Taking it easy at Manana & KK

Feeling sick is no fun at Kota Kinabalu as there's no hammocks at a beach so I made my way to Manana near Kota Belud, north of KK. Lovely isolated place where's not much to do. Exactly what I needed. I got a nice room where I fell asleep listening to the roaring waves coming in, stood up just to lie in a hammock and dip to the water once in a while and I red a few books.

I was quite lucky as when I came in 20 people left the place the same day. I love the silence. And as there was not much to do I really had to take it easy and also started to feel better after a few days. If Manana would have had internet I could have stayed longer but a freelancer has to work so I had to head back to KK to meet a deadline. And I also wanted to check out if I can make it to the jungle or should I start booking flights to the Philippines as I need to dive.  

Beach at Manana. 

So back in KK. What to do? Quite easy actually.

Drink.

And sleep.

And as Philippines still has unpredictable weather and diving in typhoon/thunderstorm doesn't sound appealing I ended up booking a flight to Balikpapan in Kalimantan, from where I'll hopefully fly forward to Manado in Sulawesi. Or somewhere. If I ever make it there as for now the flight has 5,5 h delay.

Tinggi, tinggi Gunung Kinabalu

Back in Borneo! Once again. Probably quite a short stay this time but still, if I'm here now for the 5^th time I think it's also time finally to climb the mountain. But paying huge fees for dorm accommodation at Laban Rata is not what I wanna do so why not do the climb in one day. Also just to see if I can do it. Plan was made and I also found company for the climb, Shane from Ireland who I met while diving in Lembongan in July.

One day, 17,2 km, from starting point at the elevation of 1866 m to the summit at 4095 m. We were well prepared, I had been sick for 2 weeks before leaving to Borneo and also still not feeling 100 %. Shane climbed up with a rash west, shorts and a dry bag. Our guide was also really supportive and reminded us every time we saw him (not many times) that we are too slow, we won't make it in time and that the other climbers are in better shape than we are.

The climb/trek is really hard. For sure easier made if you climb to Laban Rata on the first day and then to the summit the next morning for the sunrise. We were total of 6 men and 1 woman doing the climb in one day, divided to 4 groups. At some point I was climbing with Shane, the summit I reached with two swedes and I came down mostly alone. It was important just to make my own pace, not to go too fast but also not too slow. And I still don't know whats's the point of having a guide (mandatory) as I hardly saw him and when i did, he just annoyed the hell out of me.

Laban Rata. The hardest part still to come.

Reached the summit! I dunno who was freezing more, me in shorts or the swedish dude taking a picture of them.

The total climb took me 9,5 hours. At the summit it was raining, icy cold wind and about +3 degrees. I was freezing, couldn't feel my hands, cheeks or legs. There were icy spots in my shorts. And there was also no view. But at that point I didn't really care, I was just happy I made it! The last 2 km's are the toughest ones, no shelter from the forest, going up really steep and and less oxygen as you are reaching slowly 4000 m. And at that point I didn't know yet how much fun I'm gonna have while coming back down.... My legs were absolutely frozen and muscles in my both legs were starting to let me down. The further I got, the slower I was. I was quite a happy woman when we reached the starting point again and got back to Kota Kinabalu for a hot shower, food and beer.

The nasty surprise came the next day. My throat started to ache already during the climb and the next day my tonsils were swollen and infected. Probably thanx to the icy wind at the summit. Now I'm eating antibiotics for the next days and trying to take it easy. Which is not easy.

Back in Mabul

Indonesia made me miss Malaysia. So after one minute thinking I booked a flight to Kuala Lumpur for the next day where a friend of mine was hanging out with some of his friends. Where I hung out with some of his friends. But after 2 nights in the city it was time to get out and do some diving again. So off to Tawau -> Semporna -> Mabul. I was here already at new year and the diving in Sipadan is just spectacular. Can't go wrong with this choice.

