Borneo 2008 Sarawak P. Kuching

End of June, we left Tioman for Sarawak.

Jesus on SY Proteus made is way up to Ko Samui. We had a 4 and a half day passage up to Datu and had to motor half the way. Datu is cap at the NW point of Borneo. For Pui it was a premiere. Night sailing, and no land around to see. From Datu we stopped at Pulau Talang Talang and Pulau Satang Besar.


We made 560 NM from Singapore to Datu.


July was spent in Santubong and Kuching region. As you come up the river, you will see on port side, first the village of Santubong, then a nice property with a pontoon, and further up the police dock. Try to anchor from the property and below, and live a lot space around you because the current move you erratically around. Don’t anchor close to the police pontoon; there is a wreck and friends of our needed to hire a diver to get the anchor free. We experienced that upwards the police place, the anchorage was of poor holding. Introduce your self to the man in charge of the property and it will be no problem to tie up your dingy.


The owner likes Yachties so you will be welcome. To get to Kuching, walk through the property pass the police station and on the top take right and you are on the main road. Wait after the Muslim memorial. If you go to town around height a clock here are many mini buses going there. There are also resort buses that will pick you up, but it’s more expensive than the other ones. Some times a local will pick you up.
Be aware that a crocodile is living in the river. We see him as we left, he is big!


The little village of Santubong has some basic provisioning and you can get vegetables and fruits there. People are very nice and kids live full.





Kuching, city of the cats. There is a nice waterfront and we watched the dragoon boat race.

Museums are worth to visit; they explain how Sarawak developed in the centuries with the help of Chinese community.





Good provisioning and services are provided there. The market is color full and you find every thing.







Close to Santubong (+-2 km) there is a cultural village to be visited that explains the life of the different ethnic living along the river and they’re habitat.





In July (11 to 13th) was the international rainforest music festival going on at the cultural village. You can make day bookings.


We went the first day and could experience workshops composed of musician from different groups playing the same instrument explaining them and how they use them. We saw Violin, tambourine, percussion, guitars. In the evening you could see them playing in they’re respective band.




Of course as the event is called, in the evening rain was pouring down.







In the vicinity we also visited Bako National Park for 3 days together with Bruno-Hellen from Helena zwo, Wally-Lise from Bluetango and Ian-Christine from SabiStar I met in Chagos in 2007.

We organized a bus from Santubong to the pick up place at the river. From there we went with the boat down the river to get to the place. On the way we met our second crocodile.





After the usual bugs that annoys you, your worth enemy is the monkey. Don’t let your stuff out of eyesight, it will disappear. Christine was reading her book at the table with a drink just in front of her; she was just starting to get scared by a noise, the drink was gone.




We had a guide who explained us what’s going on out there in the wild. There are a lot of traps you don’t even think about before you get to know them. You are in the jungle, humidity, odors, noises of all sorts gives you an unusual feelings.

At the headquarters we had an unexpected visit in the evening as we were enjoying an aperitif on the terrace of our bungalow, Wild pig.

Close by they were organizing a barbecue, what if . . .

At night we also could see fireflies.