Maliau Basin - 18 March to 23 March 2009
Mabul / Sipadan - 23 March to 27 March 2009
Another yongo trip : http://www.yongo.biz/Sabah/Sabah%20Trip/Maliau6D%20Trip.htm
Arrive at Tawau Airport and get in the jeeps
Stop at the tour agent office.
Short briefing at the office
After lunch, shop for food, beer and mineral water at supermarket.
On the way to Maliau Basin. About 3 hours drive.
Logging...
Finally .. toilet stop.
We have dinner here, fried rice, before going to basecamp.
Getting dark, jeeps driving on gravel road.
Heavy rain, and very muddy. Jeeps decided not to proceed.
We had to get down and walk in the rain, about 200m will reach the Agathis camp.
Wear raincoat, and umbrella, carrying my smaller bag. At first took out my slippers to walk. Slippery and I got stuck in the mud, walking in the dark.
My other backpack I covered with the backpack cover and let the porters carry it.
Everyone arrive at Agathis Camp and start to cleanup and dry their shoes,
raincoat and clothes.
The place where we sleep...
Morning, everyone getting ready and packing for the trek.
Kelly....
Breakfast.
Agathis river, in front of the camp ....
Agathis Camp walkway and entrance. Toilet is somewhere at the back.
Had to take a bucket to get water from the river for the toilet.
Maggie mee and milo...
Preparing lunchpack
Photoshoot by the river..
Kelly, Chia and NG
Stupid leech. I got bitten on my foot when I was walking around in my slippers.
Then after wearing leech socks and trekking shoes I realized there was a leech still inside. Nevermind, tookout everything again and put plaster / antiseptic..
Scale model of the Maliau Basin ...
Yong, briefing us on where we are going to trek...
Group photo, before start the trek from Agathis Basecamp.
Ok start trekking, small bridge.
Today, its uphill....
Take a break ..
Got some ropes to mark the trail ..
NG catching all the leeches ....
Up and up ...
Use ladders ...
Up up up....
NG standing next to a big tree...
Ok, no more uphill, just walk through nice mossy forest...
Tea coloured river water...
Kelly on the bridge...
Ok ! We reached the Camel Trophy Camp, around 1.30pm
This camp was built by mat salleh's, there is also a helipad somewhere in front.
Remove shoes and leech socks to de-leech ... got some leeches sitting around in my shoes but can't get through the leech socks.
The toilet.
Have lunch, bread and tuna, biscuits and make your own hot drinks.
The other Yongo group last year...
NG and Yong ... NG playing with a leech ...
Resting and having hot drinks.....
The tall Agathis tree behind the camp that you can climb up.
Kelly climb up the ladder.
View from the top.
Rooms with double decker beds and matress (beds donated by IKEA).
But not enough beds for 18 of us. Some of the guys had to sleep on the floor.
Very cold. Didn't bring my jacket so wore three layers of t-shirt ...
Boiling water....
Cooking breakfast ...
Breakfast. Noodles with scrambled eggs.
Next day start trekking to waterfall.
Beware of leeches !
Judith
Stand on the rocks to avoid the leeches...
Ok, arrived at waterfall.
Wow..
Yay ...
After lunch and swimming, start trekking back ...
Stop at another river...
Chia going for a swim
Waterfall
Arrive back at the Camel Trophy Camp. Will spend another night here.
Me and Rachel had to write everybody's names on a piece of wood...
Difficult... can't undo or delete like designing on computer .. :P
Third day, say goodbye to Camel Trophy Camp and start trekking to the other camp ... NG waiting for me ...
Walking though the forest, no leeches here and many nice plants.
Pitcher plant...
Another pitcher plant...
Chia and NG posing with some more pitcher plants...
Some other plants ... alot of moss ...
Looks like small little bonsai plants / natural japanese garden ...
Moss with something growing out...
Big fat pitcher plant ...
The ranger said that when the Japanese tourists come here, they spend a long time looking the the plants and never want to leave !
Moss growing on the trees ...
Different type of plants in this section, now its mostly tall trees
Keep walking ....
Photoshot with funny tree ...
Maliau Basin viewpoint
Maliau Basin viewpoint
Start the long walk down to the Maliau Falls
Tree trunk with mushrooms
Help to cross over the logs ...
Arrive at Maliau waterfall
Maliau Falls
Rainbow
NG having lunch with the rangers
Just play water, too dangerous to swim ...
Trek back to our next camp.. but it starts to rain..
Everyone starts wearing raincoat...
River filled with water, shoes all wet ...
Arrive at Ginseng Camp... romove shoes and leeches
My shoes and leech socks... after having a hot drink, some of us went to the river to have a bath. Me, just dump myself with a bucket of water and its enough. Then change in the toilet. This camp no water and electricity. Discovered leech bite on my body because of bloodstains on my tshirt...
