Sarawak - Borneo - page 389

Information
There are no banks, ATMs or credit-card facilities anywhere in the Kelabit Highlands so
bring plenty of small-denomination banknotes for accommodation, food and guides, plus
some extra in case you get stranded. Commerce is limited to a few basic shops, some of
them in Pasar Bario, Bario's bright yellow commercial centre.
The best Malaysian cell-phone company to have up here is Celcom (Maxis works at the
airport and in parts of Bario; Digi is useless). The airport has wi-fi, as do several guest-
houses.
Bario Telecentre ( www.unimas.my/ebario ; Gatuman Bario; per hr RM4;
9.30-11.30am & 2-4pm, closed Sat afternoon & Sunday) Solar-powered internet access.
Klinik Kesihatan Bariio ( 085-796404; Airport Rd intersection; 8am-1pm &
2-5pm Mon-Thu, 8-11.45am & 2.15-5pm Fri, emergency 24hr) Bario's innovative, ecolo-
gically sustainable rural health clinic, powered by solar energy, has one doctor, two para-
medics, a dispensary (small pharmacy) and a helicopter on standby.
Getting There & Around
AIR
Bario Airport ( for Joanna 013-835 9009, for Norman Peter 013-824 8006) is linked
with Miri twice a day by Twin Otters operated by MASwings ( www.maswings.com.my ).
Weather (especially high winds) not infrequently causes delays and cancellations. For
flight updates or if you're having a problem making a flight out of Bario, just ring the
friendly staff at the airport.
Twin Otters have strict weight limits, so much so that checked baggage is limited to
10kg, carry-ons to 5kg and passengers themselves are weighed on a giant scale when they
check in. Enforcement is particularly strict on the way up because planes have to carry
enough fuel to get back to Miri, and more cargo is flown into Bario than out. For the same
reason, it's easier to find a seat from Bario to Miri than the other way around. Consider
leaving some of your belongings in Miri at your hotel or guesthouse.
When you land in Bario, the first thing you should do is register for your flight out at
the counter - your name will be inscribed in a crumpled old ledger. A schematic map of
the Bario area is posted on a nearby wall.
The airport is about a 30-minute walk south of the shophouses but you're bound to be
offered a lift on arrival. As you'll notice, the people of Bario treat the air link to Miri al-
most like their own private airline and absolutely love dropping by the wi-fi-equipped air-
port terminal to meet flights, hang out with arriving or departing friends, and surf the net.