This was my first experience seeing the Ibans bush skills in the jungle. We have walked a good 3 hours to our campsite, along one of the local Iban’s usual hunting grounds. With our packs down on the ground, our guides started [...]]]>

Our Iban guides with the parangs on their waist ready to setup camp

This was my first experience seeing the Ibans bush skills in the jungle. We have walked a good 3 hours to our campsite, along one of the local Iban’s usual hunting grounds. With our packs down on the ground, our guides started to scan the area for a good spot to build shelter and kitchen areas. The chief guide then gathered the rest of the guides…murmurs a few words and they all disappears.

From a distance, we could hear chopping and crashing towering bamboo bowing down to the ground. One by one the guides came back to the camp area with materials to build shelter. Some had logs for fire, bamboo for shelter, Y shaped branches for erecting supports, leaves for cooking and tree vines for cordage. All in a matter of minutes.

Two freshly cut pieces of wood became the pot resting place

Rice cooking got on first

Bamboo of course was the main material used. Guide Sabang expertly cut sections of the bamboo to cook rice and meat inside for our dinner. He then washes them in the stream to rid off the hairy and itchy tiny hairs on the bamboo using a leaf to rub them off.

Guide Sabang preparing bamboo for cooking food

After done chopping wood for fire, guide Noeng makes a wooden spatula for food prep use

While the kitchen was on the way, a few of the guides started to clear a small area to build a raised platform for sleeping. Bamboo and Y shaped wood was fetched for this purpose while guide Ujin harvested some jungle vines to use as cordage. Strangely, when I first say him stripping the bark off the vine, my initial thought was he will be using the bark for cordage. Instead, it is the inner part of the vine that he is after. With the barks stripped, Ujin used a stone to separate the inner fibers.

The guides took little time in what seems like child play to clear the area for shelter building

The jungle shelter in the making

Ujin stripped the outer bark of the vine. It is the inner part that he is after

Strips of vines that Ujin retrieved from the vine

There were a total of 7 outsiders. Myself and Vincent brought our own hammocks and we were already putting up our hammocks as shelter building by the Ibans got on the way. It was an elevated sleeping platform for the visitors. Rather elaborate for a two nights stay but I guess they wanted us to be as comfortable as we can.

None of the Iban guides were sitting around resting. Everyone was busy with something. It was like watching a play. Everyone was doing their own things, all different from the other yet they were in sync in terms of what the final outcome needs to be.

One of the guides tended to the fish and rice cooking in the bamboo

It is true that bamboo has many uses. The Iban knows this very well. From cooking to shelter building, they also prepared us some ‘jungle’ cups. The outer green shell of the bamboo were removed to avoid getting the small hairy hairs into our drinks.

Modern and local style...cups made from bamboo sections

We were given one cup each but there was one particular cup that no one ones and it kept coming around. The guides brought with them a few bottles of what looks like crystal clear water. But this is no ordinary drinking water. It is the famous Langkau. A local favorite brew. I noticed my friend Jan’s face lit up whenever the small ‘cup’ was passed around.

Guide Isa pouring Langkau into the special bamboo cup that kept making its round that evening

It was the first day of our jungle trip in Batang Ai. So far, the experience has been nothing short of amazing. And while we visitors retreated to the comforts of our inflatable mats, sleeping bags and hammocks, we can hear from a distance the chatters of our Iban guide. What are they up to I wonder.

Walking in the jungle with the Ibans of Batang Ai Sarawak is a first for me and many of my friends on this trip. We were walking along a river, most of the time in the river towards a [...]]]>

We stopped a couple of times along the way, the beauty of the jungle is mesmerizing

Walking in the jungle with the Ibans of Batang Ai Sarawak is a first for me and many of my friends on this trip. We were walking along a river, most of the time in the river towards a campsite. Set up camp and on the second day continue with our minimum pack towards a waterfall deep inside the traditional hunting grounds of the Ibans.

One thing obvious I noticed with the Iban guides is how alert and aware they are with the surrounding jungle. Many times they stop to look at animal tracks, half eaten jungle fruits on the jungle floor and even the faint water ripples created by fleeing frogs in the river. There was even an instance where one of the guides showed me how some plants near the river edge has splatters of water on them. He reckons they were made by a deer that came to the stream to drink water. Only an experienced hunter- trekker would know that I suppose. Guide Ujin also spotted this strange looking lizard…just enough time to take a few pictures before it leaped away.

Strange looking jungle creature

The Iban guides have really good knowledge when it comes to spotting food in the jungle. While they prefer to hunt for wild boar, they are also very good at gathering plant food from the jungle. Ujin…a friendly and very knowledgeable guide identified the Lepayong fruits which can be eaten raw as well as for Pansuh (bamboo) cooking. The fruit tastes a bit sour but a welcome ‘perk’ during a long day trek.

The Lempayoing tree and fruits just beside the river

A good 'sour' taste to perk myself for the long day hike

Besides the Lempayong fruits, our guides also took the time to stop and gather vegetables for our meals. They consists of wild ginger stems, bamboo shoots and fern shoots (pucuk paku). It seems that they are able to spot eatable plants almost everywhere they look.

Iban guide Kemeri with harvested bamboo shoots

Iban guide Sabang with fern shoots harvested along the way for the night's dinner

Probably leftovers from previous hunts

And each time we stopped for a break or to collect bush tucker, one of the guides will surely whip out his parang for an instance sharp using a rock from the river. Use or no use, it seems to me that they take every opportunity there is to do something, be it finding food, collect jungle materials and sharpening their blades.

Guide Chong sharpening his parang using one of the rocks from the river

We were told that the hike to the waterfall usually takes the local Ibans a full day (2 way). Well, it took us a good 3 hours just to walk to our first campsite. And with the water level being low, I have a feeling luck was on our side. Judging from the river banks, the water level has dropped at the very least half a meter. If water level was at it’s usual, it would have probably been a more difficult and tedious walk.

Low level river water makes walking much easier

We got to our campsite somewhat close to 4pm that evening. It was a beautiful spot, by the river with ample space for cooking and setting up shelter. The Iban guides wasted no time and went straight into getting the campsite organized.

Car camping is something unusual to us both. Our usual camping usually involves a backpack stuffed with gear to the brim. Huffing and puffing along treks to find a suitable camp spot. In countries like Australia, car camping and caravans are very common. OZs will drive the cars to [...]]]>

Our first car camping experience in Malaysia

Car camping is something unusual to us both.
Our usual camping usually involves a backpack stuffed with gear to the brim. Huffing and puffing along treks to find a suitable camp spot. In countries like Australia, car camping and caravans are very common. OZs will drive the cars to camp grounds and set up some really elaborate camp. After our trip to Australia couple of years ago and now back in Malaysia, we finally decided to give car camping in Malaysia a try.

We had a mission really. First was to of course get away from work and relax but the ‘ulterior’ motive really is to scout for a place we can bring Sox along. A place where she can roam free and at the same time will not cause a scene even if she roams into some of the nearby local’s house.
Our friend suggested a secluded place owned by some natives a couple of hours drive from KL. With a fully loaded Vitara, we set off on this journey in search of a Sox’s wild & free country.

With permission from the land owner (we called in advance), we finally found a nice spot to set camp. Moon and I got the camp up in minutes.

Our campsite

The car had everything we needed!

To be honest, the campsite isn’t much. We are actually on the edges of a rubber plantation. On the good side, we have good water source, friendly locals and more importantly the place seems very promising for Sox! There are even local dogs visiting our tents in the evening (hoping for food). Sox will make new friends here!

Plenty of furry friends for Sox to meet

I have to say that car camping is in a way like home away from home. Short of TV and HI Fi set, we are really comfortable. We have everything we need packed in the car, including 10 litres of drinking water and an ice box filled with goodies. Pleasures I can never carry with me on a typical ‘backpack’ bush camping.

Even our kitchen is awesome. The land owner was kind enough to allow us to use some of the logs available (not for fire wood!) as well the old abandoned fire place.

Portable stoves for cooking dinner

Frying eggs...my favorite

At night, we enjoyed the cold drinks we brought along with some fish we baked over an open fire. Aaaah…the beauty of life in the bush. Just went a few notches up with the convenience of car camping.

Well, I think I can (safely) conclude that this place is perfect for car camping…with Sox! It is definitely a furry friend friendly place. The next time we visit this place again, Sox will be meeting and making new friends while the both of us will be sipping cold drinks enjoying the stillness of the Malaysian outback.