I booked a dorm bed & Sipadan permits with Uncle Changs. Didn't know the place would be full of chinese... Oh well... Can't always win. At least most of them just snorkeled and I didn't have to dive with them. But still, why the F do they have to be so loud??? And the place is not gonna run out of food...

On the arrival day I had 2 dives in Mabul and one in Kapalai. Basically the same as 7 months ago. Didn't see more, didn't see less. But this time I've got photos! Yayy! So here u go! I didn't really know of what I was taking photos of coz the camera is fucked but they turned out quite alright. Maybe I shouldn't be able to see too much.

2 days later it was time to return to Sipadan. The place which ruined my diving last time for quite a while. Not many places can compare with this underwater paradise. This time it was especially shark time. So many white tips! We also checked out a cave where you can see some skeletons. And yeah, got photos again, with a half broken camera...

After Sipadan I hung out in Mabul for a few days, had a bit too much Tanduay and did only one night dive. The plan was to spend my last night of the holiday in KL but I kinda missed the morning boat meaning not a chance to catch a flight. Oh well. The party in the evening before was worth it. Anyways Mabul was a great place to end this trip. Though I still think that maybe next time I should spend the last days in a place I hate. That would make going back home a bit easier. As now it for sure is not being much fun.

Back in KK

When I came to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo the first time last year I could have never thought that one day I'll actually come back here just to visit the city. I thought KK was quite uninteresting, ugly and it has too many malls. I loved the food though. But I traveled through the city again a few times in January and the place started to be more and more appealing. Hell, I could live there! So I flew back there from Malaysian Peninsula, especially as a few friends were in town I really wanted to meet again.

I basically just stayed in the town for a week (thanx Cliff first for the couch and then for the whole room), enjoyed cheap beers & not so cheap cocktails in good company & ate loads of seafood in the filipino market. I did one day trip again to Mamutik island for some snorkeling and an overnight trip to Kinabalu park with a friend. I still didn't climb the mountain though. Drunk more beer instead. That means I have to make a new trip back here again maybe still this year, maybe next year.

Not much to tell or to show. I took maybe 5 photos. But I enjoyed the week tremendously. Good to be back!

I'm actually really sad to leave but it feels like it's time to move. Next destination: Nusa Lembongan in Indonesia. I really hope to spot some Mola-Molas & Mantas!

Hello Gunung Kinabalu. Next time I'm climb up.

From beach to rainforest

I spent one day in Kudat, in the north of Borneo. I landed in the small town with a tiny plane, 6 seating rows. Which explained why I was asked to step to the weight belt together with my luggage at check-in. “Every kilo counts”. 

After landing there were no taxis in the airport so I hitched a ride with a local family who also flew in from Sandakan. So nice people (again), the dad dropped off the family at their house and wanted to bring me to the tip of Borneo as I told him I'll be leaving town already the next day. Quite an impressive place, roaring waves hitting the colorful rock formations. And we just arrived in time to see the sunset.

Mantanani at 6 AM.

The next morning I took a shared jeep to Kota Belud which is the nearest town to go to Mantanani Island. On the pier I met a swiss girl, Nora, who I ended up traveling together for almost a week. 

Mantanani is a fantastic small island with white sandy beaches and 2 friendly villages. But the place we stayed at, Mari-Mari "backpackers" was quite a rip off. Internet per device 15 ringits, no possibility to fill up water bottles, and they also told us in the briefing not to go near the local police station - “its not for tourists”. Well, nobody told it to the police men, who were hanging out with tourists all the time. Borrowing kayaks for free, bringing them fishing & snorkeling and giving out rice wine. 

I also did one dive, a really expensive one (of course, it was Mari-Mari...). 180 ringits for the most boring dive I've had so far. So two days in this island was enough and I decided to go and meet up with Devin & Falco again at Mulu. Nora also changed her plans short planned and came along.

Deer cave.

So. Back to Mulu :) I'm backtracking again. But I really liked it there last year, so why not. I went to Camp 5 again where's the climb to the pinnacles. But as I already tortured myself through that one last year I decided just to stay in the camp in the middle of the rainforest and to hike alone to the near by gorge. Well, it's rainy season so that was not possible. I got stuck half way as the patch was washed away and crossing the river was also not an option. 

