Bako National Park, Borneo

Bako National Park, near Kuching—capital of Sarawak on the island of Borneo off peninsular Malaysia—is the most well known and therefore the most popular wilderness reserve in this part of the country, and among the several 'national parks' that this region has to offer. Sufficiently remote and beautifully pristine, it may be visited on a day trip or even worth spending a day or two over since forest lodges and hostels are available here on a budget, and with a cheery cafeteria on site.

I shall not write too much about this place, because just two days since my visit, I am still rather overwhelmed by my solo trek through the thick jungles—often steep and daunting at places, but with well marked trails—to be able to put into words the whole experience. Let the pics speak!

Though, just for the record, one must watch out for the proboscis monkeys, visit the orangutan sanctuary, participate in the turtle conservation efforts, and generally immerse oneself into the unique flora and fauna of this part equatorial forest and part delta biosphere.

Also, watch out for the numerous snakes that might be found on the trails. They are well camouflaged and harmless for the most part, but hearing someone mention that he hauled himself up on a tree root to get to a 'view point' (and yes, it was a breathtaking view from here!) when 'just a hand's breadth away there was a snake with his mouth wide open' (I daresay it was astounded at the sight of a human), I sure am glad I was not in a similar situation; I got my views from a completely different location, no regrets there!