Industrialization enables mass-production but it sacrifices the food quality. Luckily, some still hold the belief that human food is better made by human rather than factory machinery. That’s why food lovers really appreciate the handmade noodles from a few Sabah towns, for example, Tuaran Mee, Tamparuli Mee and Beaufort Mee (Mee means Noodle).
Beaufort Mee (Beaufort Fried Noodle, “保佛面” in Chinese) tastes really good though it’s less famous, so it deserves to be featured here.
Restoran Beaufort (保佛饭店)
Beaufort Mee is originated from Beaufort, a town nearly 100 KM from Kota Kinabalu (KK). Fortunately, you can find one of the best Beaufort Mee in KK. Restoran Beaufort (保佛饭店) is only 6 KM from KK and very popular for its Beaufort Mee (see Location Map).
Normally Beaufort Mee is best served hot in “wet fried” style and covered in thick gravy, with green vegetable and pork (usually meat slices and roasted pork slices). The noodle is soft and “juicy”, but not oily. Yes, it does taste better than ordinary noodle. The pork is smooth, sweet and tender.
You may notice that they put a lot of vegetable, so green that it might look less appetizing to carnivorous food lovers like me. But I must tell you that this vegetable is the “secret weapon” of Restoran Beaufort. It’s Chinese Mustard or Choy-Sim (菜心 in Chinese, Sawi Manis in Malay), the most commonly used vegetable for any type of noodles in Sabah.
However, they are using organic vegetable and it makes a big difference. It is fresh, sweet and crunchy! The owner told me that they appoint farmer to plan organic vegetable for them and it costs almost twice as expensive than the organic veg from Ranau.
Ok, you don’t mind driving 1.5 hours to Beaufort to try Beaufort Mee. You can ask any local in Beaufort, all of them will recommend Foh Chuan Restaurant (see Location Map).
Kedai Makan dan Minum Foh Chuan (老伙船面粥小馆) in Beaufort town
Foh Chuan is just next to a mosque in Beaufort. The owner is Ah Hiong (阿雄) and Foh Chuan is the name of his father. His mobile phone number is +60 12 8392600 if you want more info.
Beaufort Mee Goreng Basah (Wet Fried Beaufort Noodle)
Foh Chuan is open daily (Mon-Sat: 7am-2:30pm, Sun: 7am-1pm). The shop closes earlier so they can make Beaufort Mee in the afternoon. I strongly advise you to visit this restaurant in early morning because their handmade Beaufort Mee is sold out fast. They only have factory-made noodle for latecomers, sad if you drive 1.5 hours for real Beaufort Mee. Sunday is not a good day too as they prepare less items that day.
Konlon Beaufort Mee (Dry Beaufort Noodle)
Besides Beaufort Mee, Foh Chuan serves other delicious food too, like the Fried Rice Noodle (see photo below). They purposely burn the roasted pork slices (焦叉烧 in Chinese) a bit so it tastes sweeter with stronger BBQ flavor.
Left: Fried mihun with slightly burnt cha-sao (Char siu). Right: Beef soup is great to go with your noodleFood menu of Kedai Makan dan Minum Foh Chuan (prices as of Jan 2024)
Hey Sabahans, do you know any Australian hero? What? Chris Hemsworth? I’m talking about real hero, not movie star. This Aussie hero doesn’t use any hammer, he fought for us to free Sabah in World War II. After knowing the story of Tom Starcevich here, do say thank you to your Australian friends when you visit the land of kangaroo next time.
Background
During World War II, Sabah was invaded and occupied by Japanese. In June of 1945, Australian forces launched the campaign to liberate Borneo. The Australian 2/32nd and 2/43rd Battalion began their attack on 27 June against the 386th Japanese Independent Infantry Battalion under Major Kimura Jiro. Beaufort was a strategic town because its railway situated between Kota Kinabalu (then Jesselton) in the north and Tenom in interior. Losing Beaufort would be a big blow to the enemy because that will cut off the supply and aid from outside. The Japanese knew this too, so they defended Beaufort stubbornly. After days of heavy fighting, the Japanese retreated to the forested slope behind the town and setup a few machine gun posts in high ground.
Entrance to Starcevich Memorial Monument
In a hail of bullets, Tom Starcevich risked his life and fought uphill to wipe out four machine gun posts and 12 enemies almost single-handed. Because of his bravery, he was awarded Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry “in the face of the enemy” that can be awarded to members of British and Commonwealth armed forces, equivalent to Medal of Honor for United States I think. The battle between Australian and Japanese forces in Beaufort, from 26 to 29 June 1945, is one of the most intense but important fight in Sabah. 2/43rd Battalion, where Starcevich belongs, lost 13 men killed and 30 wounded. The numbers could be more if Starcevich wasn’t there.
Starcevich Memorial Monument
To commemorate Starcevich and this event, Starcevich Memorial Monument is erected at the battle site and open to public (free entry). The memorial site has turned into a small garden and visitors can see the information panel at the entrance, which says, “During June 1945 the Australian 9th Division launched one of the war’s final campaigns with a series of landings around Brunei Bay. Having met limited resistance, the Australians quickly secured Labuan and Muar islands and the town of Brunei on the mainland. They then turned their attention to the operation’s second phase. Among their objectives were the towns of Weston and Beaufort.
Plaque with information on the battle in Beaufort town
Members of the 2/32nd Battalion landed at Weston on 16 June but found no Japanese in the vicinity. The rest of the battalion followed the next day while elements of the 2/43rd Battalion and the 2/11th Commando Squadron landed at nearby Mempakul.
Photos of Leslie Thomas Starcevich. Can you recognize him in the group photo? (Pictures source)
Patrols exploring the approaches to Beaufort over the following days often encountered Japanese and on 27 June the 2/32nd and 2/43rd Battalions began their assault. Approaching along the river, the railway track from Weston and across the boggy ground leading inland towards Beaufort some companies moved to cut off the main avenues of enemy retreat while one company advanced into the town.
Starcevich Memorial Stone is built where the battle took place
By early on the evening of 27 June soldiers of the 2/43rd Battalion had fought their way into Beaufort while Australian companies positioned outside the town engaged those trying to escape. The following morning as Australian troops patrolled the surrounding jungle Private Tom Starcevich, his platoon under Japanese machine gun fire, stood and firing his Bren gun from the hip destroyed four machine gun posts in two separate actions. For his bravery Starcevich received the Victoria Cross.
