Malaysia & Borneo - Sandakan and Sepilok

On the morning of the 26th of December we were picked up from Lucy's Homestay at 7am by a driver and taken to the long distance bus terminal. We had already bought our tickets for the bus so all we had to do was wait to board the bus. The waiting area filled up and soon there were loads of people waiting to get on the bus. Some people had live chickens in cardboard boxes that they put in the luggage hold of the bus. I thought that they would be dead after the 6 hour bus trip but they were miraculously still alive when we got there.

As I said before, it's a 6 hour bus trip to Sandakan. 2 hours into the journey was the first and only stop. We didn't know this at this point so didn't have anything to eat there and besides I just couldn't stomach chicken and rice at 10am. Later on we realised it was the one and only stop and we were starving!!! Lucy's gift of chocolate biscuits came in handy at this point!

We arrived in Sandakan at about 3pm that afternoon, checked into our hotel, the Swiss Inn Waterfront, and went to the dockside market for lunch. The Swiss Inn is quite a nice hotel situated right on the waterfront. The only problem is that the water is quite polluted and smells pretty bad. Not a great combination when you have to go down to have your breakfast which is served outside.

On our first night in Sandakan we went to a rooftop bar called Balin. It's on the rooftop of the Nak Hotel and is very trendy. There are 3 levels with the uppermost level having a massive chill out area with benches and scatter cushions everywhere. They also serve great cocktails!

The next morning we set off for Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre. It's about a half an hour taxi drive to get there. At Sepilok you can see Asia's great ginger ape in its native habitat. If you are lucky you can also spot the elusive Proboscis monkey.

At this point I do feel the need to tell you about the great work that they do at Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC). The centre was opened in 1964, funded by the Sabah Government. The reserve is named after the 2 rivers flowing into the Sandakan Bay. Their aim is to return orphaned, injured or displaced Orang-utans back into the wild. Many orphans have successfully undergone the rehabilitation process and have been released back into the Kabili-Sepilok Forest

When you visit the centre you are not guaranteed to see Orang-utans. It is not a zoo and they strive to keep the environment as close to the Orang-utans natural habit as possible. Feeding time is 10am and 3pm daily. On the day we were there we were fortunate enough to see 2 female Orang-utans and a baby. They came down onto the feeding deck but the mother kept trying to shield the baby from us. We were really fortunate to get some awesome pics of the interaction between the mother and the baby. They say that Orang-utans have the most intense relationship with their young because they feed them until they are about 5 years old. Orang-utans only have babies every 8-9 years so we were really lucky to see this interaction.

There were also a multitude of Macaque monkeys hanging around waiting to get the scraps that the Orang-utans did not want. The leader of the troop ate his fill first before the rest were allowed to eat anything. He kept chasing them off the platform if they came too close to him.

After feeding time we walked to the Rainforest Discovery Centre to do the tree top canopy walk. In hindsight we should have got a taxi there because although it is not a far walk it is very hot and humid. We walked through the Rainforest for a bit on our way to the canopy walk. The canopy walk is pretty amazing!! You are roughly 11 metres above ground in line with the tree tops. We did not appreciate it as much as we should have because of the heat. I can safely say that I have never been so hot in my life!!

We got back into Sandakan late that afternoon to the sanctuary of our fully air-conditioned hotel room. We just stayed there for the rest of the afternoon to cool down before heading to the English Tea House and Restaurant for dinner. The Tea House got rave reviews but for most part we found it a bit pretentious and overpriced. The nicest bit was the croquet lawn but we never got to try it out because of all the kids running about. There was also a very handsome peacock that lived there.

As far as sightseeing goes we pretty much saw all Sandakan has to offer. Agnes Keith House is worth a visit - it demonstrates the rich history of the once very wealthy area. Agnes Keith wrote the famous book 'The Land below the Wind' about her experiences of when she first moved to Borneo. The Puu Jih Shih Temple is a Buddhist Temple perched on a steep hill overlooking Sandakan. It has beautiful architecture and surrounding gardens. There is another temple called the Sam Sing Kung Temple closer to the city centre - worth a visit but pales in comparison to the Puu Jih Shih Temple. We went to the Sandakan Central market but it was no different to any other market we had seen so far.

That afternoon we went to Sim Sim Seafood Restaurant for lunch. We read about it in the Lonely Planet else we wouldn't know about it - most people don't. It’s a bit of a rickety spot hidden in the heart of a stilt village overlooking the sea. Here you pick your catch of the day from the tanks and they prepare it to your liking. It was delicious and again bargaintastic. A real gem.

On our last day in Sandakan we visited the Tourist Information Centre to see what we could do for our last night there. We had seen all the sights and probably should have stayed there for a day less than we did. The lady at Tourist Information recommended that we go on this boat trip to see fireflies and then we will get taken to the highest seafood restaurant in Sandakan. We booked the trip and were told that we would get picked up from Winho Lodge at 5:30pm.

We arrived at the lodge at the agreed time only to discover that we were the only people going on the tour. It came as a bit of a surprise to me because I expected a big tour group. At 5:30pm this guy comes in and introduces himself as 'Asim' and takes us to a car waiting outside. He was a very friendly guy and told us all about the history of Sandakan and about the tour. When we started to head out of the city towards the stilt villages I started to get very nervous. Must be because I'm from Africa you get suspicious of such situations. Further and further into the stilt village we went. Eventually the car stopped and we got out and were taken to a jetty where Asim's uncle was waiting for us on a boat. We all got on the boat and were taken along the banks of the Manila River. Asim was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. They took us to the only fish farm in the area but we couldn't see it properly because it had got dark by this time. After that we went through the mangrove swamps to the area where the fireflies are. I was getting more and more suspicious by the minute and had even started making escape plans in my head in case they mugged us. In my mind I had surveyed the contents of our backpack and analysed what could be used as a potential weapon. We had deodorant, insect repellent and a Swiss Army Knife. The deodorant could be used to spray in their eyes to temporarily blind them while we made a run for it - even though we wouldn't know where we were running to. All I could think of was that we would never be found. Everything turned out to be fine though. We went along the river and saw the fireflies. It really was amazing! I have never seen so many in my life! They lit up the trees like Christmas decorations. After that we were taken to see how they make charcoal from mangrove wood which is really interesting.

Once we have seen all of that we were to get taken to the restaurant for dinner. At this point I thought that we were going to be ok but there was one last surprise. Asim has a dance troupe and they were performing at a wedding. We were going to go to the wedding so that we could see a traditional Malaysian wedding and also to see the troupe dance. I went to another stilt village where the wedding was being held - this one was even more poverty stricken than the previous one. We were walking around the village trying to find the wedding when Asim said it would be better if we just went to the restaurant because the wedding was over a bridge that was not safe for us to cross and he didn't want us to get hurt. Only then did I realise that it was never his intention to harm us. Phew!!

We went to the restaurant for Malaysian steamboat, where you basically choose what you want them steam in a sauce on a hot pot on your table. It was very good but think it would be a better idea if served in a colder climate because it is pretty humid as it is and the heat of the steam makes you even hotter.

Malaysia & Borneo - Mantanani Island

Mantanani is a group of 3 isolated islands northwest of Kota Belud, or about a 3 hour bus trip for the state capital Kota Kinabalu. Although only a 45 minute boat ride from the mainland, the islands are a reminder of a simpler place and time. Time slows down here amidst the crystal clear blue waters and white sandy beaches. The first ever season of Survivor was also filmed here in 2000.

We were picked up at 7am on the 22nd of December from our hotel by a shuttle bus taking us to a coach which would then take us to a jetty at Kota Belud. The bus trip was very scenic. You could make out some of Mount Kinabalu even though most of it was covered in early morning mist. The road along the way was mainly lined with rice paddies and palm trees and was very beautiful.

We arrived at the jetty and got onto the boat that would be the final leg of the journey to the island. The boat was packed with mainly day trippers and supplies that were required for the island. As it is so isolated the island relies on fresh supplies coming in daily on the boat with the tourists. As we approached the island you could start to make out the surroundings - crystal clear blue water, white sandy beaches, huts with palm frond coverings on the roof and an endless supply of hammocks. We had arrived in paradise!!

We were greeted by our host, Melvin AKA Jack Sparrow, saying "Welcome to my island." We were shown to our hut which was in the front row, a stone’s throw from the water. The accommodation is very basic but it was just what we were looking for. The hut had a double mattress on the floor with clean bedding. There were ceiling fans and mosquito nets. The bathroom area was partially covered by the roof but for the most part it was outdoors. There was a small balcony at the front of the hut and the living area was underneath the hut. The living area had 2 chairs and a table and a hammock and overlooked the sea. It was amazing!!

Not long after we arrived we were called to lunch. The eating area is communal and consists of tables and chairs spread out in the sand but under a roof for shelter. All the meals are home cooked buffet style. After lunch we hired snorkelling gear and went out to explore. There were quite a few coral reefs just off shore that we swam out to. We didn't realise how long we had been out there for so that night we discovered that we had got extremely sunburnt despite applying sunscreen. That night we were the only guests there. We went up to the communal area for dinner and had a few drinks with staff who were all drinking the local cocktail called 'Mantanani Fizz' whilst playing poker. After a few drinks we went back to the hut where I took full advantage of the hammock. I never realised how much fun and how comfortable hammocks are until then. Not long after that we just went to bed as it had been a very exhausting few days.

We ended up staying on the island for an extra night. It’s so peaceful out there. The days were consumed by snorkelling twice a day, swimming, tanning and chilling out in the hammocks. We did also so a snorkelling day trip to one of the neighbouring islands. The day trip consisted of 2 snorkelling sessions - one in the morning and one after lunch. For the afternoon session we were dropped off in literally the middle of the sea and left to our own devices. I ended up cutting my second session short because I got extremely sea sick from the water being so choppy. I could see the boat in the distance but it seemed like an eternity before I reached it. I lay down on the deck which actually made me feel worse because the boat was bobbing up and down so much.

On Christmas day we got a boat back to the mainland and then the 2 hour bus back to KK. That night we stayed in Lucy's Homestay B&B. Lucy's is like a home away from home. The wooden walls are covered with photos, stickers and business cards. Lucy, the owner, and her faithful ginger cat,was lovely and very helpful. We had mentioned that we had wanted to get to Sandakan next and visit the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre so Lucy very kindly booked a taxi to collect us in the morning and take us to the long distance bus station and also booked us a seat on the bus. The bus trip to Sandakan would take 6 hours but it was worth it.

That night was our first proper night in KK so we headed down to the Night Market and the Wet Market. We had our Christmas dinner at the Wet Market. It was amazing!! They serve the freshest of fresh seafood for an absolute steal. We shared a whole Red Snapper, calamari and prawns. It was like we had died and gone to heaven!! After dinner we walked around the markets for a bit then went back to Lucy's as we had an early start the next day. When we got up in the morning Lucy told us to help ourselves to breakfast and coffee or tea before we headed off. She even gave us a gift when we left which came in handy on the bus trip - more about that later.

Malaysia & Borneo - Headed for Borneo

It was the 21st of December and we had just arrived at Dubai International Airport for our Sri Lankan Airlines flight going to Kuala Lumpur via Colombo. We had already checked in online so all we had to do was the baggage drop right??? Wrong!!!

For some inexplicable reason the queue for passengers who had already checked in online was longer than any other queue. After standing in the queue for about 25 minutes we enquired if we could go check in at the normal counter and were told that because we had already checked in online we had to stay in the queue we were in. After a further 20 minutes it transpired that the hold up was that the person in the front of the queue had managed to get through the first round of airport security with a knife on him! This would probably have gone unnoticed if his luggage had not been too big (it was something in a huge cardboard box) and him being told that he couldn't take it on board. He simply replied "No problem" and whipped the said knife out of his pocket and proceeded to cut the box open. The attendants at the check-in desk were alarmed and had to call someone more senior over hence the hold up. I have to say at this point I thought that we might be be flying on a cargo plane because of the amount of luggage people had. I did not know that Sri Lankan Airlines offer a cargo service where you can take up to 100kgs of luggage. I was fully expecting to see cattle, sheep and chickens being loaded onto the plane too.

After that ordeal we finally got taken to another counter to drop off our baggage. We could finally board our flight! While we were walking to our plane I was still unsure what to expect because I did not have high hopes for this flight. I have to say that once we were seated on the plane I was pleasantly surprised. It was just like an Emirates plane about 10 years ago though.

The next morning we arrived in Colombo. We were due to have a short stop over there and then get the next flight headed to Kuala Lumpur. For yet another unknown reason the flight was delayed until 8am that morning - we were meant to leave at 6:30am. I started to panic because with the delay it didn't leave us much time to get our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo.

We eventually arrived in KL with not much time to spare. What we didn't realise was that KL airport is huge and is under construction and that the baggage reclaim area is a 10 minute bus ride from the arrivals terminal. We were due to get to the LCCT terminal for our Air Asia flight headed to KK but again we did not realise how far it was from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal. It was a good 20 -25 minute taxi ride and we were running out of time!!

When we arrived at the LCCT terminal I felt like I was a contestant in the Amazing Race because we were running through the terminal with backpacks trying to find our check in desk and we had about 5 minutes before our check desk closed! The sign board indicated that we were to check in at counter 12 so we ran off to get there only to discover that the counter had been changed to another one on the other side of the airport! Off we ran with minutes to spare only to be greeted by a massive queue. At this point I was certain that we were going to miss our flight and was ready to give up. Luckily a very nice family at the front of the queue saw how harassed I looked and very kindly let us go in front of them. We made the check in by the skin of our teeth!

When we eventually arrived at our boarding gate we discovered that yet again our flight was delayed. This time I was actually grateful for the delay because we would not have made our flight if not for the delay. I have also been told by a good friend who lives in Asia that Air Asia are reknowned for being delayed with no explanation offered as to why.

Eventually at 8pm on the 22nd of December we arrived in KK. We got a taxi to the place we were supposed to stay in for our first night but what a nightmare. The place was called North Borneo Cabins and had got very good reviews on Trip Advisor thats why we had chosen to stay there. When we pulled up in front of the establishment we were rather surprised. It was located on the high street not just outside the city centre as described on Trip Advisor and looked completely different to the pictures posted on Trip Advisor. It was extremely humid when we arrived there and they did not seem to have any airconditioning. We got taken to our room and were in for a huge surprise. The room reminded of a scene from the movie The Beach where Leonardo Di Caprio stays is a rather dodgy room in Bangkok. There was no airconditioning as advertised just a rickety ceiling fan and a infested looking bed with no bedding. The ceiling fan offered nothing but circulating the sweltering heat around the room. We knew we had to get out of there!We used the free internet at North Borneo Cabins to book ourselves into the Le Meridien hotel for that night because we just could not stay there. We didn't even bother to ask for a refund thats how bad it was. We just apologised for the inconvenience and left.

We eventually got to Le Meridien at 9:30 that night completely exhausted, extremely hot and starving. Le Meridien was like paradise!! Fully airconditioned room with a king sized bed with clean bedding.

We had been planning on going to Mantanani Island at some point during our stay in Borneo so Byron phoned up their office that night to get us a reservation. They could only accomodate us the very next day for 2 nights and 3 days. This required a 7am pick up from our hotel the next morning then a 3 hour bus trip to a jetty then a 45 minute boat ride to the island. We were really looking forward to going to the island but didn't think it would be the very next day though.

All in all things turned out really well but the moral of the story is don't get 3 flights in one day covering 3 different time zones!!! Its very tiring!!!