Background

This page to discover Malaysian Borneo

MALAYSIA BORNEO

East Malaysia...

After seeing an excellent report on television on the living conditions of the Ibans (called Dayaks when they are close to the sea), we decided to get off the beaten tourist track to venture into this region very little visited by tourists and indulge in eco-tourism which is very useful in this part of the world

Tour details

The map you see next represents the Malay Peninsula and is made up of 11 states. We visited it partly in 1992, you will find the story of our trip to Malaysia by clicking on the link.

It is unfortunately incomplete because at that time, we had not used all the possibilities available to us due to a lack of means.

Too bad because we missed a lot of visits especially in the eastern part of the country, the most unknown because it is not touristy....

Our adventure, because this was one for us, began in Marseille the airport departure point.

Main line departure from Paris CDG towards Kuala Lumpur (K .L. for insiders).

Kuching

A little surprised by the stifling heat, we take a plane back to the city of Kuching (Icone) , capital of the state of Sarawak, capital of the largest of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo which will be the starting point of our tourist circuit.

Installation in our air-conditioned hotel (compulsory) located in the city center.

The first visit of our stay in Sarawak is Fort Margharita a remnant of the British occupation, it was built on the banks of the river which gave its name to the state, mainly served to impress the Malaysians and prove the strength of the British

Then we visit Astana which was the luxurious private residence of the white Rajahs (title given to the British government on the island after the Hindu word rajah which means prince).

Then visit the Clock Tower and the Ethnology Museum housed in a former large colonial residence with a huge garden.

Additional curiosity: Cat statues can be found in several places in the city; the reason is simple, Kuching translates into Malay as "Cat".

Bako National Park

The day's excursion will be in the Bako National Park on the edge of the China Sea .

You can access it by road, then by boat to reach this peninsula with its lush vegetation (and even more!!) with its mangrove forest bordered by imposing rock formations (hello climbers, especially with this stifling heat and humidity of 95%).

We visit an information center where rangers give us everything we need to know about the local fauna and flora (blue crabs, proboscis monkeys, carnivorous plants .....) which we will then discover firsthand in the park .

In the heart of Dayak country

We take the road again towards the Batang Ai river (Icone) in the heart of the Dayak country

Along the way, visit the picturesque and colorful Seriam and then a traditional cocoa and pepper plantation which represents the major part of the population's income.

Boat crossing the water reservoir created by a dam to reach the hotel located in the forest by the lake (change of scenery guaranteed, for the silence, it's something else, thank you animals!!).

Ride up the river by canoe to a village of the Iban ethnic group and discover the daily life and traditions of its inhabitants who live together in a Longhouse, a huge community house on stilts.

Walk in the surroundings with a picnic (yum-yum!!) on the banks and of course swimming for a relaxing afternoon.

Kota Kinabalu

We change state by plane, for that of Sabah and its capital Kota Kinabalu (Icone) .

Mont Kinabalu

Departure by road for Mont Kinabalu, an extinct volcano and the highest point in Southeast Asia (4101 m).

Video presentation of the island's ecosystem and guided walk through the park to discover its amazing flora which benefits from a local micro-climate: gigantic trees, ferns and epiphytes, carnivorous plants and orchids and all this set is really of great beauty.

We spend the night in the middle of nowhere in a lodge with modest comfort, but very quiet, it changes us.

Poring

In the morning we take the road to the other park, that of Poring (Icone), to discover its hot springs of sulphurous water and especially its wild canopy invaded by birds and butterflies

The crossing takes place from a suspension bridge (dizziness prohibited!!) 35 m in the trees, thus allowing a better view of the fauna and flora of this primary forest.

Gomantang

Another flight to the town of Sandakan in northern Sabah.

Then road to Gomantong cave (Icone) , home to thousands of swallows whose nests are collected by the local population by climbing huge, spidery bamboo ladders to sell them to Chinese merchants.

We take the boat to go up the Kinabatangan river, which crosses the region of Sukau (Icone), to discover the proboscis monkeys and their habitat.

Sepilok

Back on Sandokan, we stop at the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary (Icone) where we practice the gradual reintegration of these endangered monkeys into their wild environment.

After that we return to Kota kinabalu to finish our circuit with a well deserved stay in view of the efforts made, a week in a very nice hotel.

