Travel Agent Eaglehawk

Borneo had always appealed to me as my Dad served on Labuan, an island off the coast, in WW2. No surprise that I jumped at the chance of an invitation from Tourism Malaysia to attend the Rainforest World Music Festival, held in Kuching in Sarawak, Borneo..

As always, Malaysia Airlines provided a great service, connecting through the fantastic hub of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuching can hardly be called a city with only a few 3-4 star hotels. I loved the lack of tourists plus there was some appeal of the murky river that divided Kuching. The odd old fishing boat passed which reminded me that it was a city just “plodding along”; obviously this is the gateway to a world of adventure, beauty and nature.

The locals were friendly and I felt very safe walking around the streets exploring the shops and small shopping centres. As I am a browser more than a shopper, I loved the fact that the shop staff did not hassle you to buy.

The music festival was at the Culture Centre, about 30 minutes away, set against the magnificent backdrop of a rainforest covered mountain, more than adequate to cater for the 6,000 plus that were expected. The musicians and bands attending the festival were from all over the world with many having dancers accompanying them, so quite a spectacular event. During the day there were different types of workshops, if you were so inclined. Being musically challenged, I found the food area offering local cuisine, (as with the cold beers) more of an attraction, so here we were sitting overlooking the lake, listening to the incredible music and wondering who had the next shout.

With the heat & humidity testing those of us who had just left a cold winter behind, we discovered the beautiful white sandy beaches of Damai Beach, just down the road. The accommodation in this area was also limited. The newly opened Damia Puri Resort offers a 5 star beachfront hotel. For a total getaway, the treehouse accommodation of the Permai Rainforest Resort, which is basic, but rather unique, caught my eye.

An offer to go night sea kayaking was grabbed, although my extent of exercise is using the mouse on my computer! We set off from Damai Beach, close to dusk and arrived at our destination about an hour later. Time for refreshments and a quick swim before heading back under the cover of darkness. With full trust in our guides we watched the spectacular lightening show over the mainland as we paddled towards it. The water was glowing with plankton every time our paddles hit the water. WOW...

Another special event was the short trip out to the Semenggoh Orang-Utan Centre where we witnessed the feeding of the “locals” and experienced a mother and her baby swinging in the trees above our heads. Standing in a jungle and watching these magnificent creatures up close, was very emotional!

Before I knew it we were back in the air & heading back to Kuala Lumpur. Ok another city but at least I can say “been there”…. WRONG!! What a great place! So much to see and do with, cheap shopping, as is the food and so easy to get around.

A quick visit to the 6 levels of shops attached to our hotel was an experience and I could not believe the prices as the Malaysia Mega Sale was on!!! There was even an indoor rollercoaster on one of the floors.

I fell in love with the Petronas Twin Towers which were lit up at night, an amazing sight. A quick visit to Petaling Street, Chinatown’s night markets gave me a chance to get some great bargains and again impressed that we weren’t hassled. The same experience in Little India the next day saw me buy some early Christmas presents.

Impressed with being able to check- in at the KL central rail station in the morning, for our evening flight home, meant no luggage to worry about and it was easy to get back to the station for the train trip out to the airport. So for a country girl in a big city and someone who doesn’t like shopping, I can’t wait to get back to Malaysia but will make sure it will be at the sales time, or should I go for the firework festivals, or the kite flying festival, or the beaches???

Selamat Jalan and Good Bye