This morning saw us farewell KK as we headed into the countryside. Ray drove us through the Crocker Range, a chain of mountains running along the west of Sabah then we stopped at the Nabalu Native Market. We had a fantastic view of Mt. Kinabalu from a dedicated lookout and spent some time shopping for handicrafts, souvenirs and some local snacks in the longhouse market. Since most of the stalls all sell the same thing you can haggle to get the best price. It...

If you really want to get a sense of the ethnic groups of Sabah then I suggest you head to the Mari Mari Cultural Village which is located in the forest in Kionsom, Inanam about 25 minutes away from KK. Mari Mari means "come" in Malay and is a fitting name for this village museum. The history of Sabah can be traced back 20000-30000 years ago. Sabah is nicknamed the 'Land below the Wind', and is a colourful and rich mosaic of ethnic groups. The village operates ...

The most boring part of any overseas trip from Australia is the long haul flight to get there!! After a long day in Melbourne and a very long wait to drop our bags (who ever has to line up for over an hour just to do bag drop?!?) we boarded our Malaysia Airlines flight heading to Kuala Lumpur (or KL as it is popularly called). Very ordinary (read almost nonexistent) service on the airline and possibly the most uncomfortable seats I have hit for many years. It w...

On the countdown for my next adventure......leaving in 46 hours (but who is counting!) So what do I know about Borneo, or to more specific Sabah, which is where I am heading. Borneo is part of Malaysia and is the third largest island in the world. The island boasts remote jungle beauty, tropical adventure, and tribal cultures (including the famous headhunters), and is home to half of all known plant and animal species in the world. This is where we hope to see ...

Picton has been variously described as a "picturesque seaside town", "slice of paradise", "bustling coastal township" and "half asleep in winter hyperactive in summer". We arrived on a wet, overcast day and I think they forgot to tell the township that a cruise ship was in!!! Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was being greeted by the "flower ladies of Picton" with a beautiful fresh handmade corsage. Cruise shuttles are waiting to take you on the short ...