Weather report

KUCHING WEATHER

Video

Latest news

INFORMATIONNovember 24, 2022
Malaysia Entry Requirements
Travelers should:
> download and activate the MySejahtera app, and check in before departing for Malaysia;
> remplir le formulaire de déclaration de santé et le formulaire de pré-départ avant le départ en cliquant sur l’icône "passenger" dans l’application MySejahtera.

What there is to know

History

The Malay Peninsula has become a major center of trade in Southeast Asia due to the high number of visitors to the Strait of Malacca, a compulsory passage point for maritime trade between India and China.

Arab merchants were the first to settle in the territory in the 14th century. Their influence was decisive on the future of the Malays, since they converted the population to Islam. In the 16th century, Europeans attracted by the spice trade arrived after seeking the route to the East Indies to supplant the Arab trade monopoly.

The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British successively disputed the control of the strait. Colonization by the English began with the taking possession and development of the Comptoirs des Détroits in the middle of the 18th century. They included Penang, Singapore and Malacca (now Melaka).

From these establishments, England gradually spread its control over the rest of the peninsula. Penang Colony was established in 1786, by Captain Francis Light, as a military base and trading post. Its development was very quickly overtaken by that of Singapore, colonized from 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles.

Malacca returned to the British after the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1825 and a year later the Comptoirs des Straits were legally created. These colonies were initially run by the English East India Company from Calcutta until 1867 when the colonial administration was transferred to London. It was around this time that the attitude of the British towards the Malay states became more aggressive.

Within ten years most of the west coast of Malaysia fell under British influence. The traders of these trading posts saw the British government intervene in their business, particularly in the tin-producing Malay states. The British administration undertook a racial policy of specialization of activities and resorted to the immigration of cheap labour, the Malays being 'unfit' for work.

Thousands of Coolies from China worked in the mines and then quickly established themselves as traders. The exploitation of the palm groves required the importation of Indians who came mainly from southern India. The Indians of the North were chosen as deputies for the administration and the police. This policy explains the diversity of populations in Malaysia today. These racist and classist policies were quickly denounced. Following the disturbances created by Chinese secret societies and the Civil War, British gunboat diplomacy had to be used to reach a resolution that favored the traders.

Finally, the Treaty of Pangkor in 1874 facilitated British expansion: At the beginning of the 20th century the states of Pahang, Selangor, Perak and Negeri Sembilan, grouped together under the name of the "Malaysian Federated States" (not to be confused with the Federation of Malay States) came under British supervision headed by the High Commissioner in Singapore who was also governor of the three trading posts (Comptoirs des Détroits). The latter was itself under the authority of the London colonial administration.

The other states of the peninsula, also called the “non-Federated Malay States” not being under English authority, had some advisers at the court of the Sultan. The four northern states Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu were initially under Thai control. The northern part of Borneo (now called Sabah) was an English colony formerly ruled by the Sultan of Sulu. Finally, the jungle-covered territory of Sarawak had been turned into a fiefdom by the adventurer Brooke and his family. He had self-proclaimed "White Raja".

After the Japanese occupation of World War II, the feeling of independence became increasingly popular, encouraged by the communist insurgency. Britain's post-war aims to create a 'Union of Malays' were sabotaged by opposition from the Federation of Malay States who wanted a much more pro-Malay system. The latter does not include Singapore and imposes a single citizenship, in order to ensure the loyalty of the descendants of Chinese and Indians suspected of a very measured patriotism.

Independence was proclaimed in 1957 under the name of the Federation of Malay States which did not include Singapore which, at 80% Chinese, refused the Malay preponderance. A new federation under the name of Malaysia was created on September 16, 1963 by merging the Federation of Malay States, the British colony of Singapore, North Borneo (renamed Sabah), and Sarawak (also on the island of Borneo). Quickly, many problems appeared. Indonesia tried to take control of Malaysia, the Philippines reclaimed Sabah, and Singapore declared independence in 1965.

