I may be being a bit premature here, having only been in Sandakan for a day, but I could very happy settle down and live here. I actually just love it. It's just the right size - not a massive characterless place but not a tiny town with nothing in. It's on the sea with a port, which I love, and its a cool mix of old and new with one or two funky earnest asian style malls, and then some awesome colonial and religious architecture. Today I was the biggest nerd and...

Sorry for the couple of days absence - I know you'll have worried mum, especially with you lot being abroad as well! I decided to head straight to Sukau (the small village on the Kinabatangan river) rather than Sandakan first, as it made geographical sense. There was no wifi there so couldn't contact. Anyway, arrived in Sandakan now, which actually seems quite lovely (although maybe thats just to me, as it's back to real 'city society'!). Sitting in by FAR the be...

Spent the last 4 days traveling this out-of-the-way route through Sulawesi/Indonesian Borneo to (finally) reach Tawau in Malaysia. I've passed through the most obscure places and having been, I reckon, one of a very small handful of westerners in the area for the duration, have therefore had everyone staring, numerous photos taken with strangers, most cars honking as they pass me, calls of 'hello mister!' from high and low as I walk the streets, and not conducted...

Sitting in transit in Balikpapan Airport, Borneo, possibly the biggest surprise of my life. You hear nothing about borneo other than how there's nothing there, just tribes with spears and dense jungle, and I'm in the most swanky (and pretty massive) western style airport with the first free wifi I've found in indonesia and full scale malls! A slight difference from the Palu airport where you can take water through, security checks are just an obligatory metal det...

I have rejoined society! Back on the mainland in Ampana after our week with no internet or phone connections, and catching an overnight bus to Palu this evening. I have to say the fare was very cheap and we caught a sight of the bus just now... we think it might be a rough 16 hours! So Togean islands really was a little slice of paradise. We had a fantastic time! It was the first island group that I've REALLY enjoyed, i think because it is just so genuine and dif...