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March 29, 2004

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Malaysian cities, even in Borneo, are totally modern, comfortable, and boring. So we return to the jungle for adventure. A bus ride carries us most of the way, past huge coconut and palm oil plantations that swallow Malaysia's rainforests. It's a depressing fact that the bus must carry us for many miles before we can reach a park reserve. We find one on Borneo's northern tip, near Sandikan.
No access roads means any jungle adventure begins with a boat ride and ends at a muddy disembarkation.
Now we know why Bako National Park built a boardwalk - without one it's a hard slog through knee deep mud and slippery vegetation.
Pitch the tent on raised platforms, plug roof holes because it rains at night, and fend off monkeys with a big stick.