from the city and was slowly approaching the countryside. Here lies Borneo true self with its picturesque villages, flanked by paddy fields and rolling mountain ranges. And as soon as the mini bus started its climb towards the mountain ranges, we knew it would not be long before we reached our destination. Even now, the beauty of Borneo Tropical Rainforest cannot be described without that person actually being there himself. After about an hour and a half, we finally arrived at the 'Crocker Range National Park - Rafflesia Centre'. This centre is the home to the largest flower in the world. But first, the formality of registering us at the Ranger's office and then a short stroll around the information centre learning about the Rafflesia and other plants within the complex. Next, it was an hour trek with a Ranger to see one of nature's truly unique spectacles (the Ranger's fee was about RM10.00 per person - less than 2.00 British Pound). What seemed to be an endless trek down through the jungle finally brought us face to face with a Rafflesia in bloom. "It's not as big, is it?" the question came from Suzette, "No, it is only about 12 inches in diameter but I have seen one that is 36 inches but of a different species to this one." Of the 6-recorded species in Sabah, we were looking at Rafflesia Pricei and the commonly found at Poring Hot Spring, Rafflesia Keithii.

The world-famous The usual photo taking and posing followed suit. Later it was a very interesting but slightly tiring trek back to the main road but it was worth it. Now what? The question had been on my mind for the last hour during the trek back. Should we continue to Tambunan Town or backtrack to 'Gunung Emas - A pleasant hill resort at elevation 6,000ft above sea level for a much-needed relaxation after the trek. I missed the climate in England, so the resort was my choice. The mode of transportation was solved instantly. We were going to hitch a hike to get back for the three-mile journey. Suzette was a great asset to have on this matter because no one would normally give a ride to an Asian guy but for a Caucasian woman, the problem was solved almost immediately. Within minutes, a one tonne pick-up truck passed by and gave us a lift. We bundled up at the back of the filthy truck but the journey was quite enjoyable. The rain started while we were still on the truck but that made me even happier. "You are not in a tropical rainforest if it doesn't rain," I screamed to Suzette in the midst of the heavy rain, wind and the engine rumbling in the background as I took out my Manchester United raincoat. Thankfully we reached the resort a short while later. I decided to surprise Suzette with my choice of accommodation; a tree cabin - twin bedded and built halfway up an enormous tree. It was very nice with exhilarating views overlooking the valley. The hot shower was a real bonus. We then decided to just laze around at the resort and then headed to the restaurant. "What's the house speciality for today?" I asked the waitress. She looked at us in utter confusion. After repeating myself in Malay, she then informed us that the speciality for that day was Wild Boar and Crocodile meat, something new to Suzette. Without any hesitation we decided to go for this unique delicacy. While eating, everything felt like home in England; cool climate, nice music from Capital Radio. Hand on a second, Capital Radio in the remote area of Borneo, that couldn't be right. It was almost three in the afternoon and we were listening to Capital Radio airing its breakfast show. I had to confide the shop owner, "We can get that here, live?" She explained to me that this was the only known place in Sabah to get UK radio station. We were two happy people. I had not heard of live UK radio since September and now, well, I was very contented. The whole afternoon we sat down with our books; mine was 'How to be Good' by Nick Hornby and Suzette with her own diary of adventure. Dinner was, to say the least, another experience, as we opted for the more traditional local food, Chinese style; mix vegetable, sweet and sour fish and lemon chicken.

Sleep came slow for me that night but Suzette was in her own world dreaming. My mind was so occupied by what we had done that day and what we would be doing tomorrow. I woke-up that morning feeling lost in a strange unfamiliar surrounding and it took me several seconds to register where I was. The sound of birds, crickets and the calls of the Gibbons made me realise that I was on a tree house in the middle of Borneo's dense rainforest. Suzette did not stir in her slumber, I decided to have a long, hot shower and hopefully by then Suzette would have woken up. Not a chance! She was still in her deep sleep. I perched myself on the veranda to look at the wildlife that had decided to pay us a morning visit. It was not long before a Malaysian Treepie making its presence known with loud crocking sound. Then a subtle movement caught my eye; an atlas moth - the largest moth in the world, and this one was a good eight-inch wing span. The echoes of the Gibbons at a distance finally disturbed Suzette. Her usual cheerful, smiling self immediately made that morning so much brighter.

Breakfast was our usual fried noodles. Again we hitched a ride towards Tambunan Town. The gentleman who picked us up was a retired telecommunication officer who told us stories about his earlier travel up Mount Kinabalu before the present facilities was built, way back in the 60's. His story made me appreciate the luxury we experienced today when we trekked up Kinabalu. Suzette agreed with me. We climbed the mountain just several days ago. The kind man took us right inside the Tambunan Village Resort Centre (TVRC). The resort is unique in its own way; a small resort with several chalet and hostel type accommodations, three ponds for leisurely boating or fly fishing and a massive restaurant. We decided to choose a luxury chalet overlooking one of the ponds but I was pleasantly surprise to find out that we had to cross a river to get to our chalet. We could either cross over using a hanging bridge or a four-wheel drive vehicle provided by the resort and we chose the latter.

Within the vicinity of the chalet lies one of the few cottage industries in the area, a local rice wine-brewing factory. The government of Sabah in partnership with the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) has initiated a concept of one village, one industry to supplement the income of the local community. We ended up with six one-litre bottles of rice wine.

The early afternoon rain stopped us from doing anything exciting, except for a short stroll to the town of Tambunan. Tambunan is a quiet little town with only five blocks of shop houses. The local community in the area is mostly farmers and comprises of the Kadazan/Dusun tribe. Within Tambunan lies Mount Trusmadi and at 8,669ft, it is the second highest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Trusmadi is a totally different mountain to climb. Firstly, no facilities are provided during the climb and thus, everything that a climber needs has to be carried up and secondly, the trek is quite a challenging one. From my personal experience, I would never advise climbing up this mountain during the rainy season. Climbing during the rainy season can be totally energy draining and the summit temperature at night can drop below freezing with probably a minus 5-degree wind-chill factor. But the breathtaking flora and fauna, which include wild boars, forest deer, rare orchids and pitcher plants, make up for the challenging and energy-sapping climbing adventure. I was feeling a sense of nostalgia as I started telling Suzette about my climb up Mount Trusmadi several years ago.

Every Thursday in Tambunan, you can visit one of the few true traditions of Sabah's indigenous community, a local 'Tamu' or Market. It is here that you can savour what Sabah was like over a 100 years ago and the generations before that. At this Tamu, local people from the mountain ranges trek down to sell their produce and handicrafts. Nearby, you can also visit the "Bamboo Village" - a village made entirely of bamboo.

We walked the 1-½ mile back to TVRC. Fortunately for us, the rain didn't start until we got back. It got heavier and heavier by the hour, so we just sat chatting, lazing and reading our books or writing our diaries. By 6pm, the rain subsided and I was desperate for food. We were told that there was a local restaurant nearby but it turned out to be a house converted into a restaurant with exotic home cooked meal. As the restaurant didn't do any takeaways, we ended up buying instant noodles and canned food at a nearby service station. We sat down on the floor of our chalet eating what we had and trying our rice wine. We went to bed early that night.

The next day we boarded a mini bus from Tambunan to Keningau. From here we took a cab to Tenom, the heart of the Murut land. The Murut tribe is the third largest indigenous tribe in Sabah and was once fearsome headhunters. In the past, they lived in traditional Longhouses and were also once skill hunters using blowpipes with poison darts to catch wild animals. The Muruts of today are a friendly and hospitable people. Suzette and I was privileged enough to be able to visit a Murut Cultural Centre just outside of Tenom. We were very impressed by the cultural centre. The centre houses different buildings of unique traditional designs, an actual replica of a long house and a handicraft shop.

Upon reaching Tenom, we were recommended Perkasa Hotel for the night stay. This hotel stands majestically up a hill overlooking Tenom and the surrounding valley. However, we opted for one of the newer hotels in Tenom. A quick lunch and off we went to the Agricultural Centre at Lagud Sbrang. Here, you can find most of the crops, which are being cultivated in Malaysia - Coffee, Cocoa, Pepper, to name a few and also an area where most tropical fruits are planted. We then visited the Orchid Centre where nearly all of Borneo's lowland wild orchids are planted and rounded up our visit with a short trip to see the highbred orchids. We were told that in the future there would be more additional attractions to the centre.

I woke up early on our last morning and decided to go for a stroll around Tenom town. Suzette was catching up on her sleep again. Sunday is "Tamu" day as usual in Tenom. So I had a quick look around, without showing much interest, and then walked back to the hotel. "Suze, open the door," as I gently knocked on the door. Louder knocks followed by a final bang finally woke the dreamy eyed princess and she opened the door. "You are not going back to sleep again, are you?" I said as she lied down to bed again. "Wake-up or we're going to miss the train and I want you to see something in town too." Suzette woke up with a protest but after a nice long shower, she was her cheerful, fully awake, self again. I told Suzette what I had heard earlier on when I was in town. "Our train will not depart until 2pm due to a landslide on one section of the track." "I thought we were going to miss the train," she said. Not knowing what to expect next, I said, "that is the only way to wake you up but don't worry, you're going to enjoy where I'm taking you today but first let's walk around the tamu and then we'll have breakfast." She was her usual self again, no wonder she would always be my best buddy. At the tamu something caught her eyes. One of the vendors was selling a 15-foot python. Sad to say, it was dead and ready for human's consumption. "This one has medicinal values," according to the vendor. "Why did you catch it?" I interrupted. "It was eating several of my chickens," came the reply. Well, this poor village man was trying to re-coup his lost by killing and selling python and felt justified doing so.

Breakfast was a heated discussion about the snake and what else could be considered as medicinal. I was telling Suzette that there were a lot of plants in the tropical rainforest that had not been explored for their medicinal values. Most of the indigenous people in Sabah and Malaysia have been using certain animals or plants to cure ailments from simple cold or cuts to broken bones or even malaria for centuries. So, we are trying to learn from these local tribes. Local researchers in collaborations with foreign universities and pharmaceutical companies are doing more and more research on these tropical plants and animals. Hopefully, one day we would find a cure for sickness like aids from one of these investigations. We ate in silence thinking about this.

As we were literally stranded in Tenom, waiting for the train to resume service, I suggested that we went further into the interior, closer to the border of Kalimantan, Indonesian border. We could experience the Murut people in their natural environment and hopefully we could witness a traditional long house. Hiring a cab for RM50.00, we went towards Ulu Tomani, a small village about 40 minutes from Tenom. The taxi driver, a very friendly Chinese man, took us on a detour to show a suspension bridge. As we walked across to the other side, small children would run across the bridge to greet Suzette but some just smile bashfully. The river raging torrent pounding against the riverbanks reminded me of another adventure that I would be doing in the near future. Across on the other side was a small village. We went inside a derelict shop and bought some home-made ice-creams. We got back on the cab and carried on our journey until we reached the end of the road, stopping before a bridge. From here, we could actually see millions of gallons of water thundering down Padas River, what a marvellous creation.

After staying around for another half an hour, we made our way back. Something had caught my eyes earlier on our ride to the bridge, so I asked the cab driver to stop. It was a local house with traditional gongs, our musical instrument, hanging on the veranda. I decided to pluck enough courage to ask the house owner if we could take pictures of the gongs. Like any true Malaysians, polite and friendly, the owner was more than happy to show us the gongs. And to show that there was no end to his kindness, the house owner and another friend made an appearance wearing a traditional Murut warrior costume and holding blowpipes. Great photo opportunity!

We were also lucky enough to see the man's wife putting her few months old baby to sleep on what looked like a hammock but made of a sarong supported by a spring which was fixed to the ceiling. Suzette got a great picture of the baby in his unique rocker. When it was about time to leave, the owner insisted on climbing up a mango tree and presenting Suzette with a bunch of fresh mangoes. We then bade our farewell with a promise that one day I would return with the photos.

Since we still had a lot of time to spare before the train arrived, we once again stopped but this at a local community hall, which was being renovated. We went up to the hall and were greeted with several gongs, hanging from the roof rafters, and a massive trampoline-like structure, which was built entirely from tree trunks, rattans and planks.

The headman from the village came out to greet us. He was explaining to us that they were extending the hall as an answer to the government's concept of one village, one industry to supplement income of the villagers. The people in the village were getting ready to promote their own homestead programme. The trampoline was originally built in the olden days to celebrate the success of a hunting expedition. The hunters' trophy, either animal or human skull would be hung high up in the centre of the trampoline. Then as many as 20 warriors would take turn bouncing up and down the trampoline to collect the coveted trophy. Whoever managed to snatch the trophy would have the honour of keeping it. We tried bouncing on the trampoline with the help of some local children to have a feel of what it was like in those olden days. Needless to say, the whole bouncing experience was so exhausting that we didn't last more than 1 minute.

Lunch was again a silent affair. We were left reflecting our unexpected adventure and new found friends. We were on the station for a few minutes when the train pulled in. I told Suzette to choose the front left side of the train as we could clearly see the Padas River from there.

The journey arguably was one of the most scenic in Malaysia. An hour later we stopped at one of the several smaller stations, Pangi Station. This is the starting location for many travellers, seeking a breathtaking adventure of White Water Rafting down the famous Padas River. The 9km ride passes through some very wild rapids, which will be a massive challenge, even the most experience rafter. Today, due to the heavy rain the previous day, the river was classified as Grade 5, which meant that only experienced rafters were allowed down the river. During the normal, non-rainy season, the river will be either grade 3 or 4. For novice rafters, it is better to initially try Papar or Kiulu River, graded between 2 - 4.

Half and hour later the train stopped. Everyone was ordered to leave the train. I knew we had reached the spot where the landslide had happened earlier on. The Rail workers were busy repairing the track. They were so used to doing this as this strip of track had always had the same landslide problems. But for me, I was looking at this as another unexpected adventure. We now had to walk the 200 yards to the other side of the track, with the wild river on our left and the pristine tropical rainforest to our right. Together with 200 local commuters, we waited for the replacement train, which finally arrived at 5:30pm. We finally reached our destination, Beaufort Town at 7pm.

Beaufort, to me, was home coming as the last time I stepped here was in 1997. I was born less than 30 minutes away from here. Beaufort was once the capital city for Sabah. It is now famously dubbed the "Venice of Sabah" because during the monsoon season, when the Padas River overflows its banks, Beaufort town becomes flooded as a result. Since the shop houses around here are built on stilts, the people will visit these shops by paddling small dugout canoes.

We hired a cab for the rest of the journey back to Kota Kinabalu. Dinner that evening was, would you believe it, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

About The Author
Roger Rajah is co-owner of Exploration Borneo Tours. Visit his site www.explorationborneo.com for more information on Borneo, The Exotic Island Paradise. Check out all the travel tours and packages to Borneo.

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