Two weeks in Malaysia (2019)
The year 2019 was, in regard of our traveling activities, very generous to us, . It was probably trying to compensate in advance upcoming touristic embargo, which was about to come next year. Obviously, we didn´t know it back then. In the beginning of spring, while we were still recovering from our fascinating tour de New Zealand, we were visited by our very good friends, who brought unexpected, but very tempting proposal. They were getting married in the summer and as it usually goes, the honeymoon planning was also underway. To our surprise we were asked to join them in their adventure. Of course we whole-heatedly agreed and all what was left to decide was our destination. Eventually our choice fell on Southeast Asia and after thorough consideration of all alternatives we started to prepare our Malaysian expedition.
Introduction
Organising everything was not complicated. Already at the beginning of summer we had our itinerary and boarding passes for all flights. All accommodations were also booked in advance. Malaysia significantly more advanced country than many others in the region and it´s quite easy to arrange everything over internet. Months flew by, Dan and Kristýna got successfully married and in the mid of August we all met at the Prague airport to board our flight to Dubai and then to Malaysian capital – Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur
After eighteen hours of travel and countless of drinks we finally, in a late evening hour, landed on Malaysian soil. To our delight, our luggage landed with us, which I always consider to be a cornerstone of each expedition. The task ahead was to get from the airport to the city center, find a Grab (Malaysian version of Uber) and find our way to the hotel. Simple thing, which I unfortunately messed up. After our arrival to the airport I have unfortunately missed the opportunity for buying a local SIM and although the train to the city offered a high-speed internet, its absence after disembarking proved to be a problem. In the midnight you cannot buy anything at the train station and order the Grab online is hard, when you are offline. With a great amount of luck we came across one open network and eventually overcame this first obstacle. Around 1AM we finally reached our destination – Oakwood Hotel in the city center. We toasted with our imported rum (Which we would save more, knowing the situation in Malaysia regarding alcohol. But more about that later.) to happy holiday and despite the jetlag we fell asleep like a log.
We woke up to our first day, which was entirely dedicated to exploring the city and its highlights. After a delicious breakfast confronted us with local cuisine for the first time, we set off in the steamy air of the city to see famous Petronas Towers. The city impressed us. Surroundings around us did not resemble anything we so far knew from South-East Asia so far. In from of us stood a modern metropolis, which did not lag behind its Western counterparts in anything. In its center, we found a large green park, surrounded by green skyscrapers, among which stood the Petronas Towers. This local landmark, and at one time the tallest building in the world, now patiently waits for the neighboring building to outgrow it. I finally bought a SIM card in the shopping center, which, however, did not go without problems this time either. The lady at the counter required a passport for me for this purpose, which of course I did not have on hand. Fortunately, the Grab network allows for fast and low-cost travel around the city, so it was no problem to turn around and return to the hotel for a few Ringgits and then triumphantly join the Malaysian network.
However, we did not go to KLCC Park just for the greenery and skyscrapers. The local aquarium was recommended to us, and although it did not completely meet our expectations, it offered us a welcome shelter from the midday sun and the ubiquitous humidity. It was not comparable to aquarium, we visited in Lisbon, but if you have small children, the visit will surely make them happy, especially for the pirate theme.
The next stop was the Merdeka Square. A grassy area the size of one hundred and fifty football fields, lying in front of the palace of Sultan Abdul Saman. This former seat of the British colonial government, now home to one of Malaysia’s ministries, gave us a taste of local culture for the first time. Too bad the view of the building spoils the forest of skyscrapers towering behind it. Due to the growing crowd of tourists, we slowly moved from the square to the clutter of adjacent streets, where we risked our first lunch in one of the many street stalls.
There was no nausea, on the contrary, we had a great time. Asian cuisine suits us all and we could happily go to another landmark. Thean Hou Temple probably impressed me the most on that day. Celebrating Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, this Chinese sanctuary is one of the largest temples in Southeast Asia. It amazed us, especially with the excess of colors, the peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful view of the city and the large garden with statues of the Chinese zodiac. We spent almost two hours, browsing the complex and enjoying a completely foreign but beautiful environment. As is often the case in this climate zone, our contemplation was interrupted by an evening rain, and here it pours heavily when it rains. Soaked, we got back in the car and drove to the hotel.
