This place serve very nice and cheap fast- food meal. Two vegetables and one type of meat cost you only RM6. They also have fried foods and other foods that are not displayed in menu. All you have to do is to ask.

2. Wak Mood Ayam Penyet

Nice ayam Penyet. Normal price- RM10- 12. with choices of Roasted or Fried. They also have fishes depends on availability. 

3. Laju- Laju Restaurant
They serve good meal for lunch (fast-food) but it is not as oily as other place, feels very homely and welcome by the aunty. This place is facing the river so you can have a walk along the riverbank after having meal here. It was mentioned to me that this place used to be famous a long time ago as it is nearby the passenger wharf for express boat and it is actually still famous for their Mee Ikan or Mee Udang. check their  FB page. Laju- Laju Restaurant.

I planned the trip 2 weeks before I left. Contacted my friends Ferdinand Hidayat and Veronika Kristianti, they are good friends I met last year when they visited Kuching, Sarawak. I was invited to visit Pontianak in December 2016 but couldn't accept the invitation at that time.  So I guess Gawai holiday is the right time to get back on the road. 

To go to Pontianak, Indonesia you either fly or you can go by land from Tebedu, Malaysia- Indonesia Border. I did my research on what to do and where to go, but there is very limited information about Pontianak on the internet. I searched in Indonesian and Malaysian language but you will only read the same things. "tempat menarik di Pontianak Indonesia", " wisata Pontianak Kalimantan Barat" ... the same information. I haven't discovered all of Pontianak but I'm sure visiting this place is worth the long bus ride. Since this is my first visit, I promised myself I have to come back for more and discover the hidden paradise of Borneo. There's so many things and places to discover but so little times, I even extended my stay for one more day because I have falled in love with this place and the people.

Planning.
First, I let my friends know about my visit and I was delighted when they say they can host me. (always have a positive circle around the world). Next thing I did was to try to find a bus ticket. I am not bothered to check from Bintulu bus terminal as I am flying to Kuching from Bintulu on May 31st, which means the bus ticket must be obtained from the place of departure. The only way I can get a ticket early before my trip was to find it online. I look it up online and yes I found that Bas Asia company is on Red Bus online ticket booking. Bas Asia is the bus that travel from Kuching to Pontianak. I had a little concern that I won't be able to get the ticket over the counter and that can ruin everything. Especially during the holiday season, Gawai Celebration and Ramadahan for the Muslim. Red Bus is a good place to book bus ticket online and you might need to install the app into your phone because usually they have good promotion if you use their app, they give lots of discount codes. And it is a must have app if you are traveling in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Peru and Colombia.

Bus fare from Kuching to Pontianak is around MYR60-MYR70 depends on which bus you are taking. Booking from Red Bus, I got my return ticket Kuching-Pontianak-Kuching for only MYR70. That was incredibly cheap like MYR35 for each way.

As I am using Malaysia International Passport, I am allowed to be in Indonesia for 30 days. Visa fee waived.

As for money and ATM cards. I went to the ATM machines Maybank and CIMB Bank to activate my overseas withdrawal. This way you will not be charged if you go to the same bank in a country you are going to visit. For this trip I only bought MYR300= IDR 1,000,000.00 Travel currency from CIMB bank. As they have good rates compare to money changer outside and it is easy for me to get the exchanged currency from Kuching Airport. No hidden charges.



Bintulu to Kuching.

I travelled from Bintulu to Kuching by flight on May 31st. Gawai eve. A feeling of going home for Gawai but to a different direction. Installed Uber and GrabCar app on my phone so it i easier and cheaper to travel aroung Kuching. Took an Uber ride to my hostel that i booked from Booking.com . In Kuching, I stayed at The Radioman Heritage Hostel. Good place for one night stay. Had the dormitory all to myself. I have few hours to walk around Kuching. Oh man, you do not know, how much I had missed this city. I took a GrabCar to Vivacity Mall just to kill times. The road was busy as usual though it is Gawai Eve. I can tell there were few Dayak people doing last minute Gawai Shopping.

That evening I went to have dinner at Borneo Delight just next door to Radioman Heritage Hostel. The food was simple and nice. Most importantly it was very cheap. After I had finished my pineapple fried rice and a carrot juice I walked back to the hostel. I need to have enough rest as tomorrow would be an early start.

Kuching to Pontianak, Indonesia.

0600 am, June 1st 2017. I took a Grabcar to go to Kuching Sentral. The Grabcar was very cheap as I used promotional code. Arrived early and the place is full with people waiting for counters to be opened. Went to Biaramas Bas Asia counter and asked about my Red Bus online booking. They said I have to wait for the bus counter to open as I need a printed ticket from the counter. Waited for a while and the lady came and printed my tickets then I checked in at the first counter I went to. It was still early and I can see few Indonesian Chinese, Malays and Dayak checking-in.

Went inside the bus. I was bringing a 40L rucksack and another small bagpack. I did not put my bag in the bus cargo compartment instead I brought it in with me and it fits perfectly inside the overhead compartment. The smaller bagpack I keep it next to me all the time.

In the bus, there was a Chinese lady who speaks Indonesian with the bus driver. She was holding a green Indonesia passport and three red Malaysian Passports for her kids. I know that she is from Indonesia and going back to Indonesia with her Malaysian kids for holiday. French couple were sitting few rows behind me. They seemed not very friendly or maybe it was too early for them. The bus left the terminal building exactly around 0710 am heading to Serian. We arrived at Serian around 0800. I travelled during Ramadhan (fasting month for the Muslim), I was a little bit concern about not getting any food along the way so I bought nasi lemak from Serian bus terminal.

Not long after stopping at Serian, we finally move! Destination: Malaysia- Indonesia border in Tebedu- Entikong which is approximately 1 hour from Serian Town.


I was totally amazed by how big the differences between Malaysia and Indonesia Immigration and Custom border complex. Everything is new and clean in Indonesia side. I was really impressed by how tight the security there.

Tips: Do not buy simcard from the border. You can get a proper internet simcard for a very cheap price in Pontianak. I bought mine for MYR15.00 and yes of course I can use internet but when I have finally arrived in Pontianak bus terminal, I don't have any internet data left. So it is not an internet package simcard. I was cheated when my friend told me he can find a simcard that has internet package.

I would recommend to buy Telkomsel (SimPATI) 

My journey continue and after an hour or maybe an hour and a half, we reached at a place called Roda Minang ( a very famous stop for everyone who travel in across this two countries) This place serve traditional Malay and Padang food. I went out from the bus and used the toilet. Now, I really feel like in a  different country. The toilet system is very different as they don't have good water supply so every toilet has a water basin.

Advice: Do not drink or rinse your mouth using tap water/ tank water. Please buy bottled water.



I arrived at the bus terminal. I was trying to contact my friends but my internet data has run out. I just waited for Ferdinand since Veronika was still in Yogyakarta and landed in Pontianak at the same time I have arrived at the terminal. Ferdinand came after an hour with his friends Dion Kalisputra, Angela Rita and Nopian. They brought me to a place where they serve a very nice noodle. The place feels homely and it seemed to me like a home business but for them it is a normal cafe and that is just how it looks like. I ordered something similar to Kolo Mee in Sarawak and Wonton Mee but it tasted very different and I am missing it and definitely coming back for it.

Before going home, they drove me around the city of Pontianak. Then we decided to find street food at the Bazaar Ramadan near the biggest mosque in Pontianak- Masjid Mujahidin. I was wearing short and I was a bit concern about respecting the place and the events. My visit was during the Ramadhan (fasting month for the Muslims) so they are many vendors selling foods and products in conjunction with the month of Ramadhan and preparation for Syawal (Idul Fitri). Finally it was time to go back to Dinand's home (my home for the next few days). I was introduced to Om and Tante (Dinand's parents) I love them so much. Tante made very nice meals for me during my stay. I am very grateful to be accepted as part of the family. Dinand lives with his parents and his younger brother and sister.

Veronika arrived that evening straight from her home after the airport to Dinand's house to see me. I was so excited! Then we chatted for a while joined by Dinand's mom and she made us really nice black coffee (#favouritecoffee). Dinand and Veronika took me out in a truck to a place called Bamboo cafe where they serve Nasi Ayam Penyet. (it was different and really nice as well)

I made my first international travel to Lombok Indonesia.

              Lombok Island is located not far from the famous Bali, Indonesia. I have never heard of this place until one day when I was checking at Airasia webpage they have very cheap flights from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to this little island which happened to be a neighbour to the famous BALI. I said to myself, this is a great place to explore. It shares the same ocean with Bali, beautiful islands, rich cultures and traditions and most important of all at that time, it is incredibly CHEAP and I can afford the flight tickets and expenses in Indonesia is not a big deal for me especially when I plan to travel lightly and with low budget.

            I visited this place before I have this blog that was in 2016. But now, this place has attract more and more people because Bali is becoming more expensive and crowded with visitors. It may still become a place of interest on the map but this unknown Lombok is getting its name on the rise of becoming the next Bali of Indonesia. I can tell you now, the ticket going to Lombok is more or less the same as the fare going to Bali.

          I took a flight from Bintulu, Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur on 30th July 2015. I stayed for one night in  Kuala Lumpur before my next flight to Lombok. Currently, the Airasia fly three times a day to Lombok from Kuala Lumpur. I booked an evening flight because that was the cheapest price and I needed time to get my bank cards replaced and my travel money from the bank. Flying on 31st July at 1535pm from KLIA2. Flying here only takes around 3 hours and 10 minutes.

          As usual, some international flight will require you to fill in Local Customs dept. declaration form for items and money. I bought in- flight meal as I am not bothered to go out when I arrive.Truth is, I don't really like the feeling of arriving at a new unknown place at night time. I don't get to see the view when landed at the airport etc. and you don't know if you can find any place to eat. Maybe yes and maybe no depends on where you are.

           It was already dark when I arrived at Lombok Airport. I went through immigration and they ask me where do I stay. (You have to know where will you stay when you arrive, please state the address in the form given to you on board). They were not very friendly and looking tired maybe because it was already late and they have to work evening shift. I understand.

         Before I grab the taxi ticket at the counter, firstly, I need to get a local simcard for my phone. Telkomsel SIMpati is the simcard I bought and it cost me 75,000 Rupiah (MYR25.00). It is supposed to be cheaper if you buy outside. The simcard that I have got from this counter is traveller simcard. It gives you free calling credits and free internet which is super fast and that last for two months! Yes, I am telling you the truth the internet is at high speed compare to what I have in Malaysia. Wifi is not available everywhere, so it is advisable to get a local simcard. make sure you have an unlocked version phones in order for you to use this card.

Hassle at the taxi counter!

             My first destination when I arrive at Lombok was Sengigi as it is a fine location along a series of sweeping bay and close to the beaches. Food is easy to find here. Sengigi has many guesthouse and backpackers stay to choose from. I always book early from interent because I don't want to reach there and find every places are full house. It is not a good idea to practice what you have been doing; arrive and walk-in check in because this place is getting more visitors just like other places in Indonesia.

              There's no other transportation to get to Senggigi, Lombok except for taking taxi or DAMRI bus (as for this I am not sure if you can take it from the airport, you have to get to the bus terminal from the airport I guess) Hitchhiking? I am not so sure as the airport is very far and will take you 1 hour drive. Maybe you can try if you arrive during daytime. Its better to get a taxi and it was not very expensive. Don't simply pick a taxi service, recommended are Blue Bird Group(A bit more expensive but it is good) and this time I took a brown coloured taxi- Global Taxi (maybe that was then name). I met a white lady who came to visit Lombok with his husband and she helped me to choose a taxi as she has been staying in Indonesia for many years and she speaks Indonesian. She surprised me and also the taxi service staffs. We were supposed to share the taxi fare but as they are heading to a different direction and the taxi has to be separated, I bought my own fare for RM200,000 (night rate) That was around MYR60.00. Could be cheaper if you share it between partners or with other people heading the same way.

              They will give you a receipt and using that receipt you can just follow the instruction of the taxi service staff. I think they have escorted me going out from the airport to get the taxi. You only pay the taxi at the counter and you just give the receipt to the taxi driver. You will not be charged anymore. Outside you will find many people trying to get you into their car and taxis. Just tell them, you have a ticket- this is in the case if they don't escort you outside). Don't be surprise with the honks and the way they drive here. Just have trust or have insurance. Haha..

               During my trip, I stayed at Indah Homestay not very far from convenient store and from the town centre. Every eating places, and bars are walking distance. There are so many hotels and guesthouses in the centre to choose from but I prefer this Indah Homestay as it is located further inside and you only have to walk 5 minutes to reach the main road. Great service, quiet and out of the main road. It is more to a village surrounding than a town and you feel less touristy. The place is inside a local neighbourhood. The homestay is run by Indonesian- Dutch Family. Opik the owner was married to a Dutch. And as I have arrived very late at night around 9.30pm, he waited for me to arrive. I hope they still run the place nicely. This place has no aircond and it is extremely hot during the day as it is closed to the sea but at night it is very cold. You don't have to worry about the water. It is clean clear water but not encouraged to drink directly from the tap before you boil it. They serve breakfast in the morning which is very nice Indonesian style pancake. You have to sit outside your room for them to come and ask for your order whether you want coffee or tea, toast or pancakes and fruits come along with breakfast. They will serve you whatever fruits they have on that day no options. They served bananas, papaya, and watermelon. 

          This place has a nice garden and sometimes in the evening you will get to see local kids playing in the garden in front of your room. They are friends to the owner's son (cute Eurasian kid playing like other village kids- very nice). I stayed here until the last day in Lombok. I rented a scooter from the owner for MYR15.00 (45,000IDR) per day. Maybe you can try to find a cheaper one from outside but I guess, the price range will be around 35,000 Rupiah to 45,000 Rupiah. Negotiate to get a cheaper price but I think this was a reasonable price as I just ride it the whole day, come back to the homestay and park it nicely there. Safe me the time to return it back to a service provider and walk back to the homestay.

FIRST DAY

As I have arrived very late, I didn't go out that night. I decided to rest early and have an early start the next day. The shower was located outside the room though it is still attached, it is not a confined space and you can hear people next door. The ceiling is not attach to the wall so you will feel like taking shower and being close to nature. I felt horrified when I saw big geckos and that has truly surprised me! I didn't realised it until then, that Lombok is famous for geckos. The water was very cold and it is clear water. I am not sure whether it is safe to drink but for my own safety, I rather not drink directly from tap. You can always buy bottled water from IndoMaret (Indonesia big chains convenience store). It is very convenient as you can practically see it everywhere you go in Indonesia and it is open 24 hours just like 7 Eleven. The room without aircond is still cold at night especially after a refreshing shower with cold water.

We made a few stop to rest and have a look around the secluded beaches that we passed by on the trail to Golden Beach. The beaches are not very well maintained maybe because it is too far to reach by the park workers. So it is our responsibility as visitors not to leave our track there with rubbish! We didn't spend too long at all those beaches along the trail as our main plan was to reach Golden Beach. Some of my friends walked very fast and ahead of us that they will stop and  rest while waiting for us to catch their pace. 

• viewpoint : 50 mins/ 30 mins via shortcut
• Selunsur Rapids: 2 hours 30 Mins
• Turtle Beach 1: 2 hours
• Turtle Beach 2: 2 hours 30 mins 
• Golden Beach: 3 hours
• Selubong Pool: 20 mins (plus boat trip you can arrange with park HQ

Here are few things you might need to know before coming here:

1. So if you plan to come here, you might want to book a place to stay overnight, or you can bring your own tent and camp here (this one is truly recommended as I've heard people done it before and they liked it. 

2. The park provide places to set up your tent and BBQ pit near the beach. Toilets and shower is just within the HQ office and you can make your move the next day by arranging a taxi to pick you up.

3. If you plan your time well, then you won't have to worry about coming out very late from the jungle trek. Bring a torchlight (small one) just in case you love the nature so much that you need to spend longer time with them. I spent few minutes on every stop to take pictures. Be safe and return back to the park HQ before nightfall.

4. If you drive here, be sure to park your car in front of the HQ office or any parking space provided. Park at your own risk if you park under the shady trees.

5. Please register yourself at the park entrance and put complete details after you pay the entrance fee. Safety measure is very important. Do not put fake name or phone number. Write nicely. I know how different is everyone's handwriting from different countries. Maybe you should put details like where do you stay while traveling to Bintulu. (eg: guesthouse name or phone number). They won't ask about this but just for safety reason. 

6. Bring enough water and foods if you are going to start early, you can stop at one of the beaches for lunch. Turtle Beach 1 or Turtle Beach 2 before you continue to Golden Beach. Bring back your own rubbish and throw in bins provided in the park. Save the environment. 

7. DO NOT SWIM! That is really off the agenda to come here. Yeah it is  sad that everywhere you go in the beaches in Bintulu, you are not allowed to swim. The Similajau National Park beaches are famous for its saltwater crocodiles. I have never seen one but I had seen their tracks on the beautiful sandy beaches. You might have the chance to see it if you stay overnight at the park as this animal comes out when it is cold. But maybe you can try to ask the HQ office where is the safe place to swim, but I guess they allowed people to swim at the beach behind the park HQ depending on the sea status. If it is too dangerous they will put a sign to that. But don't you think even in the 'safe place' to swim, the threat is still there.  

8. Get phone numbers of the authorities such as local police, rescue team and the park HQ for safety. You do not know what might happen though I can't guarantee if you can get signal inside the jungle. Maybe yes because when we were here at the Golden Beach, I still remember my friend taking his phone out and making a phone call.

9. Wear suitable shoes and bring a small towel. Wear head cover when you are at the beach as it is extremely very hot! Bring change clothes if you feel you need a refreshing shower in the park Shower rooms.

10. Respect the jungle and the beach. Keep them clean. Please do not take or pluck any plants that you see, or bring anything out from the jungle.

The trip to the Golden Beach was a remarkable memory for all of us who joined as none of us are from Bintulu but only live and make a living here. We are sure some of the young generations of Bintulu have not been to this Golden Beach and explore the local place. 

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Group photo

Turtle Beach II

Lunch time!

My friend Emilda a Dayak Selako girl.

Hermit Crabs

Washed up LIGHT BULB!

Yeah it's a hot sunny day

BEWARE OF CROCODILE

This is the pond in the middle of the sandy beach. I was not supposed to go in there but I did not know and this part here is not deep so why not, take a photo.

SKULL! ahahaha

CROCS track.

Diana the runner.

Exhausted when we arrrived at the park HQ. Waiting to be rescued.

A new soul in this strange world. First time blogging, doesn't really know how to write, I don't travel far. But still I love the idea of writing blog and share the world about the places I have been and I can proudly say "It is the place I've told you about"

I've got inspired to start a blog few years ago. I have an older blog. Pretty empty and boring as I have very limited resources. No access to internet, and computer problems.  Then, in January 2017. I am itching to travel but I have commitments and I don't have fund to travel. I look up on internet about how to travel with limited budget. I came across this blog belongs to a traveler who finally made money blogging and we keep in touch. The first advice was to START BLOGGING and that brought me here to this platform once again and my blog this time will be about places, people and travel.
First and foremost, I am not an English speaker though this blog is in English ( yes! I am reaching out to everyone so I guess English is the language I need to use) I would be glad if anyone willing to help me to make my post stand out. For the time being, I just have to put more effort to learn blogging and writing stories.

I grew up in a village, though it is not located in a remote place, it is still in between mountains and jungles. This process of growing up in a place where your safety as a kid is guaranteed, you get to explore and experience a lot. There are bad memories and very good memories. I thanks my parents for raising me and my siblings up in this village. When I entered secondary school, then I start to realize how lucky I was to be born  and raised in this village because we have treated water supply and electricity when there are many villages in the rural farther inside still do not have electricity or treated water supply. Electric gen-set and gravity feed system from the mountain are the only way for people to survive and of course bathing in the river. No matter what, living in a village where you have paved road access, public transportation, electricity and treated water supply, all of this did not differ my lifestyle with other kids from other villages. I am a village boy at heart.

When I first arrived in Bintulu, my aunt picked me up from the airport. Bintulu Airport is very far from the city, located approximately around 20km which takes around 20 minutes. All the way to the airport, you will see trees and road (supposedly Bintulu - Kuching highway) without traffic lights on main junction. It is like road to hell as when I first came, the logging activities are still active and you can see logging trucks on the road at daytime with their overload logs to be transported to plywood factories nearby. Just before you reach the city area. you can see many factories and industrial buildings around you. The road condition is not as good as in other cities in Sarawak due to all this industrial activities, trucks with heavy load and poor maintenance  from the local authority. It is an oil town and industrial town anyway. Bare the pollution.

Bintulu is situated in between Sibu and Miri (another Oil and Gas city). Three hours drive from Bintulu to both cities respectively. No public transportation like bus, except for taxi and private driver (not UBER but individual "uncle driver"). (updated 28/6/2017) We have GRABCAR and I just registered myself as a GRABDRIVER. I am the 29th Driver who had registered in Bintulu. Long distance bus is available at all time. I usually take a ride on MTC (Miri Transportation Company) to go to Miri (that cost me RM25) and my friends usually take this bus to go to Kuching from Bintulu (RM65-68). The coaches time schedule is very reliable, clean, they have speed limit and safety is the most important thing in choosing your coaches to travel in East Malaysia (not all buses installed seat belts for passengers). The coaches also have single seat if you have to travel alone and afraid to sit near unfriendly local or 'very friendly' local. I always have the concern of Tuberculosis whenever I travel along Bintulu- Miri. Along the way, you can see all around you are oil palm plantation estates which means many foreign workers from TB endemic countries such as Myanmar and Indonesia. I usually wear N95 mask or any 3M mask. 

Actually, there is not many things to do and places to go in Bintulu but I will share with you, all the places I had been (and places that I still go and keep coming back) and things I do in Bintulu (It can be something you want to do as well when you come to visit Bintulu Oil Town of Sarawak).
              First place I am going to introduce is Pantai Temasya Tanjung Batu (Tanjung Batu Beach Bintulu). This place is famous for its street foods stalls and at the same time you can enjoy sunset scenery. The beach is dangerous for swimming or any water activities because of its strong current. Drowning cases happened at this beach almost every year. So it is not allowed to swim here and I would never recommend anyone to swim even if you are a swimmer.

               There are many food stalls doing barbecue of chicken wings, chicken tails (buntut ayam in Malay language), hot dogs and etc. Different stalls have different taste and flavours. The price is more expensive than normal price at the night market maybe because its operating hour is until 7pm. Some stalls open in the afternoon selling cendol, ABC/ Ais Kacang (ABC is acronym for Air Batu Campur it means a bowl of mixed ice and syrup/ brown sugar, sweet corns, lychee fruit, grass jelly) and creamer) add on with ice cream topping. Recommended to try and you can enjoy the sea breeze. As for foreigners, please please ask the price first because I am afraid they will charge more if you look white/ Caucasian. Always order from stall that is clean and has menu so you basically know what you are going to pay. I just want to remind you that this place is full with mosquitoes and rats. They will be very active when it is getting darker. Come early to avoid full parking spaces, it is very limited. There is not a day this place is not busy and crowded with people jogging and just walking around.

              At weekends, many people will have barbecue and picnic at this beach with their friends and family. The local authority do provide places for BBQ. Shame to see that people in this country are not responsible enough to bring back rubbish or throw their rubbish and waste properly. They just do not have the concern to keep environment and nature clean. I don't understand these people. It attracts rats and flies! I love the view and the scenery. They have this little islet where you can walk across at low tide and take pictures with a great view of sunset! The beach is dirty! the water is not clean and smells 'industry'. Just my views of this beach. Anyway, it still becomes a place I visit regularly with my friends in the evening for a jog, brief walk, or when I am craving for some BBQ.

Remember, DO NOT SWIM here.

SIMILAJAU NATIONAL PARK (TAMAN NEGARA SIMILAJAU)

This is definitely the place to visit if you like nature and jungle trekking. Similajau National Park is located 30 kilometres north-east of the town of Bintulu. As usual, there is no bus going to this place. So you have to book a taxi and don't forget to get the taxi driver's number for your return ride to town or if you read about Similajau National Park from my blog, I am very please to take you there for RM50 for a return trip. Hahahaha... The first time I came to Bintulu, I did not have the chance to visit this place until few months later and I feel lucky as I've got free entrance to the park. Well, actually I should have paid but because I went there alone and I told him I am not doing any trekking or swimming I just want to go to the view point, the park guide (or someone at the ticket counter at the HQ entrance let me in for free. I think he paid for me as I wrote my name and phone number in the guest book. I love this place. It is very quiet and not many people come to visit this place partly because it is not easy to access as there is no public transportation going here. I went there driving my friend's car. Not very far so if you go here by taking a taxi it would cost RM60 one way (very expensive for a return trip to town).

This park has beaches. My second time to this place, I went to Turtle Beach 2 which took me 2 hours and 30 minutes then another round back again to the park HQ. Almost giving up at Turtle beach 1. It was a long journey and yet nothing to see at the beach. Full of rubbish washed ashore. Beautiful view along the trail and you can see squirrels, lizards, monkeys and birds. Trail is a bit challenging and tiring. Up and down slopes.

My third time coming here, I decided to do it with few friends. We all love nature and trekking the jungle. This time we went to Golden Beach (10KM and took us 6 hours to and fro) Worth the long journey! You shoudl try it! I would suggest you to stay overnight if you want to trek this trail. Do check my story on the Trekking to Golden Beach. As someone who has been staying in Bintulu for 2 years at that time, I am proud to tell people from Bintulu that I have conquered Golden Beach! It is an achievement for someone like me. So I am just telling you briefly about this National Park. For more information on this park, you can visit this link: Sarawak Forestry.

TAMAN TUMBINA BINTULU 

(PLANTS AND ANIMALS PARK)

1. Entrance fee: RM2/ Adult. 
2. Bring water bottle. Please bring extra if you need to go to toilet. There's no water in the toilet.
3. There is no place for you to buy food here. Why not bring your own food and have a picnic and spend all afternoon here reading books. Serenity.
4. They used to have vending machine for water. I do not know if they still have it or not. just bring your own water as it is a long way up the hill to see the whole park.
5. bring umbrella.
6. wear proper attire/shoes. It feels like hiking but on a paved trails. 
7. You may come early in the morning, it is on top of the hill so it will get very hot during midday. Then maybe from there, you can walk up to the beach (Pantai Temasya Tanjung Batu) when the day gets colder.