Saturday, June 09, 2012

Borneo to be wild in Malaysia


Give Bear Grylls 10 years in Borneo and he’d barely scratch the surface. So your average podgy Brit on his annual two-week break doesn’t stand a chance.

The island is huge, diverse and packed full of the most beautiful and mad sights you’re ever likely to see – from luminous insects, pygmy elephants and orang-utans to whooping hornbill birds, stunning coral reefs and fist-sized black bumblebees.

It is perfectly possible to be relaxing one morning in surroundings so luxurious an oligarch would blush, but find yourself pushing a taxi-boat up river rapids in the afternoon.

My fiancee and I visited Borneo’s two Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak. First things first, we could not recommend the place more highly, with its perfect beaches, untouched jungle and endless outdoor activities.

We started by flying from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah – the province covering Borneo’s northeast tip.

KK, as is it known, is an OK city but, really, it’s a gateway to two national parks. The first, Tunku Abdul Rahman, takes in five islands. We stayed at a tiny eco-resort called Bunga Raya, on Gaya Island – a 20-minute boat ride from KK.

The place is easily the most jaw-dropping resort I’ve been to. Set on a paradise island, around 20 mini chalets – with hand-made ceilings, plunge pools and extraordinary views – have been built into the jungle looking down on to a perfect, crescent beach.

Even the biggest grump would struggle not to be impressed, sitting on his private balcony as wild boar roam on the beach beneath.

And that’s after snorkelling above pristine coral reef, swimming in the infinity pool and joining a jungle trek. The place isn’t cheap but it’s doesn’t really get any better – honeymoon perfection if ever there was such a thing. Another reason to head to KK is for the island’s biggest mountain, Mount Kinabalu – an hour or two’s drive inland.

A guide is required for the two-day trek to the 13,435ft summit through the Unesco world heritage-listed national park surrounding it, which is said to be home to more plant species than the whole of Europe and North America.

Day one consists of a fairly testing but fascinating five-to-eight hour jungle climb up to Laban Rata Resthouse, perched at 10,723ft on the mountainside.

Day two – despite the cold, dark, 2am start and inevitably aching legs – starts off as a much more challenging climb with ropes and sharp drops to keep the mind focussed.

It’s all worth it, of course, once we make the top by sunrise at around 6am. From Low’s Peak – as it is known, after a British explorer who first tried to climb it – the views back to KK and surrounding coastline are sublime.

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