Tag Archives: Tuaran

Dalit Beach, the Killer Beach in Tuaran

3 Replies

Guess you all had heard the drowning tragedies below happened in Pantai Dalit (Dalit Beach):
On 22 Aug 2006, four secondary school students of SMK Sanzac drowned. Two months later (on 25 Oct), 3 more children suffered the same fate.

After the incidents, the local authority has put up two warning notices for swimmers. The best solution seems to be “Don’t Swim!” Whenever such tragedy happens, many will scare themselves with “Water ghost looks for replacement” bull shit. A maritime researcher has the answer, the victims were dragged away by the Rip Current:

“Rip tides are currents flowing away from the shore, and are very powerful… it can drag you away even if you are a strong swimmer…” said Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Maritime Institute deputy director Dr Shahbuddin Saad.

Watch the video below. You will be shocked to know that how easy you can fall victim to Rip Current. The video also teaches you how to escape:

The sea of Pantai Dalit looks so calm, besides locals, there are many tourists from Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort doing watersport, horse riding, etc. on that beach. Hard to believe that it kills.

According to the survivors, they were swimming at the waist or chest-level deep water, and suddenly a big wave came and swept them away. But one thing I would like to point out is – most people underestimate the power of water. All rescue experts know that water level up to knee is enough to wash us away, if the current is strong enough. When we truly feel the enormous power of water, it is usually too late.

Driven by curiosity, I decided to see what makes this beach so different. I only noticed that the seabed was not even, so the waves reach the shore at different speed and duration. I was there during high tide, where the sea water started rising. I will come back again during low tide, when the beach exposes more of its underlying structure.

Dalit Beach looks calm. Its water is so inviting that youngsters ignore the warning signboard.

Later I checked out the bird view of Dalit Beach through Google map. Interestingly, there is a big river mouth near the beach. is it responsible for the strong rip current?

When I zoomed in further, I found something weird (pointed by red arrow in picture above). There is a huge spiral-like wave, about 0.5 km across, in the sea of Pantai Dalit. You may click the picture below to zoom in for closer look.

You may look at the map yourselves:

View Larger Map

I suspect the murky river carries large amount of sediment that builds up sand bars under the sea at Dalit Beach. And this uneven underwater terrain is the key recipe for a deadly Rip Current. Do you agree with me?

Update

21 Jun 2010: A father and son, from Kg Tambalungon in Tuaran, were swept away by strong currents and drowned while trying to save their 17-year-old family member on Father’s Day.

7 Jan 2013: two youths, both aged 20, from Kampung Telipok, Tuaran, were being swept away by strong currents. (reported as Missing)

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

models at Borneo Kell Bays

Borneo KellyBays and the Beauties

Leave a reply

About 30 KM from Kota Kinabalu, somewhere in Tuaran there is a “secret” paradise between a river and the sea. Some heard about this beautiful place but they can’t describe it, b’coz few locals have been there. Borneo KellyBays (or Kellybays in short) is special b’coz it’s probably the only Sabah nature attraction that lays between sea and river.


Borneo KellyBays is in Laya Laya Village (Kampung Laya Laya) of Tuaran. At the edge of the village, there is a boardwalk that leads to the jetty of Borneo KellyBays.


At the jetty, you will see a wide river between you and Kellybays. Even during low tide, the river is about 3 to 6 feet deep and you can’t walk across it. That’s why Borneo KellyBays looks so “mysterious” to uninvited guests. Normally they don’t take walk-in tourist, so you need to book the tour in advance.

You can look at the map below for the location of Borneo KellyBays and its jetty. The map also clearly shows that Kellybays is between river and sea:


View My Sabah Map in a larger map


Above: the wooden rafts of Kellybays.


If you have booked a tour, they will send a wooden raft to pick you up at jetty. Once you are on-board, you are their VIP.


Last month I had a photography outing with 19 gorgeous ladies at Kellbays. They are the contestants of Miss Oriental Beauty Pageant, which aims to promote local modelling talent in the fashion industry on modelling run-way show and exposure in beauty pageant. It was an enjoyable experience b’coz both models and photographers have more space and privacy, as there is no Uncle Bob, busybody and weirdo around in the private beach of Kellybays.


Though we didn’t have blue sky that day, the overcast sky in the morning offers very pleasing soft light. And it’s not too hot (except the hot models) so everyone was very relax and had lot of fun. What is better than photo-shooting sexy bikini models in beautiful beach?


