An expert expat’s tips for Sarawak, East Malaysia
When Sam Barnes finished high school, she left her hometown of Bega, in southern NSW, for a gap year. She found herself in the depths of Malaysian Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, volunteering for animal welfare group Project Borneo. Three years later, Sam is still rescuing and rehabilitating Malaysian wildlife including orangutans, sun bears and even crocodiles. See projectborneo.org
Expat Sam Barnes: Be wary of which animal organisations you support.Credit: Jonathan Camí.
SEE
Bako National Park is such a great place to see animals in their natural environment, only 30 minutes north of Kuching. Proboscis monkeys are usually on the beaches in the early morning and evening, and depending on your luck, you’ll also see silver langurs, bearded pigs, long-tailed macaques and colugos (flying lemurs). There are also five different types of rainforest in the national park, for some pretty beautiful scenery. See bakonationalpark.my
DO
You’ll find the proboscis monkey on the beaches in the early morning at Bako National Park.Credit: iStock
Go jungle trekking in Kubah National Park, 40 minutes west of Kuching. I would recommend the Waterfall Trail for a day trip. If you want to experience the rainforest at night, you could also join a night walk for the chance to see some of Borneo’s nocturnal wildlife, and visit Kubah’s natural frog pond. See sarawakforestry.com
EAT
In Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, Indah Cafe serves local dishes such as nasi lemak and have loads of vegetarian and vegan options. I always order their nasi lemak with rendang tempeh and crushed tapioca leaves (daun ubi tumbuk). Their coconut coffee shakes are delicious and they also offer cooking classes. Otherwise, Top Spot really represents Sarawak food – it’s a rooftop food court on top of a six-storey parking lot. It’s random, but it works. It’s famous for its seafood but you’ll also find all the local dishes such as midin, which is a forest fern usually stir-fried in garlic. See instagram.com/indahhousekuching
DRINK
Bear Garden is a bar in Kuching that is half owned by Project Borneo, with the profits going directly back to our conservation and animal welfare work. Many of our staff and volunteers will drink here on the weekends. I’ll usually order a beer, purely because it’s the cheapest. I would also suggest trying the local rice wine (tuak) if you get the chance. Normally, you drink it in a social setting – someone will pour a shot, and using the same glass, go around the table until the bottle is finished. It costs around RM10 ($3.40) a bottle, and you can get it in most bars. See facebook.com/BearGardenKch
Sea stacks along the coastline of Bako National Park. Credit: iStock
AVOID
Avoid supporting unethical wildlife tourism. Ask yourself: is this organisation using my money to help the animals, or using the animals to make money? If they offer one-on-one interactions or direct contact with the animals, there’s a good chance they are prioritising profit over animal welfare.
THRIVE
Sunscreen definitely sweats off here in humid Sarawak, so most people just try to avoid being in the sun in the middle of the day. The standard lunchbreak is from noon until 2pm.
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