At the end of the first day we enjoyed the evening visit of the Sky Bar back at the KLCC center. During the booking we had to guarantee that we will spend certain minimal, although considerable amount. But given the price of the drinks it was not that hard. However, honeymoon must be done properly and the night view of illuminated Kuala Lumpur from the roof of a skyscraper will not be available every day. So we connected to the full, supported the local economy and went back home around midnight, already preparing ourselves for the next day.
After nice sleep and leaving the beautiful hotel, our Kuala Lumpur adventure was not yet done. Before the scheduled departure to the north, we planned to visit the famous Batu Caves. However, this required one major maneuver, namely renting a car. We had everything arranged and paid in advance, but in wouldn´t be Asia if there weren´t any complications. After Grab took us to the address of the car rental company, where we were supposed to pick up the car, we were greeted only by an empty warehouse. Eventually, a few people showed up, but they looked more like youngsters after the party, than serious businessmen. After we showed them the printed documents, they realized what is going on, but unfortunately they still didn’t have a car for us. This is often the case when negotiating in these parts of the world. They agree witheverything, promise you whatever you want and nothing is a problem. They bother with the implementation only subsequently. It turned out that a colleague who accepted our reservation a few weeks ago broke away from the “company” and set up his own. In fact, almost no one knew about us and honestly was not interested in us so much. Eventually, a friend came to help the locals, and after a quick glance at his car, we suggested that we borrow just that. After a test of loading the luggage, it turned out that nothing is really a problem, so we were able, despite somewhat tight, to finally set off towards the Batu Caves.
Fortunately, we survived a wild ride through the center of KL without losing any vital part of our car. I’ve been used to driving in the opposite direction, and when you’re honking enough, only few people will crash into you. Finally, we could also observe a different environment than the modern center. On the outskirts, the city once again resembled the good old Southeast Asia, with its huts, clutter and typical smell. After an hour and a half of driving, we finally reached Batu, parked and offered a silent prayer to the local deities that our car and luggage would still be there even after our return.
This shrine is one of the most visited places in KL, but despite the crowds of tourists, it is worth seeing. At the top of a huge colorful staircase begins a cave complex, in which individual temples and prayer houses are built. During the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, up to a million and a half visitors come here, bringing various bribes to the deities. Due to the number of people and their waste, the place is also a paradise for monkeys, who will steal you anything if you won´t pay enough attention. The neighboring Ramayana Cave is less visited, but not less impressive and even more bizarre. Also dedicated to Hinduism, it tells the story of Lord Hanuman and its colorful lights and scenes it resemble (to an ignorant European) a fairground attraction. We spent about two hours in the complex before advancing time drove us on another journey, finally out of civilization.
Taman Negara
In front of us was more than 200 km long ride to Kuala Tahan, in the middle of Taman Negara National Park. At the end, the sad view of the palm plantations lining the road was made more pleasant by the view of the proliferating signs warning of the possible crossing of elephants across the road. Unfortunately, we didn’t experience that. Kuala Tahan is a settlement in the middle of nowhere, at the beginning of the oldest rainforest in the world, which has been growing here continuously for 130 million years. You can find there a few shops, a tourist kiosk and a number of shacks, providing accommodation for adventurous travelers like ourselves. In one of them, we established our base. It was definitely not a Hilton, and the ladies were a little diffident by the equipment. (The ladies were diffident openly, we men only secretly.) We had no idea what awaited us the next day. For today, however, we just stayed and visited the local bistro with excellent food as always.
The next day our expedition began. A two-day trip through the rainforest, including sleeping in a cave, out of sight of civilization. In the morning, the arranged transport picked us up at the hut and took us to the river, from where boats take off into the depths of the jungle. There we also met our guide, whom we began to call Apu due to our inability to pronounce his name correctly. He gave us all provisions, three liters of water per person, a sleeping bag and a mat. Fortunately, I had a big backpack with me, otherwise I don’t know how we would be able to take everything. All was followed by boarding a boat and a two-hour journey upstream to the heart of the forest.