The photographers and models are divided into a few groups for photo-taking in different spots in rotation. The beach of Kellybays stretches 8 KM long overlooking the South China Sea with sandy bay and forested coastal, so there are plenty of nice background for framing the shots. In fact, many overseas models have come here for photography.


The mangrove forest and river at the other side is also great for photography. The models are experienced and know how to pose for camera. FYI, quite a distance away is an estuary where the river and sea meet. Looking afar, it is like a dragon tail, that’s how Kellybays got its Chinese name ??? / ???, which is literally translated as “Dragon Tail Bay”.


For the promotion of Kellybays, the models also tried batik painting, one of the favorite activities of tourists.


Then we photo-shoot the models playing volleyball. Everyone is happy, whatever ball they look at..


Finally we could enjoy Malay buffet lunch at the floating restaurant of Kellybays after work. I really love their seashell cups for fresh fruit juice. The owner, Stephen says these are special-made and not found anywhere else. He ordered 200 units, but the guests like it so much that they “borrow” it (without asking), so there are only 100 left.


The restaurant is facing the lush mangrove forest and clam river, so you can appreciate the nice scenery while having your drink.


Above: the mangrove and river at Kellybays


Mangrove has abundant fishes and crabs. You can try crab fishing in the river there. Just throw a net with bait in it, withdraw the net after a few hours and you would find seafood inside.

There are many things you can do at Kellybays.


For example, you can laze on the sandy beach for a sunbathe.


If you are drowsy after heavy lunch, you can take a nap on the hammock and enjoy the gentle sea breeze.


Kayaking in the river to blend yourself into the nature.


Or ride a water bicycle on the river…

Ok, ok, I know the activities above are too “slow” for you. You want something Fast and Furious right? Try their Banana Boat then! Personally I call it “Torpedo”.


Don’t look down this banana-shape rubber boat.


At first a speed boat will pull the banana boat for a leisure cruise. See! You can go hand-free.


Then the boat will go faster and faster, you will feel like riding on a missile and scream your lung out.


Lastly, the boat will purposely make a sharp turn in high speed. Everyone will be thrown out of the banana boat and dash into water.


Don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe. The girls will survive.


Guess what? The babes are so thrilled being dumped and they want MORE.. so bold and sporting huh. You can have as many rides as you want.


It had been a happy day but we had to say goodbye. FYI, the Miss Oriental 2012 beauty pageant is still on. If you want to see those pretty girls, you may visit D’Junction Fun Pub (Address: Batu 3, Jalan Lintas, Penampang) at 9pm on the following dates:
20 Apr 2012: Special appearance (preview night with Burlesque theme)
27 Apr 2012: Grand Final
Come and support your favorite girl! For enquiry, contact D Junction representatives at +60 88-703131.


To visit Borneo KellyBays, head to Tuaran, after passing by the junction to Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, drive a few more Kilometers on the main road and you will see the direction signage of KellyBays. Just follow the little signages along the way and zig-zag on the small road of Laya Laya Village to reach the jetty. You can browse their website at www.kellybays.com for more info.


You may Click Here to see more photos of Miss Oriental at Borneo Kelly Bays. I also post some photos of Miss Sabah Photo Fest models on last page, which were taken in year 2011 at Kelly Bays.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album if you want to see more nice pictures:

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Coconut Pudding

Leave a reply

After trying the BBQ Clams (Lokan Panggang) and Grilled Coconut (Kelapa Bakar) in Tuaran, I decide to try Coconut Pudding (Puding Kelapa) in second visit. You can order Coconut Pudding from most of the roadside stalls there.

To know how to get there, you may read my last blog about BBQ Clams and Grilled Coconut.

They fill the inside of coconut with pudding and ice it. Each coconut pudding costs only RM4 each (≈USD1.20). The quantity is really satisfying as I’m almost full after having one only.

It tastes just like other pudding, soft and sweet, but rich with taste of coconut milk. It’s a great dessert in hot day and it’s not oily nor overly sweet.

Therefore, I have no problem finishing it happily. Not only that, I order more and share it with my family.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to carry the heavy coconuts back home. They have cup version that sold for only RM2 (≈USD0.60) each. To get the best taste, you may store it in refrigerator before eating.

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

BBQ Clams & Grilled Coconut

4 Replies

The BBQ Clam (Lokan Panggang) & Grilled Coconut (Kelapa Bakar) roadside stalls in Tuaran always caught my attention every time I passed by. “They must be having great stuffs,” I think, when I see so many cars stop there for a meal, though it’s hard to associate 5-star food with such primitive stalls that look more like makeshift structure.