Starcevich Memorial Monument is to commemorate Leslie Thomas Starcevich for his bravery in World War II
The strongest pocket of Japanese resistance outside the town was brought under artillery and mortar fire on the night of 28/29 June and many of those who fled were halted by waiting Australians. The Australians established a defensive line to Beaufort’s east, the town was secure but patrols continued to clash for days afterwards.
This memorial is dedicated to the memory of Private Tom Starcevich, of the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, on 28 June 1945, for most conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy.”
Equivalent to Medal of Honor of USA, Victoria Cross is the highest award for brave Australians
“On 27-28 June it (2/43rd Battalion) attacked the town of Beaufort. Approaching a thickly wooded spur, Starcevich’s company encountered the enemy at a position where movement off the single track was difficult and hazardous. The leading platoon found the enemy well dug in and, as the Japanese in the first post opened fire, Starcevich moved through the forward scouts firing his Bren-gun from the hip and silencing the post. Fired upon immediately by a second light machine-gun emplacement, he coolly changed his magazine, advanced upon this post and, standing in full view of the gunners, destroyed it. Encountering a third post, he and a fellow soldier moved forward and kept the post quiet with a hail of fire. For this outstanding display of gallantry he was awarded the Victoria Cross in November. After the war the people of Beaufort erected a memorial to Starcevich and named the jungle track ‘VC Road’.”
Bren gun, the light machine guns used by Starcevich (picture source)
Starcevich is a Bren-gunner in his team. The Bren gun is a light machine guns made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. It has an effective range of around 550 Metres. You can mount Bren gun on a tripod or vehicle, or fire it from a prone position with a bipod. From what I read, shooting it from the hip like Rambo is Australian style of firing Bren Gun, badass huh. I would not want to be in front even if I play video war game, where I can respawn and retry until succeed. He is really an action hero.
The Monument
The memorial stone is in the form of a stele of about one metre in height. The cross section is rectangular; the stele tapers upward slightly and is topped by a flat top. On the front with two bronze plates inserted and the inscription on top plate reads “In June 1945, on this hill, by his valour and disregard of danger, Private L.T Starcevich of 2/43rd Battalion A.I.F (Australian Imperial Forces), routed the Japanese defenders single-handed, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.”
Starcevich Memorial Stone and inscription on it
The lower sheet is an obituary that says, “Vale Leslie Thomas Starcevich V.C. Born 5-9-1918 Died 17-11-1989. Grass Patch West Australia. Age 71 Years. Lest we Forget. 2/43 BN. Association.”
How to get there
The memorial site is at the edge of Beaufort town and next to a government building named “Urusetia Daerah Beaufort”. Beaufort town is about 97 Kilometre south of Kota Kinabalu City and highly accessible by highway and paved roads.
Look for this brown signage to Starcevich Memorial Monument in Beaufort town
Starcevich Monument wasn’t listed in Google map many years ago, so it took me quite a long time to locate it. Now it’s super easy with navigation apps such as Google Map. GPS: 5.343301, 115.746622 (see Location Map or Street View)
Beaufort District Secretariat building (Bangunan Urusetia Daerah Beaufort)
Once you reach Urusetia Daerah Beaufort, turn into the small road named Jalan Tugu at the right, you will spot the monument at your right after 50 Metres.
The location of Starcevich Memorial Monument (yellow pointer) next to Urusetia Daerah Beaufort building
For a deeper feel of the conflict, you can walk up the slope. The hill and forest are still mostly intact. The narrow jungle track is a paved road today.
Starcevich fought this way up to eliminate 4 machine gun postsThe slope where Japanese setup machine gun posts. Dangerous!Starcevich Memorial Monument is right next to the Tugu Road (Jalan Tugu)Starcevich Memorial Site in year 2008
Trivia
Tom Starcevich (Full Name: Leslie Thomas Starcevich) was born on 5 September 1918 in Western Australia.
He never came back to Sabah after the war.
Tom Starcevich is a modest and serious man with a liking for music, he was described as ‘a good mate, with a quiet smile and dry sense of humour’, who enjoyed sharing a few beers with old comrades.
Tom Starcevich VC was a quietly capable man, not given to volatility or vulgarity and not easily provoked. His daughter Lynette Starcevich said, “Dad wasn’t very comfortable with the attention. The VC was for everyone in his battalion who didn’t come back or wasn’t recognised for their courage.”
His brother, Stan Starcevich said, “as far as Tom was concerned, he didn’t think it was a big deal, he just thought he was doing the job he was supposed to be doing.”
“Tom didn’t do it for himself, he didn’t do it for glory, he did it for his mates.” – Michael Madden, author of The Victoria Cross – Australia Remembers
After taking over Beaufort, Australian troop organised a Beaufort Children’s Carnival on 8 August for the locals.
Starcevich VC Memorial in Australia (Grass Patch, WA). Picture by Henry MouldsThis building in Beaufort was used as a hospital by Japanese during WW2 and now gazetted by Sabah State Museum
FYI, if you visit Starcevich Memorial Monument in Beaufort, you may check out a pre-war building, which was built in 1929, inside the campus of SJK (C) Kung Ming Beaufort (a local Chinese primary school, Chinese Name: 保佛公民小学), which is a short walk away from the memorial. According to the locals, Japanese used this building as a hospital during WW2, and now it’s gazetted as a heritage building by Sabah Museum. They also told me that some people, who have the ability to see “other” world, could see “spiritual things” follow the Japanese tourists.
Kuala Penyu is a small town in south-west of Sabah, and majority of the population there are Dusun Tatana, Orang Brunei, and Bisaya people. Personally I call Kuala Penyu a “quiet corner” of Sabah because it looks like an ordinary countryside of Sabah, but they do have some special food.
Ambuyat with side dishes (bamboo shoot, fishes, shell (tuntul), curry)
This translucent and sticky sago paste is almost tasteless, so the locals usually eat it together with side dishes such as fishes and curry, or dip it in sour sauce or fish soup.
