First Stop : Miri [13th and 14th May]
My first impression was, the airport design is similar to the one in Sabah. Anyways, stayed at my friend's house which was just 5 minutes away from the airport. I once again traveled with a big heavy suitcase and 2 bagpacks across three states in Sarawak. I am awed by myself.
The Miri Public Park (similat to our Youth Park) is really amazing. They built this high hanging bridge around the park where you can enjoy the hanging bridges without having to climb up mountains to experience a canopy walk. You can experience it right here at the park. The guards of the park round the park with dogs the size of German Shephards to keep the park safe.
On the second day, I went to the Crocodile Farm, ate the famous Hong You Char Shau Mien, Laksa and Kolo Mee of Sarawak, visited Curtin Technology University and ate some more.
Bright side : Good food - home cooked (friend's mum is a very good cook) and hawker as well. Offers something different from Penang.
Down Side : The moment we went outdoors, starts to pour like crazy and stops the moment we're indoors.
Second Stop : Batu Niah, Gua Niah, National Park
Gua Niah is situated in between Miri and Bintulu. Took a bus there. Trekked for about 45 minutes before reaching the cave and another 30 plus minutes exploring the cave. Towards the end of the cave, it was so dark that you can't even see the stairs in front of you. There weren't that many tourist as most people go to Miri as a transit to Mulu Caves, the more famous of the two.
There are alot of swiflets in the cave. You can see the the rope hanging from the top of the cave down for the bird nest collectors.
Three girls on a mountain climbing and animal observing trip around Sarawak.It took the 3 of us about 3hours 45 minutes to and back carrying heavy backpacks on our backs coz our next stop was Bintulu.
Bright Side : Easy Trekking. Something new-magnificient views and nature
Down Side : Heavy backpacks. Pouring cats and dogs during the entire journey out from the cave and stopped the moment we reached the end of the journey.
Third Stop : Bintulu
Stayed at a really big house. Very friendly and a very good baker host. Tasted very nice layer cakes daily. Had dinner at a restaurant courtesy of my roommate's parents. Went back to roommate's house to watch videos and laughed. Too late and tired to do anything interesting. Besides, in Bintulu, after 8pm, there is nothing much to do. The place is similar to Ipoh??
Next Day, started the day with breakfast of the local specialty called Thing Pieh Hu...something like porridge with fish meat, but instead of rice, the use flour which are shaped to look like rice grains.
Headed to Similajau, another National Park which is by the sea and had a short hike because the forest rangers banned us from hiking for improper attire and shoes. They did not have enough staff as some of them took some foreigners out to see to look at corals. They can't safe us if we were to injure ourselves while climbing.
The friend that offered us her house and accomodation and tour guide in Miri and BintuluNext we went to Taman Tumbina, a park similar to our Botanical Gardens but with a mini zoo inside. Entrance fees costs RM2 per person. There are a lot of hornbills, a pair of tigers with their cubs (but I only saw the male tiger), a peacock, some crocodiles, some turtles, 2 pythons, a few peacocks, a few monkeys and 2 sun bears??. However, the place is a bit runned down. The place is old and so are the animals inside it. The cages are rusted and you don't have a sense of security, especially at the crocodile ponds but the crocs seemed unlively.
Then we went to Bintulu industrial area. Most of them are oil processing plants.
Night was spent celebrating my friend's 21st birthday, going around Bintulu for night sightseeing around the town.
Bright side : Sunny day (a little too sunny perhaps)
Down side : Legs aching from previous day and the day's walking and hiking
Fourth Stop : Bintulu > Miri > Kuching
12pm : Boarded bus towards Miri
3.30pm : Reached home. Packed. Ate dinner. Bade Goodbyes
4.40pm : Checked-in at the airport
5.40pm : Flew towards Kuching
7pm :Dinner
9pm : Dead on the bed
Fifth Stop : Kuching
First day : Breakfast as usual. Damai Cultural Village. Here, you get to see most of the aborigine's houses and cultures and taste their delicacies. It's sort of a living museum and its home of the world famous Rainforest Music Festival.
The guy that brought us aroung in Kuching...THANKS!
Next was lunch and then to the mall called The Spring. The size is like Gurney Plaza before expansion (maybe smaller) and its supposed to be newest mall in Kuching.
Night was at a restaurant called Bla Bla Bla. Really good and comfortable environment but the price is a bit steep.
Second Day : Went to Matang Wildlife Centre..another National Park with mini zoo. This 'wildlife' mini zoo is so mini that you can count the number animals found there without using even all 10 of your fingers. Can finish the entire place in about 30 minutes. The only attraction here is the orang utan which was gigantic...really really gigantic...
Left feeling disappointed as our initial plan was to swim in the river but apparently, on the previous day, 2 big crocodiles escaped from their enclosures which makes it dangerous to swim in the river.
We went to the nearby national park called Kubah. The ranger told us that the main attraction there was the waterfall. Took us about an hour and a half just to reach the waterfall...but it was well worth the trekking. The waterfall was 100ft wide and about 30ft high. The water was crystal clear and so cool. There are smaller waterfalls at the side of the main waterfall. We spent about an hour there and started our way back. The entire trip took about 4hours.
When we reached home, we were dead as logs. Dinner courtesy of debate members was at a chinese restaurant.
Last day was spent at the Kuching Museum and Art Museum and the City's Aquarium. The museum was interesting. Most of the artifacts were preserved animals found around Sarawak. I suspect half of them are nearing extinction.
At the aquarium, guess what was there again...crocodiles. Yes, Sarawakians seem to have a thing for crocodiles and I have a thing with their safety issues. The cage is so risky. Children can just simply put their hands through the holes but I guess the crocs are tame as I saw the caretaker went into the cage without any worries and came back out again just as if he entered his own home.
Last Stop : PENANG. HOME FINALLY
For more pictures, just go to my facebook cause I'm lazy to upload too many here. Notice something in the pictures? All the signboards at the national parks are exactly the same. The difference is just in the same. So, for the other national parks that I did not upload the pics, just imagine a change in the name. That's all.
The DOWNSIDE of the entire trip : My waterproof camera died on me after a trip to the waterfall back in Sabah. Not because it was my fault but because it was not that waterproof afterall. Just sent it for repairs today. I couldn't get nice clear pictures in the caves with a 2mp phone camera :((
Another info : I think Sabah sells the costliest food ever in the entire Malaysia.
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