After coming back to the park headquarters I met a friend from last year and we went to Camp 1 for one night. Another amazing place in the rainforest. Nobody had been there for quite a while and also now we got the place just for ourselves. 

That's where I also broke my record of collecting leeches. They really like my feet. But it's not a rainforest without all the insects. 

Afterwards I spent a one more night in Mulu and then it was time to head to Kuching for the last 2 nights. byäääää... Holiday over. Pia is not happy. Luckily the next trips are already planned & booked. Ireland, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Nepal! Soon!

Mulu!!!! Limestone walls&rainforest.

Coming back from camp 1.

It's not a chimney, it's a cloud of bats leaving Deer Cave.

Bears, monkeys & montoku

After 4 days diving we took a bus from Semporna to Sandakan/Sepilok. Or actually we took a night bus from Semporna to KK which left us off the bus at midnight about 50 km from Sandakan. Some old dude told us in Semporna that there will be taxis and minivans waiting for ppl getting off the bus. Oh really? Probably nobody had told the drivers they should be there... After quite a while of waiting we started walking... Stupid idea... Luckily quite soon a bus stopped next to us and we got a ride to Sepilok. We had called Sepilok B&B in advance so they had rooms ready for us. My original plan was to stay in Sandakan but well, I got a really cool room for ok price and Sepilok is for sure also nicer. 

And of course I wanted to see my bears at the BSBCC. Mamatai!!! She just had had a medical check and she's doing very well! As well as the other ones. After the bears Devin & Falco went to see the orang utans and I headed to the shop on the Sepilok road to meet up with Daniel for some beers & good old montoku. Good to meet old friends. 

The next day I departed with Devin & Falco, snif :( They went to Kinabatangan for 3 days and I decided to check out how the proboscis monkeys at Labuan bay are doing. I hanged out with then the whole day, doing also some photo sessions :) Cool dudes! I was quite tired after the beers the day before so it was time to take it easy, go to sleep early and to get ready to move on again the next day. 

New year under the surface

After Philippines I met up with Devin & Falco in KK a few days before new year. Good to see old friends and they also turned out to be fantastic travel buddies. Well honestly I didn't expect anything else. One night in KK, some beers & loads of sea food and back to the airport the next day. It was time to head to Mabul!

We had booked everything in advance with Billabong Scuba, which turned out to be an excellent choice. They have a cool small backpacker style resort over the water on the shores of Mabul. I had the cheapest room option, and I was also warned, that if the place gets full, I have to share my room with another female. Luckily that didn't happen. Room was okay, location not really. I had a rooster as a neighbor who I wanted to shoot every morning at 4 am. My room was also next to the toilets which were used by the guests and the staff so there was quite a lot of running in the mornings. But well, you get what you pay for.

The reason to head to Mabul was of course to dive at Sipadan. The permits are limited to 120 a day so we had booked 2 days well in time in advance and also some dives in Mabul & Kapalai. Directly after arrival in Mabul we headed out to the first dives. The dive in Mabul was just okay, nothing special and quite poor visibility. But the Kapalai house reef in the other hand was great! There are constructions like small houses under water and a few wrecks which are full of fish of different shapes & colors. Just beautiful! 

So this was new years eve & the pre-planned party day. Well, Mabul is for sure not a party island but we still found some action on the beach. Luckily we brought some brews from Semporna with us as the island was running out of liquids. 

Jan 1st=traditional hang over day. Reading&eating. And then it was time to dive at Sipadan!!! What a place. Barracuda point!!! What to say. I knew that diving in Sipadan would be fantastic, but c'mon seriously, that was just ridiculous. Tornados of huge barracudas, sharks everywhere, turtles, lion fish tornados, octopus etc etc etc. That was a zoo! Amazing! I need to go back there, rather sooner than later. Words can't describe so I'll let the photos do the work! Thanks to Allen Chan for the shots!