Okra/lady's finger is one of the most common vegetables of the South-Asian countries. It is used in preparing many yummy and delicious dishes. When cut, it releases a sticky material with thickening properties, often used in soups and stews,spicy fried shrimp paste, sambal belacan and are some well-known dishes which frequently use okra.It is low in Sodium, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, thus, an ideal diet for human consumption High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, thiamine, Vitamin B6, Foliate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus,  Pretty common in the Asian and African countries, lady's finger dishes are also popular in American and western countries. I am recommended the way i am cook okra in my own way as my favorite dish for my lunch..try my recipe for my okra sambal. INGREDIENT:  500 gm okra wash  5 table spoon dry shrimp paste(Brunei home made belacan 15fresh bird eye chili sugar salt 1/2 table spoon chicken stock 10 lime juice mortar Method: place the bird eye chili,sugar,salt,shrimp paste,chicken stock,combine till the ingredient are well done mix in mortar.and then place the ingredient into a bowl and pour in lime juice,mix and set a side. bring pot with water and boil when the water boiling place the okra and bring to boil.boil around 4munites and season with salt and drain the water place in to the plate and serve hot.

The Winged Bean (Psophocarpus Tetragonolobus)

 The Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), also known as the Goa bean (kacang botolAsparagus Pea and Winged Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus), is a tropical legume plant native to Papua New Guenia. It grows abundantly in hot, humid equatorial countries, from the Philipines and Indonesia to India, Burma, thailand and Sri Lanka. It does well in humid tropics with high rainfall. There are also varieties that can be grown in most areas of the U.S.. 

The winged bean plant grows as a vine with climbing stems and leaves, 3–4 m in height. It is an herbaceous perennial, but can be grown as annual. It is generally taller and notably larger than the common bean. The bean pod is typically 15–22 cm 6–9 in long and has four wings with frilly edges running lengthwise. The skin is waxy and the flesh partially translucent in the young pods. When the pod is fully ripe, it turns an ash-brown color and splits open to release the seeds. The large flower is a pale blue. The beans themselves are similar to soybeans in both use and nutritional content being 29.8% to 39% protein.So try my delicious recipe for these goa bean(kacang botol)

Ingredient:

•  200Gm dry shrimp blanch
• 10 Gm goa bean slice thinly 
• 3 Table  spoon  shrimp paste 
• 10bird eye chili chop 
• 400 Large squid clean and slice 
• 3 Table spoon vegetable oil 2 Large onion chop1 Table spoon of mince garlic
  2 table spoon grain chili paste
  1/2 Salt and chicken stock to taste

Method:

Heat the pan with oil,add mince garlic squid,grain chili paste,dry shrimp,shrimp paste and add in goa bean and large onion mix equally and  last add salt and chicken stock to taste.ready to severe

MEMORDICA CHARANTIA ( BUAH PERIA)

 Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family , widely grown for edible fruits, which is among the most bitter of all fruits . Names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon, bitter gourd.The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in India,Nepal and other parts of the Indian subcontinent,south East Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douche), soup.Try this recipe of spicy shrimpaste egg  for bitter melon or bitter gourd:

 Ingredient:

2Tablespoon dry shrimp paste mix with little bit of water

.

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2Teaspoon chicken stock(secukup rasa maggi)

3 fresh  egg

4spoon of chili paste 

Bitter gourd slice

2 Tablespoon of fresh Garlic mince 

Red chilli fresh

Instructions: 

Slice the bitter gourd into thin pieces and roll them in 1 tbsp. salt. Let the slices sit for about four minutes, as this helps the water to seep out of the vegetable and gets rid of some of the bitterness. Squeeze the remaining moisture from the vegetable by hand.Add oil to the frying pan and turn stove to medium heat. Fry  the garlic,egg bitter gourd until it is dark brown. Fry all of the red chilies,shrimp paste  and put them aside for later. then add of salt and the  chicken stock, and then turn off heat,serve while hot.

 

Parkia Speciosahassk (Petai)

The beans are popular in Asia, particularly Malaysia, Northern India, Indonesia and Thailand. They are sold in clusters, still in their pod, or the seeds are sold separately in bags most  expensive bean MYR 7 per cluster.  They are also pickled in brine and exported in jars.You'll either love it or hate it. It's hard to ignore the petai beans. Known to the botanist as Parkia speciosa, and to the common man as stink beans, the petai bean is one that you can only acquire a taste for. Reason being it has a very strong all-pervasive smell that lingers in the mouth and in the excretory systems of the body.Besides its culinary uses, Parkia speciosa beans are said to be beneficial in treating a number of health conditions. Hence, its uses can have far-reaching benefits.i caught this recipe with my dad how the way he method this Parkia Speciosa beans.This are the ingredient.

