Tag Archives: Long Pasia

Top 10 Waterfalls of Sabah

The mountainous terrain of Sabah makes us the land of waterfalls. There are thousands of waterfalls in Sabah forest, most are waiting for explorers to name them. Looking at waterfall can calm our minds better than watching the whirling movement in washing machine. So I compile a list of Sabah’s Top 10 Waterfalls for those who want to enjoy heavy doses of negative ions.

Pic: the location of Top 10 Sabah waterfalls.

Besides Scale, this waterfall ranking is also based on Popularity, Accessibility and Travel Experience. That’s why some giant waterfalls are not listed. For example, though Kadamaian Waterfall is the highest waterfall of Sabah, it is too difficult to get there. Please note that most height measurement is by estimation.

No. 10. Kiansom Waterfall

Location: Inanam, Kota Kinabalu
Height: 7-Meter (23 Feet)

Yes, I know, Kiansom is the smallest waterfall in the top 10 list. It is listed because it is the most famous, accessible and visited waterfall in Kota Kinabalu city. I can’t exclude the waterfall that everyone loves.
» Read more about Kiansom Waterfall…

No. 9. Gelas Waterfall

Location: Tawau Hills Park, Tawau
Height: 12 Meters (40 Feet)

Gelas Waterfall is situated in Tawau Hills Park, a lush rainforest zone and source of five rivers. Hiking to Gelas Waterfall is a pleasure to nature lovers, and you also can soak in sulphurous hot springs in the park.
» Read more about Gelas Waterfall…

No. 8. Tawai Waterfall

Location: Tawai Forest Reserve, Telupid
Height: 95 Meters (311 Feet)

Tawai Waterfall is the least-known waterfall, but its view is so spectacular that it will blow you away. The area around this waterfall is full of Borneo pitcher plant. Denmark’s biggest television network, Tv2, has chosen this waterfall for filming of “Girls Off The Beaten Track”.
» Read more about Tawai Waterfall…

No. 7. Madai Falls

Location: Madai-Baturong Forest Reserve, Kunak
Height: 40 Meter (131 Feet)

Madai Falls is probably the first Sabah waterfall visited by human, maybe a caveman about 28,000 years ago. I’m not joking. Archaeologists say Madai-Baturong has the oldest human settlement of Sabah. I believe stone-age people love waterfalls as much as we do.
» Read more about Madai Falls…

No. 6. Fairy Waterfall

Location: Danum Valley, Lahad Datu
Height: 27 Meters (89 Feet)

This shy Fairy Waterfall is hiding deep inside the 130-million Borneo rainforest of Danum Valley. The photo here may not look impressive because it was taken during prolonged drought. Danum Valley will be nominated as the next UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sabah/Borneo.
» Read more about Fairy Waterfall…

No. 5. Fefukan Waterfall

Location: Long Pasia
Wide: 20 Meters (66 Feet)

To see Fefukan, Travellers need to hike a long way to the Heart of Borneo, making it the most remote and least visited waterfall in my list. Camping next to this waterfall is one of my most unforgettable experience. Lucky visitors would see blooming rafflesia around there.
» Read more about Fefukan Waterfall…

No. 4. Mahua Waterfall

Location: Tambunan
Height: 17 Meters (55 Feet)

As part of the Crocker Range Park, Mahua Waterfall is protected as a water catchment area. Hence, visitors can enjoy cooling and refreshing water from clean mountain stream. On the way to Mahua Waterfall, you may drop by Tambunan Rafflesia Center to check if you are lucky enough to see a blooming rafflesia.
» Read more about Mahua Waterfall…

No. 3. Imbak Falls

Location: The Heart of Sabah, Tongod
Wide: 30-Meter (98 Feet)

Even though Imbak Falls is only 6 Meters (20 feet) high, it is the widest waterfall of Sabah. I just love sitting in the river, as the strong current turns its waterfall pond into a Jacuzzi bath area.
» Read more about Imbak Falls…

No. 2. Langanan Waterfall

Location: Poring, Kinabalu Park
Height: 120 Meters (394 Feet)

Located in Poring Hot Springs, the most popular destination of Sabah and 1st UNESCO World Heritage Site of Malaysia, the majestic view of 120-Meter-tall Langanan Waterfall is only saved for those visitors who are keen to hike nearly 4 Kilometers (2.3 Miles). It is more enjoyable to soak yourself in the hot spring after a long walk in the jungle.
» Read more about Langanan Waterfall…

No. 1. Maliau Falls

Location: Maliau Basin, Tawau
Height (of the highest tier): 28-Meter (92 Feet)

Here you go. The No.1 Waterfall of Sabah is the 7-tier Maliau Falls in Maliau Basin, Sabah’s Lost World. To see Maliau Falls, you need to trek 2 days on the treacherous relief and pass through miles and miles of dense pristine rainforest.

With over 30 waterfalls (and counting), Maliau Basin is also known as the Capital of Waterfalls, and Maliau Falls is the most breath-taking among them. Another feature of this waterfall is its tea-color water, which is caused by plant tannin released from heath forest upstream. The magnificent Maliau Falls will leave a beautiful memory in you, a scene that you like to replay in mind from time to time.
» Read more about Maliau Falls…

Which Waterfall is your Favorite?

Do you agree with the Top 10 Waterfalls list? Please vote for your favorite waterfall below. I would love to see if everyone shares the same view. You can even add new waterfall if your favorite is not in the list.

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Below is a montage of Top 10 Sabah Waterfalls (Click it for bigger picture). You may share it in your Facebook.

Thanks to readers who link to me.

Waterfall Safety

Accident is like winning lottery, we get it when we are least expecting it. Waterfall is an inviting dead trap that takes countless lives (especially over-excited kids). Please pay attention to the following precaution if you want to “play” with waterfall:

Don’t swim near to the waterfall. The waterfall pond can be deep, with unseen swift currents underneath.
Don’t climb to the top of waterfall, as the rocks there are usually slippery.
Don’t stand under the waterfall. Even a small stone fallen high from top can cause severe injury.
During wet season, watch out for flash flood. Flash flood can occur even if there is no rain downstream.
Teachers, if you plan to bring a group of pupils to swim at waterfall, equip yourself with lifebuoy, rope and CPR knowledge.

If you know any nice waterfall around your hometown, please share with us by posting the photo in comment box below.

“Life is like a waterfall, it is always moving and there is always an uneven flow to it.” – SooHoo

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – Deforestation (part 6 of 6)

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Continued from Part 5…

Final Notes

In the movie “Avatar”, we’ve already seen how human greed can put the environment and mankind in threat. Unfortunately, this kind of scenario happens every day in Sabah. I have been introducing the beautiful nature of Sabah. But wherever I go, I always see destruction of environment going on. Frankly, I don’t know if these places will still look the same years later.

You have seen the beauty of Long Pasia in my blog, but I need to tell you that the forest of Long Pasia is not a forest reserve protected by government. Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), a logging company, who runs the pulp & paper mill in Sipitang, have been logging in Sipitang district, and the rampant logging is getting nearer to Long Pasia each year. Just look at the Google map below and that shall give you an idea. Based on the map, you already can tell there are some serious erosion problems in logging area.

SFI

SFI is a controversial company in the eyes of environmentalists. The effluent released by SFI mill into Brunei Bay has polluted the sea and kill the coral reefs. SFI also wants to build a 40MW coal power plant in Sipitang without the participation of the public and other stakeholders. Environmentalists also believe that the logging by SFI in upstream of Padas River has caused serious flood in other places such as Tenom (so don’t take this as the problem of Long Pasia only). But a politician (with the nickname “Vacuum”) promptly stood up and denied such claim. Personally, I don’t understand why government approves logging in sensitive water catchment area and slopes.

SFI is owned by an India company and most of their workers are Indian too. The locals also complain that they are not given much job opportunities that they deserve. That really makes me think if this foreign company loves our land and have the slightest concern for the sustainability of our forest resources. You can see the deforestation by SFI on the way to Long Pasia. But to be fair, they provide the road (logging road) to Long Pasia.

