A place for tourists

I am thanks to so many people from Baram especially staying in KL or Kuching checking this blog. Some people commented me that they doubt the tourism potential of Telang Usan because there are no resorts and no tourism attractions .

These are photos when I visited Uncle Tan Wildlife Adventure (http://www.uncletan.com/index.html) near Kuala Lokan, Sg. Kinabatangan last time. Everyday 10-20 tourists mostly from West visit this camp from Sandakan, stay for two nights.

Do Telang Usan have no tourist attractions like here?

Their constructions are too hard to build for villagers along Telang Usan?

Jetty near Kuala Lokan. About 3 hours by car from Sandakan.

Even though the camp can be reached directly by car, using boat is more attractive.

Their "camp" along Sg Kinabatangan. Only 15 minutes from the jetty. The land is borrowed from Kg Kuala Lokan.

The restaurant.

"Lodge"

The staffs bring the visitors to see the "wildlife".

Because hunting is inhibited by Kg Kuala Lokan, there are so many kara along the Sg Lokan.

We could also see Proboscis monkey, Orangutan, Common Palm Civet.

Trekking in a swamp forest near the camp. We saw a snake.

Night trekking near the camp. Tourists are very interested to see frogs.

The location of the camp is not ideal place. The forest is small, surrounded by oil palm plantation.

Tourists also can enjoy fishing.

That's true. The frogs were so diverse and cute, can be tourism attractions.

Baram River Cruises

I found some news about River Cruises started in Rajang, the largest river in Sarawak, in this year and other people are interested to start in Baram also.

http://www.pandaw.com/borneo-c-118.html

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=50245

These news sounds good.

The Baram river has great tourism potential as the Rajang river.

For example, from Kuala Baram to Long Lama or Long Terawan.

There are many great longhouses such as,

Kuala Tutoh http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/kuala-tutoh-lower-baram.html

Long Ikang http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/long-ikan-lower-baram.html

Long Banyo http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/long-banyoh-lower-baram.html

Long Palai http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/long-panai-lower-tutoh.html

Long Terawan http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/long-terawan-lower-tutoh.html

From the end points, tourists can move to Mulu.

I believe this business can contribute local economy and support to keep the beauty of the Lower Baram.

Express Ferry

Dec/2002, Long Ikang (Long Lama -> Marudi)

After road connected between Miri to Marudi, the number of express boats decreased. The information written here is already very old. Please check by yourself when you use the express boat.


There are public ferries, "Express" in Lower Baram

http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/trafic-network-of-baram.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7jmjpmEno0&hl=ja

Kuala Baram -> Marudi (RM20)

8:30

10:30

12:00

13:30

15:00

Marudi -> Kuala Baram (2h30m/RM20)

8:00

10:30

12:00

13:30

15:00

There are taxis from Kuala Baram -> Miri

Marudi -> Long Lama (RM20)

8:30

10:30

12:00

14:30

There are transport from Long Lama to Lapok, Miri and Long Bedian

Long Lama -> Marudi (2h30m/RM20)

8:30

10:30

13:30

15:00

There are transports(car) from Marudi to Miri (RM40)

Marudi -> Long Terawan (2h/RM25)

12:00

Long Terawan -> Marudi

6:00

Marudi -> Lapok (4h)

8:30

There are transports from Lapok to Miri, Long Lama and many villages in Upper Baram

Lapok -> Marudi

8:30

I am sorry if there are some mistakes. If you find, please mention at "comment". I will correct.

Trekking in the Selio Valley 2

There are plenty of fishes in the Selio River.

We ate fish everyday.

Blowpipe and it's poison dart

There are two types of dart, for large mammals and for bird and monkey.

The poison is made from sap of "Tajem" tree (Antiaris toxicaris).

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If somebody is interested to go there, you should visit Long Mekaba first, and stay one night.

http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/08/long-mekaba-sg-silat-upper-baram.html

For transport from Miri to Long Mekaba, you can call to Mr. Wan Lenjau (Long Mekaba) +60-128076064. It takes about 7 hours.

Then, you vist Long Jekitan following a longboat of Long Mekaba, it takes 30min.

There, you can find somebody who can arrange for you, such as Mr. David Suok (+60-17-8578673). David and some other Penans from Long Jekitan can speak English.

Then, you visit Long Bee by longboat, one hours from Long Jekitan, and start to walk.

You have to hire somebody from Long Bee also as your guides following their custom.

You have to bring all foods from Miri.

Trekking in the Selio Valley 1

Abung Waterfall

Seran Waterfall

Kotak(Putak) Waterfall

Selio Waterfall (lower)

Selio Waterfall (upper)

February/2009, I went up to the Selio Valley, Upper Silat river.

This area is located in the sothern part of Usun Apau National Park

http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/09/usun-apau.html

http://telangusan.blogspot.com/2007/09/national-parks.html

There are many large waterfalls flowing down from the Usun Apau Plateau to the Selio river:

Abung, Tabui, Seran, Koya, Be'tajem, Talun, Putak(=Kotak), Selio

And the largest one is the Selio Waterfall.

I took five days to go and back from Long Bee.

Traveling in Upper Baram

Mac/2004 Long Mekaba

Dec/2002 Near Long Selatong

Dec/2002 Near Long Julan

Oct/2003 Near Long Moh

Oct/2003 Near Long Silat

Some people are trying to promote eco-tourism in this area.
Traditionally, local people welcome visitors from downstream and tourists can enjoy to stay in the villages.

The best way to travel this area is following a longboat, enjoying beautiful view and visitting many villages along the Baram River. You can also enjoy trekking in the forest, visiting waterfalls and mountains and following fishing and huntting.

It is very hard and quite expensive to navigate from downstream by boat. You will do better to visit some village from Miri by car or by flight and travel around by a longboat.

Cost
1) Following a car from Miri to some village RM 80-150 / person. You can also hire a car.
2) Flight to Long Akah or Long Banga from Miri. Two flights a week.
http://www.flyasianxpress.com/site/en/fax/home.jsp
3) Hire a longboat (boat+engine+driver+petrol)
If you luckly find a longboat to follow, you just pay for your seat.
4) People often do not want to claim for your stay and meal in village. But please pay them to express your appreciation.

Attention
1) In villages of Kayan, Kenyah, Saban and Kelabit, you can find somebody who can speak English well.
2) If you visit a village, you need to visit the village chief (or some committee member) at first and ask his permission to stay there. He can help you to find where to stay and somebody guide you.
3) Some villages are following Evangelical Church (SIB). In these villages, drinking alcohol is considered as a bad conduct and formally forbidden. Please follow the local rule.
4) Sunday is Sabbath day. You can only rest.
5) The traffic condition (boat, flight and car) will be strongly affected by whether (rain and water level of the river).
6) If you want take photos in village, please ask permission from the villagers at first.

You may able to touch local culture such as music and dance. Actually, some villages in this area such as Long Mekaba and Long Moh are well known in Sarawak for thier rich cultural heritages. There are so many kind of music and dance. You can try to tell them you are very interesting to see it. However, I can not tell you that you can certainly see it because it depends on who stay in village during your stay and how about thier mood to play (sometimes they are very busy to work).
Anyway, if you are lucky, you may hear an old man playing Sape' (a traditional string instrument) in evening just for his fun, or you may see even a little girl able to play traditional dance so graciously.

※Actually, the biggest problem is how to find a car to visit this area from Miri. I know many telephone numbers of local drivers, but not sure I can write here or not. Still under consideration. Sorry.

Batu Tujuh, Long Jeeh, Upper Baram

Batu Tujuh is a huge limestone mountain with 7 peaks, owned by Lepo' Agak (Long Silat, Long Jeeh, Long Bela'ong and Long Selawan).
Some of the villagers know the trail to the top of the mountain. They said it need 2 days to go and back from their villages.

I will visit there in future, but still not yet have the chance.

There are many caves where the villagers use for harvesting of valuable bird nests. Thus, every tourists who intend to visit there need their permission.

Baram regatta, Marudi

Hose, C. & McDougall W. 1912. "The Pagan Tribes of Borneo "

Baram regatta was first held in 1899 at Claudetown (Marudi) at the time of peace making ceremony. It is held every three years.

Baram regatta 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXA9yOzrfg8

Trafic network of the Baram

There are also several major logging roads to upper Tinjar which are connected to Rajang area.

Many other villages are also connected by logging roads.

Sarawak Government is constructing Government roads from Miri to Marudi and Lapok to Long Lama (Aug/2007).