Trekking through the jungles of Bako National Park, Borneo in a constant downpour of tropical rain left me feeling (and looking) like a nearly drowned cat. Although I had loved my two days exploring the rainforest in search of monkeys, I was more than ready to relax and dry out in the nearby town of… Continue reading Kitties, Kindness, and (Disgusting) Cream Puffs in Kuching
Category: Borneo
The Magical & Mysterious Fairy Caves of Borneo
I’ve never been to a place for which photos do so little justice as the Fairy Caves in Kuching, Borneo. At some point during the planning of my Borneo trip I came across these caves and, along with the Bako National Park, they became the main reason I flew to Kuching for a few days.… Continue reading The Magical & Mysterious Fairy Caves of Borneo
Close Encounters at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Borneo
One of the main reasons I was excited to go to Borneo was to see the famed and endangered orangutans. My wish was granted on my first full day in Borneo after a quick flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and an hour cab ride out into the jungle. Before embarking on our Kinabatangan river… Continue reading Close Encounters at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Borneo
Adventures in Bako National Park, Borneo
It was my second day of traveling alone in Borneo. I’d spent a few days searching for crocodiles on the Kinabatangan river followed by another four days dodging pirates in Mabul, but those days had been with friends; now, here I was, heading to a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Borneo to… Continue reading Adventures in Bako National Park, Borneo
Is Mabul Island Safe? Why I Went Where They Told Me Not To
After visiting Mabul Island in August, each person I met throughout Borneo gasped when I told them I had just come from that region. “Isn’t it really dangerous?!” they would cry. Since I had made it out alive, I’d shrug and say it was fine. I hadn’t been so indifferent a few weeks prior,… Continue reading Is Mabul Island Safe? Why I Went Where They Told Me Not To
10 Things I Learned in My First 10 Days as a “Solo Female Backpacker”
I fought back the tears as I hugged Chelyn goodbye at the airport in Borneo and wished her a safe flight home. Not so much because I would miss her (though I would, of course) but because I now faced 10 days of travel in a third world country– as well as Singapore and peninsular… Continue reading 10 Things I Learned in My First 10 Days as a “Solo Female Backpacker”
Crocodile Diaries: Adventures On the Kinabatangan River in Borneo
Click click. The buzz of the motor muffled the satisfying click of my shutter as we cruised up the Kinabatangan river. The sun beat down on us from a clear azure sky flanked by wispy clouds in the distance, and reflected pictures in the muddy colored water of the lush green trees along the banks.… Continue reading Crocodile Diaries: Adventures On the Kinabatangan River in Borneo
Jungles, Beaches, Monkeys, and My Epic Trip to Borneo
It’s midnight. Eighteen long hours of travel and I’ve finally arrived, sweaty and exhausted, at the hostel in Borneo. We have five hours until we have to be back to the airport to catch our morning flight. I expect some hugs and giggles when I see my friends, some chatting and catching up before getting… Continue reading Jungles, Beaches, Monkeys, and My Epic Trip to Borneo