As we come to the end of 2018, I began to reflect on the travels I had this year. The ones that standout, the ones that stuck to my mind, the one that I will remember for a very long time.
Here are my picks of my most memorable travel moments in 2018. Spoiler alert, most of it are places I would go again but there is just one that I would probably won’t even bother to do a revisit.
Here is the top five and I shall begin with the worst.
Balleh Kapit Raft Safari
This was in early April 2018 and this yearly Raft Safari had entered its 23rd year and a revisit to this event after about fifteen years got me pretty excited. I wanted to see how far did the rafting event develop since it’s inception.
I did not participate as a rafter for which I am forever thankful but was there to experience the Rumah Bengau longhouse reception which was the flag off point for the second leg.
I did not enjoy this because the of the Karaoke that went on from 2 pm the day before till about 8 am the next morning, just before flag off. 18 hours of Karaoke non stop.
So for the serious sports traveller, this is a no go for you.
Now moving on with the happy moments.
Singkawang, West Kalimantan
This is the most memorable cross border trip that I experienced this year.
I am so fortunate to have personally seen with my own eyes Indonesia’s largest Chap Goh Mei Festival. One thousand over temples participated in this event.
The road trip from Kuching to Singkawang via Tebedu and back to Kuching via Biawak was also one I truly enjoyed as I got to see the country side a bit and of course the company I had was such a fun going bunch.
Umgawa Zipline Langkawi
This is the most fun half day tour for 2018.
I was in Langkawi for a travel exhibition in September 2018 and I had more than half a day to kill before flying back and I had little effort in convincing my colleague to join me and try Umgawa Zipline Eco Adventure.
So we booked and paid for the best package, The Big Waterfall Adventure, which features the full twelve zipline experience. I had heard and seen videos of the longest zipline they had. It is the 200 metre zipline that soars past one of Langkawi’s signature attractions, the Seven Wells waterfall.
I had so much fun and now I am a preacher to this kind of adventure activities that I keep saying to people, Sarawak should have one. Santubong Mountain Zipline anyone?
Mulu National Park
In my opinion the number one National Park in Sarawak would be Mulu National Park and definitely the top three to visit in Malaysia.
The presentation of the caves, the fun – reading- not- too- technical information boards along the trails tells the story of Mulu National Park. It is fun that even kids would understand the formation of the cave systems and the ecology that resides in the caves.
Now to sum it up, my favourite trip this year would be the following:
Favourite Travel 2018 – Ba’kelalan
Again, my favourite destination in Sarawak. Such a lovely place. Ba’kelaln is so serene and peaceful.
My revisit to Ba’kelalan this year was interesting as it was my first off road trip. Previous visits were by flying in and this gave me an opportunity to to see the lovely country side.
Demaring lookout point in my opinion, is awesome.
A trip well remembered because of the bamboo band of Buduk Nur village, Ba’kelalan.
Next trip to these highlands and on my to do list would be to the village in the background, Long Semadoh and a visit to the nearby Merarap Hotspring.
So that wraps up my top travel experience of 2018 and it has been a fantastic travel year for me and I have already started lining up certain trips to do in 2019.
Thank you for reading and if you want extra details on the above, drop me a line and I’ll get back to you soon as possible.
Till my next Bejalai, remember to be a responsible traveller. Respect nature and respect culture.. take care and don’t forget to comment.
Dayak Wanderer 