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Paper from Long Pasia

Personally I want to stop using A4 paper produced by SFI, but sadly the paper of SFI dominates 99% of Sabah market. Look at the packing on your paper rim and you will see the name “SFI”. Ourselves should be blamed too. Malaysians have wasteful behaviour. We waste food, water, electricity and PAPER. Please always keep in mind that the paper that we are using is probably coming from the trees of Long Pasia. Do NOT waste. Think before you print. Reduce, Recycle and Reuse the paper.

I really hope the government will gazette the forest of Long Pasia as a forest reserve soon, and such policy is totally in line with the initiatives of the Heart of Borneo.

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – Back to Kota Kinabalu (part 5 of 6)

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Continued from Part 4…

DAY 4 – Fall in Love with Long Pasia

Taman Kerangas (Heath Forest Garden)

Before we leave Long Pasia, we check out the Heath Forest Garden nearby the village, only a 20-minute walk away. Taman Kerangas is a garden (private land) where locals put all the wild orchids they rescued from logged forest. There are over 320 orchid species found in Long Pasia, and the new species is still being discovered.

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At first I thought Taman Kerangas was a well-maintained garden with all the blooming flora neatly organised and a place great for leisure walk. I was wrong. Taman Kerangas looks more like a forest, with muddy and steep trail, dense undergrowth vegetation and lurking leeches. I was wearing the last set of clean clothing for the last day and didn’t expect to get dirty. After walking nearly 1KM of dirty trail, and with leech crawling on my jacket, to be honest, I was quite angry.

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Anyway, I still got some beautiful flower shots though not many orchids were blooming. Just remember to wear jungle outfit when you come here. Taman Kerangas is so near to the village, so it still worth the time to take a look.

Last Day

I enjoy my last peaceful morning in Long Pasia. Today we are going home, but I don’t really feel happy that it’s over. Instead, I feel a bit sad leaving. As a frequent traveller, I come and go, without leaving my heart behind in other places. I have a special feeling about Long Pasia, and I’ll come back again one day. I feel a connection with this place but not sure what it is.

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We have a tea break in the living room before we leave. A black chick comes in, walk around and chirp. Lait says this chick has no mother and always alone. It seems to enjoy being our company and sit quietly on our lap, so Mary decides to take it home and name it “Pasia”. Lat also gives Nova one of his paintings. Seem like everyone got something. I also bag some good photos and sweet memories too.

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Above: we have a new friend going home with us

Good bye Long Pasia. It is wonderful to know you…

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If you would like to go to Long Pasia, please contact Mr. Eddie at 011-12017897. The attractions that I blog here is only a small part of Long Pasia. Long Pasia has many other attractions such as Tiger Hill, Hidden Lake, Maga Waterfall, Crocodile monument, etc. Since Long Pasia is far away, I strongly recommend tourists to have a longer stay. What’s the point of having a 3-day trip but spending 2 days on the road, right? You don’t need to do hardcore adventure like me, as there are many leisure activities such as river cruise around the village too.

>> Read Next Article (Part 6)

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – Fefukan & Mataga Waterfalls (part 4 of 6)

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Continued from Part 3…

DAY 3 – RETURNING TO LONG PASIA VILLAGE

My biological clock wakes me up at 6am. My knee pain is gone after a long rest. I grab my camera and tripod and walk straight to Fefukan Waterfall to take some photos. I didn’t get a good shot of this waterfall yesterday coz it was dark by the time we arrived the campsite. Lait (our guide) also joined me.

Fefukan Waterfall

With a wide of 20 Meters and height of about 3 Meters, Fefukan Waterfall is one of the most unique and beautiful waterfalls that I’ve ever seen. I can sit there, staring at it for whole day without getting bored. In local language, Fefukan means the sound of beating. Some fishes try to jump over this waterfall during migration season. The fishermen will wait with a stick and hunt the fishes by beating them.

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I’m so proud to be one of the first Sabahan tourists who visit this waterfall. This is probably the first time the photos and video of Fefukan being shared online. The water is freezing cold. Crazy Lait is the only model who is keen to walk into the icy water for me to photograph. Thank you Lait, for helping me to get some excellent shots.

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Mataga Waterfall

It is a 2-in-1 bonus to come to Fefukan, as there is another waterfall nearby. Without hesitation, I joined Lait to explore the second waterfall, the Mataga Waterfall (Astaga Waterfall? Hehe..). Mataga means “beautiful” in Lundayeh language. It is only a 30-minute walk from Fefukan Waterfall.

Mataga is a newly discovered waterfall. Again, we are the first local tourists who visit it. Most of the time, we walked upstream along a small river to find Mataga Waterfall. We saw a few long-tailed macaques on the trees. To avoid getting wet, I had to remove my leech socks, and later find that two fat leeches sucking my blood between the toes, then followed by hour of bleeding, yaks! The bite marks are still visible after 3 weeks.

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Mataga Waterfall is about 50 feet tall. Though taller than Fefukan, it is lack of character. It is windy around the waterfall with splashing water. I shot only a few photos. One of the guides also collects some plant from the waterfall as herb.

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Going Home

We got back to Fefukan campsite for breakfast at 8:50am. Wow, we have kancil (mouse deer) soup and fried rice as breakfast today! The meat of mouse deer is a bit chewy and taste like beef, nice… Before we left, everyone decided to take a final dip in Fefukan Waterfall. I’ll never forget this beautiful place and joyful moment.

Above: mouse deer soup as breakfast!

Above: Lait insists we must play the “Wild men of Long Pasia”

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We finished packing our stuffs and headed to Lelawid at 10:30am, where the boats will pick us up. Probably of the mouse deer soup, everyone walks as fast as a deer. We reached the river by 3pm, just on time for our late lunch. This time we had wild boar intestines soup, steamed tapioca and Pelian fishes (which was trapped in fishing net we setup yesterday). Pelian fish can be sold for RM60 (about USD$18) per Kg. It tastes really sweet but has a lot of Y-shaped bones in its meat. The wild boar intestine is as hard as rubber, very hard to chew and smell fishy.

Above: steamed tapioca in bamboo

Above: wild boar intestines soup, dare to try?

Above: Pelian fishes from Matang River

We left by boat at 3:30pm. Coz we follow the stream direction and the water level is higher today, we reach Long Pasia village at 6pm, quick fast. I saw a “moving wire” on the boat. At first I thought it was just a thread being moved by breeze. Then I notice it is a living thing. They call it “Cacing Sungai” (river worm). A search on the Net tells me that it is a horsehair worm or Gordian worm ( Nematomorpha ).

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Horsehair worm is a sinister parasite lives in water. If an insect such as cricket, mantis and beetle consumes the water which contains its eggs, the egg will hatch and grow inside its host. After weeks or months, the worm is fully grown (30 to 50cm long) and wants to get back to the water, so it’ll release a chemical to “mind-control” the host to walk into water, and then it crawls out of the butt of the host and swim away. In most cases, their host will die due to serious injury. Infection on human is possible but very rare.

It starts to rain when we walk home. I think we are really blessed. It’ll be terrible if it rains when we are in the jungle or river. However, I still catch a cold and sick for 2 weeks. We are so glad that the trip is mostly over. We are back to our homestay family and go to bed early. Zzzz….

>> Read Next Article (Part 5)

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – To the Heart of Borneo (part 3 of 6)

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Continued from Part 2…

Fefukan Waterfall is the newest attraction at the south of Long Pasia. There were only 4 foreign tourists (from UK, Denmark, Italy and Holland) have been there, and we are the first group of Sabahan tourists.

Jungle Trekking to Fefukan Waterfall

Even after 3.5 hour of rapid shooting on Matang River, we still need to walk 4 to 5 hours on 10 KM of undulating terrain to get there. We started the jungle trekking at 1PM. Luckily we have a few porters to carry some of our stuffs. In addition to the camping tent and cooking utensil, each of them can take weight as heavy as 50 Kg (but still walk faster than us)!

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Because very few people walked this route before, the trail is in the most pristine and challenging condition. The trail is raw, slippery, muddy, foliaged and dense with undergrowth vegetation. If we are not careful, we will trip over crawling vines, rattan and tree roots on the ground, so be prepared to get dirty. A pair of Addidas Kampung shoes (“Village Addidas”, a water-proof rubber shoes) is highly recommended for such rainforest walk. For the beginning, we need to walk to the highest point, followed by easier up and down trail, then a long and steep descending trail to the campsite.

Above: teasing message on the tree bark

Needless to say, there are hundreds of forest leeches waiting along the trail. Very soon I found a tiger leech crawling on my camera. The good news is – once we move to higher altitude, there will be no more tiger leech but brown leech. Brown leech is much more easier to deal with and its bite is not painful (sometimes I can’t even feel it). Unlike tiger leech, which likes to hide in the shrub & bush, brown leech is mainly active on forest floor, so wearing leech sock is safe enough. I notice that the brown leeches here are so big, as big as tiger leech!

Above: Tiger leech delivers painful bite

With an altitude of 800 Meters above sea level, this forest is mainly a mix of hill dipterocarp forest and lower montane forest. Most trees are slim and no taller than 25 Meters, except the Agathis and Seraya Kuning trees. The jungle trekking reminds me of Maliau Basin, Sabah’s Lost World. Long Pasia is indeed another Lost World of Sabah, but with more cultural and historical heritages. Unfortunately, the forest here is not protected by the government.

Above: Agathis tree only grows between hill forest and montane forest

Above: huge seraya kuning tree

We also stopped occasionally to explore some jungle resources. The guide shows us how to get fresh water from the wild vines. I drank and it tasted fresh, with thin smell of grass. The water also can be used as eye tonic. Then they pluck some wild oranges for us to try, it is very sour but an energy booster.

Above: cutting vine for fresh water

Above: drinking water from vine

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Above: wild orange

We found some big chunk of resin beside an Agathis tree. They are hard and look like crystal. The guide took some with them coz these resins are good fire starter. In old day, they use this resin as torch and candle. It burns like rubber and release black smoke. But be careful not to let the burning liquid drips on your skin, coz it sticks and able to burn you badly.

Above: resin of Agathis tree

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After passing the highest point, the trail is less rugged and we walk quite fast. Our favourite part is the ridge walk. It is very windy and cooling, like a huge air-cond, and blows away our fatigue. There are supposed to be a lot of wildlife such as deer around, but we see only a few monkey. However, we see the wallow of wild boar and claw marks on the tree bark.

Above: wallow of wild boar

If you are very lucky, you would see blooming rafflesia pricei before Fefukan Waterfall, the one shown in photo above was blooming in April 2012.

As the trail is not clearly visible and no signage, we follow our guide closely, otherwise there is a 100% chance of getting lost here. Sometimes Lait stops and looks around, as if he is trying to recall the right way, making me nervous. “That’s the fun part!” they say. I have no idea how far we go until I hear the distant waterfall. Walking the descending trail is really a knee-breaking experience. The trail is narrow and slippery so we can’t move fast, putting a lot of stress on our knees. I almost want to cry when we saw Fefukan Waterfall at 5:30pm.

Above: Fefukan Waterfall

Campsite of Fefukan Waterfall

Our campsite is only 30 Meters away from Fefukan Waterfall. In fact, we went so far that we were so close to the border of Kalimantan. Another walk for 3 to 4 hours will lead us to the immigration checkpoint at the border. We are at the Heart of Borneo!

Above: campsite at Fefukan Waterfall

It is getting dark soon, so the guide and porters setup our camp and beds next to the river, and prepare our dinner. They don’t want to damage the environment, so there is no permanent facility here, no toilet, no hut, no cabin… All we have are hammock or canvas beds, with a sheet of canvas on top to block the rain. I never slept on a hammock before, so I choose the hammock bed closest to the waterfall.

Above: setting up campsite

Below is a 360 degree view of our campsite:

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Above: canvas bed

Above: hammock bed

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Above: Mary cooking dinner

Above: there is no light, so we eat in the dark with torchlight

Night Safari

We had some rice, sardine (with onion) and instant noodle as dinner. Everyone was so tired so most went to bed earlier. Lait decided to show me around the campsite and waterfall at night to spot interesting creatures. We found some frogs, insects and fireflies. Though leech is less active at night, I still get 6 of them sneaking into my shoes. Then it started to rain. I had no choice but going to bed.

Above: fireflies playing 3P wild sex

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The Cold Night

Can you imagine sleeping in the forest of Heart of Borneo and next to a waterfall? It just can’t get any better than this. I enjoyed the sound of nature. There are occasionally some twinkling fireflies passing by my tent. I fell asleep very soon. The temperature can plunge to 14 degree Celsius (14°C) at night. It was so cold that I shivered in my thin sleeping bag, then I had to wake up in midnight to wear extra clothing. My knees were quite painful coz of day-long trekking.

Above: my hammock bed

About 2am, in total darkness, my hammock shakes violently, as if a big animal knocks on my tent. I was so shock and pointed my torch light around, but see nothing. I found that my hammock is lowered by a few inches, so I guess the knot got loosen and slide down, phew… scary but funny, haha.

Above: preparing mouse deer meat for tomorrow’s meal

>> Read Next Article (Part 4)

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – Rapid Shooting (part 2 of 6)

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Continued from Part 1…

DAY 2 – AN EVENTFUL DAY

It’s a cold morning in Long Pasia, so cold that all the chicks seek for warmness under the belly of their mother hen. After a heavy breakfast, we got ready for a long trip to Fefukan Waterfall. The journey will start with 3-hour of rapid shooting (river cruise) on Matang River (Sungai Matang) to Lelawid camp, then a 4-5 hours of jungle trekking (about 10 KM).

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Rapid Shooting

At 8:30am, we gathered at the riverside next to the village. When I saw our boat transport, I felt apprehensive. It’s a wooden long boat powered by an engine at the rear. To me, it is only a bit better than a bamboo raft and its wobbly body does not instil any confidence at all. For newbie who tries to stand on this boat, there is a 90% chance he will fall into river within 3 minutes. The slightest wrong move seems to be able to capsize this boat.

Above: gather at riverside

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We loaded our backpacks onto the boats then we departed. To keep the boat balance and stable, everyone must sit still in the center. It sounds easy but my butt hurt in long hours of cruising, and I have to shift my weight occasionally (right and left butt haha).

Besides a boatman who controls the engine at the rear, there is a navigator at the front. He will read the river for a safer route and use his long pole to push the boat away from bumping into boulder or to hold the boat in strong current. Only person with strong muscle and balancing skill can handle such tasks.

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It was quite a smooth ride on Matang River. I enjoyed the cool breeze and beautiful riverine forest view along the river. At first I worried that the water would splash my camera, but very soon I took out my camera and started shooting. For birds, I saw egrets, heron and stork-billed kingfisher. The river is a bit murky but cold and clean.

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As you can see in the video above, later our wooden boat proved that it’s the best river transport. We got around fallen log, went against stream, moved between rocks, and cutting through numerous rapids. There were a few times we had to get into the water and push the boats over shallow river. After 1.5 hour, we stopped briefly at the monument of Prince Henrik from Denmark, who camped there in year 2002.

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Ancient Burial Site

At 11am, we stopped by an ancient burial site next to the river. There are more than 10 “coffin” jars scattered inside the forest. We also found fragment of human skulls and bones. It is a traditional practice for our ancestors to bury the dead inside a big jar, and then they will move the bones into smaller jars. And most of these jars are from China hundred years ago. It is not too hard to tell that the jars are “Made in China” coz some have figure of dragon on them. I am not an expert on antique. I only know jars and ceramics of Ming and Qing Dynasties were widely traded in Borneo in the past.

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Batu Narit – the Love Rock

We went on with our rapid shooting. 15 minutes later, a white boulder caught my attention coz its color looked different from other boulders. And I was right. The guide brought us to the opposite side of this boulder and we saw unusual circular carving on the surface.

Lait told me that according to the carbon dating done by a local university, the age of the carving is about 600 years old. The carving is so smooth that they wonder what kind of tool was being used. Based on the legend of Lundayeh, it is a finger-drawing by Upai Semarin, an ancestor giant with super natural power. Another version is – it was carved by a man who missed his deceased wife, so romantic…

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This boulder seems to have life (or you may call it my superstitious feeling). I touched it and the surface is a bit soft. Personally, I think it is possible to produce such carving if we use wood with rounded-tip to scratch the rock surface persistently. This historical remnant really needs protection coz the algae is slowing eroding the rock face.

Lunch Break

When we were getting closer, there was a rapid almost every 50 Meters. Oh yes, we reached Lelawid, the starting point of our jungle trekking, at 12pm. It is next to a convergence point of two rivers and they lay a fishing net across the river (you will know what we got later).