But if you try their food once, you will want to come back again. You can’t find THIS taste elsewhere.

BBQ Clams (Lokan Panggang)

The “must-try” is their Lokan Panggang (BBQ Clam). The clams (or cockle) are those bivalves molluscs (Species: Polymesoda expansa) living in the mud of the mangrove forest.


Above: the clams come in 3 different sizes, i.e. big (besar), medium (sederhana) and small (kecil), and they cost RM12 (?USD3.60), RM10 (?USD3) and RM7 (?USD2.10) for 20 units respectively. If 20 is too much, you can ask for 10 clams only and pay for half price.


There are over 20 stalls along the road. I randomly picked a stall and ordered 10 big BBQ clams (coz big clams look good in photos, haha). The smaller clams have tender and sweeter taste. Anyway, it’s a personal preference. If you are unsure what size to go for, you may order 10 big and 10 small clams.


The way they cook the clams is simple, they grill the clams on a zinc plate. They also add a bit of oil, which I believe containing a mixture of onion and ginger to remove the fishy smell of the clams. The smoke is so strong that the cook had to squint his eyes.


Oh boy, oh boy… the smell of seafood and sizzling noise really stimulate my appetite.


As you can see, they use very simple method to BBQ the clams. No fancy stuff. I like it coz that’s the best way to appreciate the original taste of seafood.


To get better photos, I move my camera very close to the boiling clams. They warn me that the hot meat would “explode” so be careful, LOL.


They will also ask you if you prefer dry (fully-cooked) or wet (half-cooked) style. For me, half-cooked tastes the best! But if you are tourists with sensitive stomach to raw seafood, I strongly advise you go for dry style (fully-cooked).

Clams are from mud. To those European and Japanese tourists who are used to the “germ-free” environment of their countries, they will get sick easily for trying something different. That’s why travel agents will never bring you there for lunch coz the tourists who get ill would suit them. I think I’m also obligated to advise you that you better get Hepatitis B vaccination prior to eating seashell food in Malaysia.


However, none of our locals (and tourists from South-East Asia) have such problem. A famost host of a TV food programme “Taste with Jason Axian” even came all the way from Kuala Lumpur to feature the BBQ Clams & Grilled Coconut here.


Above: the grilled clams are ready to be eaten. It should be 20 clams by standard, but I ordered only 10. See the Sambal sauce in the green plate? You may dip the clam into this sour and spicy sauce which goes very well with seafood.


For each bite, the half-cooked juicy clam meat “bursts” in my mouth. The meat is tender and creamy! It’s a highly satisfying seafood meal.

Below is a 1-min video of BBQ Clam. Don’t watch if you are hungry!

Grilled Coconut (Kelapa Bakar)

After having BBQ clams, I tried their Grilled Coconut too. It costs only RM3 (?USD1) each.


Above: different way to enjoy coconut


I have no idea why they have such an idea of “BBQ” a coconut.


Basically, they just grill the coconut over the firewood until its skin turns black.


Above: preparing Grilled Coconut. The coconut is steaming hot, so he has to be very careful.


Above: what a skill to remove coconut crust without breaking the meat layer. Probably he is a part-time brain surgeon too, haha!


The coconut juice is very hot. You can see its steaming in 30-sec video below:


You can drink the juice and eat the coconut meat. But to be honest, I like cool coconut juice much much better, and it’s not so enjoyable to sweat profusely while drinking hot coconut juice in hot day. Anyway, you must try their coconut pudding, which is more highly recommended.

How to get there

When you drive from Kota Kinabalu city and head to Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort in Tuaran, after 25 to 30 minutes and 5 KM before the resort, you will reach a roundabout like photo below:


Turn left to enter the Sulaman road. You will see the roadside stalls at both sides of the road only 20 Meters away. Most of them open from 9am to 8pm daily.

Below is the location map. Note the boxed area:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map


There are over 20 roadside stalls along both sides of the road, and each has a name (“Gerai” means stall in English. “Selamat Datang” means Welcome). They welcome locals as well as tourists, so don’t be shy.


Is this the 1Malaysia restaurant initiated by our Prime Minister?


This stall is going enterprise and international, haha..


Most of them selling the similar food, i.e. clams, coconut and probably some local snacks. From the number of stalls, they seems to have good business and demand.


Just take your time and browse around. All stalls look the same too me. Do you have any specific stall that you like? Please share.

