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26 Aug - 1 Sep 2007 (Sun-Sat) - 7 days Sabah Sipadan (Kinabalu National Park, Sandakan, Sg Kinabatangan & Sipadan Islands)
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Yong Lee Min writes - thanks to Syazana for this professionally written piece. Syazana was the one who initiated this trip. She and her friend climbed Mt Kinabalu and later joined the main group of 6 pax from Porings. Another 5 Yongoers flew into Tawau just for the Sipadan Island trip. My advice to her and to most climbers was to do Mt Kinabalu in two nights rather than the usual one night stay. This would been more enjoyable and a lot less taxing, physically. I doubt many newbies would want to do the mountain a second time unlike nature nuts like me! Have a look at her pictures by clicking on the link at the top of this page.
Group of 12 Yongoers / Visit to Agar-agar or seaweed farmer
26 - 27 Aug 07 Mount Kinabalu Climb and Poring Hot Springs
If anyone were to tell you that climbing Mt. Kinabalu is a breeze, please don't fall for their pretensed enthusiasm. I know this because I just climbed it two weeks ago and seeing the faces of the climbers as we made our descent from the summit Monday, August 27th, I know that we were not the only ones who thought so.
But the longer-more scenic Mersilau trail was a whole experience in itself. The beauty and the crisp air and the difference in nature and vegetation as you make your way up is unmistakably once-in-a-lifetime experience. simply said, it's phenomenally breathtaking. We climbed up the day before, on Sunday, and as amazing as the experience was, to see the world from such height, we couldn't wait to get down to the Kinabalu Park to make our way to Poring Hot Spirngs Resort to meet the rest of the Yongo group who had left for KK Sunday morning from LCCT, KL.
Poring resort was nice enough, with 2-interconnected wooded-floor-wall-ceiling luxurious chalet that could only house 4 Yongoers while the rest of us got the simpler-but-still-decent-and-very-airy motel rooms. The do-it-yourself concept hot springs were cluster of tubs of which we had to hold the hot spring water ourselves - which could take well more than an hour for a tub to be filled ankle-high. After Guat Peng and I soaked our precious feet and aching legs in the hot spring, the Yongans prepared to go to a nearby town for dinner. It was at the same place the rest of the group had lunch at, that serves vegetables that the restaurant patrons could bring in and have them cooked anyway they want. Lunch we were told was of 7 different kinds of vegetables (that were bought at RM10 from the market) (Sabah and her wonderful cheap food!) plus several more meat dishes. Dinner meanwhile was of 7-8 dishes which we enjoyed thoroughly since if there's one thing to be sure of: we Yongans are always a hungry bunch!
28 Aug 07 Sandakan
We had a good sleep and the next day we made our way to Sandakan. It was a 4? hour van-ride, bumpy at some parts with at least 2 checkpoints to go through. We had a very cautious, albeit wacky in nature Sabahan driver whose Sabah history, culture and people is quite excellent. On the way to Sandakan town we stopped at the Australian War memorial Park that used to house Australian and British POWs of which, of the 2500 prisoners this park housed, only 6 survived the death march from Sandakan to Ranau - the town we had just left 4 hours before.
We moved away from the sad history to a lighter note of great fresh 'ikan bakar' lunch before making our way to our motel right smacked in Sandakan town. As I was still nursing my aching body from the climb, the rest of the group made their way up 100 steps to the English Tea House where the scenery of Sandakan town could be seen for miles. The group went for yet another great seafood dinner not too far from the hotel at this little corner restaurant that served the best, freshest and juiciest crabs and fish in town. Sandakan is a nice, friendly little Sabah town where people are seen jostling about during the day, but quiets down quickly at night.
29 Aug 07 Sepilok Orang Utan and Kinabatangan Homestay
The next day some Yongoers made their way to the huge clean-floored fish market at 5? in the morning - to see the freshest of the fishes that just arrived off the fishermen's boats that just returned from sea. Fishes of unimaginable sizes and kinds were sold here, although we were warned if we stayed too long in the market, we would start to smell like the fishes too!
Our nice driver picked us up at the designated time, and we had a simple lunch before making our headway to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary Park. Some of us missed some very interesting orang utan-action, but do not despair as Chee the camera-expert person in the group had the whole video of the National-Geographic XXX action of the orang utans. We then moved along to Batu Putih for an evening of boat cruise along the famed Sg Kinabatangan. The cruise was quite relaxing and we managed to see enough proboscis monkeys that only live in this part of the world are under risk of extinction. We saw different species of stalks and (what other birds?) and were so mesmerized by the flourishing wildlife that by the time we got back to the jetty it was well-into the dark night.
We were divided into different groups with our respective homestay families, and Arthur, Guat Peng and I naturally had the same family, while Annie and Marie were together and the rest, Rachel, Ben and Chi shared the same home.
Arthur, GP and I were lucky as the family we stayed with could be considered wealthy, and had bathrooms in the house, while Rachel, Ben and Chi's family didn't and they had the good-experience of bathing and brushing their teeth in the river in the dark.
Our hired transport in Sabah / Yongo guide in Sipadan
30 Aug 07 Semporna
After a good night's rest the whole group met again the next morning, sharing stories of each own's family. We then moved along for a little hike up to several bats-infested caves where they have been found to be special burial grounds for the Chinese merchants in Sabah hundreds of years ago. Known as Akob Batu Tulug, there were still coffins left, but the bones and the remains of the dead had been moved to Sabah national musuem in Kota Kinabalu. We then left for lunch at our families' homes, and after packing up, and some teary goodbyes we met up again and left for Semporna? On the way we stopped by Tawau? to have a taste of Sabah Sup bakso? which tastes just like our meehoon sup here with chicken bits and meatballs.
For RM1.50, it was a hearty, cheap and very filling dish.
Our nice driver picked us up at the designated time, and we had lunch at a simple restaurant before making our headway to Semporna? On the way we stopped by Lahad Datu to have a taste of Sup bakso ? Sabah which tastes just like our meehoon sup here with chicken bits and meatballs.
For RM1.50, it was a hearty, cheap and very filling dish.
We reached Semporna at about 4:30pm and met the 5 Yongoers who arrived from Kl and Penang that same day who were going to join us for the trip to Mabul and Sipadan Islands. Rachel, the nice, lovely most efficient Yongo guide checked us all in right away, and after leaving our bags in the rooms we met again and walked quickly through Semporna business center and smelly fish market to the jetty where we took a boat out to the middle of a very clear and shallow sea where the 'agar-agar' makers lived and make their livelihood - out of the seaweed that are cultivated on the surface of the open seas tied to strings on a mess of floating plastic bottles. Their houses were simple enough, on stilts and when we arrived there, they had a whole collection of seaweed that were left out to dry in the sun before they would sell them off to the wholesaler on the mainland.
After washing up with fresh clothes, the whole group of now 13 Yongoers met up at in-house seafood restaurant and had a nice enough seafood dinner. We all made way to our respective rooms soon after as we were to have an early day the next day to Mabul island.
31 Aug 07 Mabul Island
The boat ride to Mabul was 1.5 hours, and on the way we saw a homemade sailboat of which the sail was obviously an old but still usable quilt. And the sailors? - They were two kids of probably 11 and 12!
When we arrived on Mabul island, we got ready almost right away to our first snorkeling area Kapalai Island which was pretty enough, of smaller cluster of corals and pretty fishes. After an hour of that we returned to Mabul and were served a decent lunch of chicken and sardine.
Most of the group rested, and made their way to the back of the crude chalets-on-stilts we were staying the night at, to the village of Filipino immigrants and Malay-Sabahan fishermen families later in the evening. Most came back with interesting find of beautiful corals and shells that are turned to jeweleries. Some more adventurous Yongoers came back with fresh baked fish that some villager were kind enough to give them and some fresh pisang goreng.
Arthur and I went to the water area between the two jetties on the island for more snorkeling, and while the water was murky at the top, the corals and the abundant schools of fishes thrived in the water.
After the water simply got too cold for us to bear, we made our back to our chalets-on-stilts, but not before giving out some chocolates and biscuits to the group of children who were playing 'masak-masak' by the beach.
Dinner was nice on the island later that evening. By this time almost all the guests at the chalet were mingling together, sharing stories of their lives and their Sabah adventures. Amongst the Yongoers we shared fruits, peanuts, sunflower seeds while playing cards and telling more jokes and stories. We were really a great bunch despite the different personalities and individual quirks. Ben, or "Uncle Ben" an endearment Guat Peng has fondly given to the older (we would not divulge your age Ben!) but still so handsome and young -looking member of the group, by this time was a favorite among the lot. Ben's expertise in diving put the younger lot of the group to shame, and his deep loyalty for Singapore has been much subdued by the rest of us "equally-loyal" Malaysians. :]
Chee, another Yongoer whose expertise was in his camera-action (of we know what, Chee) and ordering the best dishes at restaurants, made his first attempts in playing Cho-Tai-Tee, (a great card game for the uninitiated) during this same night, underneath the sky with millions of bright-litted stars. As the hours passed, the group became smaller and smaller in size, and by midnight, almost all guests were in bed.
1 Sep 07 Sipadan Snorkeling
The next morning, after breakfast we prepared our snorkeling gears and re-dry out our clothes that were drenched from the previous night's downpour. And then OFF we go to Sipadan! WOOHOOO! The boat trip was about 20 minutes or so, and as we were approaching Sipadan, everyone couldn't contain his/her excitement and took gazillion pictures with Sipadan in the background.
We snorkeled at three different areas: the drop which is about 5 meters out from the beach, and a few areas on the fringes of the drop. And all three places were simply gorgeous.
Words cannot express the immensity of beauty of the life underneath, surrounding Sipadan Island. We were all better snorkelers by this time, after a day of practicing the day before, and saw millions of different kinds of fishes and corals. Some saw huge sting-rays and sharks and everyone swam amongst turtles that some were as huge as a whole 5"2-me! Which would only mean they would be at least a few hundreds of age! Oh! I couldn't help but thank my lucky stars to have the opportunity to visit Sipadan, because it was truly, truly, truly a magnificently spiritual experience. Not only that, I was thankful to be doing the trip with a great bunch of Yongoers of whom had made the trip so much more unique and worthwhile.
We had lunch at the beach before making one last snorkeling stop, before making our way back to Mabul. By this time we were famished and had two loaves of bread with peanut butter and hot coffee and tea while on the boat.
WE arrived at Mabul, cleaned up and made our way back to Semporna mainland. It was not until mainland where we could see each other in his/her new color-skin light - I was tanned beyond belief - but so happy and satisfied and before the trip reached its end, we had dinner together for one last time. Chee again flexed his ordering-prowess and ordered some great 5-7 seafood dishes that came up to RM12 each person. SO CHEAP!
We still kept out vibrant energy on the van-ride to Tawau airport that took about an hour and a half, and after Rachel checked in our bags we joked and laughed yet again, teasing "Uncle" Ben for his quirky but charming ways. When we reached KL, we hugged and wished each other well, before making our way back home to real life, long long way from beautiful nature of Sabah, home of the pure, land of the free: of nature, great fauna, marine life, kind-hearted people... and inexpensive, abundant seafood.
Close up of the Agar-agar to make jelly / Sipadan Island
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