 Ingredient:

3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
19 sliced hot chillies
3 tablespoon dry shrimp paste(Brunei home made belacan)
1 tablespoon chili paste or chilli powder
500 g/1 lb fresh petai seeds
1 tablespoon sugar or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon chicken stock (secukup rasa maggi)
1/2cup of water

Directions:
Heat oil  after 30 seconds add chopped garlic  and sliced chillies and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add belacan (dry shrimp paste )and fry, crushing it against the wok with back of frying spoon.
Add  chili paste,Add the petai and 1/2 cup water, stir into the spice mixture, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until petai are tender. Stir in sugar. Serve with plain rice.

EXOTIC TROPICAL FRUITS (TERUNG PIPIT)

Other exotic tropical plants are grow wild in Malaysia and other tropical country, the origin country of  these plants are Antilles. Tropical soda apple are known as "terung pipit" in Malay the scientific name call Solanum Torum.tropical soda apple are contains 2% protein, 0.1% fat, 7.9% Vitamin A, Zinc,vitamin BI. These type of vegetable also contain alkaloid 0.84% solasodine,.and very importance process birth control pills for woman. Also mostly these Tropical fruits are delicious as serve as a dish like cook it with spicy chili sambal shrimp. I am also try to make my own way to method these delicious tropical fruits and it safe and free chemicals it because the exotic tropical fruits in-need fertilizer it because it suite to what ever land or soil condition.  
Ingredient:
 500Grm anchovy clean and remove the head
10 Bird eye chili
5 ]Cloves of  Red onion slice
4 Cloves of Garlic mince
Small basket exotic solanum toruum swartz (terung pipit)
Salt
 Chicken stock half  tea spoon ( secukup rasa Maggi brand)
3Tbl spoon of vegetable cooking oil
1/2 cup of water

Method:
 Heat the wok 3tbl spoon cooking oil,anchovy,slice red onion ,minced garlic, bird eye chili stir till all ingredient until fragrance and add in exotic tropical soda apple ,water ,salt ,chicken stock mix well lets the water dry out for 5 munites,and when the water dry out turn the fire off and serve hot with plain rice.happy enjoyed..

JELLY EARS MUSHROOM (KULAT TELINGA)

These typical of mushroom growth in in any place any any weather and growth dead tree or branch,its call
 jelly ears mushroom (cendawan telinga) back home at my village these typical of mushroom grow wild everywhere on the branch or on the tree log ,so we pick it and cook for our lunch during planting a paddy. It very delicious when boil  soup with anchovy during hot day this mushroom are safe to eat and contain no chemical or poison..these are my recipe for my home made fresh jelly ears mushroom soup :

ingredient:

1.300ml fresh clean water

2.A bucket.fresh jelly ear mushroom wash and remove the mushroom bottom

3.A bowl of clean anchovy plucked the head out

4.salt

5.anchovy cube stock use half of the cube to taste

6.white paper powder (use little amount of paper)
.
7.1garlic mash (do not mince the garlic)

8.onion cut into half and slice.
Method:
turn the stove on and place the pot fill in the water and boil the jelly ear mushroom about 20munites.when the soup boiling add salt,anchovy cube,paper, onion ,garlic and srir the soup turn off the fire and place it in a bowl and serve with plain white rice.


(SORRY I HAVE NO PICTURE HERE  FOR THE RECIPE)

FOOTBALL FRUITS( BUAH KEPAYANG)

 

FAMILI: Flacourtiaceae,Pangium Edule.

 

Nick Name:Football fruits nuts

Tree sized: 25meter tall

Fruits sized:medium

Does anyone knows this tropical fruit? This fruit is known as "buah kepayang"(Malay) and the scientific name is ,

Pagium Edule, Flacourtiaceae,known as Black nuts.The skin looks Grey brown and the texture of the skin is  slightly rough and sandy. The seed is hard as stone and it can be eaten after it has been boiled. 

The leaves of this tropical fruit can be use to kill parasite worm. The acids "hydroscyanic" can cause death to humans and animals. This unique fruit needs to be cautious when it comes to cooking, if it's done in the wrong way it will cause death. For those who don"t know how to cook this fruit, get an expert or traditional expert to teach you the methods of cooking.

Methods on how to cook this unique fruit. 

1. Firstly open the fruit and removed the seeds out from the yellow flesh..

2. Rinse the seeds trough the running water.

3. Fill the pot with fresh clean water and fill a bucket of  black nut into the pot and boiled about 1 hour until you see the black nuts have a big crack and the water turn black.

4.Turn the stove off and rinse the seeds out from the pot and use a knife to open the seeds to take the nuts out from the shells. 

 (Reminder:) Some nuts are hard to open so in order to take the nuts from the shells easily, use a hammer or something that is able to break, to make abit crack on the shells and use knife  to pull the brown nuts out.