Dinner, porters cooked some rice with beef, eggplant (terung) and some vegetables and soup. Then later on played dominoes with Yong, Otto and Yoon Kian.
Beds with mattress ... donated by IKEA !
Next morning, everyone get ready for final day of trekking.
Today change t-shirt.. heh heh...
Rachel walking across the bridge...
The river next to the Ginseng Camp.
Walk walk walk then rest... today have to walk about 10km
Are we there yet ?
Ok reach Agathis Basecamp ... yay finish trekking...
Nice bath and cleanup in river...
Bye bye Agathis Camp
Agathis River
Still have to walk back to the jeeps.
Imagine walking though this mud, when it was raining in the middle of the night, on the first day !
Put your luggage in the jeeps.
Yong and Yoon Kian enjoying the rollercoaster jeep ride.
Check in to the Maliau Basin Studies Center
Nice room with bed, and hot water jug ...
Elevated platform, looks like a resort ...
Yong gives briefing on activities
Nice view ...
Chatting while eating snacks...
Rhinocerous beetle ...
Watch a short video about the Maliau Basin.
6 of us went for Night Safari .... the rangers drive us around in a jeep, while shining a bright torchlight around to look for animals. Not many animals tonight.. This is a deer eating... the fella didn't run away when it saw us .. just continued eating..
Next morning, breakfast
Checking out the Maliau Basin scale model ....
Start the canopy walk
Maliau River
Judith and Otto on the bridge
Canopy walk...
Kelly and YK
Chia taking photo with one of the rangers...
Jamie Soon and NG the leechman ...
Chatting with Harbin, one of the park rangers.
Yong and NG
Check out ...
Maliau Basin view point
Maliau Basin view point
Cooling down the jeeps.
Back to Tawau. Drop us at the bus station because some of us going to Sipadan.
Lunch... nasi briyani at curry house...
Goodbye to the rest, who are rushing to airport,
and the seven of us take the van to Semporna.
Selling langsat fruit.
Arrive in Semporna.
Me and Kelly check in to the backpackers lodge.
Our room...
Evening walk around Semporna.
Visit Amy's room at Dragon Inn.
Dragon Inn.
Looking for a good place to eat.
Having dinner ...
Ordered too much prawns... nevermind, ta pau...
Nice fresh fish...
Next morning, breakfast at the backpackers lodge. Finish up the biscuits.
Arrange for the transport to Mabul Island, and the Sipadan permit.
At first they couldn't get a permit for me, but since YK canceled her sipadan trip so I can replace her... whew ...
Boat to Mabul.
Arrive at Uncle Chang's Dive Shop in Mabul.
Have something to eat ...
Dustbin..
Check in to our room...
The others get on the boat to Sipadan..
Snorkling around Mabul
Jamie Soon ... Snorkling around Mabul
Kelly goes diving... and I go snorkling ...
Lots of European tourists ...
Check out Amy's room ...
At night is cooler...
Next morning, walking around the village in Mabul island.
Swimming pool at one of the luxury resorts ...
Next day, time to go to Sipadan !
Lady selling some fish...
Bye bye ! The rest of the yongo trekkers will checkout wait for the 2pm boat to get back to Semporna.
On the way to Sipadan.
We are here.
Have to register first... just write down your name...
As you can see from this map. Sipadan is in the middle of nowhere...
Clear waters ...
Kelly at the registration booth...
Ok, the first spot is somewhere on the other side of the island ... I saw three big turtles sleeping.
Divers getting ready... briefing by the dive instructor... I'm the only one snorkling..
Go back to shore for a drink...
Sipadan Beach...
Can see some fish...
Next dive site... briefing by instructor ...
Since only me snorkling, the guide took me around to see some turtles and a giant clam.
Abit of construction going on at the island...
A place to have lunch
Yummy.....chicken, beans and vege ...
Lizard coming to eat some chicken bones...
Yu Shan and hubby.... from Germany...
Ok bye bye Sipadan... go back to mabul island...
Divers sorting out their diving gear...
Viewing some underwater photos taken by the Korean guy...
Everybody looking at underwater photos...
Walk around Mabul island again...
Rubbish ...
Oil rig turned into a resort...
Some boys fishing
Lots of kids in the kampung playing all sorts of games....
Fish book.....
Chatting with Bernt, from Germany ....
Panorama view of Uncle Chang's lodge...
(click for larger image)
Beth and Tina English, from England !
One of the dive instructors ....
Snorkling in Kapalai ... some nice resorts here....
Kelly and another Korean diver...
Kelly getting a call from Uncle Chang... the big boss...
Last day here, check out at 8am.. enough snorkling... so waiting at the makan area . .
Have some tea and bananas...
Take the boat at 4pm to Semporna...
Semporna Jeti...
Me and Kelly take a minibus to Tawau airport ...
Air Asia flight at 8.40pm...
THE END
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