Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

EATING

Apollo Seafood Centre 4 Jln South Yu Seng. Local

institution specializing in very fresh seafood (just pick

your meal from a tank); the crab and prawn dishes stand

out (mains from RM16). Accompaniments include midin

belacan , a delicious, crunchy jungle fern cooked with

shrimp paste. Daily noon-10pm.

Bilal Islamic Restaurant Taman Jade Manis, behind

the Mega Hotel . Informal Indian joint with plastic chairs,

some of the best curry in town and a great selection of

vegetarian dishes - the okra ones are particularly good.

Dishes RM6-17. Daily 10am-10pm.

★

Destinations Bario (daily; 40min); Bintulu (2 daily;

35min); Mulu (2 daily; 30min); Kota Kinabalu (4 daily;

40min); Kuala Lumpur (5 daily; 2hr 15min); Kuching

(4 daily; 1hr); Sibu (3 daily; 1hr).

By bus Long-distance buses depart from the Pujut Bus

Terminal, 4km northeast of the city centre; take bus #33A

from the local bus station (10min; RM2.60) or a taxi

(RM15). Pujut Bus operates services to Bintulu (RM27),

Sibu (RM22) and Kuching (RM90), while Bintang Jaya

Express ( T 085 432178) and Borneo Express ( T 085

430420) have services to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (RM90),

and PHLS bus ( T 085 407175) serves Bandar Seri

Begawan, Brunei (RM40).

Destinations Bandar Seri Begawan (2 daily at 8.15am &

3.45pm; 4hr 30min); Bintulu (10 daily; 4hr 30min); Kota

Kinabalu (daily at 7.45am except Wed & 8.30am; 12hr);

Kuching (8 daily; 14hr); Sibu (13 daily; 8hr).

6

Ming Café Jln North Yu Seng. This corner establishment

is popular both with locals and travellers due to a catch-all

mix of Malay and Indian food as well as Chinese and

Western dishes and barbecued seafood (from RM10),

washed down with cold beer or fresh juices. Doubles as a

sports bar. Daily 9am-11pm.

Summit Café Centre Point Commercial Centre, Jln

Melayu. Canteen-style café serving delicious dishes from

the Kelabit Highlands, such as jungle fern and shredded

fish (mains from RM3). No English spoken, so just point to

whatever looks good on display. It's a couple of minutes'

walk southwest from the Visitors' Information Centre.

Mon-Sat 6am-2pm; get here early.

INFORMATION AND TOURS

Tourist information The ultra-helpful visitor

information centre (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat & Sun

10am-3pm; T 085 434181) is next to the local bus

station, just off Jln Brooke. Besides reams of info on Miri

and the region, there are up-to-date long-distance

bus timetables.

Tours Borneo Jungle Safari, 1st Floor, Centrepoint

Commercial Centre, Jln Kubu ( T 085 422595), runs caving

and climbing trips, as well as excursions to the Kelabit

Highlands.

SHOPPING

Miri Handicraft Centre Jln Brooke at Jln Merbau.

Indoor craft centre consisting of numerous stalls selling

a mix of touristy tat and genuine indigenous craft; the

beadwork from the Kelabit Highlands and woven rattan

items are particularly good.

ACCOMMODATION

★

Dillenia Guesthouse 1st floor, 846 Jln Sida T 085

434204, E dillenia.guesthoouse@gmail.com. Cheerful

lime-green a/c rooms presided over by the helpful and

friendly Mrs Lee, who is brilliant at anticipating her

guests' wishes and has detailed information on all

regional attractions. Breakfast includes fresh fruit.

Airport pick-up and transfers to Bandar Seri Be gawan ,

Brunei and N iah Caves can be arranged. Dorm RM30 ,

double RM90

Highlands Backpackers 2nd floor, Lot 839, Jln Merpati

T 085 422327, W highlandsmiri.com. In a new central

location, this established backpacker favourite, owned by

a Kiwi Twin Otter pilot, offers simple, clean rooms with

a/c (some without windows), a guest lounge with satellit e

TV and a dor m with too many beds in it. Dorm RM22 ,

double RM50

Minda's Guesthouse 1st & 2nd floor, 637 Jln North

Yu Seng T 085 411422. Budget B&B smack-bang in

the centre of town, opposite the popular Ming Café .

Rooms are spacious and colourful, though they could

be cleaner. There's unlimited tea and coffee, a notice -

board f or trav ellers and a cool roof terrace. Dorm RM30 ,

double RM60