5.Then place the nut in to the net  rinse the nuts and soak the nut into the running water. It is advisable to soak the nuts in the flowing river because the flow of the running river able to wash away the bitterness of the fruit instantly rather than you soaked the nuts under the tap water as the bitterness will not be fully gone.

6.Soak the nuts about 3 to 4days and enjoy delicious creamy nuts whenever your belly is ready to eat the nuts. Following these methods, you will definitely be safe. Enjoy Trying!

BIRD EYE CHILLES(Cili Burung)

 

Those who are spicy lovers can try my own homemade spicy chilli paste, you can mix it with soup, sambal, as side dish with any fresh cucumber, or other dishes you like to go with in order to spice up your taste buds.

Ingredients:


1bowl of fresh bird eye chilli
7 tbl spoon of sugar
3 table spoon of salt
1 tea spoon of chicken powder
6 shallots peel
5 garlic
anchovy (ikan pusu)
pinch of shrimp paste(belacan)
10 fresh lime juice(kasturi lime)
3 tbl spoon vegetable oil(for frying)

Method:
First boil the chillies for about 5 minutes then drain and put those chillies into the mortar (lesung batu), add in the garlic ,shallots, sugar , squeeze lime juice, salts, anchovy, chicken stock, shrimpaste, mix all those  ingredients well into the mortar till all blend well then hit the pan fill with oil and fry it all till the chillies look dark red, serve and store in the refrigerator

BUAH KEMBAYAU

Does anyone recognize this fruit? These fruits are mainly grown in parts of Borneo Island especially in northern part of Sarawak (usually Sibu, Lawas, Limbang ). These fruits are also known as "kembayau" . These typical fruits are not famillar like other fruits which is covered with white skin at the early stage and when it is ripe, the skin changes to dark purple.

These fruits are solid hard when it's uncooked.These tropical fruits are seasonal fruits which follows the other seasonal fruits such as durians, cempedak, terap, and so for.there are different ways on cooking this typical fruit.

First wash and drain the kembayau, Peel the skin like zebra stripe as shown in the picture above, and set  aside, boil water and pour it into the kembayau, then cover it, let it be for 5 to 10 minutes, open the lit and  drain the water out.

Next, add sweet soy sauce followed by sugar and serve it while hot..The taste of these fruits are rich sticky and creamy. Enjoy it..

DURIAN SALTED PICKELD(Tempoyak durian)

 TEMPOYAK DURIAN(SALTED PICKELD DURIAN)

(Durio Zibethinus or Bobacaceceae)

This dish was taught from my beloved mum which is called durian  "tempo- yak"  or scientific name

(Durio Zibethinus or Bobacaceceae) which is also known as "salted pickled durian". This famous delicacies is so well known among my culture. below shows the normal method in making this "tempoyak."


Ingredients:
1 tbls spoon sugar
 1 tbls spoon of anchovy (ikan pusu)
3 tbl spoon vegetable oil (for fry)
1onion choped(i prefferd bombay onion)
7 brid eye chillies or dried chili(slice thinly)
4stalks garlic slice thinly (bawang putih)
6shallots slice thinly( bawang merah)
a bowl of durians (without the seeds)
*Amount depends on the amount of the durians you need to cook,


Method:
Stir-fry the garlic and onion and then add in bird eye chillies or dried chili( or both) followed  by anchovy
As soon as those ingredients look well-fried,

Then add in the durians. Add some sugar and salt according to your taste.Don't add in salt too much it might very salty..Those who want high blood  faster better add more salt hahaha..served with white plain rice or wraping bannana rice tempoyak must be hot served.





Tempo-yak  With  Bird Eye Chillies..

SOTO(beef noodles)

Recipe: beef soto
Ingredients:
1kg tenderloin
6piece of beef bone
2 big red onions
5 garlic
2inch ginger
5bird eye chillies(slice thinly)
1stalk celery(slice and mince)
4lime(kasturi)
2table spoon vinegar
4-spices (1 star anise seed, 3 cloves, 3 cardamon & 1-inch cinnamon stick)
Rinsed 5 cups water
Salt to taste
beef stock (recomended beef stock cube use half of the cube to taste)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method:
 Grind onion, garlic and ginger in the blender
In a pot, heat the oil and add the 4-spices until fragrant. Add in the gounded ingredients and stir continuosly until fragrant. Add water and beef, let it boil. About 30 min. Take the beef out and let them cool..In the meantime, shred the meat of the beef and add them back into the pot together with the bones. Let it boil for another 15-20min. Serve hot with vermicelli and bean sprouts,fresh mince celery,bird eye chillies,add half spoon vinager to taste..enjoyed your beef soto..