“Chopsticks” of Kuala Penyu
The people of Kuala Penyu use Candas, which looks like Chinese chopsticks but is thinner and made from sago leaf stalk or bamboo stick, to scoop the slimy ambuyat.
Right way to use candas
They twirl the soft ambuyat around the prongs of candas to bite-sized, and then dip it into a sour or hot sauce. That could be a fun experience if you try this food the first time.
Bisaya girls
Ambuyat is one of the staple food in Kuala Penyu. Due to its popularity, some hotels also have ambuyat on their menu, so tourists can try it out. There is a joke that says, “If you are poor, you eat ambuyat at home. If you are rich, you eat it in a hotel.” LOL
Orang Brunei people
Tinimbu Dumpling
With a population of 6,000, Dusun Tatana is a unique indigenous group which is influenced by Chinese culture, because there were groups of China merchants who traded and married the locals in Kuala Penyu more than 250 years ago. For example, they also celebrate Chinese New Year.
Tinimbu dumpling
My first impression of Tinimbu (or Tinimbuh) of Dusun Tatana is – it looks like a miniature version of Chinese dumpling, and I also wonder if they learn this from Chinese in the past. Tinimbu is made from glutinous rice and wrapped in triangular shape by pandan (or bamboo) leaves and tied with lamba vine. Unlike Chinese dumpling, Tinimbu has no filling.
Dusun Tatana from Kuala Penyu. Some of their ancestors may have lineage of Chinese.
Tinimbu is served during occasions such as Chinese New Year. To eat, dip it in coarse sugar and enjoy the aroma of sticky rice and pandan in each bite. I’m sure children like it.
Sago Grubs (Butod)
The last and the least appetizing food is Sago Grub (locally known as Butod), which can be eaten raw or cooked. I have tried both. The live worm tastes like coconut milk and the fried butod is like dry fish skin.
Fried Sago Grubs (Butod)
Though many Sabahans struggle with eating Butod, some people really love it because it improves hair growth, increases sex drive, and reduces obesity. These health benefits are quite powerful motivations to eat sago grub (even if it tastes bad which it doesn’t).
Dusun Tatana food on display during Harvest Festival of Sabah (Kaamatan)
There are still many Kuala Penyu food that are not introduced here. To learn and sample traditional food of Dusun Tatana, you may visit the Kuala Penyu house in KDCA Penampang during Kaamatan Grand Finale (Harvest Festival) on 30 and 31 May every year.
Traditional food of Dusun Tatana people
Or you can try these food in Kuala Penyu homestay. For more information, please contact Dr. Monih Epin (Tel: +60 19-8106786) or Ms Monica Gualin (Tel: +60 13-8517633), the operator of Borneo Kuala Penyu Homestay.
Photos taken in Kuala Penyu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Do you know certain trees are “edible”? You may have tasted it too, for example, the tiny jello-like balls in famous Malaysian dessert, Bo-Bo Cha-Cha (or Bubur Cha-Cha) is from Sago Palm, an important crop for people living in south-west of Sabah. Sago is known as Rumbia locally and a kind of starch that is extracted from the sago palm.
Sago palms
In Sabah, sago palm was once planted extensively in the wetlands of the west coast like Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Papar and Penampang. However, the scale is getting small now because rice has replaced sago as the main source of carbohydrate.
Rumbia Information Center / Sago Information Center
Sago palm is also called the “Tree of a Thousand Uses”. If you are on a tour to Klias or Pulau Tiga Island, you may drop by the Rumbia Information Center (Sago Information Center, or Pusat Informasi Rumbia in Malaysian language) near Kuala Penyu town.
Statues of sago worker (left) and sago grub (right) at Rumbia Information Center
You can check out the 4-hectare sago plantation in the Center on a boardwalk. The signage, labels and information at the Center are displayed or presented in both Malay and English languages.
Sago palm can reach up to 10 to 13 Meters tall
If you are lost in jungle, finding a sago palm can save your life. Sago is almost pure carbohydrate, an energy food which also contains a bit of protein, vitamins, and minerals. One palm can yield more than 50 Kg of starch, which yields 355 calories for every 100g, and its leaves and trunk are great materials to make tools and shelter! During WWII, the locals survived from starvation by eating sago.
Sago Exhibition Hall
The exhibition hall is the first highlight of the Center. Besides reading information about Sago, you also can see variety of handmade handicrafts made of sago leaves, bark and stem.
Watching video about sago
In the audio-visual room, visitors can watch a 30-min video that introduces the uses, processing and story of sago. The narrative is in Malay language but English subtitles are shown.
Visitors can learn more about sago in Rumbia Information Center
Over 50 handicrafts are on display. Most items are baskets, utensils, containers, mat, hats, fishing net, farming tools, etc. and some items are made of coconut leaves, bamboo and rattan. They are not so common nowadays, because plastic stuffs are more readily available.
Exhibition about Sago and ecology in Beaufort
In addition to sago, there are many information panels and photographs about the wetland ecology and wildlife in Klias Peninsular.
Beautiful handicrafts in Sago Information Center
The hall is air-conditioned. Depending on your level of interest, a tour in Rumbia Information Center usually takes only one or two hours.
Exhibition hall of Sago Information Center
The craftsmanship is so fine that I want to buy them all (a few items are available for purchase). I think they are made by Dusun Tatana, Bisaya and Orang Brunei tribes live in Kuala Penyu district.
Various handicrafts made of sago materials
Sago Information Center isn’t a well-known tourist spot, so you (or your group) would be the only visitor most of the time.
You may watch the 1.5-min video below about Sago Exhibition:
The Legend of Sago
I heard a sad story about the origin of sago during my visit. During old days in Kuala Penyu, there was a woman who could feed her family very well. Even though food was scarce, she was able to bring home food every day. Her husband was suspicious and decided to stalk her one day. He saw his wife placed a nyiru (straw colander) on the ground and started shaking her sarong. Then many small white pellets dropped from her body to the nyiru and that’s the stuff he ate. He was so furious and accused his wife of feeding him nasi kangkang (literally means crotch rice), which is a black magic used by women, in urban legend, who mix the rice with their menstrual blood, and believe that their husband will be subservient to the wives after eating it.
Two species of sago palm, without thorn (left) or with thorn (right)
Knowing that her husband would kill her, the woman begged her husband to cut her body at waist level into half, and bury them in different spots. After some times, a nypa-like tree with smooth bark grew at the spot where her upper part was buried. And a similar tree, but with thorns, grew on another spot. Both are sago palms that produce sago and are scientifically known as matroxylon sagus (no thorn) and metroxylon rumphii (with thorns) respectively.
Sago Food
At this point, you would ask, “How to ‘eat’ sago tree then? Do you cut down the tree, chop it and bite it?”
Sago Processing
NO!!!! The starch needs to be extracted from sago stem first. After cutting down the sago palm, the farmers will remove the outer hard skin and process the spongy center of the trunk. Then they crush the stem with a wooden board (garus) full of nails in sawing movement, to break the pith into smaller pieces.
Sago processing by garus saw
Another tool to break down sago palm into chips
Next step they will collect the sago pieces and lay them on a mat which acts as a filter. A worker will pour water on sago pieces, continuously kneading them with feet, the starchy liquid will flow into a container. The starch powder will be collected after drying the water.
Sago processing with traditional method
The traditional method is very labor intensive and time-consuming. Nowadays, electrical sago processing machine can grate, filter and collect the sago starch. You can see this machine demo in Sago Information Center.
Modern machine for sago processing
The starch from sago can be used for making different kinds of delicious food such as cake, dessert, biscuit and pudding. Sago flour can be used similarly to other types of flour. It is used in baking bread and pancake too.
Sago starch powder can be stored for weeks or months (but usually consumed within days).
In Sabah, sago starch is mixed with boiling water to make the popular local cuisine called the Ambuyat, a traditional way to enjoy sago. Usually locals eat it with fishes and soup, which go well with smooth texture of ambuyat.
Serving ambuyat with traditional dishes
Sago Grubs (Butod)
Sago grub (Local Name: Butod) is a “byproduct” of sago cultivation. Beetles also know the richness of carbohydrates in sago stem, and their babies (larva) grow so fat eating sago. When farmers harvest sago, they collect these juicy worms as food too. You can even eat it raw if you dare.
So, are you drooling? You can sample different kind of exotic sago food (include worms) and dishes during Sago Festival (known as Pesta Rumbia in local language) in Kuala Penyu for a few dollars only. This sago buffet is very popular. The tickets sold out fast, so don’t miss it.
The buffet booth for Sago food tasting in Sago Festival (Pesta Rumbia) of Kuala Penyu
Sago is so important to the local community that Kuala Penyu celebrates Sago Festival annually (usually in July). You may find out the date of this biggest cultural event in Kuala Penyu in Sabah Tourism website.
Making Ambuyat, a sago paste with semi-transparent and glue-like texture
Sago is normally sold in the shape of very tiny, colorful balls called sago pearls. When soaked and cooked, the pearls become larger, translucent, soft and spongy.
Cake made of sago
Sago palm can grow very fast (about 1.5 Meters per year) so it is ideal as an alternative staple food.
Dessert made of sago (white stuff)
Sago palm takes 9 to 12 years to mature. You must cut it down before it starts to flower for 2 months, otherwise the fruiting will exhaust the starch and then the tree dies.
Making roof with sago fronds
It’s all about sago during Sago Festival, you can check out exhibition, sago food buffet, Sago Beauty Queen Pageant, cultural shows, handicraft making demonstration, sago processing, games, etc.
House made of sago trunks. Isn’t it beautiful?
Entrance Fee & Opening Hours
Rumbia Information Center is managed by district office of Sabah Forestry Department in Beaufort. Apart from providing basic information on sago, it is also open to public as a tourist destination. The following is the ticket price to enter the Center (rates as of Mar 2016):
Adult
Child
Malaysian
RM5
RM3
Non-Malaysian
RM15 (≈US$3.75)
RM7 (≈US$1.75)
Walk-in visitor is welcome. You also can organize a group tour with the Center. Their staff can give you an interpretation walk and education tour for better experience. You can even try eating the live Sago Grub. You are advised to inform them a few days prior to your group trip.
Education tour in Sago Information Center
Below is the opening hours of Rumbia Information Center: Mon-Thu, Sat, Sun, Public Holidays: 9am – 12pm, 2pm – 4:30pm Fri: 9am – 11:30am, 2pm – 4:30pm
Besides exhibition hall and boardwalk through sago palms, Rumbia Information Center has other amenities and services such as conference room for rent, food catering and laundry.
Toilet (left) and signage of Sago Information Center
The toilet is quite clean. Overall, this Center is quite tourist-friendly. Their staffs are very helpful and friendly too (can speak and understand simple English).
Cafe in Sago Information Center
The cafes there don’t sell or cook sago grubs. If you want to have a butod feast, you need to arrange with the Center at least 1 day in advance.
Orchid Rest House, the accommodation in Sago Information Center. The Check-in / Check-Out time is 12pm
Accommodation is available in the Center and named as Orchid Rest House (Rumah Rehat Orkid) suitable for family or student group. The house has two rooms, each room has two double decker bunk beds to host 4 people. The rest house is complete with kitchen (with cooking gas and utensils), toilet, air-conditioning, fan, parking, dining table, and living room. The accommodation can be rented as RM400 (≈US$100) per day for whole resthouse, RM160 (≈US$40) per room per day, or RM40 (≈US$10) per person per day. You can call Mr. Hillary at +60 13-5462717 for booking (or ordering Sago Grubs).
How to get there
Rumbia Information Center is located next to Menumbok – Kuala Penyu highway at Kampung Kasugira (Kasugira village), about 114 KM away from Kota Kinabalu city (KK). When you reach the roundabout (which has turtle statues on it) about 10 KM before Kuala Penyu town, take the junction to Menumbok. After 1.5 KM, you will see Rumbia Information Center at your left (see Location Map or Street View).
Entrance of Sago Information Center. Note statues of sago palm at the left and beetle next to it.
If you depart from KK, the road trip will take approximately 3 hours on asphalt road in good condition. You also can take a bus that heads to Menumbok, but to return to KK, you have to take a bus to Beaufort town first, then get another bus from there, quite troublesome. Taxi is a better choice if you have more money.
Photos taken in Kuala Penyu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Proboscis Monkey is the superstar of Klias Wetland. Every evening Klias River is like a busy canal, when hundreds of tourists come to visit this peculiar monkey. One guest even said, “there were more tourists than monkey.”
Therefore, the Best Time to see Proboscis Monkey is in the morning, when there are very few tourists around. The monkey is less stressful and you can get really close to them. That’s why I spent a night Firefly Eco Camp.
Pic: Firefly Eco Camp
Firefly Eco Camp is located next to Klias River. Staying there will allow you to see what other ordinary tourists miss – the starry night and misty morning over Klias River.
I checked in to the camp around 6pm. After the dinner, we started our night river cruise at 8pm to look for firefly Xmas trees and crocodile, when other tourists had left. Though we didn’t find any crocodile, we saw many “summer Xmas trees”, where hundreds of fireflies congregated and flashing in synchronized manner like heart-beating.
Hour later we returned to the activity hall next to the jetty, to enjoy a serene evening next to Klias River.
Night Fishing in Klias
Klias River is inside Peat Swamp Forest with brackish water, which looks murky all the time. The river seems lifeless, but you will know that you are wrong when you fish.
Klias River is connected to the sea. During high tide, fishes will follow the current entering the river for feeding. If you fish during that time, you will catch something in minutes.
Pic: our fishing bait is hot dog LOL. But it works well!
Most of us are first-time anglers. We were so excited when it was almost effortless to catch big fish in a few minutes.
Pic: one caught to make one family happy
May be you want to watch our fishing video below:
All the fishes we caught that evening was catfish (暗钉 in Chinese, means “Hidden Nail”). It is a very common fish, though edible, locals consider it a lower-grade (dirty) fish, due to the impression that it eats human dung fallen from riverside toilet. It has venomous thorns on its pelvic and dorsal fins, which can cause severe pain when poke into your skin. Be careful when you remove the fishing hook.
Actually we targeted for Giant Freshwater Prawn (Udang Galah) that night, so we released all the catfishes. It was fun anyway.
Pic: the hut where I slept
We had a couple of beer while fishing at river side. We talked until late night. I couldn’t wait to enter my small hut as it was so cool.
The hut may look small from outside, but it can fit two people comfortably. Though there are only bed, light and fan inside, to me it’s a “luxurious camp”. I slept really well throughout the night.
Morning River Cruise in Klias
The next day I waked up early, sat at the small balcony to enjoy the nice river view. It was quiet in the morning and I saw some movement in the canopy. The monkey had waked up earlier than I did.
After having some light breakfast, we were ready for a morning river cruise on Klias River.
Pic: the misty swamp forest in the morning
Pic: the calm river of Klias with beautiful reflection on water
Very soon we spotted the first proboscis monkey. It’s a female with pointy nose.
Then we saw the male proboscis monkey with big nose. From their eyes, we could see that they were not quite concern about our presence, a big contrast to evening time when there were too many tourists and boats around. We were the only tourist boat on the river that morning.
So we could get really close to them for a good look. One of them was so relax and even yawned. This one was just on top of our heads. I was so worry that it would poo. Our boat found about 5 to 6 herds of proboscis monkey.
Pic: silver-leaf monkey. There were some macaques too.
Pic: the mangrove trees of Klias River.
Pic: Peat Swamp Forest is an important habitat for rare Borneo wildlife
Pic: Nibung Palm, a tree that grows between swamp and dryland. Its straight and strong trunk can be used for building houses and bridges.
Pic: fruits are abundant in the swamp but no monkey eating them, probably they are poisonous.
Pic: mangrove trees that can survive in the water during high tide.
I saw some birds such as Brahminy Kite, Oriental Darter (Snake Bird), Stork-Billed Kingfisher, Hill Myna and Greater Coucal. Sometimes you can see hornbill and woodpecker around this area too.
Below is a short video of our Morning River Cruise:
How to get there
Firefly Eco Camp is about 80 Kilometers away from Kota Kinabalu (capital city). It is very accessible, just next to the road (left side) to Kuala Penyu (see location map).
Pic: the signage and entrance of the camp at roadside. You won’t miss it.
Pic: the dining and activity hall of Firefly Eco Camp
Below is a short video of the camp and its dining hall:
Pic: view of Firefly Eco Camp from the river
If you have a big group such as 20 students, you can book the long house dormitory.
The room rate starts from RM68 (≈USD20, as of Aug 2013) per head per night. You also can consider a 2-day-1-night full-board tour package for RM298 (≈USD90, as of Aug 2013) per head, which includes transportation, meals, accommodation, 3 river cruises, etc. They also offer optional tour to Sands Spit Island and other places.
For booking or latest info about Firefly Eco Camp, you may contact Borneo Starcruise (星程生态旅游公司) at: E-mail:info@borneostarcruise.com / borneostarcruise@gmail.com Website:www.borneostarcruise.com Facebook:Click Here Address: Ground Floor, Lot 7, Jalan Pasar Baru, Kampung Air, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Tel: +60 88-212009 / +60 17-8137911 (hotline)
A car accident always causes traffic jam on the road of Sabah because many cars will slow down to copy the car plate number for buying “4D”. 4D means 4-digit lottery games (also known as Cash 4, Pick 4, and Play 4 overseas. Local Chinese calls it “??”), the favorite lottery type of Sabah people. You just select a 4-digit number from 0000 to 9999 then bet on it. Though most Malaysians hate mathematics class, 4D is the coolest number game for us.
Yes, we all knows that the chance of winning is slim. More likely it’s money wasted but somehow it’s a nice form of mental entertainment, and hey, for RM1.15, you can’t even buy a coke, so it’s not really a big lost. In many cases, we will shout at the result in delight “OH XYZ, I only miss by one number!” and smile to one another, as if we are one step closer to our dream. Some don’t play lottery and say “not buying is winning”. Well, if you never try, for sure the next million-dollar jackpot winner is never you. “No try No luck”.
Sabahans are so obsessed with 4D that if you tell them, “I saw a ghost last night.” ALL of us will reply spontaneously, “Did you ask him for 4D number?” So funny.. Anyway, some gamblers do summon the ghost for numbers.
Would you ask a ghost for lottery number?
For unknown reason, Chinese thinks that windfall is controlled by spiritual world. If your luck comes, a hidden force will hint you via different channels, for example, plate number of a car in accident, numbers appear in your dream, and any number shown up in unusual occasion.
When I was in Beaufort town, the locals told me that there is an amazing “Lottery Rock” (Chinese calls it “???”) that answers the prayer of gamblers, and some of them really won lottery. Based on very limited info, I tried to look for this rock which is located between Beaufort and Sipitang. After asking two villagers during the search, finally I found it a few KM before the junction to Weston town.
FYI, this rock is about 27 Kilometers (KM) away from Beaufort. When you head to Sipitang from Beaufort, just pay attention at the left side of the road after you pass by SK Maraba school and see the “25 Sipitang” signage. You will see a boardwalk shortly, like photos above.
Below is the location map of its exact location: View My Sabah Map in a larger map
The shaded boardwalk will lead you to the golden Lottery Rock. This is an impressive big structure for an “unnamed” god. Even the God of Earth usually gets a 2×2 feet altar. To repay Lottery Rock for helping them to win lottery, the gamblers build wooden shelter, boardwalk, cement foundation, floor tiles, etc. for it.
I started to see scribbling of numbers the moment I walked in.
They even paint the Lottery Rock with shiny golden paint, so don’t get mistaken that it’s a gold rock ok, LOL.
Got any lucky number in mind? Just write it and make a wish.
Don’t limit yourself to 4D numbers. You may try jackpot numbers too. I guess Lottery Rock can read numbers in Chinese?
Since Lottery Rock has magical power, I believe it can understand your request in Malay language too.
You may see words like TOTO, Magnum, Lotto88 and STC (Sandakan Turf Club). These are the names of lottery companies. To make the job of Lottery Rock easier, it’s nice that some specified the company and even the draw date. Otherwise you will have to buy the same number from 4 companies, just to be safe.
The surface of Lottery Rock is full of 4D, 6D and jackpot numbers. I was told that whenever someone win big prize, he/she will repaint the rock with different color. When the rock surface is out of space, people will write the numbers everywhere in the hut. Do take note that if you win the lottery but you break your promise to the rock, you will be hit by bad luck, in serious case, death.
Even the small rock next to Lottery Rock also benefits from its fame.
See the termite nest next to the rock? People believe termite nest is a sign of presence of god.
When I was busy in photo-taking alone, I saw smoke coming from the rock and I heard something moving behind the rock. I felt a chill on my spine.
Phew… it was just a chicken behind the rock.
And the smoke was coming from the burning incense. Look at the 6D and 4D numbers in the container.
Actually the chicken was enjoying the biscuit, the offering left by the gambler for the rock. The left eye of this chicken is blind.
There are other offering such as betel nuts and leaves.
However, those offering accumulate and rot, turning this place into a smelly dumping ground.
The notice sign reads, “To show your respect to the god of rock, please keep this place clean and don’t litter after worship. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Ok, you might be curious, how did an ordinary rock become a popular magical rock?
Someone say, in the past, to construct the road between Beaufort and Sipitang, a group of workers moved away a rock that obstructed the way. However, later they discovered this rock came back to its original location. There are many taboo in construction industry, they believe this rock is occupied with spirit and shall not be moved. When a termite nest appeared next to it, people think this rock may bring wealth, so they prayed for winning lottery. And some did win, the rock becomes famous, so more and more people worship it until today.
Though I was hanging there for less than an hour, there were already two cars stopped by to visit and worship this rock. One of them told me that a number “5311” written on the rock won 2nd prize, by his friend the previous day. That’s why he also comes here to worship the rock. I checked the newspaper and he was right. If you pay attention to all my photos above, you would have noticed that 5311 appears 4 times in different spots.
Ok, as I was there, why don’t I also try my luck? I bought lottery tickets for 3 numbers, I never win a lottery in my life, please wish me luck. XD
Before I introduce this place, I want to show you two photos below. 1st one (below) is the photo of afternoon sun blocked by haze. You can tell the haze is really dense.
Next one is the photo of our city attacked by haze. The haze from Kalimantan every year is really a nuisance. Such pollution not only affecting our economy, it also damages our health. Don’t you hate it?
The place that I’ll talk about has very close relationship with haze. The title has said it. It’s Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC), 10 KM south-west of Beaufort. When you drive pass Beaufort toward the direction of Sipitang town, a few minutes later, turn right to the junction with the sign “Kg Luagan”, follow the main road, then you need to turn to two junctions again, to Jalan Luagan and Jalan Sanginan (see Location Map).
Soon you will see the sign “Hutan Paya Gambut Klias” (means Klias peat swamp forest), drive another 3.5 KM on a gravel road and you will reach Klias Peat Swamp Field Center.
Peat swamp forest is wetland with a layer of decomposing organic matters, such as dead leaves and plant material, up to 20 Meters thick. Waterlogged soils prevent dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing, which over time forming acidic peat (pH 2.9 – 4), giving a typically dark brown to black colour to the water – hence the name ‘blackwater swamps’. An estimated 1.54 million hectares of peat swamp forest still remain in Malaysia (but going fast!). More than 70% are in Sarawak, less than 20% in Peninsular Malaysia and the rest (over 2/3 are in Klias) in Sabah.
Importance of Peat Swamp
Peat swamp forest is highly diverse with as many as 927 species of flowering plants and ferns recorded in Borneo. It provides sanctuary for migratory birds and home to more than 60 endangered animal species such as Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Civet Otter, Storm’s Stork and Wrinkled Hornbill. Arowana, a very expensive aquarium fish, also lives in peat swamp. Peat swamp forest is also very important for our nature tourism, as many tourists want to see proboscis monkey and fireflies, which live in our peat swamp forest such as Klias, Weston and Garama
That’s why Sabah Forestry Department gazetted 3,630 ha of peat swamp in Klias as Class I protected forest reserve. They also open KPSFC in 2006 for conservation and research of peat swamp forest. FYI, the peat swamp of Klias is over 5,400 years old and the peat can be as deep as 13 Meters!
Above: the reception building of KPSFC.
