A belated happy birthday to my nephew Alfie who was 6 this week. After my excursions of the last few weeks of walking, jungle trekking, exploring caves and sleeping in the back of beyond I have spent the last week relaxing in Kota Kinabalu. I managed to get to the beach for the day on the tiny island of Sabi. I spent the rest of the week enjoying the city and stayed at a great place where most people did the same thing and used the surroundings to unwind. It w...

Spent the last few days in Mulu at the national park world heritage site, it was the one place I really wanted to see in Borneo. I was even deeper into the rainforests and I was not disappointed. The area is 290 square miles which is roughly three times the size of Birmingham but only 800 people live here and there were only about 100 other tourists staying here, I flew in on a micro plane as it has no road access. To say it was peaceful is an understatement. ...

Don't want to keep banging on but I am having such fun but this writing lark is hard work and I'm only penning a few words! God knows how Shakespeare managed, he mustn't have had any time for anything else, still it's keeping my brain active. Spent the last few days travelling up north taking it easy at a steady pace covering about 200 miles a day which is about 5 hour coach journeys, stayed overnight in 2 places Sibu and Bintulu before arriving in Miri on Thu...

I am finding it difficult to put into words what the last few days have been like, the experience I have just gone through is only supposed to happen in the movies and will stay with me forever, hitherto my journey has been spent in mainly tourists places where you see fellow travellers but this weekend was spent in a place where very few foreigners venture. The genuine hospitality and welcome I received from the family I stayed with was overwhelming. Even now...

Arrived in Kuching, capital of Malaysian southern Borneo on Monday. For a city with a population of 600,00 it is remarkably calm and is the most pleasant big city I have ever visited, there is a village like atmosphere to it, the people are warm, it has charm and they don't put on an act they just go about their business in a relaxed and friendly manner. It's focal point is the river which is always nice in any city, the riverside cafes and eateries where locals ...