Sarawak: Bako National Park, Part 1 of 3

Jetty: Boats to Bako. 9 ringgit  per person or 47 ringgit to charter a whole boat.

Once again the lure of the Land of the Hornbill (Sarawak) proved irresistible.  This time it was Bako National Park, and the chance to see the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia.

The good thing about Bako National Park is that it's easily reached from Kuching.

                                Boat speeding towards Bako. It takes 15 minutes across open sea to reach Bako.

Welcome to Bako

                                Canteen at Bako. Has satellite TV!

Most people stay at Bako. Cheap dorms and rooms available but no air-conditioning. Mine was a semi-d with attached toilet (52.50 ringgit) but even with a fan the room was warm at night, and I had a fitful sleep.

How to get to Bako from Kuching

Hourly bus leaves from Pasar (market) area starting from 8am. Takes about an hour to reach the jetty. Fare: 3 ringgit.

Bloody Mess in Sepilok, Sabah, East Malaysia

Emerging from the rainforest in Sepilok in the east  Malaysian state of Sabah, I congratulated myself on escaping from the clutches of the leeches.

But the moment I stepped into the orang-utan rehabilitation centre, four leeches launched themselves onto my feet, leg and even backside.

 Panicking at the thought of my life ebbing away, I pulled them out forcibly. For the next half hour, my feet and legs continued to bleed. Only my backside escaped unscathed as I was able to flick it away in the nick of time.

It was a bloody mess in Sepilok.

Attacks in Sepilok rainforest.

Two trekkers in Sepilok rainforest.

The rainforest can be both scary and exciting. Its stillness and quietness can unnerve you. But a sudden discovery of wildlife can be exciting.

In Sepilok you are advised not to carry any food. The monkeys can scent your food and may take it forcibly from you. Their body language seems to say "Resistance is futile". Any attempt on your part to scare them with "No!" will be met with a chorus of "Yes, we can."

I'm not joking.

A lovely stream.

Following recent rains, the trails were muddy and slippery. The trails here are short, about 1km or so. Mindful of the fact that the leeches were gleefully awaiting my arrival, I sprayed myself liberally with insect repellent (against the rules in Sepilok). I was so intent on looking out for birds that I forgot all about the wily leeches (Sepilok alone has about 300 of the 600 odd species of birds in Borneo).

When I finally emerged from the rainforest, I congratulated myself on thwarting the leeches. Not a single attack.