MILLAZ LAKSA(Coconut milk curry noodles)

Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze a lime over the soup before eating. This is the Recipe for Milla laksa  which I cooked.Its make you want eat more if u try this laksa..You can't  feel your ear when you try millaz laksa (coconut milk noodels) its delicious than other laksa.,

• 750 grammes of Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli) (soaked)
• 1.2 kilogrammes of medium-sized prawns 
• 6 piece fresh fish balls (wash and slice into two)
• 2 large squid(cut and clean)
• 1.5 kilogramme chicken (whole bird breast)
• 5 eggs
• 500 grammes of bean sprouts
• 16 to 20 pieces of lime
• 900 grammes of Sarawak Laksa paste
• 2Piece of  fresh fry beancurd (slice thinly)
• Coconut milk from 1 1/2 coconuts (about 300 ml)
• Salt and chicken powder stock to taste (a pinch)
•  .Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
•  20bowls of water(clean water)

Beat eggs and fry them thinly on a frying pan. Cut into strips. Set aside.

Boil 4 litres of water in a stock pot. Upon boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt followed by prawns. Boil the prawns till they start to float indicating that they are cooked. Remove the prawns and let it cool.

Separately, boil 4 litres of water in another stock pot. Upon boiling, add 2 teaspooons of salt followed by the chicken. Boil till chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and let it cool.

Remove head and shell from prawn. Put back the prawn into the first pot, cover lid and continue boiling for at least 2 minutes  on medium heat. Place prawn aside.

Remove chicken meat from bones and shred the meat using fingers. Put back the chicken bones into the second pot, cover lid and continue boiling for at least 2 hours on medium heat. Place shredded chicken meat aside.

Once both stock are cooked, Combine the stock into one pot. Add  Laksa  paste and let it boil at medium to high heat for at least 30 minutes.

Using freshly boiled water, blanch the beansprouts in 3 batches for 1 minute each. Drain beansprouts and set aside.

Next, cook the pre-soaked beehoon in 4 to 5 batches by blanching them in boiling water for at least 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

After the Laksa paste has been left boiling for at least 30 minutes, turn off heat and sieve and remove the spice from the stock. Bring the stock (now laksa soup) to boil again. Turn off heat and add coconut milk gradually whilst stirring. Add salt and chiken stock recomended (chicken stock powder) to taste.

To serve, first place cooked beehoon on a bowl. Add beansprouts, shredded chicken, prawns and egg strips.slice fresh beancurd,squid,fresh fish ball Then pour the laksa soup over the ingredients.garnishing with coriander leaf.and enjoyed it while the laksa hot..

It is not recommended that the laksa be kept overnight as coconut milk is used.becouse of the  freshness and the fragrance will be roten and it might cause a food poison.

BEEF RECIPES(Beef Wellington)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 filets mignon, 1-inch thick
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 Tbsp. Mushroom Duxelles
• 1 egg

Preparation:

I want to reiterate here that this is an easy recipe to make in that it doesn't require any arcane kitchen skills. 1. Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.
2. Filets are often irregular in shape, if yours are use a piece of kitchen twine to tie them into a round. 
3. Season filets generously with salt and pepper.
4. Pre-heat a medium (10-inch) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl in pan to melt.
5. Cook filets on both sides for about 3 minutes until well-browned, then brown the edges. Note: Regularly check the internal temperature of the filets, they should not be cooked past 120F at the center Allow filets to cool, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least a couple of hours.

6. Heat oven to 400F. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water (egg wash).
7. Wrap the filets in puff pastry according to the steps outlined in the photo tutorial for Individual Beef Wellingtons. Brush with egg wash, and bake in center of oven until golden brown; about 30 minutes.

Brunei The Largerst Water Village In Asia.

Kampung Air, which in a quirk of the Malay and English languages translates as "water village" It might look like a slum, but people actually choose to live here and there aren't too many slums whose inhabitants all own cars, which they park on the opposite river bank.

BRUNEI FOOD AND CULTURE

There is a statutory ban on the public sale and consumption of any kind of alcohol in Brunei. Most restaurants remain open until 9.00 or 10.00 pm. The major Chinese restaurants and restaurants of the larger hotels tend to get crowded, especially during the weekends - you may need to reserve your table in advance.

Brunei Darussalam is a multiethnic society in which one ethnic group, the Barunay, has a monopoly of political power. Variations in tradition among other ethnic groups are not regional but cultural, social, and linguistic. Indigenous Muslims usually are referred to as Brunei Malays even if they are not native speakers of the Malay language.

Nightlife

There is very little nightlife in Brunei. What little is there is found in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, and a few other prominent cities. Night life in Brunei essentially means eating out a little later than normal or having an enjoyable evening at a restaurant.