Policy

The country is a member of the British Commonwealth. It is also a constitutional monarchy with a king elected for 5 years from among the sultans of the Malay Peninsula. The nine original Malay States each have an honorary monarch (Sultan, Raja or Yang Dipertuan Besar) and a Prime Minister Menteri Besar who heads the local government. Monarchical titles differ by state. Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Johor and Terengganu have a sultan

The Negeri Sembilan which would translate to "nine countries" calls its ruler Yang Dipertuan Besar. Finally the small state of Perlis, in the North of the country, near Thailand to have a Raja. The cities of Penang and Melaka which were directly administered by the English colonizers have a governor (Yang DiPertua Negeri) and a prime minister. The territories of Sabah and Sarawak follow the same organization. Malaysia is a member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

Géography

Malaysia is made up of two distinct regions. Peninsular Malaysia (south of Thailand) is divided from north to south by a long mountain range whose highest point is 2189 m (Mount Tahan) and where vast forest areas remain. The west coast is marshy and flat, the east coast is, on the contrary, composed of long sandy beaches. Crops and plantations are first located along the coastal plains.

East Malaysia composed of the territories of Sarawak and Sabah and located in the North of Indonesia (Borneo). This part represents 15% of the population on 60% of the territory. It is mainly composed of jungle and a fairly high relief (Mount Kinabalu: 4,100 m). The population is half Malay (Muslims), 35% Chinese (Buddhists) and 10% Indian (Hinduists) and resides at 3/4 on the peninsula. The country, a federation of 13 states and 2 territories, is a member of the British Commonwealth. It is also a constitutional monarchy with a king elected for 5 years from among the sultans of West Malaysia. The subsoil (gold, iron, bauxite, etc., western side) plus off-shore gas and oil (eastern side) are, along with wood and rubber, the country's main resources.

Économy

Oil palm cultivation has spread at lightning speed: a boon for the country's economy, a disaster for its biodiversity. The plain of Kinabatangan, where the primary forest once extended, is now converted to this monoculture which has transformed the landscapes of the islands of Borneo.

Eco-tourism has developed a lot in recent years helped by a rich biodiversity. Rich in tens of thousands of animal and plant species, many of which have yet to be discovered, the primary forest of Borneo, in the heart of Insulindia, is a kind of primitive paradise for many endemic and rare species.

Extreme living conditions (heat, hygrometry close to saturation and light on the ground almost zero), have created a unique universe where plants are willing carnivores, lizards and monkeys fly and toads know how to disguise themselves as dead leaves. The island is among the richest areas in the world in terms of biodiversity, and new species are often discovered there, the most surprising of which can be relayed by the press.

Source : Wikipedia

Renseignements supplémentaires

When to leave?

We left in November, which is not a bad time in terms of weather (the weather is nice, but too hot and very humid) ..

Transport

Communications are mainly by river, but the roads are still rare, and limited mainly to the surroundings of the big cities and in this case, it is reliable buses and 4X4s.

Sleep / Eat

It's hard to make an assessment of the country's cuisine, as this would amount to judging that of the whole of Asia! We eat there as well Malay as Chinese, Thai or Indian, even Thai and Indonesian. Always comfortable despite their location in the jungle or by the rivers.

Purchase

You can find everything from Chinese, Malay and Iban handicrafts to suit all tastes.

Sites utiles
Tourist Information Office

The Art of Food

Laskas and soups

I only have the name, but not the recipes except in Malay!!

Les laskas (broths)

  • Laksa Penang : a broth of poached and minced mackerel (ikan kembung), enhanced with tamarind juice (assam java), galangal (lengukuas) and lemongrass which give a distinct sour taste to the broth. This laksa is often garnished with pieces of pineapple and raw onions and is served with rice vermicelli (mee hun).
  • Laksa assam : a sour fish broth with thick noodles and prawns. It is garnished with mint leaves and raw onions, and served with mee hun.
  • Laksa Nyonya : a noodle soup with coconut milk, shrimp paste (belacan), ginger, onions, chilli, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal… You can add nyonyacake, minced cucumber, shrimp, ginger flower, chicken pieces , hard-boiled egg, and you choose your favorite noodles…
  • Laksa lemak : a variety of Laksa Nyonya
  • Laksa curry :a curry-based broth with minced chicken and prawns, or even fish. Noodles and garnish like Laksa Nyonya which is a variety of Laksa curry.
  • Laksa Kuching or Laksa Sarawak : originally from the capital of Sarawak, Kuching. It is a coulis enhanced with belacan (a paste made from fermented shrimp; Europeans find it very smelly), tamarind, garlic, lemongrass and coconut milk. It is served with shredded chicken meat, shrimp, minced omelet and chopped bean sprouts and coriander leaves. Normally it is already a well enhanced and spicy dish but you are always served a little extra sambal dough, and a lime.