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Upside Down House (Rumah Terbalik)

4 Replies

This is probably the hottest new stuff people talking about in town, and first time ever people feel happy that their world turning upside-down. After seeing so many friends introduced this place in Facebook and blog, I decided to visit the Upside Down House in Tamparuli.


Which one is upside-down? The house or the man? LOL.


Something that you can’t do in real life are all possible now at upside down house.


To get there is easy, if you go from Kota Kinabalu, just a few Kilometer before Tamparuli town and before a Shell gas station, you will see the house at your left, as shown in photo above. Its address is Kampung Telibong, Batu 21, Jalan Telibong, Tamparuli. You may Click Here for the location map. Their website is www.upsidedownhouse.com.my.


Below is the ticket fees. You can save a few bucks if you visit both Upside Down House and newly-opened 3D Wonders Museum (2-in-1 package):

Ticket Fee* Malaysian Adult Foreign Adult Child (4-12 years)**
Upside Down House
(Rumah Terbalik)		 RM10.60 RM19.10 (≈USD$5.50) RM5.30 (≈USD$1.50)
3D Wonders Museum RM24.40 RM35 (≈USD$7) RM15.90 (≈USD$4.60)
2-in-1 Package
(Upside Down House + 3D Wonders)		 RM31.80 RM47.70 (≈USD$14) RM19.10 (≈USD$5.50)

* Fee inclusive of 6% GST tax (price as of June 2015)
** Free entrance for infant 3 years and below


Above: the ticketing counter. The visit will take 30 to 45 minutes.


The logo of Upside Down House (Rumah Terbalik).


The friendly staffs. There are quite a number of visitors even during weekday. We were waiting for our turn.


Here you go, the upside down house! It looks like a traditional Sabah village house from outside. Not only that, the inside is fully furnished. The interior area is about 1,500 square feet, with master bedroom, child room, living room + kitchen and a bathroom.


Finally it’s our turn to enter the house. We were asked to knock the door as if we visited a real house. A staff will guide you in the tour.


Sorry, no photo-taking is allowed after this point. It’s air-conditioned inside.

As expected, it’s an “insane” house, as everything, from small to big, are upside down. We were walking on the “ceiling”, with fans, lamp and even lizard (toy) next to our feet. And all the furnitures are above our head. I started to imagine that I was a ghost hovering near the ceiling LOL.


Group photo at the back door. Do you see the bicycle?


Another group photo. It’s fun to show this picture to others.

Let’s see what they have inside… 40-inch TV, VCR player, microwave, vacuum cleaner, computer & desk, chairs, sofa, beds, cabinet, washing machine, cabinet, closet, painting, etc. just like a normal house. They say the main challenge is to hang the 35-Kg sewing machine on top. They even have poker cards, toys and comic book scattered on the floor, like there are people living inside. The radio is on and luckily not the fan, haha.. I was told that a few visitors are not used to the upside down world and got a bit of motion sickness inside the house.


Hmm… can I sit in that car?


They have a gift shop next to the house.


They sell mainly environmental-friendly local products such as the organic soap and handicraft made of recycled wood.

You may watch the 1-min video of Upside Down House below:

Shuttle Services

You can take their shuttle depart from shopping malls (see below) to this place for RM50 (≈US$12.50) per person. Please call +60 18-8614688 / +60 88-230534 in advance to book a seat (before 4:00pm).

From Center Point From Wisma Merdeka Return
8:30am 8:45am 11:30am
10:30am 10:45am 1:30pm
2:00pm 2:15pm 5:00pm
3:00pm 3:15pm 6:00pm

Mango Garden Restaurant

If you visit Upside Down House, I highly recommend you to have lunch or dinner at Mango Garden Restaurant, which is right next to Upside Down House. This air-conditioned restaurant serves authentic traditional cuisines of Sabah and they even take our local food to fine dining level. It’s really a surprise for me to find such a decent restaurant in countryside.


Pic: the beautiful interior of Mango Garden Restaurant, decorated with cultural stuffs and photographs such as handicraft and musical instruments. You can see the Upside Down House from inside.

They have rich variety of exotic food. I tried the dishes below.


