Sunday 7th June 09- Borneo. Again! My second tirp to Borneo - we stayed in the town of Semporna, Sabah and dived mostly Mabul and Kapalai. Book way way in advance to see Sipadan as park permits are ridiculously limited. I'd recommend staying on one of the islands but if you're poor like me then staying on the mainland and taking the speed boat out to dive is fine, althought a tiny bit inconvenient. There is very little to do in Semporna, so most of our activity was centered around the three or so bars on the waterfront. We spent most of our time eating at Mabul Steakhouse - which makes a delicious Iced Mango Sago dessert. Their set meals are also of good value (RM7.90 for a meal, fruit and 'soup'). Scuba Junkie makes pizza but only on certain days, and Turtle Tomb cafe does a nightly bbq for RM20. Travel tips for Semporna / Tawau: Load up on games / movies on your ipod or laptop, or carry a really interesting, thick book, watch/read them in your hotel room or a cafe when you have nothing else to do; especially on days when you are not diving. Though an added bonus would be the free wifi in most cafes and hotels, so you won't be completely cut off from the rest of civilisation. We took a day trip out to the madai caves - not recommended unless you're interested in bat shit seeping through your toes while you negotiate the slippery ground to look at some crevice filled with millions of cockroaches. Getting there was not cheap either - RM130 per person to get there and back. The 'tour' merely consisted of three locals handing you a torch and basically walking you, cigarette in one hand, torch in the other, in and out of the cave without any narration or explanation. The whole thing was a complete waste of money and time and if you do decide to go then skip the dry cave and head instead for the 'river' cave. Way more interesting, cooler and cleaner. Pics:
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Monday 25th May 09- Borneo Did some white water rafting in Borneo - it was awesome. Now that budget flights are starting to fly to Borneo for cheap I expect to be visiting it quite a bit now. We did a level 4 along the padas river and enjoyed some really scenic views along the way. Level 4 is not for the faint hearted but beginniners like me are still able to survive, just remember to stay calm and swim AWAY from the raft when it capsizes! Getting caught underneath it while being dragged along by angry current is seriously not fun. We spent some time chugging down some beers in Kota Kinabalu and I managed to sneak in a quick visit to the Sabah Museum, of which the bones of a Bryde's whale on display was a real treat for me. Those things are HUGE. The whale was found beached off Paulau Gaya in KK and the state government decided to save the skeleton and put them on display. The entire thing spans 20.6m and greets visitors at the entrance of the museum. Other highlights in the Sabah museum are some really interesting old photos of headhunters and locals during the colonial era. Food is reasonably priced - I managed to satisfy my ramlee burger and satay craving without busting my budget too much heh. We (all nine of us) stayed at the North Borneo Cabin, a backpackers joint, which is pretty much in the center of town. It's nice and clean and cheap - rooms are air conditioned with free internet access and coffee/ tea/ breakfast. Good value. I'll be heading back to Borneo again for entirely different reasons - to dive in the world-renowned underwater paradise of Sipadan (hopefully, if the park permit situation works out in our favour). This time my accommodation will be a wee bit more upmarket, i.e we'll actually NOT have to share bathrooms with strangers LOL - its telling you a lot when I consider having my own bathroom a decadent indulgence. When I return hopefully I'll have some awesome pics heh. But for now, pics of Kota Kinabalu and our White Water Rafting adventure: Thursday 2nd April 09- Ireland Travel tips for Cork, Ireland: RENT A CAR AND DRIVE AROUND! NOte that there is only ONE car rental company in Cork City Centre - Great Island Car Rental located on McCurtain St. All other car rentals depart from the Airport. So if you are arriving by train (which brings you right into the city centre) Great Island is pretty much the only option. It's located about 100 metres down from Bru hostel, (which is in turn about 500m from the train station) which is where I stayed. Of course you could take a bus out to the airport and get your car from there, but it negates the whole point of getting a car. Driving on your own is probably the best way to see the place and to get into West Cork. I stayed at Union Hall and drove around to see Baltimore, Skibreen, Clonakilty and Roscarbery. Driving in Ireland is easy enough and provides access to smaller towns and roads that tour coaches can't reach. This is my fourth trip to Ireland - I had a great time as usual and can't wait to get back. Wanted to Dive in Baltimore but er, it was probably too cold. Photos here: Thursday 25th December 08- Gili Islands, Indonesia Merry Christmas! Here are photos from Gili Trawangan and Bali. Tips: Carry a torch! Power cuts are common and you will need to make sure you don't step on horse shit while walking around Gili at night. Gili Trawangan was lovely as there were no cars, motorbikes or dogs on the island, and it was small enough for us to get around on foot. There's not much to do there if you're not indulging in some kind of water sport but it's also a great place to do nothing. I lost my phone on the way back, which sucked, but oh well, nothing a huge hunk of christmas cake won't cure. See you next year! Meanwhile, Pics:
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