Kilabit Highlands

(May 19 to 22)

The flight to Bario is on a Twin Otter out of Miri. Passing over miles of palm plantations we see what we’ve heard so much about – the forest is gone, replaced by neat rows of palms cultivated for palm oil (for cooking) and for biodiesel. I was surprised to learn that there’s such a huge market for the palm oil given it has the highest bad fat content of any oil used in food. The catch is that it tastes so good and all the local food is more delicious because of it.

Henry, in Kuching, had helped us make some arrangements for accommodation in Bario and an overnight hike to a nearby village. As soon as we saw Bario from the air we felt good. Until last year it was a fly-in only community and there’s still plenty of that peace that comes along with the isolation. (The new ‘road’ is over 440 km long and takes 14 torturous hours to drive.) The town’s population is about 900.

Bario is located in the Kilabit Highlands, close to the Indonesian border. The area is the traditional home of the Kilabit people(once notorious head hunters)and the nomadic Penan. The barrier of mountain jungle that separates the highlands from the coast kept Islam and colonial settlement out when both were taking over South East Asia. But the evangelist eventually found their way in and the town is now a bastion of Christianity. At 1000m the climate is cooler and the conditions perfect for rice cultivation. Bario rice is famous throughout Malaysia as the best you can buy.

We were met at the airport by Apoi (pronounced Ap-wee) who was wearing a Molson Canadian ball cap (a present from his brother who lives in Toronto). Apoi took us along to his ‘homestay’, a huge longhouse that is owed by his parents who are currently in Kuching for an extended visit. Apoi returned to Bario a few months ago after living for many years in Kuala Lumpur to help out and run the homestay. He cooked us the most amazing dinner that night. Wild boar, smoked mutton and locally grown veggies. During dinner I asked him what work he had done in KL. He giggled a little and replied that he had been a wine salesman.

The next morning we headed off on our hike to a village called Pa’ Lungan. Our guide was a wonderful man named Lian. He had been an engineer with Shell for many years (they put him though university) until he decided to return home and try out running a tourism business that includes a homestay and guided hikes. Lian is well known for his knowledge of the area’s birds so he and Barney had a wonderful time together. Every time they stopped to look up a bird in one of their bird books, I had the chance to scan the surrounding jungle, discovering orchids, ferns, insects and flowers.

After an hour of following a newly constructed dirt road we reached the village of Pa’ Ukat. Then we entered the jungle proper slowly working our way over log bridges and along the muddy path for the next 5 hours. We’d been warned about the inevitability of leeches finding their way up our legs but in fact we only saw two, neither of which had the chance to become friendly. It was a sweaty workout but not too hard. At one point Lain stopped us to point out a cicada on a tree. We’d been hearing their incredibly loud melodic buzzing for hours but were very surprised to see a 4 inch long black hulk of an insect. (Check out the video below.)

In Pa’ Lugan we spent the night at a homestay run by a lovely woman called Supang. The hospitality of the Kilibat is like nothing I have ever experienced. Supang’s warmth and sincerity in welcoming us into her home was both gracious and genuine. And on top of all that, she prepared the tastiest, most delicate dish I have ever eaten – wild ginger flowers stir fried with forest ferns. She also apologised for the lateness of the meal. She explained that she wanted to serve us fresh wild boar and had to wait till the hunter returned from the jungle. Everything on the table that night was superb including Supang’s homemade rice wine. As we headed out the next day Supang gave us some of her excellent rice to take home with us and a beaded key holder that she made as she thanked us for coming to stay.

Pa’ Lungan has its own “Stonehenge” as the local people call it. Way up in the jungle, miles from their source, stand several huge monoliths capped by another massive block of rock. Oral history says it is a burial place of a great chief but the full story is lost. There are several other monoliths and petrogyphs to be found in the highlands; there are probably many more concealed by the dense jungle vegetation.

The hike back to Bario was very hot, humid and slippery due to the heavy rain the night before. You know you’re in trouble when your guide says it’s too hot. We had a couple of exciting moments. Once was when Barney stopped to look at some sort of marker the side of trail and didn’t notice the yellow pit viper that was far too close. The other was when Lian spotted “killer bees” and made us scurry along the path as fast as possible. Lian was visibly quite unnerved by both incidents.

We had two more nights in Bario on our return. We rested and watched the heavy rain. We had Apoi’s excellent company and cooking to keep us happy. We also had the great company of two British eighteen year olds who had been volunteering as teachers in the community for several months during the year before starting university.

Apoi saw us off at the airport with gifts of 8 inch cinnamon sticks and some of the famous locally produced salt. He also promised to send me some wild ginger flower as soon as he is able to dry some. We only had four days in the Kilabit Highlands but that was plenty to make up hope that we will be able to return.

Pictures from the Kilabit Highlands...

Bario

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Video - Four inch long cicada...