Ambuyat(BRUNEI LOCAL DISH)

Ambuyat

AMBUYAT(Known as sago sctratch)

 
Ambuyat is unique to Brunei as well as to Bruneians. It is a type of starch taken especially during lunchtime and mostly on Friday afternoons or anytime you fancy really.
It’s glue-like appearance, and bland taste might not be appetising but the trick is actually to dip it in the accompanying sauce known as cacah and swallowing it whole. Cacah or the dip can either be made from local fruits known as binjai or pidada or from fermented shrimps known locally as cencalok. Normally the cacah is sour but may be added in with chillies for those who like it hot or more chillies to make it hotter. Ambuyat taste best while hot so be very careful when swallowing it. Get your experience of your lifetime to try some brunei local dish.Other races in this world who make full use of the sago tree,Penans of Sarawak who processes sago flour from sago tree. The Kombai tribe, the tribes found in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, also eat the pit from the sago tree.

EAT IN BRUNEI(BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN)

(Nasi katok Brunei first row & second down row is Ayam Penyet)

Katok is actually "ketuk" in the Malay language, and it means knock. There is a story behind the name Nasi Katok. It was begun by a couple of teenagers who were feeling very hungry after a midnight practice. They went to a place where they normally bought their food. This place was actually a residential house, which offered Nasi bungkus (a pack of rice with chicken and egg) even in the middle of the night. At any time you could just Katok (knock) on their door, and the owner will come up with fresh hot Nasi Katok. And that's how it became Nasi Katok.Nasi katok are budget meals that you can find it in any food stalls.BND 1.00per packet,and besides that there are some other meals also popular in Brunei like Ayam Penyet. Ayam Penyet made from deep fried chicken thigh.Sambal belacan known as(shrimp paste) grind with fresh bird eye chilli and tomato.For those who love spicy dish in their meals,.and serve with white plain rice,raw cabbage,cucumber.Ayam penyet origin from Indonesia,and popular in Brunei by the Indonesian worker.And introduced by the Indonesian worker at any food stall in Bandar.Ayam penyet cost BND.2.50per plate,the chicken thigh is large,the rice serve hot in basket and the raw vegetable also serve beside the dish.

Brunei Darussalam

Brunei is officially an Islamic state, with many large beautiful mosques across the country. Sale of alcohol is banned. Bringing in meat, (other than seafood) which has not been certified "halal",slaughtered according to Islamic law Is also banned. During the fasting month of Ramadan, many shops and restaurants will be open. However, eating, drinking or smoking in front of people who are fasting is considered rude and asking permission is appropriate.
The bulk of the population is Malay and there is also a significant Chinese minority of some as well  a number of indigenous peoples, including the Iban and Dusun tribes who inhabit the jungle upriver and the Temburong district, (the smaller eastern part detached from the rest of Brunei). There is a large number of foreign workers who work on the oil and gas production or in lower positions such as restaurant staff, field workers and domestic staff. The male to female ratio is 3:2. More than a quarter of the people areshort term immigrant workers, most of whom are men.The Sultanate of Brunei.Full name(: Negara Brunei Darussalam) is a small but - thanks to natural gas and petroleum resources - very rich country located in Southeast Asia. It is surrounded by Malaysia and has two parts physically separated by Malaysia, almost being an enclave. Strategically located on the South China Sea, close to vital sea lanes linking Indian and Pacific Oceans, it has an exclusive economic fishing zone that extends as far as Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands although it makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs.  

SABAH BEAUTY AND NATURE(THE LAND BEYOND THE WIND)

Sipadan Water Village is a resort beautifully constructed with architectural design. Part of the Mabul Island is also home to groups of Bajau fishermen who have built their traditional palm thatched houses.Bajau Laut, the world's only tribe of nomadic sea gypsies spends their lives on the water. Over the years, some have entered a transition from sea nomadic to sedentary village life at a former major anchorage site such as Mabul.

MOUNT KINABALU THE TALLEST PEAK IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

Mount Kinabalu is situated in the East Malaysia state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. Breathtaking sunrise from above the clouds, 13,435 feet (4095 meters) above sea level.Sabah, also known as The Land Below The Wind.The highest peak in South East Asia,Mount Kinabalu is extremely climber-friendly and compared to other lower mountains around the world, it is an ideal first mountain for novice mountain climbers to conquer.

PORING HOT SPRINGS(SABAH MALAYSIA)

The Poring Hot springs, within the Kinabalu Park, admits the visitor into tropical lowland rainforests. Sulphur hot springs provide a therapeutic bath and marked trails lead to small waterfalls and caves. The Canopy walkway, 100 to 200 ft. above the forest floor, is an opportunity to appreciate nature. Three hour ride from Kota Kinabalu via the Tuaran highway. Drive past small towns and scattered villages to the Kundasang Valley, then further east to Poring.

