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Published: February 22nd 2014
We had a couple of nights at the Damai Puri Resort on the Santubong Peninsula about one hours drive from Kuching. When we arrived we were very impressed with the 4 star hotel but we quickly began to realise it was desperately in need of some care and attention and the staff a few training courses - could that be why, including us, there are only about 30 people here in a hotel that could accommodate hundreds? There are a few shops about a 5 minute walk away and a couple of restaurants.
These shops are opposite the Sarawak Cultural Village, and probably owe their existence to it. We visited the Sarawak Cultural Village in the pouring rain on our second day. I was expecting it to be really naff but it was surprisingly well done. The houses were built specially for the village, not original ones relocated, so were not authentic but done really well. A house had been built for each of the 7 ethnic groups found in Sarawak: Bidayuh, Iban, Penan, Orang Ulu, Melanau, Malays and Chinese. All sorts of handicrafts were being demonstrated by people in their traditional costumes. There were also people playing musical instruments
and singing and dancing. There was also a show in the theatre which I could have done without except that it was dry and air conditioned!
Our other organised outing was a trip on the river in the Santubong estuary with the hope of seeing some Irwaddy dolphins - which I did not. Two of the group said they saw one but I wonder.......... We picked up the two boats from a very tatty village based on the edge of the mangroves. The sea lapped around the stilts of their houses and small boats were drawn up to the houses, grounding when the tide is out. We may not have seen any dolphins but we did see a crocodile although he quickly slipped into the water when he became aware of us. We saw a few birds, Storm Storks, White Breasted Wood Swallow, White Breasted Sea Eagle and dozens of Egrets. These added nicely to the ones I had seen at the hotel: House Swallow, Asian Glossy Starling, Javan Myna and something that was either a Whimbrel or a Far Eastern Curlew.
At the hotel there was a fantastic beach but not much was going on on it
and the rock pools had only a couple of small fish trapped in them. I had another swim in the sea but I don't think it was 30°C as we had experienced before. It feels much less humid in this area than we have experience before and the breeze make it a lovely climate at the beach and in the city of Kuching, on the waterfront at least.
I am now back in Kuala Lumpur staying for two nights at a great but querky airport hotel until I set off to Burma on 23 February 2014. We waved goodbye to members of the group as they dropped off one by one until I waved goodbye to the majority of them at KL Airport as they transited for their flight to London, Sian with them. It is amazing that a few weeks ago we did not know each other and now we are like one big family. By a coincidence one of the group had booked into the Concord Inn also before his flight to South Africa today so we stayed up until the others were in the air having a glass of wine. Why do I describe this place
as 'querky'? It has a very grand entrance, a half hourly shuttle bus to the airport only a few minutes away, a great breakfast buffet ( I've yet to try dinner), but the rooms are all on ground level and are laid out in rows and it has the look of a 1950's holiday camp. It is very hot in KL but does not seem as humid as when we were here at the beginning of the trip. I am having a quiet day catching up with myself and as there is fantastic WiFi here I'm listening to live Radio 4 on my tablet - heaven!!!
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Ann & Bernard
non-member comment
Borneo Exodus Group
We loved the blog and look forward to further entries from Burma. Thanks also for setting up the photo website - You may note the group photo from Kuching. Love and keep in touch, Ann & Bernard.