Brilliant Bako - Animal Magic

As the photos show, we had a fabulous time at Bako! Animal magic-admittedly it would have been preferable at times had the wildlife stayed OUT of our hut…me running after a monkey wrapped only in a towel and flip-flops to reclaim my cup of coffee would have made another interesting nature shot had Paul stopped laughing enough to get the camera out!

Monday morning, clutching only essentials-thanks to Basaga for storage facilities-we departed for the boat upriver.  A charter boat was essential due to the state of the tide, but four of us paid the same as the shuttle price for one-only to discover we’d hired the skipper equivalent of Sebastian Vettel!

Village on the river bank

Once out of the river banks, lined with village stilt houses, and into the open waters of the South China Sea, the waves were high, the swell tremendous. 30 ‘rocky’ minutes later the superb scenery of the sea stack outcrops, sandy bays and high lush green rainforest islands come into view. Landing at the jetty (High tide, otherwise it’s a wet entrance via the beach) we walked along the boardwalk to the ‘one stop’ multi purpose entrance to pick up our keys/towels/and a first –salutary-lesson in dodging the monkeys and the bearded pigs!

Our hut was a basic wooden shelter on stilts, but it had a cold shower –albeit with very brown water, even by my standards-a tap, mattresses with sheets and towels-no worries. The café nearby provided cheap, if basic, food and drink, no worries. Main worries-monkeys! Or ants/spiders/snakes/lizards, bearded pigs-very keen on the mud pit under the hut-plus other unidentified creepies.

Rain forest lived up to the name-intense storm showers came and went, the heat was intense as was the humidity. Luckily the afternoon was dry so we were able to tackle one of the many treks, to Paku beach. Less than a kilometre, but it takes over an hour to reach the sands due to the hill climb over tree roots, slippery rocks, avoiding tree spikes, fire ants, spiders, waterfalls,…nature in tooth and claw!

A paddle in the warm waters, scaring the mud skippers who jumped in hundreds from the hot stones in fright, and back we crawled! By now the light was fading fast and the proboscis monkeys were gathering-a wonderful sight in the swaying trees.

A guided night walk produced a tarantula, poisonous rock frog, assorted night birds, luminescent fungi-very bizarre-stick insects-and the experience of the sights and sounds of the pitch blackness of the rainforest!

Tuesday’s trek took us to the top of the ridge-where a graffiti artist had aptly written ‘the survival of the fittest’!! And ‘don’t forget to breath’ on the rickety seat awaiting the sheer steep haul up a loose rope rock face! Staring over the treetops watching the multi shades of greens, breathing in clear air above the humid ground, was amazing!

view from the ridge

spot the distant beach below, hidden by rainforest

I’ll just stay here and wait for an airlift out

the view from the verandah!!

 Another ridge clamber admiring the pitcher plants, the wildlife, odd fauna and flora, and we were literally done in!!   Exploring the mangrove areas in the dry low tide, watching the strange crabs/marine life, watching the sunset with its reflected orange/purple light show and into bed listening to the monkeys playing in the trees over our heads and the pigs snuffling underneath!

Deep red fungi

Skull like rock formation

setting sun over the mangrove swamps

we’re being watched

A sad farewell as the shuttle boat ferried us off, bouncing us back over the waves to the riverside and the bus back to Kuching. Reunited with our bags, our comfy beds and the same room as before, we swam in the pool and luxuriated in the western style residence-only to awake covered in mossie bites as, lulled into a false sense of security, we’d forgot to protect ourselves ;).

monkey eyeing up my cuppa

monkey caught in the act rifling through the rubbish bin

Proboscis Monkey

bearded pigs enjoying themselves outside our hut….