Day 308: Saturday 2nd May - The long way to Taman Negara The most direct route to get to Kuala Lumpur to Taman Negara National Park in central Malaysia is to get on one of the many buses operated by tour companies. I have a different idea. I have heard about the jungle railway which runs through the jungle-clad interior and which is rated as one of Malaysia’s best journeys. As well as the breathtaking scenery, the actual journey in the carriage sounds like it could be a fascinating experience. The nearest station to Kuala Lumpur which the jungle railway passes through is Gemas. I have researched into the bus journey and I need to first take a bus to Seremban and then a second to Gemas. There are only 4 buses a day from Seremban ... read more

Day 303: Tuesday 28th April - The wonderful riverside setting of Kuching Kuching is another city in Borneo where the long-distance bus station is on the outskirts of the city. A couple of helpful locals point me in the right direction of where I can catch a local bus to the city centre. I check in to Singgahsana Lodge which is surprisingly very good and hip for a hostel in Asia, although the price does reflect this. After having some breakfast I start to explore Kuching, Sarawak’s main city and one full of history. Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei 200 years ago but as a reward for help in putting down a rebellion, it was ceded to the British adventurer James Brooke who ruled it as his personal kingdom. Kuching was made ... read more

Day 297: Wednesday 22nd April - Another Day, another cave I’m feeling incredibly lethargic today. All these early mornings and long walks are catching up with me. I think about returning to bed and having an easy day, but decide against it and stick to my original plan for today, which is to visit Niah caves. The Niah Caves National Park is one of Sarawak’s smaller national parks, and is situated 100km from Miri. The park’s claim to fame is its role as one of the birthplaces of civilisation. The oldest modern human remains discovered in Southeast Asia were found in Niah, and were estimated to be 40,000 years old. Getting to Niah is the biggest headache about the visit. By public transport, two different buses are needed and then finally a taxi to take you ... read more

Day 289: Tuesday 14th April - Arriving in the Sultan’s Kingdom I make a mental calculation on my journey to Brunei. When I arrive, this will be the 16th country I have set foot in during the last 10 months. Crossing the border into Brunei uses probably the best mode of transport I’ve used yet to do a border crossing....it is by boat. First, I catch a ferry from KK to Labuan Island, three hours from KK. In Labuan, we have a two hour stop over before boarding another boat for the hour crossing to Brunei. The two hours is just enough to get some lunch and then check up on my emails. I’ve been in contact with a tour agency in Miri about doing a tour to Mulu National Park. They can’t do the day ... read more

Day 285: Friday 10th April - Arriving on the Kinabatangan River It is good to be able to have a lazy morning ahead of my trip to the Kinabatangan River. I am not getting picked up until noon so I can laze around in my bed watching a daft, slushy rom-com on TV and get a late breakfast. It takes 3 hours to reach the Kinabatangan River, at 560km long, the longest river in Sabah. It is also estimated to have the largest collection of wildlife in all of Malaysia. 8 species of hornbills have been spotted here along with numerous other birds such as the kingfisher and the snakebird. The Kinabatangan is also one of only two places on earth where 10 primate species can be found. These include, the Orang-Utan, the Bornean Gibbon, the ... read more