The soups

  • Sup asam pedas : a sweet and sour soup with pieces of tofu, vegetables, fish and pork if served in Chinese
  • Sup ham choi : a preserved cabbage soup; slightly tart
  • Sup kambing : lamb soup
  • Sup ayam : chicken soup
  • Sup ikan : fish soup
  • Sup ekor : oxtail soup. There is a very rich and absolutely superb variant, often offered to hotels: sup ekor asam pedas. Guess…!
Shrimp salad
Shrimp salad Ingredients
100g medium prawns. 100g shallots, peeled and cut into slices. 150g peeled and sliced ​​onion. 60g finely chopped ginger. 50 sliced ​​red peppers. 40 cl of lime juice. Salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
Preparation
100g medium prawns. 100g shallots, peeled and cut into slices. 150g peeled and sliced ​​onion. 60g finely chopped ginger. 50 sliced ​​red peppers. 40 cl of lime juice. Salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
Other recipes can be found on the Malaysia page of the website

Snapper
Snapper Ingredients
1 large red snapper. Salt. 3 chilies, seeds and red stems removed, finely chopped 1 tbsp. sliced ​​ginger. 4 minced garlic cloves. 4 garlic cloves, chopped and fried for garnish. Vegetable oil. Chili sauce.
Preparation
Gut and clean the fish. Then make four shallow diagonal cuts on both sides of its belly, put in the salt, chiles, ginger, and fried garlic in the slashes. Steam the fish over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until just done (although the cooking time depends on the item used for steaming, it is very easy to overcook red snappers) . Cook the chopped garlic in hot (but not smoking) oil for one minute, until brown. This is used at the end to sprinkle on the fish. To make enough chili sauce for about four people, in a pestle and mortar pound or crush 10 red chilies, 4 garlic cloves, juice of 2 lemons, and mix. You can add some

Fish
Fish Ingredients
2 small whole fish, cleaned. Salt. Vegetable oil. 1 C. at s. finely chopped ginger. 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced. 3 red peppers, chopped. 2 small tomatoes, cut. 1 C. at s. of tomato paste. 1/2 tsp. c. sugar. Pineapple in pieces.
Preparation
Make diagonal cuts on the fish, rub the salt into the cuts and cook the fish. In a separate skillet, heat the oil, then fry the ginger, garlic, and chili for a minute or two over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato puree, the sugar, and the juice from the can of pineapple, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Then add the chopped pineapple. Serve the sauce over deep-fried fish with steamed rice.

Bamboo
Bamboo Ingredients
1 tbsp. at s. of oil. 1 C. c. of cut ginger. 2 red peppers, finely chopped. i can of bamboo shoots (or fresh equivalent). 1 cup dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked overnight before using and sliced. 50g of dried-salted Asian anchovies. 30cl of water. 1 C. at s. of oyster sauce. Salt to taste.
Preparation
In a wok or skillet, heat the oil. Add the ginger and peppers, and after 30 seconds, add the bamboo shoots, Chinese mushrooms, and anchovies. Fry, stirring, over high heat for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the water and oyster sauce and continue cooking for another minute. Serve hot. Servez chaud.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms Ingredients
1 tbsp. at s. of vegetable oil. 1 C. at s. finely chopped ginger. 2 chiles, seeds and red stems removed finely chopped. 2 minced garlic cloves. 50 g of wild mushrooms. 50g of dried-salted Asian anchovies. Salt to taste.
Preparation
In a wok or skillet, heat the oil, add the ginger, peppers and garlic. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients, lower the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 4 minutes (this process will evaporate some water from the mushrooms in the dish). Serve with rice.

Stag
Stag Ingredients
2 tbsp. at s. of vegetable oil. 500g venison (or lean beef), cut into 2cm dice. 3 chiles, seeds and red stems removed finely chopped. 3 cups of water. 2 to 3 tbsp. at s. bengali or malaysian masala. Salt to taste.
Preparation
In a wok or skillet. Add the oil over medium heat. Put the meat and peppers. Fry for a few minutes. Then add the water and the meat masala over low heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Other recipes can be found on the Malaysia page of the website.
Other recipes can be found on the Malaysia page of the website.
Other recipes can be found on the Malaysia page of the website.