Have you ever crossed a border without being stopped?

Flying back to Johor Bahru from Kuching, I was going to bus into Singapore but none came in sight. Since I only had a backpack, I walked along the road towards Singapore. In fact, I kept walking and walking, until I trekked across the bridge joining the two countries, but no officials stopped me to check my passport!

Another loss before reaching Niah National Park

Photo courtesy: Azreey — Wikimedia Commons

Have you heard of bird nest soup? If you have, you might know its connection to Niah National Park, my sole reason for pinpointing Sarawak as my destination choice for a holiday.

Bako Blunder

Photo courtesy: Peter Gronemann, Switzerland  Wilimedia Commons

I bused towards Bako National Park, thirty-seven kilometres from Kuching, leaving the city behind. The road went as far as Kampong Bako. After that I took a half hour boat ride up river to the park. The driver steered the small craft through waters surrounded by beautiful rock formations and wild vegetation.

Sarawak’s Kuching

Photo courtesy: Shoestring@wts wikivoyage — Wilkmedia Commons

I didn’t have any expectations of the town with a name like money tinkling in a cash register. So I was pleasantly surprised by an orderly city along the fast moving Sarawak River.

Hey, I’m not done with Malaysia

Photo courtesy: Terence Ong — Wikimedia Commons

This was a year when my three daughters were off on a trip with their dad and I decided that six weeks sitting at home would be down right depressing. To break up the long stretch without them, I flew to Singapore and crossed over into Johor Bahru because I could catch a cheaper flight from JB over to Kuching in Malaysia’s Sarawak, rather than from Singapore.