Kuching is symbolised by the Cat and the city makes the most of this with statues of Cats in many of the park areas. Unfortunately I spent most my time looking at four walls of Alai Backpackers B&B after catching flu and been laid low (cat napping!) for 6 of the 10 days I spent in Kurching. I was looking to have been pointed at Alai Backpackers as a place to stay because from the start I was welcomed like family by Vivian and Tony and so when I fell ill I received plenty of care and so didn't suffer any [View Full Entry]

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Gunung Mulu National Park, (52,000 Ha) in Sarawak encompasses incredible caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. I arrived in Mulu at a small airport in the middle of the jungle and safely made it to the park where I was informed to put my bags in my room and get ready for our first cave visit. It all felt a bit rushed but I am glad I did it on arrival at Mulu because otherwise I would have missed the seeing the Bat Exodus from the caves at dusk - subsequent days the rains meant the bats [View Full Entry]

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The jungle noises seem far away as I fall asleep in KK, the sounds of cricket and frogs are now replaced by the typical noise of the city oh and the odd firework going off at midnight as Malaysia celebrates 50 years of independence. I hadn't realised until I arrived in KK with my traveling companion, Silke (who I first met diving in Sipadan), that Malaysia was celebrating 50 years of Independence and this was to meant big parades and parties in the park. For the fireworks I had to jump out of bed, hastily dress and run down the street [View Full Entry]

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Well a big Crocodile Smile from my return trip to Sungai Kinbatagan, there was a Frog Chorus but sadly no Nelly the Elephants. Whilst at Semporna several people arrived that had just spent several days at Uncle Tan's Jungle Camp and seen elephants so I decided a return trip was probably worth it and as it would break up my journey back to KK which was 10 hours by bus. So after a early start and 5 hours bouncing in a bus, me and a couple of fellow travelers from Semporna arrived at the meet up point for Uncle Tan's, where [View Full Entry]

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Well finally left Semporna behind - my initial 3 days of diving extended to 6 days of diving and a week long stay. Ah the freedom of travelling! The reason was simply the diving was so good just couldn't bare to leave. My return to Semporna was the start of my solo travels but as I have discovered you may arrive alone but you don't remain that way for long and within a day I had made new friends and after a hard days diving it was into Scuba Junkies bar for a bevvie or two and a large pizza with [View Full Entry]

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Well the time has come and the 2 month placement came to an end in style with a party on the lawn at Sepilok Resthouse. Jungle Juice flowed freely a concoction made by Jo and Georgina in a bucket from alcohol bought at the local supermaket - mainly with Malay labels and not a clue to the contect - but that was no reason to stopping it going into the bucket with a mixer over left over Ribena some energy giving 100 Plus and anything else remotely drinkable . The result was actually a rather awesome punch that went down pretty [View Full Entry]

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Well the final part of the placement has come to an end and what a fantastic way to end by time at Sepilok by working in the Outdoor Nursery with the older (but not necessarily wiser!) Orangutans. The Orangs are free to come and go but usually their stomachs rule and they turn up for feeding time or for the cheeky ones just before so they can try and mug you on route carrying the bananas to the feeding platform. We would lose all our bananas if we had not had the Security Guard Protection that came in the form of [View Full Entry]

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Well after spending 4.5 hours in a car we arrived at the rather unpictureque Semporna, the base for our dive/snorkel trip the next day to Sipadan. Home for the night after the long journey was the Dragon Inn - a complex of chalet style rooms on stilts over the water. The wooden floors to the rooms where such that you could see through the gaps to the sea below something not appreciated by all members of the group but I thought was rather cool. The rooms themselves are rather basic but definately adequate and above some of the dive hovels I [View Full Entry]

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Time is just flying and it has again been 9 days since our last days off. For these days off there was a Sepilok arranged event, an overnight stay at Sepilok Laut. Home for the night at Sepilok Laut was the Reserves Reception Centre located in the mangrove region on the edge of Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. But firstly to get there was had a choice we could either take the easy route a car and boat ride or we could trek the 5.5km from Sepilok. Me when ever have I taken the easy route?! As I saw it, it was my [View Full Entry]

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Just spent the last 9 days working at Sepilok’s Indoor Nursery (Clinic). Working in the Indoor Nursery has been an experience that is both amazing and heart wrenching; seeing those little orangutans that have lost their mothers most probably to humans in sometime horrific circumstances peering out at you but still willing to reach out to you. The day starts earlyish at 8am and there does seem to be an endless round of cleaning and making up bottles and feeding to be done but I guess that should be expected with clinic of youngsters and babies. But you don’t mind because [View Full Entry]

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