Take the canopy walk for a better appreciation of the tropical rainfores. Graded trail is quite steep and the walk is 40 to 50 minutes altogether. Enjoy an invigorating mineral bath in indoor or outdoor tubs. Tour leaves for Kinabalu park after lunch.

Sabah Malaysia (THE LAND BELOW THE WIND)

The island of Borneo has long been considered an exotic location by many. Being the third largest island in the world, many are intrigued by what it has to offer. Borneo is split into three parts and each section belongs to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Sabah Malaysia is located on the northern tip of Borneo and is considered to be a part of South East Asia,Known as "The Land Below the Wind".From five star resorts budget accommodation Sabah Malaysia hotels come in wide assortment. Stay in the rainforest and sleep amidst the sounds of active wildlife one of the fantastic Kota Kinabalu hotels and enjoy your holiday in the capital. Sabah Malaysia hotels also can  be found eight islands such as Sipadan, Layang Layang and Gaya Island. and many gorgeous Sabah Malaysia beaches. The coastal areas of Tawau, Lahad, Datu, Sandakan, Tuaran and Labuan have a range of accommodations available,Chosen the areas you'd most like to frequent, determine your budget needs and search for a hotel.

SARAWAK THE LAND OF THE HORNBILL

HORNBILLS
Sarawak "the land of the hornbills"

being on the tropical island of Borneo and drifting quietly down a steam in a dug-out canoe. The giant trees of the rainforest rise on each bank like cathedral spires, and the creepers which festoon them form cloisters that conceal the dark damp interior. Raindrops pattering on the foliage and distant rumble of a retreating thunderstorm form a backdrop of sound, though which penetrates a single mournful hoot. More hoots follow at intervals, accelerating in tempo until they break suddenly into peals of maniacal laughter. Two huge birds then burst across the dome of the sky, their naked red heads extended and metre-long tail feathers trailing behind. You can spot the hornbill everywhere in Malaysia, if you try, good places to spot hornbills elsewhere in Malaysia are Taman Negara, Fraser's Hill, Langkawi, Gunung Mulu National Park, Kinabatangan, Sabah's Danum Valley and Mount Kinabalu National Park. Many species of hornbill (8 - 9) are found in Malaysia. Some  of them endangered or only present in small, isolated populations. The iban hunted hornbills for the tail feathers, which they use to decorate ceremonial headdresses. A single group of dancers may use as many as 400 feathers on their headdresses, for which they would have to kill about 40 birds. But that's over now. The hornbills nestle in a hole high up in an old tree.  It's the largest birds in the forest.

Niah Caves, Miri National Park, Sarawak

Petrocarpus forest dominates in Borneo. The gnarly things are roots of some of the climbers.

Niah Caves is situated near Batu Niah town. less than 5 km We came in from Miri 120km away it's a city with lots of hotels, amenities, airport and petrochemical processing facilities. Visitors can now use this as base for various visits to the national parks in the district and even going into  Brunei.

 

The stones have this strange green hue which kinda glows a bit.

I felt tempted to join them lazing in the shallows too I had limited time so too bad.

The forest scenery is nice and  very little mosquitoes. Main Paths are paved  concreted and easy on the legs. I was  out for the birds chattering and the monkeys. Maybe the occasional shotgun too, the aborigines were hunting that day. No more blowpipes for them, lucky thing I never heard any automatic gunfire or i would have left, national park or otherwise.

Entrance to the Great Cave is via Traders Cave. This is smaller cave where the people erected platforms to trade.  The log poles are still there. You have some idea of the scale from the photos. A human is very very tiny in the cave.

The archeological dig is at the entrance of the Great Cave. Wash your hands & refresh yourself with the water falling from the cave roof if available.

SARAWAK WORLD'S BEST CHAMBER

RAWAK

Malaysians claim that the Sarawak Chamber is Earth's largest underground pocket of air. The chamber is one room, so to speak, of a track of tunnels known as Gua Nasib Bagus,( in malays) or "Good Luck Cave." Think of it as nature's version of the atrium-ceilinged living room in a sprawling modern McMansion.

The cave is located in Gunung Mulu National Park in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. It remained undiscovered by Westerners at least until 1981. Three Englishmen, while exploring the underground network, found the cave.