Pic: My appetizer, Hinava Sada, which is freshly selected fish fillet marinated in lime juice, shallots, ginger, sliced chili and grated Badu (wild mango seeds). This is a must try dish, very popular in Sabah and originated from the Kadazandusun tribes. You will love it if you like sour and spicy food. Price: RM11.50 (≈US$3.25)


Pic: Asam Pedas Ekor Lembu, sliced oxtail slowly cooked in delicious sour and spicy gravy. Commonly known as oxtail asam pedas by the locals, very tendon. Price: RM29.50 (≈US$8.35)


Pic: Dessert: Sweet Mango Sago & Ice Cream, soft jellied sago with palm sugar and coconut milk topped with fresh and sweet local mango. Price: RM8.50 (≈US$2.40)

After 10% service charge, the meal costs me RM54.45 (≈US$15.40). This is because I ordered the expensive items. Anyway, it’s worth every penny. They also sells common food such as fried rice and noodle, starts from RM8.90 (≈US$2.50) if you don’t want to spend too much.


Pic: Mango Garden Restaurant can accommodate about 40 people.

The following is more info of Mango Garden Restaurant:
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Tel: +60 88-783911
E-mail: sales@trekkerslodge.com
Facebook: MangoGardenRestaurant

Photos taken in Tamparuli, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Linangkit Cultural Village, mysterious past of Lotud people

6 Replies

Linangkit Cultural Village (LCV) is located in Kampung Selupoh (Selupoh Village) in Tuaran, about 40 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu. Linangkit is a unique form of needle work and handmade decorative embroidery using interlacing knots. It is used to decorate and join seams by Lotud, who is a sub-ethnic of Kadazandusun and have a population of nearly 10,000, most reside around Tamparuli, Telipok and Tuaran areas.

LCV offers a platform to display the colorful culture and mystical history of Lotud tribe. Lotud is very famous in their skillful weaving, and personally I think their traditional dress is one of the most beautiful and elegant costumes in Sabah. That’s why the Lotud dress is the favorite choice for beauties who compete in the annual Harvest Festival Queen beauty pageant (Unduk Ngadau).


>> Click Here to see more photos of Linangkit Cultural Village

With striking red, gold, silver, white and black colors of the dress, Lotud girls always become the center of attention and most photographed target in any cultural fair.


Same as other indigenous people of Sabah, Lotud people also live in longhouse, but the difference is – each Lotud longhouse only hosts one family. The longhouse in LCV is in fact a “treasure house” with many antique items of Lotud people.

Linangkit Cultural Village (LCV) is open daily from 9am to 6pm for tourists, but you are advised to contact them (Tel: +60 88-787382, Mobile: +6013-8803738 / +6012-8667236 (Mrs. Alice Tee Jilan)) at least 3 hours in advance to make prior arrangement (for guided tour, food, cultural show, etc.).


>> Click Here to see more photos of Linangkit Cultural Village

You may watch the video below to look at the surrounding of LCV.

Click Here to see wider video.

Upon arrival, you will be taken to a traditional Dusun Lotud longhouse, where you could gain better understanding of the culture and the lifestyle of the Lotud. The house has a good collection of ritual tools used by Tantagas, the traditional priestesses of Lotud. Nowadays, many indigenous people are converted to Christians and Muslims, so the mystical practices is gradually fading.

There are many interesting items inside the longhouse. A guide will tell you the story behind each item. Actually, they don’t allow photo taking in exhibition area, so I only list a few here…


For example, the hundred-year-old “Gusi” jars above are for housing the spirits of the ancestors. Lotud would appease them regularly. Many heard strange noise or human voice in the jars at night.


Above: an accessory for warrior. They believe this gives them strength and magical power.


Above: a symbolic ritual tool used by Tantagas as a “torchlight” to see in “other” world.


Above: Lotud was once a headhunter. Each hair cluster means one head.


Above: they have good collection of old decor and items, which remind me of the era of my grandfather.

There are lot more stuffs. I’ll let you to find out there.



Above: they also have the longest linangkit in Malaysia.
>> Click Here to see more photos of Linangkit Cultural Village


By the way, do not forget to chew some betel nuts and smoke the local tobacco, to perfect your cultural adventure.




After the tour in longhouse, depend on your package, they may take you to the activity hall to watch cultural show and enjoy local delicacies.




You will love the delicious food at LCV.
>> Click Here to see more photos of Linangkit Cultural Village

As I am always attracted by pretty Lotud girls, they teach me how to spot a single by looking at their costumes. Look at the photos below. You may flirt with the Lotud girls that wear belt that has no black color (first photo).

But if you see black color in their belt, that means she is not available (see photo below).

Please visit Linangkit Cultural Village to see the most beautiful tribe of Sabah today!