Opening Hours & Contact
GPS Location: 5.325683, 115.673054 (see Location Map) Mon – Thu: 9am-1pm, 2pm-4:30pm Friday: 9-11am, 2pm-4:30pm
Closed on weekends Tel: +60 87-208101, +60 87-208102 (Note: If the phone numbers don’t work, you may call the mobile phone of Center Manager, Mr. Christopher Matunjau at +60 17-8101070) Facebook:kliaspeatswamp.fieldcentre
Above: the hostel in KPSFC can accommodate 16 to 30 people. Of course tourists can visit this place, but it’ll be better if they can bring a very knowledgeable tour guide, someone who can give them very good interpretation talk. Sadly, most tour guides in Sabah have 0 or poor knowledge on wetlands ecology.
Above: our bedroom in the hostel. The room is quite comfortable and equipped with air-conditioning. There is a big male and female washrooms in the building. Overall, the place is clean but the toilet is poorly constructed. Not only that it is very small, a few doors also can’t be closed properly, making you wondering why those people didn’t monitor the quality of the construction.
You can watch the 1-minute video below if you want to get a feel of the surrounding of Field Center:
Then we were shown a short video briefing in the reception building. The vegetation of Klias is a mix of peat forests, mangroves, nipah swamps, freshwater swamp forests, open marshes, heath forest and dryland forests, one of the most diversified and outstanding examples of peat swamp forest in Borneo. Klias is the largest peat swamp forest of Sabah, located on the delta of the Padas and Bukau rivers. At first glance, it does not look like an impressive attraction. Unlike a lively and flowing river, what you will see is a stalled brackish river with unpleasant smell.
You may click the picture above to see the layout of the Field Center. All necessary facilities are in place, except a restaurant.
Luckily visitors do not need to step into the mud and swamp to explore the peat swamp forest. You can walk on 2.7 KM of wooden boardwalk to get close to peat swamp. The walk takes about 2 hours and the starting point is just behind the reception building.
In early morning and late afternoon, the boardwalk is a nice place for bird-watching. You would see hornbills and woodpeckers. A rare Hook-billed Bulbul bird can be found here. Sometimes the bird watching guides bring tourists to look for birds here. I only saw glossy starling, dollar bird, kingfisher, imperial green pigeon and Hill Myna. Do bring a binocular if you plan to see birds.
To my surprise, there are many tall trees in this area. Like the Kapur Paya (Dryobalanops rappa) in photo below. It is endemic to Borneo and can grow up to 55 Meters tall. It is a threatened species due to its value as a commercial hardwood “Kapur”. Kapur Paya was not the favorite timber in the past coz its log sinks in the water. But when timber price goes up today, it becomes the feasible target of logging.
Above: there are many interpretation signs (in English) along the boardwalk for tourists to self-educate themselves.
Haze from Peat
Ok, let’s come back to the haze and peat swamp things. How are both related? Heavily packed with centuries of decaying organic material (i.e. dead wood & trees), peat swamp stores a huge quantity of carbon. A 10-Meter deep peat swamp can store about 5,800 tonnes of carbon per hectare, compared to 300-500 tonnes per hectare for other types of tropical forest. When peatlands are drained, dried, and burned for opening up new land for plantation such as oil palm every year, they emit over 3 billion tons of CO2, more than 10 percent of annual CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming!
What is shocking – dry peat swamp forests are very vulnerable to fire and produce the most carcinogenic haze. Fires in peat swamps are extremely difficult to extinguish because the fire can smolder deeply underground for YEARS, even after surface fires are put off by rains, creating haze that regularly haunts Southeast Asia. By now you should know why Indonesia has problem to stop haze.
After the planters drain and dry the peat swamp, they will burn it to clear the land for oil palm plantation. Imagine tons of carbon, which was locked under the ground for thousand of years, suddenly free and escape into the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide… DISASTER!!!
There is only a self-catering kitchen in the Field Center, but that’s not a problem for our wonderful ladies who can cook. We had a great BBQ dinner! But I need to warn you that there are many mosquitoes in the evening and they can bite through my thin socks! Remember to bring insect repellent.
After heavy meal, a few of us decided to do a night walk. FYI, you may request the ranger to turn on the light along the boardwalk (but we didn’t). With the aid of torchlight, we walked quietly and saw termites, bats, frog and big millipede. The starry night is also a great feature here.
You would see wild animals such as wild boar, civet and badger at night, but you have to be very lucky. Guess that was not our night, though we could sense that this forest was very lively in the dark.. No wonder there are some old stories that warn children not to play till dark because the “tembuakar” which roams swamps and rivers on Sabah’s southwest coast will subdue them. Indigenous communities claim the creature takes on 44 life forms, appears after a heavy storm, is capable of uprooting bridges and can overnight “eat” grasses that clog rivers.
However, this monster has more reason to be afraid of human because new studies by Netherlands-based Wetlands International conclude that 20 percent of all Malaysian palm oil is produced on drained peatlands. They even say peat swamp will disappear from Sarawak state by the end of the decade if the destruction does not cease.
Conclusion
In Sabah, I see blue sky almost every day. I thought the beautiful sky would be there for me forever, until the haze from open burning turns our sky into grey color. Only then I realize that we should not take our environment for granted, or we will lose it forever.
In the past, Weston is the first town to have a railway station in Borneo, but it is under-developed and remain a seaside village today. Now tourists find a reason to visit Weston, as it is one of the three places offers wetland eco-tourism in Klias Peninsular to see long-nosed monkey, besides Klias and Garama.
Weston town is about 3 hours drive (125 KM) from Kota Kinabalu city and accessible by paved road. You will pass by Papar, Bongawan and Beaufort towns on the way.
Last month I joined a river cruise tour in Weston. I arrived Weston around 10am and our guide, Richard, and his boat, were already waiting at the jetty. It had been raining every day that time, so I was so glad that we had sunny day. For a start, we had a river cruise tour on the Weston River. The wetland here is mostly intact and well-preserved. Unlike the brackish and lifeless water in peat swamp of Klias and Garama, Weston wetland is a wide river with flowing murky (like color of milk tea) water.
