Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 484

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By boat Express boats from Belaga to Kapit leave from the
main jetty by the village (daily around 7.30am; RM45).
During dry season, boats can't bypass the Pelagus Rapids
en route to Kapit and Sibu, but it's still possible to travel
upriver to various longhouses.
By 4WD For those who want to travel on to Bintulu (or
who are travelling during dry season), there are daily
4WD trips (7.30am departure; 4hr; RM60) using the newly
paved logging road. Ask Daniel Levoh (see box opposite) to
book transport for you.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The airport ( T 086 339163), served by AirAsia,
Malaysia Airlines and MASwings, is 23km out of town.
There are no public buses and a taxi to the centre costs
around RM35.
Destinations Kota Kinabalu (daily; 1hr 15min); Kuala

Lumpur (3 daily; 3hr); Kuching (3 daily; 1hr); Miri (2 daily;
35min); Sibu (2 daily; 35min).
By bus The long-distance bus station is 5km out of town
at Medan Jaya. A taxi to the centre from here will cost
RM15, or you can take bus #29 from the local bus station
on Lebuh Ray Abang Galau (RM1), which becomes Jln Sri
Dagang as it enters town. The long-distance bus station
serves Batu Niah, Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
Destinations Kuching (10 daily; 7-10hr); Miri via Niah
Junction (every 30min; 4hr); Sibu (10 daily; 3hr 30min).
By 4WD A Belaga resident makes the trip from Belaga to
Bintulu and back every day along the newly paved logging
road (4hr). Call Daniel Levoh (see box opposite) to make
arrangements to be picked up from Bintulu. The 4WD
tends to head back to Belaga daily at around 2.30pm.

6

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Belaga is tiny, with just a few roads and places to stay, all
of which are cheap and rather shabby. Basic Chinese and
Malay restaurants tend to be open from early morning
until around 7pm at the latest; the most reliable is the
Malay joint that's second from the left along Main Bazaar
(mains from RM4).
Belaga B&B Main Bazaar T 013 8429767. Clean, spartan
rooms with shared bathrooms and some with a /c, run by
recommended local guide Hasbie. Double RM25
Belaga Hotel 14 Main Bazaar T 086 461244. Right on
the main drag, this cheapie has 15 rather battered rooms,
all but t wo of which are fitted out with a/c. No hot water.
Double RM35
Daniel Levoh's Guesthouse Jln The Ah Kiong T 086
461997 or T 013 848 6351. Two blocks behind the Main
Bazaar, off the main road that runs straight from the dock,
this guesthouse, run by local guide Daniel Levoh (see box
opposite), has four simple, fan-cooled rooms (a couple
without windows) and shared facilities. Kayan guide
Daniel is k nowled geable and h elpful. Wi-fi comes and
goes. Dorm RM15 , double RM30

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Kintown Inn 93 Jln Keppel T 086 333666. Excellent-
value budget hotel with a good view from the upper floors,
though the carpeted a/ c room s could do with renovating
and wi-fi access. Double RM85
Night market Located beside Jln Kampung Dadang, off
Jln Abanng Galau. The night market is a great place for
fresh, delicious local dishes and is a good way to mix with
locals. Mains from RM4. Daily 4-10pm.
Pasar Utama Main Bazaar, next to the produce market.
New Market has a few informal stalls on the first floor,
serving the likes of nasi goreng and kueh tiaow noodles.
Mains from RM6. Daily 7am-5pm.
Riverfront Inn 256 Taman Sri Dagang T 086 333111.
Cheerful cheapie on the waterfront with clean, serviceable
rooms. Some rooms have no windows; others have river
views. Double RM90

BINTULU
BINTULU is a coastal boom town grown
rich on offshore gas, used as a jumping-
off point for the Niah National Park (see
below) and Belaga; it's also the only place
with transport to Belaga (see opposite)
during dry season. here are a couple of
sights worth visiting, the main one being
Tua Pek Kong (daily 9am-5pm; free), the
large and colourful Chinese temple right
on the Main Bazaar. Behind the temple a
couple of dozen fighting cocks are
tethered and fill the air with their
crowing. he daily market (around
7am-5pm) at the west end of Main
Bazaar is filled with colourful mounds of
fresh produce; you can also buy bowls of
writhing sago grubs - a local speciality.

NIAH NATIONAL PARK
Visiting NIAH NATIONAL PARK is a highly
rewarding experience - in less than a day
you can see one of the largest caves in the
world, as well as prehistoric rock gra ti
in the remarkable Painted Cave , and hike
along primary forest trails. his is one of
Sarawak's smaller national parks, but it is
recognized as one of the most important
archeological sites in the world. In the
outer area of the present park, deep
excavations have revealed human remains
and flake stone tools, mortars and shell