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Photo AlbumMay 31, '05 11:19 AM
for everyone
Where is Maliau Basin: Its about 5 – 6 hours by 4x4 west from Tawau. Most of the journey is off roads and when it rains (which it did on the way in and out) it can be treacherous. The base camp, Agathis Camp, is GPS coordinates: N 04.52.7 and E 116.54.13.4.

Why go there: Because no one else does. Apparently we were only the 9th group to go in 'for fun'. Most groups are scientific expedition.

Why is it called the “Lost World of Sabah”? It is called that for good reasons. In 1947, a pilot flying from the west coast of British North Borneo to Tawau experienced a rude shock when he narrowly avoided colliding with a wall of steep cliffs emerging from the misty jungle. This minor incident is the first recorded mention of the Maliau Basin. The "Lost World" was recorded in the Borneo Bulletin-and then quietly slipped back into obscurity. The first expedition into the basin was only in 1988 and today only about 20% has been explored.

Good pictures of the area? Maps are a security issue in Malaysia so do not have good maps to show the topography as such. But there are some GIS photos available on the internet if you search under Maliau Basin images. Two of the better ones are at:

http://prinsengineering.com/front_maliau_e3.htm
http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/IBOY/graphics/satellite/basin.jpg

What does Maliau mean? Maliau means "murky" in the Murut language.

How many kilometers? In all we did a circular walk of 36 km. Each day was about 5 – 6 hours trek. Terrains ranged from day to day. First day was tough as it was uphill for half the journey. Going down to waterfalls was hard as sections were steep and it had rained so it was slippery and muddy!!

Highlights: Waterfalls. Because of the geological structure, Maliau Basin has the largest concentration of water falls in Malaysia. Takob Akob, Giluk, Maliau, Sabandah.

Carried your stuff? Each of us carried our own packs. Mine was about 12.5 kg. We had three porters to carry our provisions. No cans allowed in the basin.

Flora and fauna: Flora is quite stunning, with an amazing variety of mushrooms and orchids. We didn’t see many wild animals but you could hear their presence. Gibbons, barking deer, hornbills, ceveat cat, wild boar. One group saw a hornbill flying while standing above the clouds at Lobah camp and one group spotted a pit viper hiding waiting for its next prey.

Accommodation:
Agathis: Luxurious by Maliau standard!! Generator and Astro (Cable tv) in the evening.
Camel Trophy: Two story building with three bedrooms. Wooden fire place.
Lobah Camp: The most basic of the camps but looking back the best. Totally in the elements, no electricity or running water. The jungle is amazingly dark at night.
Ginseng Camp: Will be a very nice resort like camp but in the meantime we had very basic accommodation.

The Maliau International Gourmet Society: This is in recognition of the wonderful menu and meals that Veno planned for the group. From fresh meat the first two days, sandwiches, bak chang, eu cha kueh, pasta etc… We never went hungry on the trip.

What’s the smell? Nothing dries in the jungle, even if its one of those new fancy shirts which is quick drying. We also sweat like crazy on the walks etc.. So the combination was deadly. But as we detiorated at about the same rate, it wasn’t too bad. By the time Kelvin got back to Kuching, he discovered new fungal species growing on his shirt!!

It’s the shoes: Now a days you can get some really fancy trekking boots with all sorts of support systems built in. In the jungles of Borneo, the Rolls Royce is the Addidas Payak. It is rubberized which means it dries quickly, therefore keeping your feet dry.

Does nature have a sense of humour? Yes she does. Thorny vegetation tends to grows where it is slippery and there is nothing to grip!!

Leaches: First you get squimish about them but then you get use to them and they just become a nuisance. I only had one bite but each day you had quite few in your shoes. Kelvin and Lau got the prize for fattest leach found on their legs. Found a leave that magically stops leach bites instantaneously.

Most over used phase: There is a leach on your leg.

What we never said: Wish I was back at the office.

What I learned: I have zero survival skills in the jungle!! It was a very humbling trip, the power of nature and how small I am in the overall scheme of the universe. I learned I could easily live without the handphone for a week.


Kelvin
 1 Comment 

This is where we are going
 1 Comment 

Huh??
  

They appeared overnight
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Julian our resident entamologist
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Should have shaved before
  

Footwear variation
  

The gang
  

Tall trees
  

On the trail
  

Does my bum look big from this angle?
  

Leaches
  

I got it worse then you
  

Leaches
  

Prophet Kelvin
  

Pitcher plants
  

Pitcher plants
  

Wild Orchid
 2 Comments 

Making beds at lobah
  

Cup of tea
  

Veno with assistant Kelvin
 1 Comment 

Manicure in the jungle
 6 Comments 

Termite nest
  

Nature's beauty
  

Crossing the river to Ginseng Camp
  

Breakfast in bed
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Behind the waterfall
  

Standing under Sabandar Falls
  

Ginseng Camp
  

Lhana vines
  

Mushroom
  

Toast anyone?
  

Dennis in National Geographic Red
  

Mr. Maliau!!
  