Compared to Klias and Garama, Weston wetland is located at downstream and closer to the sea. In fact, its estuary is where Padas, the largest river of Sabah, ends as the meeting place of sea and river. As tide level changes daily, so is the depth of the water. We can see some lands exposed during low tide, with mangrove trees growing on it. During high tide, about lower half of these trees will be submerged into the water. A funny view but these vegetation have the ability to live in such intertidal environment.
Within 10 minutes, our boat spotted the first proboscis monkey. It’s a female monkey foraging at the river bank. Crocodiles also live in Weston River, but most are concentrated in further upstream, so this monkey is safe.
Then we saw about 4 herds of proboscis monkey (about 4 to 8 monkey per group) on the trees next to the river. Each group is dominated by a male proboscis monkey with big nose and belly. Proboscis monkey is one of the biggest monkey species but they are very elusive. They fled into the forest before our boat could get closer, so a binocular would help a lot.
Besides monkey, you can spot some water birds such as kingfisher, egrets and Lesser Adjutant.
Weston is rich in seafood too. We saw some fishing boats in the river, and a few of them were checking the fish traps.
Surprisingly, as an old town, the river of Weston is not really dense-populated. We found wooden houses of fishermen scattered along the river. Richard says the contour of the river always changes, so I assume any area near the river is not suitable for permanent settlement. Due to land clearing upstream, more silt is carried into Padas river, and this would affect the course and flow of the river.
Klias and Garama wetlands have beautiful peat swamp forest, but I think Weston has the densest and most beautiful view of Nipah forest. Someone told me that nipah tree is an invasive species and very easy to plant. You can see nipah tree in swampy area and wetland in Sabah.
Does nipah tree sound so unfamiliar to you? In fact, most of you (Malaysians) have eaten its fruit. Its popular name is “atap fruit”. Chinese calls it “水椰” (water coconut). The sweet Nipah fruit is a common item served in dessert called Ais Kacang or “ABC” (acronym for Air Batu Campur, literally means “Mixed Ice”).
Above: the semi-transparent and oval-shape nipah (nypa) fruits. The fruit is sweet with chewy texture, taste and feel like jello candy.
Above: nipah fruit is a nice addition to Mixed Ice dessert.
But what Weston most famous for is its crabs. For unknown reason, the crabs from Weston taste sweeter and more chewy. Even my mother knows this and ask me to buy some from Weston.
Another popular seafood of Weston is the freshwater prawn “Udang Galah” ( “大头虾” in Chinese). You can fish this prawn with specialized fishing hook. Normally the fishermen throw some rice in the river, after a while catch it using the fishing net. You can buy directly for cheaper price from local fishermen in Weston. In fish market, Udang Galah is sold for RM20 (about USD$6) per Kilogram. Unfortunately, due to overfishing, the crabs and shrimps in Weston are getting less.
At the end of our morning river cruise, we stopped at the jetty of Weston Wetland Resort, which has its dining area and reception building built next to the river. We were welcome by a fat and friendly cat, aww… so cute.
Below is a 5-minute video of our river cruise tour and Weston Wetland Resort. Sadly, I notice my video has very low click rate. Now I’m not sure if I should waste my time making video next time.. 🙁 At first I thought it was a great idea..
After taking some coffee and pineapples as light refreshment, Richard wanted to take us for a “pitcher plant” walk in a forest nearby. I thought I was the smartest one in the group. Assuming that it might be a “mud” walk, I was wearing short sleeve shirt and short pant, without knowing that I was totally unprepared what was coming next..
The 5-minute walk on the boardwalk allows us to take closer look at the nipah trees, without getting ourselves wet and dirty in the flooded swamp. However, the boardwalk is not well-maintained, so I had to watch my steps for missing plank.
Then we came to a bush area with dense shrubs. Wow, there are pitcher plant (Nepenthes) everywhere. Some are hanging on the shrubs and there are carpets of pitcher plant on the ground too. We have to be very careful of our steps. Pitcher plant is also called “Monkey Cup”, but it has nothing to do with monkey though, except that it looks like a miniature cup used by monkey.
Some are smaller than finger… This is Nepenthes tentaculata I think.
There are a number of nepenthes species around this small area. The one above is Nepenthes rafflesiana if I’m not mistaken.
Overall, we saw 4 or 5 species of nepenthes in just a small area. The one above is Nepenthes ampullaria, the highlight of our Nepenthes Hunt. Cute, isn’t it?
For those of you who plan to visit the Weston Wetland, you need to prepare for horse fly, an annoying blood sucker. I saw no horse fly in Klias and Garama but there are plenty of them near the Weston River. Horse fly is so persistent that they keep following you until you kill them or they are done sucking your blood.
There were more than 10 horse flies following me. According to Richard, my clothing in dark nature color attracts horse fly. Horse fly would not come near to people in bright color dress. In one case, one of his visitors killed 40 horse flies. When I didn’t pay attention, the horse fly cut a small wound on my exposed skin and fed on the blood. I ended up having 4 or 5 bites. They said the bites would become really itchy on next day and they were right. The worst thing is it will get worse if you scratch.
Normal insect repellent can’t drive horse fly away. One of my friends introduced me the repellent spray above. It is really effective against horse fly but this spray is not available in Malaysia shop. What you can do is to dress in bright color and cover your skin as much as possible with long sleeve and pant. Horse fly may carry parasite or disease, so don’t take it lightly.
Richard showed us his resort, but the room and accommodation is not ready yet, as of this writing.
We had our seafood lunch in Weston Wetland Resort. I remember my Sabahan friends and I once ordered shrimp in a restaurant in Peninsular Malaysia. We laughed when we saw the dish, coz the shrimps were so tiny that they are only qualified for making dried shrimps in Sabah. Sabah is blessed with abundant and “big” seafood, is because of our well-preserved wetlands (e.g. mangrove, coral reefs), which is a nursery and breeding ground for our seafood. Remember, our mangrove forest and swamp are not wasteland, they are important supply of our seafood.
Before we said bye-bye to Weston, we had another river cruise near the exit of estuary (river mouth of Padas), where we can see Brunei in front. Do you see the light area in the sea, in photo above? The water there is only a few feet deep. We had too many people onboard so we didn’t move further or we would risk our boat stranded in shallow water. Yes, you are correct that the last photo is the land of Brunei.
