Singapore Malaysia, Badminton and Nature

 

It was my desire to watch an international badminton tournament live that made us travel to Singapore and allowed us to explore nature around there. I caught the quarter-finals and finals action at the BWF Singapore Open. Before this event, we took a peek at the wonderful nature parks in the Sarawak region of Borneo Island which is part of Malaysia and also visited the superb Sungei Buloh Wetland Preserve in Singapore in between.

Thanks to my nephew in Singapore who suggested Sarawak on Borneo Island knowing our interest in nature. Borneo is the 3rd largest island and has many diverse nature sanctuaries. We had a difficult time choosing which ones to visit. We finally settled on 1. Bako National Park (for the proboscis monkey) and 2. Kubah National Park. Both were close to Kuching where we planned to stay. We postponed planning the logistics after we reached there, a mistake as you can read below. 

For Day 1, we had hoped to visit Bako but found out late morning, that we needed to start early as the park entrance is accessible only by boat.  After some research, we decided to taxi to Matang Wildlife Center. We only realized it was a rescue center, not a sanctuary when we reached there. It was also closed in the afternoon because they let the captive Orangutans out. The person in charge was sympathetic and since we had driven up all the way let us in with warnings to keep away from some paths. Also, there was no bus or return taxi service, so we had to hold back our taxi. The best is to drive there in your own vehicle. We did get to see the captive Orangutans who were very comical in their enclosures and Rhinoceros Hornbills.

We took a cruise in the evening on the Sarawak River, which was fun with snacks, drinks, and cultural events. It was an out-and-back with great views of the sunset. The Kuching waterfront from where the cruise starts is quite a happening place with choices of local food, music, and good space to walk around. We had some wonderful street food like Satay before it started raining heavily. 

For Day 2, we visited the famed and highly recommended Borneo Cultures Museum and booked a night walk at Kubah National Park. The museum is well done with spaced-out exhibits that are innovatively designed in how the information is presented. For example, in the birds exhibit, you could press a button to hear the call of a bird as a silhouette of the same bird lights up on the wall close by. 

Kubah is famed for its frogs which are best seen on a night walk. We were lucky to have chosen a very nice and friendly guide, Lucien, for the night frog tour at Kubah which can only be done with a guide. He picked us up from our stay and gave us an incredible look into the nightlife of animals at Kubah. 

On Day 3, early morning, we caught the local bus which took us to the jetty from where one could charter a boat to take us to the entrance of Bako. The bus cost us just 1 Ringitt per person when a taxi could have cost us nearly 50! Bako did not disappoint as we sighted the Bearded Pig as soon as we entered. The funny but also grave and serious-looking Proboscis monkey welcomed us with plenty of posing before we had even checked in at the visitor center. They guide you on the trails depending on your interest, fitness, and time available. We did a long trek to a beach and a shorter boardwalk over a peat swamp habitat. Time is limited here as our return is fixed by the boat we hired to get us here. If you want to experience this park to the fullest, they offer overnight accommodations too.

In Singapore, we went to Sungei Buloh National Park with our hosts. It is one of the best natural preserves I have ever visited within a large city limits. Wonderfully designed with huts that look out on

the water and swampy areas, almost like a hide. We had a good time walking around and spotting birds and the ubiquitous monitor lizard seen all over the park. We also got lucky to spot a couple of Otters that were frolicking in the lake. We hope to visit again during the migratory season for better spotting.

Overall, we had a wonderful time exploring nature in Southeast Asia that rivaled any we have seen. All the parks were well-maintained and rich in biodiversity. 

Images from the trip

Malaysia

Singapore

Frogs and more at Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia.