Borneo
Get lost in the forest.
The island of Borneo is divided into three parts, Malaysia, Indonesia and little Brunei. The worlds third largest island, its covered in what scientist believe to be the worlds oldest living rainforest. An impressive 130 million years old. With over 20,000 different species of plant and tree's, over 200 species of mammals and over 400 species of bird. There's a reason this hidden little gem is a must for the nature lovers, the avid travellers and the adventure seekers alike.
Flying from London, I was lucky enough to win tickets travelling first class with Singapore Airlines on the size defying A380. Overwhelmed by travelling in style I could hardly stop repeating how totes amazeballs this was, getting snarls and strange looks from the older much wealthier couple next to me.
But once onboard I took a whole new persona. When the pretty Singaporean air hostess would ask how I was? I would always reply "delightfully splendid darling, but i'm a little dry, could I bother you for a champagne".
Apart from 5 star hotel quality comfort and world class restaurant quality food, I was offered an unlimited bar, entertainment as well as a full body massage. Hate to say it but the wealthy really do travel in style. The BASTARDS!!
I was flying into the Malaysian part of Borneo, which makes up only 25% of the island. Its consists of Sarawak in the south and Sabah in the north. Flying via the Capital Kuala Lumper into Kuching, the capital of Sarawak.
Located on the banks of the Sarawak River the city is bustling with life and traffic. A year round tropical climate, the temperature hovers around 30 degrees, rain in constant and humidity sticky. The city centre is small yet thriving, people move about filling the many markets, malls and parks. There's a constant feeling of dampness on the city streets, as grey clouds peer from the mountains behind. Food is plentiful and spicy aroma's fill the clean and crisp air. There's a look out point that hosts a small museum where you can view the entire city, its handful of skyscrapers and its luxury hotels that hug the harbour side.
A quick 30 minutes out of town lays the Semmongoh Wildlife Centre, described as a rehabilitation park for injured and endangered animals, its home to a small zoo of reptiles and bird life. However the main attraction for the eco geeks and animal lovers is its small community of Orang-utans that you get to meet close up. I happen to be both an eco geek and animal lover so this was an exciting time for me.
Neither caged nor bound, the orang-utans go about there daily lives among the rainforest tree tops, as a passer by, you walk the many paths, with your head up with your camera out, waiting for your first encounter. I was lucky enough to come face to face with a small family. A mother, her teenager and her baby. Now i'm not a massive monkey fan (due to previous experiences), but there is something so peaceful and graceful about these gentle creatures. they have a look of kindness that softly seeps from their eyes and a feeling of acceptance and warmth is meet with every armed lengthened embrace. A cuddle only rivalled by that of your own mother. An incredible and life changing experience.
Leaving Kuching our journey continued deeper in the rainforest realms of Borneo. Into the depths of Miri and Mulu. Flying into Miri on MASwings, our short propeller flight was comfortable and entertaining with one of the funniest on-board safety video I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Miri is an old oil rich town, which boast a lavish lifestyle due to it wealthy past. Similar to Kuching in many ways, it lays on the coast with dense forest and ruggered mountains at its back-door. Its from Miri you'll venture into Mulu and its in Mulu that you'll experience what you've come to believe about Borneo. Its the key that will unlock a magnitude of natural magnificence and mystery. Mulu is Borneo.
Staying at the Royal Mulu Resort, our cabin is perched high above the rainforest floor. Amongst the trees, like a Jane and Tarzan, colourful birds and furry small mammals constantly pop over for a quick hello. Wrapped in wooden fixtures, the cool breeze and rain if underpinned by the warm feeling felt inside. This really is the tree house that your childish dreams were made of.
A nature lover myself, I was an eager beaver and overly ecstatic to start exploring the wonders of the rainforest. With my hiking boots ready we started by foot on many of the nature walks and trekking sites that are spread like a spiders web across the rainforest floor. It seemed that with every step the foliage got thicker, the tree's got taller, the sounds creepier. Monkeys bounced across the tree tops like eerie shadows in the corner of your eye, plants seems to evolve into alien like worlds, bugs and insects crawled from all around and birds sing with the echoing winds that sneak and chime through the trunks of the tree's.