Tiny pitcher plants
  

camel trophy camp
  

Maliau Falls
 1 Comment 

Dennis and I at Maliau Falls
  

Location Map
  

Survival drink!!
 1 Comment 

basin.jpg
  


24 CommentsChronological   Reverse   Threaded
misawong wrote on Jun 2, '05
Gab, remember the cicadas that was swarming at that hilton hotel place at that lake that we went to on our holiday with Simon? I was so terrified of the cicadas there.
papermargin wrote on Jun 2, '05
Mystery biscuits that appears behind my bed the following morning
Don't lie and don't blame the mice. You sleepwalked and stole it from Ot's quarters behind Agathis Camp. I know what you did...
papermargin wrote on Jun 2, '05, edited on Jun 2, '05
Our amazing chef veno cooking away.
...and I was praying so the food would taste better! (now, WHO is the assistant, huh?)
papermargin wrote on Jun 2, '05
Courtesy of Dennis who brought Lau and I breakfast in bed at Ginseng when we had a rest day.
You sneaky guy! We're supposed to "rough it out", not being treated in a 5-star condition...tsk, tsk...
papermargin wrote on Jun 2, '05
You know what? I posted these photos (the ones you gave me) on my multiply site, and arranged it almost in the same order as yours! How weird!
tilleyhat wrote on Jun 3, '05
Gab, I must say that there was a professional touch to this shot. Immaculate in all ways. What a treat.
rpraja wrote on Jun 6, '05
This is what Kelvin looks like a week without beer!!
amen to that. Beer does work wonders on some people.

Lawa la kelvin.

I think I'll post this picture on my website. what do you think. pictures on your website are a bit.... shall we say more conservative. :-P
papermargin wrote on Jun 7, '05
rpraja said
I think I'll post this picture on my website. what do you think. pictures on your website are a bit.... shall we say more conservative. :-P
woi! Kelabit relatives are not allowed to be in here...hey, Gabriel, kick them out. They're bad, bad people who does nothing but to "pour dirt on me" -- now, I can understand how MJ feels... ;-)
rpraja wrote on Jun 7, '05
Kelabit relatives are not allowed to be in here...hey, Gabriel, kick them out. They're bad, bad people
And what does that say about you I wonder, being a kelabit yourself. :-P

Sorry for intruding your website Gabriel. I just couldn't help it. His pictures were quite disturbing! Normally he is this kind & shy kelabit boy. I don't know what got into him? sigh...
gabchong wrote on Jun 7, '05
Ha ha. No problem and you're not intruding on the site. Yes, Kelvin is normally all that (shy, kind etc.. ) but without beer he is clealy a changed man. I think the whole problem was magnified because he ran out cigarettes half way through the trip and could also see signs of wild boar around but couldn't hunt them. So for a couple of days all he could think about was beer, cigarette and bbq pork (with sound and hand movement simulating the roasting of pork over a bbq pit)!
papermargin wrote on Jun 7, '05
oooh...that's it Gabriel. You've gone to the dark side now. There's no turning back when you've conspired with 'them'. Well, I guess you'd have to put on that Darth Vader mask then....
rpraja wrote on Jun 7, '05
So for a couple of days all he could think about was beer, cigarette and bbq pork (with sound and hand movement simulating the roasting of pork over a bbq pit)!
Interesting.... He must have suffered a lot going without those three sacred things. Poor Kelvin. I guess one does get delusional after a period of time without certain basic primal needs. :-)

Well he is going off soon to meet up with the penans to acomplish one (at least) of the three. Most probably the one with the hand action.
tilleyhat wrote on Jul 5, '05
Gab, How right you are that Ali Cafe made its mark in Maliau. They should pay you for advertising this. Never trek without your Power Root! Hooray!
Comment deleted at the request of the author.
junglewallah wrote on Jul 22, '05
You've got the best shot of us all. The details are awesome. Just look at the texture of those petals!
czarlli wrote on Jun 23, '06
hallo...my fren...... got ikan kelah there?..... the waterfalls semms good 4 fishing..... can we fish there
gabchong wrote on Jun 24, '06
I would think so because the area is so pristine and untouched but I don't remember seeing any but then the water is very brown (like tea) because of the leaves in the river or something like that ... tanin... but water is clean. Not allowed to hunt or fish in there.
papermargin wrote on Jun 28, '06
I don't think there's kelah (or semah, in Sarawak) there, at least, not the rivers that we went to..
adriancgh wrote on Aug 24, '06
i hope to get that book too...looks interesting
leongj wrote on Nov 25, '07
It is interesting to see that almost all the websites I have surfed on Maliau Basin mentioned about the scientific expeditions starting from 1988! What most people did not know was that BHP Minerals Ltd has an mineral exploration license which saw us in there exploring for coal as early as 1986 and I was one of the few geologists who led our own teams in mapping the basin. There were no camps then and definitely none of the waterfalls were named them! Maybe we should have given them names after ourselves!!! Our local porters and guides went in by trekking and we geologists went in by helis and then map ourselves out! Back then was Wow! What lovely waterfalls! But Ughhhhh! We have to climb up the waterfalls to map them, too!
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wonderful12u wrote on Nov 21, '09
They are spelt LEECH not LEACH....
informatii wrote on Dec 2, '09
Interesting posts you have here ... I can see that you put a lot of hard work on your blog. I'm sure I'd visit here more often.
George
from ginseng root prices.
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