Bau, Sarawak, Borneo.
Hearing that we wanted to explore beyond the typical tourists spots in Kuching, Lucy, one of the friendly staff in our hotel, Sarakraf Pavilion, offered to take us out for the day – best friend Jennifer borrowed her mother’s car and the two of them took us off on an impromptu mystery tour to Sarawak’s gold mining border town of Bau.
The vast island of Borneo is divided into two nations – the regions of Sarawak (where we were staying in Kuching) and Sabah are part of Malaysia, while Kalimantan is the section that pertains to Indonesia. Bau is a small rural market town some 22 kilometres southwest of Kuching city and close to the frontier, known for the old gold mines which were worked by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century.
We stopped off in Bau to visit the bustling food market where the local ladies do their morning shop. The covered market hall was packed with small stalls offering a fascinating array of oriental fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and meats, or spices and herbs…fresh chillies, ginger and the Sarawak black pepper which the region is famed for.
Lucy and Jenny enthusiastically whisked us off to the next attraction on their itinerary, the Wind Cave, one of two limestone caves in the area that are open to the public. The guy at the entrance booth lent us a dilapidated torch and, not quite knowing what to expect, we ventured into the pitch black tunnels.
The mysterious maze of rock corridors are virtually unlit due to the thousands of bats living in their depths. As silently as possible and taking care not to shine the torch directly so as not to disturb them, we watched the creatures clinging to the ceilings or fluttering around as we walked beside a subterranean stream. The cool light breeze which blows through the caves was a welcome change and a contrast to the blazing heat outside.
Jenny then drove us to a picturesque spot nearby, down by the Kanan River where there’s a small beach and naturally pooled water where you can safely swim. It’s a popular place for local families to picnic at weekends, but during the week it was just great because we were the only ones there.
Fast food with chilli… back to Bau for lunch, the girls were taking us to a local eatery to try Sarawak Laksa, the traditional spicy noodle dish…when their faces lit up at the sight of a modest fast food outlet, still a novelty in many parts of the world, we decided to treat them to fried chicken and chilli sauce instead.
Our magical tour continued to the Fairy Cave, one of the most unique places to see in Malaysia. We climbed the steps up the wooden tower beside the rock face to the entrance of the Fairy Cave, a huge cavern with unusual stalagmites and stalactites which seem to resemble animals.
Sunlight filters into the shadowy cave, flickering across the green moss and dark rocks, highlighting the little shrines which are dedicated to Chinese Gods. We followed the paths and stairways winding up around the cave, to see the small Taoist alters, stopping to take photos along the way.
Tasik Biru, Blue Lake was our final destination. A beautifully scenic location surrounded by woods, it was once an open pit gold mine which was later flooded to make an artificial lake. The lake actually looks more turquoise than blue, as it reflects the green trees at the water’s edge and, we were told, because the waters still contains arsenic, which explains the notices prohibiting swimming and fishing that we’d seen!
Driving back to Kuching late afternoon, we got Lucy and Jennifer to drop us off at the waterfront to browse the souvenir shops…and to find a restaurant that served authentic Sarawak cuisine! We’d had a lovely time and it had been fun to spend the day with the two local girls, chatting away and learning about the way of life in modern-day Borneo.
Alternative transport:
You can book an organised tour which takes in the Wind Caves and Fairy Cave;
Arrange for a taxi driver to take you around for the day;
Rent a car or motorbike;
Take a local bus from Kuching to Bau, catch a connecting bus to visit the caves (ask the driver to stop by the nearest junction to the relevant cave, then it’s approx. 1½ km on foot).
Top Places to See In Borneo
BORNEO – Kuching ‘Cat City’ & Sarawak Cruise
Kuching (Cat City) is an important trading port with a colourful history. People from very different cultures have come to live in Borneo’s capital city over the centuries; the original Sarawak tribesmen have been joined by mainland Malays, Indonesian Muslims, Chinese miners, Indian Sikhs and British colonial…
Kuching Waterfront – Top Places to See in Sarawak (Borneo)
I was actually going to Kuching (Cat City) in Borneo! A vast, remote, exotic island full of adventure stories with headhunting tribes and blow darts…hey, wake me up I must be dreaming! Borneo pertains, as if it’s sliced across the middle lengthwise, to two nations – Malaysia and Indonesia.
Northern Bank of Sarawak River, Kuching
Next morning we caught a small, colourful wooden ferry boat over to the northern bank of the Sarawak River. The boatman punts off when the ‘tambang’ riverboat has enough passengers, mainly locals, school children and families. This side of the river was totally different from Kuching main town…
BORNEO – Santubong Sunset Cruise, Sarawak
A wildlife cruise in Borneo.
The wide Santubong river is calm, the meandering mangrove swamps awesome, and the scenery magical. I listened to the mythical legend of Mount Santubong as we slid by the mysterious mountain on our journey towards the estuary.
BORNEO – Bako National Park, Sarawak
The highlight of my Borneo adventure was a day out in Bako National Park. A short trip along the Sarawak taking in the scenery and we arrived at Bako, Borneo’s oldest national park (2,727 hectares); it’s the most fascinating rainforest nature reserve, jutting into the China Sea on the Muara Tebas peninsula.
Top Places to See in Malaysia
Penang Island (Insider Guide) – Top Things to Do and See
Our Penang Island ‘insider guide’ explains the top things to do and see in Malaysia’s top holiday destination. A tropical island with exotic beaches, rain forests, beautiful temples, World Heritage Sites, and amazing food.
Unique Places To See In Malaysia
Looking for somewhere unusual to visit in Malaysia? Whether you’re staying in Borneo, on Penang Island, in the Highlands or Kuala Lumpur city, you’ll love our choice of unique places to see in Malaysia.
Discover the World with
the blog with a focus on independent travel