A modern Pandora, plants shiver and hiss with ant colonies that live inside. Tree's so linear and so robust they seem to reach the heavens above. They pack together so tightly they mirror the streets of Manhattan. Colourful mushrooms and fungi pop as if to reach the sunlight and massive ferns seem to so elegantly bow as you past them by. Water drops and slides its way down from the leafy tops to the silent streams that slither around your feet, fish blow bubbles with a flutter of little bugs the skim the waterline. So surreal, your eyes dance with the surroundings, never tiring to the wonders its seeing.
A high wire walk way, the highest in the world is a fun alternative to see the sights from the sky above.
Wander riverside, park your butt and rest your feet in an old wooden and sometimes leaking canoe.
Power down stream past villages whose lives strive from the forest around them. See women bathing, kids playing, fathers fishing, locals going about their daily lives like they have from generation to generation. You can stop to visit one of the many community of people that live along the river and interact and learn from the people who know the rainforest better than anyone. Learn about how these people have built successful communities from appreciating and utilising the gift of nature without the help of machinery or the numbness of technology that we so selfishly rely on.
Sail deeper and you soon come to see what makes this place so remarkable. A cluster of 4 caves each intriguing as the other. Deer Cave, Langs Cave, Clearwater Cave and the Cave of the Winds
Deer Cave - Arguably the worlds largest, you will not venture into something more gigantic. As if the mountain side has opened its mouth wide, ready to take a bite out of earth. Hidden away from the endless rainforest, the sight of this open wound casting a devilishly black shadow towards the depths of hell is unnerving as it is spectacular. Inside walk its ancient river bed, once a tunnel of gushing waters, which has now so delicately designed its walls. Boulders beam up towards trinkets of water that sift from the ceiling, whilst glow in the dark slugs and insects clean the cave floor. You'll notice a constant squeak from the darkness above, but beware not even your torch can shed light on the creatures that lurk above.
The piles and piles of faeces soon begin to unravel the mysterious creatures above. You soon release that over 3 million wrinkled lipped bats line the roof and call Deer cave their home. Come dusk and you have the chance to view a natural phenomenon that even overwhelmed Sir David Attenborough himself. As you walk outside past Abraham Lincoln (a rock formation that tops even the finest designs of Mount Rushmore) take a seat and wait to be amazed. Like a thick blanket of black, the bats fly out. A tornado of life that siphons across the sky. Seeming to never end the bats are constantly hounded by hawks whose talons seek their next meal.
This Mexican stand off between bat and bird adds to the thrill that spirals out for a good half and hours time. This is definitely a once in a life time spectacle which is a must for all nature enthusiasts.
Langs Cave - Marvel at the beauty of limestone. Transformed by water over the years, Langs cave has unrivalled patterns of spiral lines that sweep across its walls, ceiling and floor. To add to the visual excitement, mars like stalagmites and stalactites emerge like dripping worms. Bring your torch and cast shadows and create creatures in the night. With the constant dripping this wet cave has the feel of an Alfred Hitchcock movie crossed with the darkest moments in Alien.
Clearwater Cave and Cave of Winds - Similar in appearance inside, the two caves are located within a stalagmites throw of each other. Rock formations appear to be layer upon layer of pencils shaped lines all creeping towards to entrance for air. Inside Clearwater cave has a crystal like river that snakes it way past sharp limestone towers that glisten in the light from above. That same light brightens the water to a flowery green where on closer inspection is unbelievably pure and clean. Cave of Winds lives up to its name with its medley of soothing sounds, from whistling to howling, whimpering to growling, close your eyes, and you'll swear its alive.
It really is hard to capture the charisma of these caves in a few short paragraphs, they move your senses to other worlds and capture your most vivid imagination, you cannot but be amazed by the beauty of the forest and the mystery of the underground. This has definitely been a journey to remember.
Thank you Borneo.
