Chidlow, Western Australia July 2010

The trip we have just returned from was our 5th visit to Borneo and 4th with Borneo Biking Adventures. Well my 4th and Jo-Ann’s third. Rose says that as we are such frequent visitors we should have our own BBA page so here we go.

We first visited Sabah about three years ago at Jo-Ann’s suggestion, primarily to visit the orang-utan at Sepilok Wildlife Reserve at Sandakan on Sabah’s east coast. Why, when Perth Zoo has a great orang-utan breeding program, I don’t know, but it was the start of our Borneo Adventures so I’m not complaining. The first trip we stayed at Pacific Sutera in KK, a great choice and for us much better than the Magellan, the other part of the Sutera Harbour Resort. This Resort is a free bus ride or a 10MYR taxi ride from the centre of KK and well recommended if you don’t stay at Sinurambi your whole trip.

Each trip for us has its own special set of memories; the first was visiting Sepilok ( there are better choices to see orang-utan but we had to start somewhere ), some of the colonial past of Sandakan and the Sandakan War Memorial at the site of one of the WWII POW camps. As we arrived at the War Memorial a tropical thunderstorm started and the artillery like cracks of lightning and the heavy warm tropical rain were like our own special light and sound show, especially effective as we learned of the camp and its history.

For Trip 2, I was on my own, a time out after the loss of my Mother, and this was my introduction to Borneo Biking Adventures, Terry, Rose, Bryan, David and Sinurambi. You’ve probably seen some of my photo’s from this trip, of Bryan crossing a flooded river in the bucket of a digger with a look of terror on his face while trying to stop his bike sliding into the raging waters. I understood the look a few minutes later when I did the same. With one hand for the bike and one on the bucket, it meant no photo’s of my part of that trip across the river. Thanks to Bryan we returned safe and sound with me well happy with my first Borneo Biking Adventure. I was so well looked after, the days were ( and are ) warm and humid, and the country is full of some of the best biking roads I’ve ever seen, roads that just go on and on and on…….. Great new friends, busy days, quiet evenings. All just what I needed. Three days in paradise.

Next time back Jo-Ann came as well. While she is not a rider, she is a great pillion and the additional pre-load meant roads like Gunah Maas were just as much fun as solo. How could it not be? As was the Kimanis Bypass, the road home from Ranau ( more of the POW story there if you’re interested ) and much more. We had a great ride to Kudat and Tip of Borneo, more new friends, wonderful fresh seafood, white sand beaches, the warm sea, great company and the wonderful food. Wherever we went, the food was and is great, whether breakfast or dinner at Sinurambi, lunch in a Kampung or in a restaurant somewhere.

Trip four was longer and started well south. After having his arm twisted, Terry agreed to meet us at Brunei, an oil rich independent Princedom south of Sabah, surrounded by Malaysian Sarawak. He, Rose and David drove down with a 4x4 and trailer with 2 bikes, meeting us at the Empire Hotel. This Hotel is an amazing display of opulence yet not expensive by Australian standards. Everyone should see and stay here at least once in their lifetime! After a day’s sightseeing around the city, we headed north on day 2 experiencing our first international border crossings at ground level, gaining over the next two days a large number of stamps in our passports out of Brunei, into Sarawak, out of Sarawak and back into Brunei ( check out a map, you’ll see why ) , out of Brunei and back into Sarawak and all before lunch! Fun river crossings on interesting ferries and a never changing jungle vista passing by each side of the road made for an interesting morning We then swapped the main sealed highway for a logging road ( and Jo-Ann swapped pillion seat for a ride in the 4x4 with Rose and David ) for about 70km of interesting gravel roads and meetings with logging trucks. There are an interesting set of rules on these roads and logging trucks have right of way. Full stop! We eventually learned the meaning of the sets of arrows before each bend. Thanks Rose. The turn off to Merarap Hot Springs, a place Terry had some vague idea about and I had found more on the Internet, was a track into the jungle. It was probably less than 10km down the track to the Merarap Hot Springs Lodge, an ever steepening rocky downhill track that must rank high on the BBA 1 to 10 off road riding scale. The hot springs certainly were and required much cold water before us soft westerners could get in. This was a wonderful place to relax, even for an afternoon and I hope that Terry includes this on future trips.

Next morning was a pleasant warming uphill ride through the jungle back to the logging road before a dusty blast back towards the seal, with the occasional tropical rain just to keep the humidity up and the dust down. Once back on the seal we turned north before gaining our last Sarawak border stamp ( and our first Sabah entry one ) for the trip. Malaysia is a Federation of States and each State takes its border obligations seriously. On to Sinurambi where a few days later we celebrated Jo-Ann’s 50th birthday in great style. Rose had organised a wonderful evening spent with BBA guests and new friends, almost two handsful of nationalities celebrating with her on Sinurambi’s huge deck and at the equally large dining table.

Trip 5 and both back again. It was great to be back in the warmth of Malaysia, both the climate and people. This trip was again different ( as we are wont to do ) as we started in Peninsula Malaysia, driving north from KLIA on that wonderful expressway in our rental car. 250 something kilometres and not many hours later we paid about 10 Australian dollars toll as we turned off for Ipoh, our destination for the night. Here we stood out like sore thumbs are we explored part of the town on foot after being in plane, taxi and car since leaving a freezing Perth in the dark that morning. We were the only westerners apart from a couple of worried looking Belgian backpackers but as always never felt unsafe. Next day we and our GPS eventually found our way back out of the town ( would have been much easier if it wasn’t for our insistence on seeing some of the local sights first! ) and off to Tanjung Tualang and Batu Gajah, location of the remains of some of the tin mining industry and sight of the sole remaining tin dredge in this part of Malaysia. Unfortunately it is no longer possible to see the dredge close up, doubly sad as Jo-Ann’s grandfather had been a dredge master here and her father had spent some of his childhood in this area and maybe around this dredge. From there it was on to our destination for a couple of nights in the Cameron Highlands at Tanah Rata. Smaller than the Genting Highlands to the south and larger than Fraser Highlands to the north, it was quite a cultural change form the lowlands. We spent a couple of days visiting tea plantations, strawberry farms and butterfly houses as well as ‘enjoying’ a delightful drive up a mountain in the rental. In other countries this road would probably be forbidden in a rental car and it was a most exciting drive!
South to KL for a couple of nights, driving in that city was its own adventure, before a quick flight to Singapore to catch up with friends and be tourists. Singapore is amazing city with an interesting past and an obvious viable future. It was a great place to visit and we enjoyed high tea at the Raffles ( several times ) and Jo-Ann sampled Singapore Slings . We saved the best for last and a few days later flew across to KK where we were met ( as always), by Terry.

Day 1 and Bryan and I checked out some new roads, having to turn back a couple of times, the first due to the road being blocked with a bogged truck and several excavators ( shades of a past trip! ) .

We then headed back towards KK and north to Telipok before taking to the hills again to find the far end of the road we had been turned back from earlier. The ride was going

well before the afternoon rain started early and became a downpour, fortunately as always remaining warm. At this river crossing we again turned back, normally the water flows underneath this bridge rather than making it a ford.


Day 2 and again just Bryan and I. We headed south this time, using many of the little back lanes and generally keeping off the Papar Road. Further south we turned off at Beaufort, inland, trying to convince roads and tracks to align with previously investigated tracks showing on the GPS.

While we didn’t have a great deal of success, we did ride palm plantation roads, forded rivers and played in the mud ( Bryan, how come this happens each time we ride together? ) . We eventually found ourselves dead ended again and again, and after investigating a couple of alternative tracks on foot ( The Bryan Wade Extreme Borneo on Foot Experience ), hunger drove us back to Beaufort for lunch and re-hydration.

We rode more back lanes on the way home, mainly gravel as was our trip out. The Old Papar Road as always was a fun ride and enjoyed immensely in the dry. These two days, encompassing a wonderful range of local roads, certainly supports again the Adventure part of the BBA name. I don’t think I’ve ever ridden off road so much in one day. Thanks again Bryan.

Day 3 was a non-riding day, day 4 we were back on the bikes with some new bikers. The usual day one; fill up and then over the wonderful Gunah Maas and its hundred’s of varied corners, stopping near the top for tea and a chat. A photo stop on the Tambunan side on the way down and another couple of hundred bends to the end.


Turn right towards a water crossing and a diversion to the Road to Nowhere. Kilometre after kilometre of smooth sealed road with hardly another vehicle, but with the occasional interesting change to maintain your attention, before the sudden dead end forces a return.

On to Keningau via the Sh*t Road and lunch. The skies were darkening while we ate and as we started to ride, the rain started. Over the Kimanis Bypass in the rain followed at the top with low, thick cloud hugging the mountain side and the road, causing a huge reduction in road speed with visibility down to a few meters. Almost at the end, the cloud cleared and it was on to Papar in the dry for a tea stop. The rain wasn’t far away however, and this time we stopped briefly to don the waterproofs found under the seat of all the bikes, before continuing on to the Old Papar Road. The last few kilometres saw the rain stop and the roads quickly dry for the final blast up the access road making for a fine ending for another enjoyable ride.

There is so much more I could write, so many more photo’s to share. These are just a few of our adventures, a few words from a Sahab tragic. We are already planning our next trip for later this year and others after that.

To Terry and Rose, thank you for your fine hospitality and firnedship, to David for his humour and energy, the maids for looking after us so well and to Bryan for again extending my riding skills and showing me parts of Sabah not seen by most visitors, thank you all.

Murray and Jo-Ann
July 19, 2010.

PS. For those that haven’t been to Malaysia and specifically to Sabah and Sinurambi before, this really is a land of superlatives. The people are friendly and curious, the bikes are well maintained and exceed my ability to ride them, Sabah is very safe and bikes are often left with keys in and riding gear draped over and everything is always there when you return. The scenery is beautiful and always varying, from the beaches to the mountains and all in between. The climate is always warm and humid, very pleasant, and there is always time to stop for a drink and a chat, the roads are great and as challenging as you want. It does rain most days, usually late in the afternoon and overnight, but the rain is warm and I’ve never been cold, even after hours riding in thunderstorms ( which has only happened once and was part of another fun adventure ).

We always seem to have adventures when we are there, that’s the name of the business the nature of the beast, you won’t be disappointed. The driveway to the house, while not the challenge it was, is still a great way to start and finish your day. Don’t be deceived, it can be challenging and it is always changing. Listen to what you are told, ride within your limits and know what they are. Your riding will improve, you will have fun and great times, and you will meet great people.

BBA, Sabah and Malaysia are not just about the biking although that is a great introduction. Jo-Ann enjoys here visits as much as I do, sometimes pillion, sometimes not, but always having a great time and being very well looked after. We have met some wonderful people, some we may never meet again, some we already have and call friends. If there is something you want to do, just ask. This can be your adventure too.