The voyage itself was beautiful. The impenetrable wall of plants, glowing with so many shades of green, surrounded the river tightly on both sides. The sun was scorching us, the humidity was one hundred percent, and we were excitedly waiting for what lay ahead. We approached the shore at an abandoned science station, consisting of several cottages. In their shadow Apu unpacked our lunch and tried to inform us about the following events with his modest English. Chewing chicken, we heard that during his career as a guide in the rainforest, he had already encountered elephants, tigers, panthers, buffaloes and bears. Also, that he sincerely hopes that we won’t meet any of the above along the way. He explained that in the event of a close encounter with the local fauna, his priority is to save himself so that he can try to save us, or at least some of us. Encouraging words that evoked excitement in some of us, panic in others. However, the road only led forward and we set off on an eight-kilometer jungle route, which we had planned to finish in 6 hours.
I will not lie to you when I say that a loaded backpack is not a pleasant companion in the rainforest. Even without such luggage, it is quite a challenge for a person unused to the local climate. To this you can add almost non-existent paths and the need to manage water very responsibly. Apu utilized our frequent stops for pointing out interesting facts about the local flora and fauna. We even walked through an abandoned village of the original forest inhabitants, who still live their lives independently of the world beyond the jungle. We found that there are many abandoned huts made of leaves and bamboo, in the area. The locals follow the custom that whenever one of them dies, they bury him in his home and, so as not to disturb his spirit, they move away and build a new settlement elsewhere. From my point of view, the peak of the journey came when we came across a group of these inhabitants. Out of nowhere, they appeared in front of us and looked at us for a moment. We tried to wave at them, but it was clear in their eyes that we are something completely irrelevant, uninteresting to them, and suddenly they disappeared again through the thick greenery.
Stumbling and sweating, we finally found ourselves in front of our campsite. The entrance to the cave was slightly elevated and required a little climbing. This was annoying, especially because huge and lightning-fast centipedes scurried across the rocks, which Apu had told us were highly venomous (His exact words were, “This bite – you dead.”). Fortunately, the cave itself was insect-free, but with a large flock of bats living under the ceiling. These welcomed roommates consumed each mosquito before it could try to consume us. Within this huge, sometimes up to twenty meters high hall, we began to build our camp. More groups of us met on the spot. A total of about 20 people and 4 guides, one of whom was Apu’s naughty cousin, whose favorite game was “Pull me by the finger”. As the guides set out to light a fire in order to drive away animals which normally sleep in the cave, we set out for a nearby stream to wash off a day’s march. The fear of leeches was suppressed by the need for at least basic hygiene, and the pot we used to cleanse ourselves was just as good for bringing water back to the cave, making tea and dinner. I couldn’t get enough of the tea. The fact that we have a renewable source of fluids due to fire made me forget that we drink water from a leech-infested stream. It should be noted that even several months after the expedition, none of us observed any parasites or digestive problems.
Apu cooked us a decent dinner from the food we brought, even though, as he himself admitted, cooking was not his strongest feature. As soon as it got dark, and in these latitudes it happens early and very quickly, we went for a short night walk around the cave. Of course, with a strong warning not to wander off and to be very careful where we step and what we touch. The scorpions, huge spiders, joined the venomous centipedes, and we were even lucky enough to see the Muntjak deer. There was no tiger in the area (or we didn’t notice it), but we saw enough traces of an elephant’s presence to be happy to return to the safety of the cave. The night passed there quite undisturbed, not counting the mysterious nocturnal animals that roamed through our kitchen during the night.