>> Click Here to see more photos of Linangkit Cultural Village

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kayaking in Mengkabong River

2 Replies

For those of you who have been to Shangri-La Rasa Ria Hotel in Tuaran, you would not miss the beautiful view of Mengkabong River (estuary) from a bridge nearby. In fact, that bridge is the most photographed point for Mt. Kinabalu, almost every photographers got a sunrise photo of majestic Mt. Kinabalu from this angle.



>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

Anyway, personally I think that angle is “shot to death”, so I am not interested in photographing it at all. However, every time I pass by, I do think, “wow, isn’t that wonderful if I can do kayaking in that river?” And it did happen last month, but at a price of waking up at 4am!


Transfer to Mengkabong water village


Mengkabong Village


Friendly and shy children of Mengkabong

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

Our guide, a friendly and gentle Japanese named Yasushi (but we like to call him “Sushi”), runs a kayaking programme at Mengkabong River. He picked us up in Kota Kinabalu at 5am, then we headed to the kayaking site in Mengkabong Village, which is in Tuaran and about 35KM away from the city. We arrived the village around 6am and have a coffee break in the house of a villager, Uncle Usop. Mengkabong Village is a traditional fishing village and most of the population are Bajau people. Many tourists come here to see the stilt houses on the riverbank here.


Above: cute devil of Mengkabong. The owner locks them up coz worry that they might fall into river.


Release of cute devil..


Dry langsat fruit skin


Above: locals burn langsat peel to remove odour and also believe it can calm the wind.

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

After having light refreshment, we started our kayaking on fiber glass kayak (2 seats). At first I worried that the kayak could capsize, so I only brought my old (spare) camera. Later I found that I worried too much. The Kayak is very stable and the water in estuary is calm. The activity is very simple and relaxing, we just paddle and follow the kayak of Sushi to explore the river and mangrove area.


Above: see the dark line? It’s the wide area of mangrove on the river.


Sunrise view of Mt. Kinabalu

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

Luckily the weather was good and the air was refreshing. The sky is lighten up by sunrise and Mt. Kinabalu becomes a beautiful backdrop over the river. Now I know why we need to wake up so early, to catch the breath-taking view in magic moment. FYI, you also can try sunset kayaking, the view would be less impressive but you can see the fireflies in mangrove. You can do fishing on the kayak too. This estuary is a mix of freshwater and sea water, so you could get both types of fishes. We saw oyster farm in the river, an evident that the water is clean.

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

Besides sunrise view of Mt. Kinabalu, the network of densely-grown mangrove forest on river is also fun to explore. The mangrove forest is so vast, and soon we are surrounded by walls of mangrove trees, as if we are inside a maze. I saw a pair of beautiful Stork-billed kingfisher. Btw, you should apply sunblock before kayaking. There are some mosquitoes in the mangrove, so you better bring insect repellant too. Anyway, according to the villager, the mosquito in mangrove is not dangerous and doesn’t carry terrible diseases such as malaria, though their bites are very itchy.


We stay close to chit chat.

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

The last part of the kayaking is to navigate through the very narrow passage inside the mangrove. It is challenging but quite fun, and require team work of front and rear kayakers. Finally the kayaking ended at 8am. Frankly I don’t mind kayak until afternoon. Some of my friends are asking for such trip, if you are interested, you may contact Mr. Yasushi at 019-8109510 (Website (Japanese version): http://www.kayakdeborneo.sakura.ne.jp/). His clients are mainly Japanese but he welcomes local group to join too.

>> Click Here to see more photos of Kayaking

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Tuaran Cultural Carnival

Leave a reply

I am really poor in portrait photography. I have been taking photos of indigenous people in traditional costumes, but all the while I only focused on their beautiful and colourful dresses. It ends up I don’t like most of the photos coz I feel that something is missing. Now I hope I can add some personalities to the photo. The Cultural Carnival in Tuaran yesterday became my practice ground. Still, I didn’t get any shoot that is really excellent. But I personally like the 4 photos below.

Below is the girl in Bajau costume. Her costume reminds me the little princess in ancient Chinese Ching Dynasty. Her look captured my heart, so I captured her face in return. Haha..

The following is the photo of Bajau boys. Very hard to get this shot. The small boy always wanted to walk and look around.

The photo of a Lotud girl. This booth got too many people and stuffs at the background. Quite difficult to get a “clean” photo. Only this one looks ok.

The photo of a Lotud bride. If you want to marry her after seeing this photo, this is a good photo then. Heheh…

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo