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Tioman Island is a favorite choice of tourists, from the back-packers to the package-groups. It is easy to reach by boat or plane. |
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A rainy day in Tioman is still enjoyable. |
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In Kota Kinabalu, traditional stilt-houses (preserved in a city park) make a contrast to modern high-rise buildings. |
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A tropical garden in Kota Kinabalu is a quiet retreat from the noise of this city, the largest in the Borneo part of Malaysia. |
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The vegetation offers endless opportunities for the photographer. |
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The mosque in Kota Kinabalu. Malaysia is a predominantly muslim country, a fact that unfortunately some western tourists choose to ignore. However in Sabah, the eastern province on Borneo, there is also a sizeable fraction of Christians. |
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Tradition and modern technology often work side by side in Malaysia. |
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Schoolchildren wear uniforms according to the muslim tradition. |
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Mount Kinabalu towering over the Kota Kinabalu skyline, on one of the few mornings when its top is not hidden by clouds. |
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Reaching just above 4000 meters, Mount Kinabalu is the highest in South-East Asia (excluding Irian Jaya). However, its top can be easily reached on foot with a two-day excursion. |
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On the road to Sandakan, a snake of persons changing buses signals that the usual has happened again:... |
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...a landslide following heavy downpours has once again interrupted the road (the main one in Sabah). |
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The Customs building in Sandakan. The city has a large chinese population and is a major trading point. |
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A baby macaque hiding in the forest near Sandakan... |
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...while a full grown one has no problem with photo sessions. |
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Feeding time for the orang-utans at the Sanctuary near Sandakan. Here, orphan babies are raised and protected, and attract tourists from all over the world. |
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Orang-utans love to relax. |
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Crossing the Kinabatangan river on the way to a jungle camp. |
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The so-called "Uncle Tan's Jungle Camp". The experience was totally negative for me, the people were totally unexperienced and unfriendly, and they never said that the camp was totally flooded. My advice: try someone else, and beware of the advice you find in guides such as the Lonely Planet, which are often outdated or based on reports by travellers who know no better. |
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A suggestive view of the camp. Now think to live there for a few days. |
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A small quiet lake offers some relax from the stress of the camp. |
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A curious monkey looks down at the curious photographer. |
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No shortage of insects in the jungle. Not all are as nice and unharmful as this colorful lady bug. |
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A hornbill in the morning mist. |
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On the road to Tawau, a flat tire adds to the local color. |
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The mosque in Semporna. This little village is the starting point for the crossing to the divers' paradise island of Sipadan. Few people take a day or two to stay here, and it's a pity as the people are really nice and friendly. |
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Another view of Semporna, with its tourist village built on stilts. |
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Sipadan Island has a reputation of one of the world's divers' paradises. You will not be disappointed! |
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In addition to the wonders of the underwater world, Sipadan also offers a clean nice beach... |
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...and vacation for the mind. |
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In the interior jungle, the only railway in Borneo makes a short hop to the small village of... |
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...Tenom, home to very friendly people. The trip is worthy... |
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...but not necessarily very reliable. On the way back, the train I was on broke down several tens of kilometers from Kota Kinabalu. |
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Arrival by ferry on Labuan Island. The place is pretty uninteresting for the average western tourist, its main appeal being duty-free alcohol and tobacco (as well as other kinds of sin) for the day trippers from Brunei. |
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The magnificent entrance into Brunei. Beware people from Italy, Australia, and a few other countries: we do need a visa for Brunei, unlike most other nations. I was kicked out on the spot. |
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Penang has a reputation of being a nice place to visit (Lonely Planet even puts it at the top), but I was thoroughly disappointed, possibly because of the rain coming in buckets. |