After waking up, and a few cups of river tea and toasts, which Apu prepared for us, we went on another eight-kilometer hike, this time back to the river. The journey was in a cheerful spirit, knowing that in the evening we would sleep in bed again and after a shower. The modest equipment of our hut now seemed to us like a five-star resort. The problem occurred during a break, when we noticed a spider the size of a man’s palm on the ground. As a true documentarist, Dan tried to capture him on camera, but he grossly underestimated his speed. With the lighting speed and just a few leaps the monster found its way directly to the safety of Dan’s backpack. Apu heroically stood up to the challenge of solving this sudden issue. However, to our disappointment, after a few nudges in the backpack, he stated that there was no spider in it. This, of course, did not reassure us and we insisted on a more detailed examination of the situation. I had to agree with Dan’s attitude, because at that moment I would not want to carry such luggage on my back either. Eventually, we found the black passenger in the side pocket, and Apu managed to expel him, but with visible respect. Needless to say, we haven’t put our backpacks down since then during our breaks.
To the tangible relief of all of us, we finally arrived at the river, where we waited an hour for the boat and set out again towards civilization. During the voyage, I noticed that my decision to take off the anti-leech sleeves on the way back through the woods bore fruit, in the form of a small companion attached to my calf. The removal was successful, and in the end, I was pleased, because a visit to the forest is not complete without contracting some parasite. After disembarking and waiting for transport to the village, Apu surprised us again and brought us an ice cream cone from who knows where. We enthusiastically thanked him and left him a tip big enough for the much-needed English courses. Our first steps after returning to the hut led to the fridge, where coca cola and rum were stored. The end of the expedition deserved a toast and a promise that we would never complain about accommodation ever again.
Redang
After cursory washing our sweaty tops and sleeping in bed, we left our forest homestead the next morning and headed to Kuala Terengganu, 400 km away. There we managed to return the car at the airport after considerable confusion. The delegate could not be found, so in the end, we simply left the car at the airport and sent the company a photo with a message to pick it up. Our next trip led to the local jetty, where a ferry awaited us as we set off to the tropical island of Redang, where we were to spend the next three days. It doesn’t have to be all adventure and our brave wives deserved a little luxury and relaxation after the hardships of the jungle. Honestly, we welcomed it as well. The air-conditioned boat transported us to the island to one of the resorts, hidden on a cliff in the shade of palm trees. A tropical paradise like from the catalog.
The following days were in the spirit of holiday relaxation. Redang is a small island with just one village in the middle, a port and several accommodations. However, they are small and cozy. No tourist monstrosities, such as on the coast of Bali. We saw a maximum of a dozen tourists on the several kilometers of the main beach, so we could sip coconut juice undisturbed and enjoy the fact that we don’t have to wander through the jungle. As usual on the first day on the beach, we got massive sunburns. Usually, when on holiday, we manage to compensate for these small inconveniences with an increased dose of drinks, but this proved to be a problem in Malaysia. The sale of alcohol is very limited in this Muslim country, and absolutely nothing could be bought on the whole island. Only “virgin cocktails”, like Long Island Ice Tea without rum and the like, were sold in the hotel bar. Fortunately, we still had the remnants of our “iron supplies” with us and thus took the opportunity to improve the offered drinks a bit. So I spent my birthday like a king on a tropical island, but without major celebrations.
A beautiful experience was a boat trip to the other side of the island, where we rented snorkeling equipment and spent half a day diving with a flock of turtles. After anchoring, our captain pulled out a bucket of chopped cuttlefish, and after pouring this bait into the water, a dozen of one meter long turtles suddenly swarmed around us, without any shyness. We had to be very careful not to inadvertently kick them. Even the boat trip itself, along the golden beaches and the stop on the sandy atoll, as if cut from pirate movies, was amazing. A little less impressive was our visit to a coral reserve on a neighboring island. We hoped for another underwater paradise of colors, but the bottom was almost dead. The occasional anemone or octopus did not save the overall impression, and after being attacked and several times even bitten by a very territorial fish, I decided to withdraw.
Overall, however, the stay on Redang fulfilled its purpose. We felt rested, the sunburn turned into a tan, and we enjoyed a bit of a vacation in the original sense of the word. We also ate to the full in the local restaurant, which we visited dutifully every night and we always left in complete excitement. This is often the case in places where the locals go to eat and you won’t interfere with many tourists. The owner and the chef asked us for a photo together after the last dinner, so if you ever visit D´Kieara on Redang, you may see us hanging on the wall.
Kuching
Satisfied, we left this tropical paradise one morning and set out on another adventure to the island of Borneo. A pleasantly air-conditioned ship first took us back to the mainland to Kuala Terengganu, where we boarded an almost abandoned plane after a short refreshment at the airport. At the time, we were delighted with the fact that we were flying to Borneo, with the vision of an airport liquor store, where we planned to replenish our depleted supplies. After landing, we actually found one such store in the airport lobby, and with the vigor of children in the toy store before Christmas, we threw ourselves to the shelves. Of course, I’m only talking about the male part of our expedition. The more prudent female half just shook their heads, pretending to be ashamed. However, in the eyes of our ladies, I saw the same passion that we were not ashamed to express in public. However, a cold shower followed.
After unloading our purchase (which would probably cover the consumption of a smaller state) on the counter, the saleswoman asked us where we were coming from and whether we were staying at Borneo. The response to our reply was an apology and a statement that she cannot sell us any liquor. I can’t express in words the extent of my disappointment. We have fallen victim to a standard bureaucratic nonsense. Alcohol can only be bought here if you are flying out of the country (which I would still understand), or if you arrive in Borneo from a country other than Malaysia (which I couldn´t grasp). My negotiation skills proved insufficient to solve this oxymoron, and we had no choice but to return Bacardi and Jameson’s bottles to the shelves with a heavy heart and continue our vacation soberly.
Of course, we didn’t mourn for long. After all, we were in Borneo and it was out of place to worry about the lack of booze. As evening approached, a taxi took us to our hotel in the north of Kuching, about which I have to talk a little more. USCI Hotel Kuching amazed us in several ways. It was part of the university complex and also the congress center. Right on the ground floor was the library, where a some students occasionally appeared, but otherwise the entire building was completely empty. Which was strange given the fact that I´m talking about a super modern, twenty-story hotel, with an infinity pool, rooftop bar and waterfalls in the atrium. In addition to us, the entire hotel accommodated about 5 other guests and the staff consisted of about 15 people, whose average age I estimate at 16 years. In short, a bizarre situation, even taking into account the fact that it was the cheapest accommodation in the whole trip. But for us a great opportunity for rest and comfortable sleep before the upcoming trip to the nature reserve. Of course, the reception assured us that breakfast is served at seven o’clock in the morning and we can leave early without any problems. Here we return again to the fact that in Asia, they will agree with every request and solve the practical side of the issues only subsequently.
So in the morning we entered into the luxurious hotel restaurant at seven o’clock, where our early presence aroused horror and panic among the staff. Of course, there was absolutely nothing ready, but looking at the confused employees around us, we couldn’t be angry and we´re grateful for the little juice, coffee and a few pre-made cupcakes. Given that the restaurant had about fifty tables, I would like to see how the staff would handle the bus of Chninese pensioners. I wouldn’t wish that on the staff, not even the Chinese.
Our main point of the program for that day was a visit to the Semenggoh Nature Reserve. One of the last few places in the world where you can observe orangutans in the wild. After a taxi took us a few kilometers outside the city, we bought tickets and set off with several dozen other visitors to the center of the park. It is basically a science center, surrounded by a forest in which apes live. They are taught that twice a day they can get something to eat from the caretakers, and if they want, they will emerge from the depths of the jungle with outstretched paws. So no one can guarantee that you will actually see them. If they don’t want to, they simply won’t come.
However, we were lucky and after less than an hour of waiting, a mother and a child came down from the treetops, stole a coconut and started teaching her young the correct opening techniques in the safety of the foliage. It didn’t take long and we were able to see a several of these beautiful animals, which, when you see alive and so close, really resemble a red hairy man. One of the males liked to show off and pose for all the photographers in a tree right by the road, barely three meters from us. It was a really powerful experience, albeit a little bittersweet at the thought that unless something fundamental in our world changes, our children will no longer have the opportunity to observe orangutans in the wild.
In the park we also had the opportunity to see two crocodiles, which was a very sad sight, however, as they were both locked in a reinforced concrete cage. In short, the focus here is mainly on apes. Enriched by this experience, we returned to Kuching, to explore the city as well. It was not a village that might come to your mind, when thinking of Borneo. Kuching is the capital of the region with100,000 inhabitants and so far probably the most modern city we have seen since leaving KL. It was hard to believe that we were on this tropical island. The sultans have enough money to scatter, so there is no shortage of megalomaniac buildings, prayer houses, lighted bridges and colorful fountains. We were also caught here by the first real tropical storm, when a sunny day turned into night in a few moments, and the torrential downpour flooded the earth with such an amount of water that does not fall in our homeland in a year.
We used this forced break to buy Bornean souvenirs and a delicious dinner served on a palm leaf, with rice cooked in the flowers of carnivorous plants. It sounds weird, but it tasted great. After returning to the hotel, we had another bizarre experience with the staff. We decided to extend our evening and have a few drinks at the rooftop bar with a view of the city. I do not hide the fact that our motivation was increased by the disappointment from the store at the airport the day before and also by the fact that on Redang we could indulge in only non-alcoholic drinks. So we were delighted to enter the abandoned bar with bartender, who has been standing there in attention the whole day. The panic that we had seen in his colleagues during breakfast reappeared in his eyes as he looked at us. We wanted to have something with rum, but the option was not on the table. Although there were many bottles of all kinds of alcohol at the bar, the drink menu was much poorer and we didn’t have the heart to ask the poor man to mix something extra for us. So we ordered four margaritas (as their picture was on the cover of the menu), and we had them on the table in less than an hour. This was preceded by the bartender’s googling of instructions on “how to make margarita”, and a subsequent phone call at the reception, from where he had to call for reinforcements to be able to withstand the current rush of customers. I think he applied for an early retirement after we left, knowing that he had worked hard enough for a lifetime.
The next morning we went to Bako National Park. It was recommended to me by my Malaysian colleague as a place not to be missed. So my expectations were high. The park is located on a peninsula just twenty kilometers north of the city, but the way to it is possible only by boat. The area itself also offers a few accommodation options in cottages. However, they were all booked a year in advance and we had to be satisfied with just one day and a fixed time of arrival and departure. During the cruise we could see the mangrove thickets lining the banks of the river and the coast. Ideal hiding place for crocodiles, which reside here in large numbers. The landing on the wave-whipped beach took place in such a way that a we took off our shoes and jumped into the water, knee deep, hoping that we would not take an unwanted bath with our backpacks. Fortunately, we managed and we were able to register ourselves at the tourist center. This is an important step to prevent visitors from getting stuck in the park overnight. Our boat was supposed to pick us up again at four o’clock, so we had almost the whole day to explore the park.
Bako has once again offered us a completely different kind of nature than we have seen so far. The high tide area was over a hundred meters wide, and during the low tide, when we landed, it revealed a mangrove, resembling a forest on legs, and a beach dotted with thousands of dens of small crabs. Before we went deeper into the park, we walked on elevated platforms above the wetlands, unsuccessfully looking out for crocodiles. A short jungle expedition followed. However, it was completely different from the one we visited on the mainland. Back then it was dark, thick and stuffy. The jungle in Bako, probably due to its proximity to the sea, was much airier, lighter and full of colorful plants. After half an hour of walking, we arrived at a small beach, where luck smiled on us again. In addition to a school of amphibian fish clapping on the rocks, we came across a couple of fishermen who offered to take us by boat for a small fee to the opposite end of the park, from where we can walk back on foot. We enthusiastically agreed and did not think about the possible abduction scenario at that moment.
It was a great decision, because not only did we cover a much larger area of the park, but also the voyage around the rock formations along the coast was fantastic. Before disembarking, the captain examined cloudy water, searching for crocodiles, then urged us to move quickly to solid ground. He didn’t have to tell us twice. The beach he dropped us on seemed to have fallen out of the lost world. No one anywhere, just a narrow strip of sand and behind it twenty meters high, impenetrable wall of the forest. However, we did find a small footpath, thanks to the map of the park we got our bearings and set off in a slow march back to a few kilometers distant center. The hike was beautiful, full of wetlands, flowers we had never seen before and sea views.
After returning and finding out that we still have an hour until the boat arrives, we decided to climb to the viewpoint above the visitor center. Firstly for the view, but mainly in the hope that we will finally see one of the main local attractions, proboscis monkeys. Eventually, we managed to meet them only after climbing back down, in the center itself. In addition to the macaques and warthogs, we’ve become accustomed to, these nearly a meter-sized, endangered monkeys with huge noses suddenly began to swing over us in the treetops. Again, just a few meters from us, as if they were asking for a photo. Fully saturated with experiences, we boarded the boat again and headed back to our futuristic hotel.
Mulu
The next day we were moving again. In the morning, a taxi picked us up at the hotel (with a considerable delay) and took us to the airport, from where we flew to the center of Borneo. Just a several kilometers below the Sultanate of Brunei, to the Mulu National Park, where you can only get by plane. This incredibly beautiful place was for me personally the highlight of our expedition. The whole park is set in a karst area, and in addition to the jungle, it is interwoven with many kilometers of large caves that offer views you will not see anywhere else.
After our propeller plane successfully landed, we were transported to a center a few kilometers away. It is built right in the jungle, with a gentle consideration of the surrounding natural environment. Small cottages standing on poles cover the green roofs and you will feel like sleeping right in the rainforest. As the park has a limited capacity and there are many people interested, we had accommodation and the program booked many months in advance and on the first day we could look forward to the first expedition. After settling in, we and a group of other visitors hiked a few kilometers through jungle to the Deer Cave. It should be noted that the walks here were much more pleasant and faster. Almost all the trails were equipped with a wooden structure with a railing, about a meter above ground.
The cave, named after the deer who visit it to lick salt from the rocks, amazed us with its size. Until recently, it was considered the largest rock passage in the world before it was deprived of this title by a new discovery in Vietnam. Even so, its dimensions are majestic, and with a skillful pilot, a Boeing 747 could fly through. Another thing that literally got stuck in our heads was a stinging odor. The source of it was several meters thick layer of feces, covering the entire floor of the cave. The source of these was a colossal flock of bats living in the heights above us. After going through the whole cave complex, they prepared a little performance for us.
Every evening around five o’clock, a whole colony of bats, numbering over three million individuals, leaves the cave on their way to night hunting. This is also the reason why we were hardly bothered by mosquitoes during our stay. Almost everyone will fall victim to this hungry horde. So, in anticipation of the spectacular show, we settled on the benches in front of the cave and looked out for the first diners. After a few scouts, the whole flock gradually began to swarm and, like a black cloud or a snake, it twisted over our heads. It took half an hour for all the bats to fly out. A fantastic experience, which we pondered all the way back while it got dark accompanied by groups of bizarre caterpillars and millipedes.
The next day meant another caves. First, however, we boarded a boat in a small river dock and headed upstream into the forest. Our first stop was in the local village, to see the handicrafts market. A bit of a tourist trap, but you feel the need to spend some money there. Then hurry back to the boat and continue sailing to the Cave of Winds and Cleerwater. We spent almost the whole day there, admiring the little cute bats, the blind birds and the places of absolute darkness. The whole area is incredibly densely interwoven with a network of caves and new ones are constantly being discovered. Nearly 300 kilometers are currently mapped, including one of the largest underground halls in the world – the Sarawak Chamber. With its dimensions of 600x400m and a height of 80 meters, it would accommodate the entire historical center of my hometown. It makes us think about what is below us as we cheerfully walk on the surface.
In the evening we awaited another experience, a night walk through the jungle. It was only a short, about three-kilometer circuit, but at night the speed of movement decreases significantly. Especially if you don’t want to step on something you would later regret. We considered the guide to be redundant and set out into the darkness of the forest on our own, equipped only with memories of Apu’s training. The road was passable, while we had the luxury of the wooden sidewalks. Caterpillars and centipedes kept us company there. We experienced a bit of adrenaline only when it was necessary to leave the well-kept path, to parts where almost nothing separated us from the rest of the jungle. We suddenly realized how the forest would come to life at night, and that we would not like much of that life at all. Glossy black spiders the size of a human hand jumped before our feet, and their furry orange cousins designed webs over our heads. We also saw stick insects, as big and as thick as a man’s forearm. It may seem like I’m exaggerating, but in the depths of the forest, creatures are really terrifying. The thought of getting lost in the jungle and being forced to make a way through at night made a chill run down my spine. A broken tree trunk, blocking the path, was enough of a challenge for us. We had to crawl under him on all four for two or three meters. It wasn’t exactly pleasant to know what was crawling there with us. I would almost forget the snakes hanging from the branches of the trees. In the end, however, we were not eaten and returned to the center in good health, proud of our bravery and richer in an intense experience.
Nightlife in the jungle:
Our last jungle adventure before returning to civilization was a treetop trip. It is a well-known attraction also in our country, which, however, takes on a new dimension in the environment of a tropical forest. In addition to the magical surroundings also for its size. With an average height of 25 meters and a length of half a kilometer, it is one of the longest suspension trails in the world. We were lucky enough to spend over two hours undisturbed and without the presence of other visitors.
However, every fairy tale must end once, and ours was slowly coming to an end. So we closed our jungle chapter, boarded the plane, and with a transfer in Kuching, set out to meet our last stop – Singapore. From a low-cost Malaysia, we suddenly moved to one of the most expensive cities in Asia.
Singapore
Singapore is undoubtedly an interesting place, and although it has not appealed to me personally, enthusiasts of modern architecture and skyscrapers will certainly enjoy themselves there. What is remarkable is how it stands out from the surrounding Malaysia, of which it was still a part in the 1960s. However, the growing Chinese influence in the city was a thorn in the side of the Malaysian government, which in response introduced a number of measures throughout the country to support the original Malaysian population and business. In response, Singapore declared its independence.
The Chinese influence is still striking nowadays. It starts with the little things, like big fines for jaywalking. It ends with almost Orwell’s nonsense such as the ban on chewing gum, the ban on kissing in public and the ban on criticizing the government. Everything is then supported by an unprecedentedly dense network of public cameras. At lunch at the market in Chinatown, we were watched by up to eleven at a time. An interesting experience, but definitely nothing I would appreciate having at home.
But as I don´t want to only slander, there are also nice places in Singapore which are worth visiting. For me, it was mainly the aforementioned Chinatown with the largest market I have ever seen, and also the huge Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, built around (surprisingly) a relic of the Buddha’s tooth, set in gold, in a gold room. Also worth seeing is the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is almost a symbol of the city, and the futuristic buildings in The Garden by the Bay, combining modern buildings with the greenery of nature.
We ended our visit to the city with a night tour of the local zoo. A very nice experience, when the train took us inside the darkened zoo and we were able to see almost everything that Malaysian nature has to offer within two hours. As we have already had the opportunity to see with our own eyes, the jungle comes to life during the night with a completely different life, and it was no different here. Tigers, elephants, jaguars, tapirs and bats with a meter-long wingspan kept company, and although I don´t particularly like seeing animals in captivity, I really enjoyed this attraction.
The next day, Nina and I went to the airport and back to Europe, while Dan and Kristina continued their honeymoon north, to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Unfortunately, we, as employees whose holiday budget was already tapped by a trip to New Zealand, had to re-engage in the work process.
Sample of Malaysian cuisine:
Summary
Southeast Asia did not disappoint us again. We returned richer with countless experiences and memories that helped us during the travel embargo caused by the Covid pandemic in the years to come. After a long time, we also tried the journey with more people. This is practical because you are not only annoying each other, but also others. Therefore, the annoyance is diluted and the resulting impression remains positive. For me, the highlight will probably be a night in a cave in the middle of the oldest rainforest in the world. Although the journey, conditions and sleep were not often pleasant, the reward was always worth any inconvenience. Now the memories of the night forest, the natives and the endless underground spaces will not be taken away from us by anyone.