Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAR
The overland trip between Bario and Miri, possible only by 4WD (per person RM150),
takes 12 hours at the very least and sometimes a lot more, the determining factors being
the weather and the condition of the rough logging roads and their old wooden bridges.
When things get ugly, vehicles travel in convoys so when one gets stuck the others can
push or winch it out. At press time, some sectors were being upgraded to make the route
safer and more reliable.
A new road from Bario via Pa' Lungan to Ba Kelalan (already connected by road with
Lawas) is under construction.
In Bario, 4WD vehicles can be hired for RM250 or RM300 a day including a driver and
petrol; guesthouses can make arrangements.
BA KELALAN
Known for its rice, organic vegetables, apples and annual apple festival - and the general
vibrancy of its farming sector - the Lun Bawang town of Ba Kelalan is a popular destina-
tion for treks from Bario.
Guesthouse options include the nice
Ba Kelalan Apple Lodge Homestay
(per person
about RM70)
, run by
Borneo Jungle Safari
( 013-286 5656, in Miri 085-422595;
www.borneojunglesafari.com
)
; the
Ba Kelalan Inn
, the only place in town that serves
beer; and the
Green Valley Guesthouse
(per bed RM20)
.
Getting There & Away
The only way to get from Ba Kelalan to Bario is on foot (a road via Pa' Lungan is in the
works). A rough, 125km logging road links Ba Kelalan with Lawas (per person RM70 to
RM80 by 4WD, seven hours, daily).
It's possible to get from Ba Kelalan to Long Bawan in Kalimantan by motorbike.
MASwings
(
www.maswings.com.my
)
flies Twin Otters from Ba Kelalan to Lawas and
Miri three times a week.
TREKKING IN THE KELABIT HIGHLANDS
The temperate highlands up along Sarawak's far eastern border with Indonesia offer some
of the best jungle trekking in Borneo, taking in farming villages, rugged peaks and su-
premely remote Kenyah, Penan and Kelabit settlements. Most trails traverse a variety of
primary and secondary forests, as well as an increasing number of logged areas. Treks
from Bario range from easy overnight excursions to nearby longhouses to one-week slogs
over the border into the wilds of Kalimantan.
