Articles from this Category
12 July 2016
I had set the alarm for 0430 (which is 0330 Pontianak time where I had come from). I met the Simon & Karen at reception with their lovely guide Nurul Hidayah. We soon boarded a kelotok (boat) from the hotel’s back gate. In the darkness we navigated upriver and saw the sky turn pink. About […]
11 July 2016
Above: Dayak tail on Kalstar ATR (pronounced Ah Teh Eerrr, here). I woke at 0330 even though my alarm was for 0415. Flight departure to somewhere new and exciting, (Banjarmasin, was 0630 so I left the hotel by taxi booked for 0445. It was five minutes late but I still got to the new airport […]
10 July 2016
My full day in Pontianak was allocated to a visit to Mandor, Borneo’s Killing Fields. I had been over three years ago but due to weather, I made it only to the memorial. I didn’t make it to the actual mass graves behind. I woke early and was at breakfast at 0630. The one hour […]
9 July 2016
I had an ordered a taxi for 0600 as it seemed like the time in consideration of the travel time to, and check-in Kuching Sentral station at the far end of town. I remember from last time that the taxi rate drops from night to day at 0600. The driver didn’t use the meter but […]
9 November 2015
Above: Goodbye Mulu, hope it won’t be 21 years before I come back. Today I head back to civilisation (and internet again) in Kuching. I relaxed in the morning before going to the airport at 1145 for my 1315 flight. I based my timing on walking there but the owner was available to take me […]
8 November 2015
I had breakfast at my hostel outside of the park with Gwen (male) and Denis, both from France. Denis is originally from Madagascar. As it was Sunday, the family owning the place was getting ready for church at St Philip’s. They all wore “Askar Allah” t-shirts, meaning Soldier of God, I guess as in the […]
7 November 2015
The park hostel had no bed for me tonight. Rather than move into the more expensive options there, I thought I’d move out and give some business to the locals. So I stored my luggage at the guardhouse before going on my Clearwater cave trip. We set off by boat to Batu Bungan village, which […]
6 November 2015
As I had given up hope for the Pinnacles, I arranged to try the easiest adventure caving trip at Lagang departing at 1330. This gave me the whole morning free so I got the internet at MYR5 per day (expiring 0800 tomorrow when they change the password). Charlotte (whom I was hanging out with, travelling […]
5 November 2015
I have five nights in Mulu, kinda two too many compared to the typical tourist. The extra time was for the Pinnacles trip which I can’t get enough people for. There is a trip departing a day later than my preferred date but it was a bit risky as I may not arrive back in […]
4 November 2015
Today I head back to Mulu National Park, home of the world’s largest caves after 21 years. There are many ways of measuring “largest” (eg. volume, length etc) and Mulu still has the crown by some measures but has lost it in perhaps one way to a newer discovery in Vietnam. Mum and stepdad dropped […]