SARAWAK FAMOUS PINNACLES(LAND OF THE HORNBILL)

 The Pinnacles

The famous Pinnacles at Mulu consist of a series of 45 metre high, razor-sharp limestone spikes that tower above the surrounding vegetation, mid-way up the slopes of Gunung Api. The trek to view them is one of the most popular in the park. But be warned, the Pinnacle Summit Trek is a tough and challenging one. The trail itself is very steep (near vertical in parts) and requires a certain level of fitness.
The Pinnacles Summit Trek is usually done as 3 day/2 night trek although it is possible to do it as 2 day/1 night trek. The first stage is a 1-2 hour boat trip along the Melinau River to Kuala Berar. If the water level is low, the boat has to be pushed over rocky sections so the trip takes longer. Base Camp 5 is a relatively easy 7.8 km walk from Kuala Berar, following flat jungle terrain and taking 2-3 hours. Camp 5 is situated near the Melinau Gorge which separates Gunung Benarat from Gunung Api. There is hostel-style accommodation at the camp, and cooking facilities. The Melinau river in front of Camp 5 is crystal clear and ideal for a swim after the trek from Long Berar.
The real hiking begins the following morning. The trail is 2.4 km in length but rises some 1,200 metres from Camp 5 to the viewpoint, passing through lowland dipterocarp forest before climbing steeply through moss forest. Here the trees area a lot smaller and everything is covered in slippery green moss. Limestone debris also litters the trail so trekkers must proceed with care. The last section of the trail is near vertical, with rope sections and 15 aluminium ladders strategically positioned to help with the climb. The vegetation is sparse although orchids, rhododendrons and pitcher plants thrive in the area, and can be seen at the side of the trail.
After some tough climbing you finally come out onto a rocky outcrop where the stunning view provides a good reward for all the effort. The viewpoint area is made up of a number of pinnacles, rocks and vegetation and has excellent views of the silver-grey forest of stone that rises up from the surrounding vegetation. After taking some photos and a short rest and a last glimpse of the pinnacles, it is time to begin the descent back to camp 5 and the second overnight stay.It is very difficult to put an exact time on how long it takes to trek to the Pinnacles viewpoint. Fit and experienced trekkers should be able to reach the top in 2-3 hours. The not so fit but determined generally take around 4-5 hours. Most people spend an hour or so at the top before coming down. For many the descent is actually more difficult and therefore takes longer, so the return trip can take anything from 5 to 10 hours depending on fitness level.

GUA NIAH - SARAWAK(THE LAND OF THE HORNBILL)

Sarawak’s smallest national parks, it is certainly one of the most important and unusual attractions to visitors. What is most interesting about Niah is that one of the main claims to fame is the birthplace of civilization in the region.  The oldest modern human remains in Southeast Asia along with many other relics of prehistoric man were discovered about 40,000 years ago, making the park one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.

   

The park has a size of 3,140 hectares of forest and limestone karst areas.  It was first gazetted as a National Historic Monument in 1958 and on 23 November 1974 was gazetted as National Park and open to public on 1 January 1975.

In 1958, a discovery was made which confirmed Niah as a site of major archaeological significance.  Led by Tom Harrison, he and his team unearthed a skull at the West Mouth of the Great Cave, which was estimated to be 40,000 years old.  It was the skull of a modern human Homo sapiens.  Apart from that, plenty of human settlements in the area like tools, cooking utensils and ornaments, made of bone, stone or clay were found.  These items found suggested that a long period of settlement reaching back into the palaeolithic era (the earliest part of the Stone Age).

   

Besides that, the Subis river flows along the park's western border. Not forgetting a large, almost vertical limestone massif Mount Subis which rises from the plain little above sea level and covers about 60% of the area?  The limestone was originally formed as a coral reef in the Lower Miocene.  Later it was uplifted and modified by faulting and erosion. 

There are several hundred caves within the park boundaries. The two most interesting and famous ones are Gua Niah (Niah Great Cave) and Kain Hitam (Painted Cave). Both are immense archaeological interest and have been declared as National Historical Monuments.  

The accessible way to the Caves is via a raised plank walk that winds through lowland forest vibrant with birds and butterflies.  Today the Cave is home only to bats, swiftlets and other specially adapted forms of life. However, a few locals still venture into the dark interior to collect guano (bird and bat droppings used as fertilizer) and bird's nest. visitors can explore several kilometers of forest trails to feel the richness of tropical rainforests, climb a 400m tall limestone ridge or visit an Iban longhouse located near the Park boundary. Visitors can also rent a boat or walk along the river from Park headquarters to Batu Niah town.

It is worth taking your time and walking quietly along the way, as you may well see some of the park's wildlife. If you leave the Great cave and return along the plank walk around clouds intermingling, you can see half a million of swiftlets are returning to their nests, whilst half a million bats fly out to forage in the forest. This is one of Niah's most spectacular sights which represent only a small niche in the earth complex ecosystem. One of Niah's other notable sights is the unusual number of luminous fungi that growth at dark night.

   

Colourful birds, squirrels, lizards, butterflies and all manner of unusual insects and invertebrates are commonly seen. Cave creature like Cave Spider, Cave Cockroaches, Cave Bats, cave snake and frogs.  If you are lucky, you may see monkeys, flying lizards and the occasionally hornbill.

FLORA AND FAUNA     It is worth taking your time and walking quietly along the way, as you may well see some of the park's wildlife. If you leave the Great cave and return along the plank walk around clouds intermingling, you can see half a million of swiftlets are returning to their nests, whilst half a million bats fly out to forage in the forest. This is one of Niah's most spectacular sights which represent only a small niche in the earth complex ecosystem. One of Niah's other notable sights is the unusual number of luminous fungi that growth at dark night. Colourful birds, squirrels, lizards, butterflies and all manner of unusual insects and invertebrates are commonly seen. Cave creature like Cave Spider, Cave Cockroaches, Cave Bats, cave snake and frogs.  If you are lucky, you may see monkeys, flying lizards and the occasionally hornbill. Great Cave The Great Cave as the name suggests, is an enormous cavern.  Situated approximately 3 km from the Park Office and is easily reached via the plank walk, which is enclosed, on both sides by dense primary rainforest. The walk alone is fascinating in its own right, as you pass close to giant Tapang trees Koompassia excelsa with their enormous buttressed roots, pandanus plants twice the size of a person and colourful exquisitely formed orchids and tree fungi. The Great cave is not only important archaeological site, where it was inhabited by man for 40,000 years, but the cave is also full bats and birds, especially the Black-nest Swiftlets.  Locals usually collect the nests of this bird to cook birds’ nest soup.     Like other caves in Sarawak it has extremely big chambers and passages. The cave system has eight entrances. The west entrance, also called West Mouth, is one of the world’s most spectacular cave entrances with over 60m high and 250m wide, leading to an even larger chamber within.  Proceeding into the cave, the sound of disembodied voices mingles with the squeaking of million of bats and swiftlets to create an eerie atmosphere. The voices belong to the guano (bird and bat excrement) covering the cave floor. The guano is then carried in sacks to the Sungai Niah, where it is graded and sold as fertiliser. Moon Cave where you can see beam of sunlight shines through an opening at the limestone roof top. After the dark section with bats you will then reach the eastern entrance. The first significant rock formation you reach is the Trader's Cave, which is really an extended rock overhang rather than a cave proper. This is where the birds nest and guano traders conduct their business, hence name over the trader.    Large chamber The passage at the back of the Great cave leads to the large chamber known as 'Padang' where shafts of sunlight stream down from the large holes in the cave roof to illuminate the bizarre rock formations in the Burnt Cave. This is another excellent spot for taking photos. After the Padang, the cave passage becomes pitch black and it is here that you will need the flashlight, not only to find your way along the plank walk but to view the extraordinary shapes and weathering effects found in the Moon Cave.  Painted Cave Painted cave are very near to Moon Cave, the plank walk pathway through the forest leads you to the Painted Cave. Here, you can see little spread-eagled human-like figures drawn in red hematite watch over a gravesite where the bodies of the dead were each laid in its own boat-shaped coffin.  It probably represents warriors and hunters and some of the animals of the souls of the deceased on the dangerous journey to the land of the dead.  The drawings have been dated as ranging between 1AD and 780 AD. It is worth spending some time at the Painted Cave, even though the burial site at the cave is far more recent than those at the Great Cave.  Nevertheless, it is no less important as it offers a clear insight into the development of the traditional religions of Borneo.  Birds Nest Half million swiftlets that live in the cave and make their nests purely from their own salivary secretions and when the nests are cleaned and cooked, they produce the famous birds nest soup, which is as highly regarded in Chinese cuisine as caviar is in the West. You will notice strategically positioned bamboo poles and ladders in the cave buried vertically.  Birds nest collector will then climb up the bamboo ladders to harvest the birds nest. Local people have practiced this dangerous occupation for generations who earn a living from the cave. Niah National Park is a great place for jungle exploration too. The Park has two clearly marked walking trails to ease your trekking session.  They are Jalan Bukit Kasut and Jalan Madu.  Remember to bring some supply of food before going off on one of these trails. Apart from jungle trekking or forest exploration,go on mountain climbing where you will have the chance to scale a 400 meters of limestone ridge.                           Bukit Kasut This trail green and white markings leads to the summit of Bukit Kasut. The 45 minutes walk passes through beautiful primary rainforest before moving into Kerangas forest at the foot of the hill.some fascinating cliff vegetation clinging tenuously to life in the steep limestone slopes. The trail is a little steep but the view at the top is worth it, offering a sweeping panorama of the rainforest canopy. This trail red and white markings sticks quite close to the banks of the Sungai Subis, a tributary of the Sungai Niah. It takes roughly an hour and passes through both alluvial and peat swamp forest. There are plenty of wild orchids, bizarre mushrooms and giant pandanus plants along the side of the trail.