Above: laying fishing net

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Later we will need to walk about 4 to 5 hours in jungle to Fefukan Waterfall, so we have our lunch at the riverside first. It is like a picnic, so fun. We had some Long Pasia rice, with curry and hot dog. What I like the most is the small and salty “Ikan Sawah” fish. It’s so soft that you can eat its bone.

Above: Long Pasia rice with salty Ikan Sawah fishes

At last, the toughest activity of the trip is about to start… We will walk to the Fefukan Waterfall campsite.

Above: get ready for jungle trekking

>> Read Next Article (Part 3)

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Long Pasia – adventure to the Heart of Borneo (part 1 of 6)

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I’ll pick Long Pasia as my hometown, if I were to born as an “orang kampong” (villager) in Sabah. More than 250KM away from Kota Kinabalu, Long Pasia is located in south-western corner of Sabah, very near to border of Kalimantan (Indonesia). With an altitude of 1,000 Meters above sea level, cool mist frequents Long Pasia, hiding some least-known natural and historical heritages of the Heart of Borneo.

Since year 2005, I have been thinking of visiting Long Pasia. My father had been there and told me about this beautiful and remote place. Finally I had the chance to join a 4-day-3-night adventure with a group of friends in early Nov. Below is the outline of our Long Pasia trip:
Day 1: Depart to Long Pasia homestay
Day 2: Rapid shooting & jungle trekking to (and camping at) Fefukan Waterfall
Day 3: Back to Long Pasia homestay
Day 4: Back to Kota Kinabalu city
You may Click Here to see the detail itinerary.

DAY 1 – GOING TO LONG PASIA

Road Trip to Sipitang

The road trip to Long Pasia took us about 9 hours (8am – 5pm), as we made a few stops. The beginning part is easy; we drove 2.5 hours on a paved road from Kota Kinabalu city to Sipitang town (144KM). At 10:30am, we reached Sipitang, where we had our early lunch and purchased food supplies for camping. Sipitang has undergone some changes and now it has a nice sea-view esplanade.

We also met up with our Long Pasia guide, Lait. At first look, you have no doubt he is a competent “jungle man” coz he is muscular. I’m surprised that he is also a talent artist, and his drawing is so fine and detail, a big contrast to his rugged figure. He always has a mischievous smile on his face, as if he would play a prank on you anytime (and he does!). He is a naughty and playful big boy, this trip would be less fun without this friendly guide as our company.

Above: Lait, our guide

Above: Bestamart Supermarket

After lunch & briefing, we dropped by Bestamart supermarket of Sipitang, to get some stuffs for our camping. We bought biscuit, instant noodle, can food (sardine, curry), 3-in-1 coffee mix, onion, vegetables, water, oat meal, sugar & salt, cooking oil, etc.

Then we loaded our bags and supplies to a 4-wheel drive. Long Pasia is 123 KM away from Sipitang, and it’ll be a 4-5 hours bumpy ride on a hilly gravel road (a logging road in fact). The road was dry and dusty that time. But in rainy season, the road will turn muddy and slippery, only accessible by 4WD. It sounds very isolated, but the most beautiful and pristine places of Sabah are always in remote region.

Iban Longhouse

We visited an Iban longhouse about 15-minutes away from Sipitang. I knew there were some Iban people living in Tawau district (South-east of Sabah), but didn’t know some of them lived in Sipitang too. Though this longhouse is a modern version, it is really long and able to house about 40 families. The veranda is so long and wide that some children have fun racing on it back and forth.

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The most distinct feature of this longhouse is the deer skull decors at each door. I saw the skulls of Sambar Deer and Barking Deer (Kijang). We only stopped here for 10 minutes, and then we continued our journey to Long Pasia.

Road Trip to Long Pasia

Very soon we hit the rough gravel road. We passed by small villages, plantation (e.g. rubber, banana, paddy, tapioca, maize) and rivers, most of the time we were surrounded by lush hill forest and saw no other car. Sadly, we also saw logging trucks and deforestation done by SFI (Sabah Forest Industries). You may watch the video below to get an idea of the road trip.

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When we were about an hour from Long Pasia, we found that a bridge in front of us collapsed. Luckily a truck and excavator were there to make a new way. Within 30 minutes, we could move on again.

Long Pasia Village

Finally we arrived Long Pasia at 5pm. Long Pasia means “Mouth of the Red River” (though I want to call it “Long….. Passage” due to the long ride). First thing I felt was the fresh and cool air (remind me of Kundasang town decades ago). This highland village is always in dense mist in the morning and late afternoon. Surrounded by mountains, forest and rivers, Long Pasia is the one of the few villages closest to true nature and wilderness. They said an eagle grabbed a chick when we got there.

Above: Long Pasia

Above: Paddy field

Most of the 600 villagers here are Lundayeh people, which means “People of the Interior or Upriver”. In the past, they were headhunters, as well as a strong rival to another headhunting tribe, Murut (means “People of the Hill”). Now most of them are Christians and work as farmers, fishermen and hunters, and they are one of the friendliest people I meet.

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Long Pasia is unlike the typical Malay kampong (village) in other parts of Malaysia. Most villagers still converse in Lundayeh, though they speak fluent Malaysia language. Lundayeh is also found in Sarawak (known as Lumbawang instead) and Kalimantan. To see their differences in costumes, you may see my blog on Lundayeh Festival.

We walked around Long Pasia in late afternoon. We were greeted by friendly villagers and felt so welcomed as a guest. Many were playing soccer and volleyball on the field as past-time. I noticed there were so many dogs, probably as many as the human population here. FYI, you will be fined RM500 (USD$150) for killing a dog, coz many of them are trained as a hunting dog, a loyal partner that follows the hunters in and out forest for days.

Another “feature” of Long Pasia is the Solar Panel outside every house. There is no power line here, so they rely on stored solar electricity for basic lighting and TV. This solar panel costs about RM15,000 (it is funded but I don’t know by who)! If they need more power, they will turn on the generator on demand, so I can charge my camera batteries. You can save a lot on electricity bill by living here, coz we don’t need air-conditioner in cool place like Long Pasia.

Above: Street light powered by solar panel

Above: Huge solar panel

My mobile phone got no line coverage here. I was told that they have Internet connection by satellite in the village, so some of them even have Facebook accounts. Not only that, many houses also have Astro channel (satellite TV).

Above: SK Long Pasia, first school in Long Pasia

Long Pasia Homestay

For first day, we stayed with a local family (Dina & Janet) in Long Pasia. The people here realise the importance of eco-tourism and nature. About 15 houses have registered under the Homestay program. Under the education of environmental bodies, the villagers reduce the cutting of forest and hunting of wildlife, especially in tourist areas, though these have been their traditional practices for centuries.

Above: our homestay in Long Pasia

The standard of living here has improved over the years, and most villagers are self-sufficient. You won’t find yourselves staying under the roof of a water-leaking broken hut. In fact, their houses are spacious, comfortable and well-furnished, just as good as the houses in city. As pamper city people, we only had problem to bathe with icy mountain water. We went into the shower room, screamed then stormed out in 2 minutes, probably the shortest shower that we’ve ever taken, lol…

Above: our bed

The evening was getting cold and it was so nice that the family cooked a hot dinner for us. We ate a lot of delicious fresh vegetables that planted and harvested locally. Do you know that Long Pasia produces the best rice in Sabah? It’s so soft and yummy that I had 3 plates.

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Long Pasia Homestay has been around for some years, but it is under-promoted. Personally I think Long Pasia is the best homestay in Sabah and many will agree with me. Besides accessibility issue, many tour operators (outsiders) are only interested in earning more $$$ by building luxury chalet there then charging tourists a “5-star” price, just like what happens to Mt. Kinabalu now. I will only opt for homestay coz it benefits the local community, not a few blood-sucking tour players.

Above: homestay with Rose’s family

After a briefing by Lait for the trip next day, we went to bed. Tomorrow we will explore one of the most remote places in Borneo, even to the locals, the Fefukan Waterfall. Long Pasia has many attractions such as Tiger Hill and Maga Waterfall, but Fefukan is totally new and far away.

>> Read Next Article (Part 2)

Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo