April 2009 Walk : Suai to Kuala Nyalau

Most of us gathered again for a continuation of the December Long Walk April 24-26th with the aim to complete the 25km Suai-Nyalau section we skipped back during the long walk in December.

Though not all the original walkers were present, we had with us the main crew : Patricia, Ali, Rabani, Sara and Nazeri. New on the walk this time around were : Anura, CY, Clare and Rosie. Also with us were Faye and Steve, both joining us for the overnite trip but skipping the 25km walk part of the trip. Missing from the original team were : Radhika, Maye, Zeanna and Roslee.

It was great fun assembling the participants from Kuala Lumpur (CY), KK (Rabani, Ali, Pat) and Miri (the rest) in Bekenu. With different schedules, timing and lunchtimes we finally met in the middle of Bekenu at around 1300 hrs. A quick lunch, dash for petrol, picking up fresh chickens and other supplies later saw us zipping along the Miri-Bintulu Coastal Highway, dubbed Highway of Terror by some uninformed and prone to dramatics reporter, in four cars towards Suai Bridge.

Almost an hour's wait at the convenience store below the bridge later we were introduced to Ramli Thomas, son of Pak Yusof Gayu, the elder Iban chap we met in Kpg Suai four months earlier. Ramli had the same gait as his father, the same frame and ardour but didn't inherit much of his dad's cheery, affable disposition. Perhaps humour only develops later towards old age, 14 children and after having lived through two wives.

Ramli wasted no time shredding our well-planned routes and timing to bits almost as soon as we presented our maps to him.

Sg Telong: big river, infested with crocodiles, bridges have all but collapsed ages ago. There were also three rivers that looked tiny on a google map: big rivers, many crocodiles, no bridges including an extra river we didn't see on the map. Changing our route away from the coast would mean walking an extra 3 hours inland in the midst of the season's plantation burning. It didn't help our spirits much that at lunchtime we were related a story by a guy who went fishing on one of those rivers. He saw numerous crocodiles, and one particular reptile whose eye-eye distance spans more than a foot across. It'd be nice to meet such a monster on tv but definitely not at close quarters.

All this was dumped onto us even before we begin loading our packs and gear into our intended puny wooden sampans to Suai!

However, Ramli was quick to re-built our confidence up perhaps after reading our dejected, worried faces. "Don't worry, crocodiles do not disturb people!". "We swim across those rivers all the time!". "You only need a tin can to make some loud noises before swimming across!" and the best of all "Just bring a long stick and stab the water once in a while you are crossing!" Rebuilt our confidence he did in a way but not by much.

We collectively decided on a safer method befitting our collective adventurous spirit of the day : we'll cross all the rivers by boat! We decided not to test the ferocity of these local reptilians. Best leave that to the kampong folks and experts only. Folks used to living with crocodiles as their neighbours have built a healthy respect for the animal ... phrase such as "they don't disturb kampong people" and "they know us" are commonly heard during conversations revolving around crocodiles. Of course getting first hand evidence to negate or prove this only comes about when it's a little too late for a change of heart.

We hopped on the boats and continued our journey to Kampung Kuala Suai after thanking Ramli for all his timely advise, and assurances of warm reception by the villagers. He provided us Riza (Ramli's own son) and Zakaria (Pak Yusof's son) as his envoy to take us to the village. The Tuai Kampong was away on business, it was Ramli's prerogative to ensure our visit to Suai was a memorable one.

The mighty Suai was quiet when our boats journeyed along it. Several kingfishers, egrets (Little Egrets and Great Egrets), large monitor lizards and a couple of juvenile crocodiles were all that was sighted along the way. We did notice huge tracks of cleared forests as a result of alleged illegal logging as well as clearing of large tracks of land for oil palm plantation right up to the river's edge. Weeks before the whole of Suai and Niah was enveloped in a thick smoke coming from massive land clearing efforts in the area.

December 2008 Long Walk Bekenu-Similajau

A stretch of beach in Bakam during calmer, bluer skies mid year climes. The December Long Walk aimed to take advantage of the extreme tides (lowest and highest for any given year), grey though more dramatic skies as well as duller but cooler daily temperature typical of landas season in Sarawak. 2008 (c) Nazeri Abghani

Well, YES, we did it!

Our fulltime team of eight reached Tg Similajau! Congratulations to Maye, Sara, Radhika, Norzie, Rabani, Roslee, and Ali. None worst for wear except for a few ugly blisters and persistent sandfly bites.

JJ made it up to Kpg Sibuti, while Pat and Indi trudged along with us all the way to Tg Similajau having joined the main team in Kampong Kuala Nyalau.

We legged it from Tg Bungai - Kpg Sibuti, Kpg Sibuti - Middle Suai, Middle Suai - Kpg Suai, Kuala Nyalau - Tg Similajau ... all 80 kms of it. And we spent a few days at Similajau National Park making new friends, checking out the baby crocodiles and ancient mangrove, and whiled the first few hours of the New Year on the beach around a roaring bonfire yelping "Yesterday!" and chugging champagne whenever the song's chorus escaped us.

The walk itself was rigorous to say the least especially for first timers. We expected to average 4 km/hour but probably only managed a measly 3-3.5km/hr ... we failed to factor in walking experience, proper equipment and pack loads. Some routes curves around bays and promontories which increased estimated total distance. Walking sans baggage is definitely more springy than with 10kgs strapped to your back, hip, and neck!Some have not walked so far for so long, some have not walked flat terrain for so far for so long.

On sunny days, direct heat from the sun, reflected heat from the sands and water tire without us realising it. On rainy days, wetness from intermittent drizzle dampen more than just mere clothes and packs on our backs. The 3 liter of water minimum requirement per person and assorted food and snacks added another 10 kilos at least, not including camera gear for some of us who thrives on total punishment. The journey was decidedly more brisk with day packs.

Tg Bungai-Kpg Kuala Sibuti was relatively easy with a light load of one bottled water and snacks. So was the Kuala Nyalau-Tg Similajau leg, all 24 kms of it.For the longer trek, having to carry tents, fuel and assorted accessories from Kpg Sibuti to Kpg Suai was definitely a test of endurance for the entire group. Correct packs and footwear for long distance walking we found to be crucial, most didn't have this. Lack of proper attention to these points resulted in numerous severe blisters for many, we ran out of elastoplast by Similajau NP.

On footwear, light rubber beach slippers meant for beach walking were found to be best, only $12.50 a pair at a Ngiu Kee near you, ditch the others. So does a bagpack with lumbar & hip support for optimal weight distribution. Your pack may feel light at the start, after 4 hours of walking with it, you wished you could be transported to Marriot poolside to sip pina-colada instead.

From Tg Bungai to Kpg Kuala Suai, it was all white sandy beaches, long stretches of coast lined by tall casuarinas and pandanus. The vista was as far as your eyes can see, and not a single other soul in sight. Occasionally there were rivers to cross, most were relatively shallow at low tide while others chest deep by the end of the day. Some are so darkly colored by tannin that by just dipping your foot inside, your imagination runs wild, filled with stories of ferocious crocodiles and black lagoon monsters.

Abandoned farms were few and far between, and this being the landas season not a single boat was out at sea. We caught up with a semangka farmer from Kelulit Tengah and his family at the last hut who offered ripe limes and water for our journey. We saw many animal tracks along the Middle Suai to Kpg Kuala Suai route, conversations with local folks suggested presence of monkeys, deers, wildpigs, civets and medium size cats.

From Kuala Nyalau to Tg Similajau, our eyes feasted on completely different landscapes. Here we found mostly rocky shores with various geological features unearthed, and diligently shaped by continous wave action over the years. The layered earth made prominent after all sands were whisked away to an unsuspecting bay nearby. Golden coarse grain sands with high silica content alternated with rough, jagged rocky promontories.

All along the coastlines, numerous small rivers colored with tannin fed into the South China Sea. During the landas season, some dormant rivers burst open at the pounding of incessant waves at high tide. At low tide, the coast was as far as the eyes can see ... quiet, serene and untainted with human presence other than us. The rock pools were vibrant with life, all manner of snails, crabs, hermit crabs, blenys could be seen busy with their lives.

We covered the planned route successfully. We walked on a stretch of coast not many has walked before. There were plenty of things to see all along the route, numerous signs of wildlife presence, colorful and helpful local people and best of all unbounded coastal scenery.

One stretch Kpg Suai- Kuala Nyalau still remains. We are already planning to tackle that come April during better weather ... Tg Payung beckons us.

This short journey of ours has been dubbed a "Zen of Pain" by some of us. Fittingly so perhaps for two reasons. The blisters, sandfly bites, throbbing sunburnt and parched throats were all part of the exercise.

The other more significant reason must be the silent heartache realising that all these natural beauty existing quietly unharassed for eons, will one day be disappear or worst still desecrated due to apathy and lack of foresight of those with resources and power entrusted to protect it.


Early morning lowest tide mark was hardly visible further into the horizon, however by 4pm angry waves pounded this stretch of beach only as landas waves could. By midnite hardly 2metres od beach sand would be left visible. 2008 (c) Rabani HM Ayub

The Long Walk

It was actually started by a long drive to a place we've never been to before. Almost two hours ona boring straight and narrow tarmac, we ended up at the beginning of a dirt road at the edge of a kampong.

Forty-five minutes of bumpy rides later, traversing more village houses and curious onlookers we ended up in Kampong Kuala Nyalau. We've only heard of the place only a few months before from industrialists and government types wanting to develop the area into another money making, profit driven development hub for the entire northern coastline.

We sort of grow fond of the place just at it was the day we stumbled on it, quiet, serene and with only old folks about. It seemed peaceful somehow.

Our long walk idea was hatched not long after. There must be numerous other places along the coast that we know nothing about, seen or heard of especially for the likes of urbanites just like us.

Our first long walk was planned immediately after this visit to Kuala Nyalau, excuted 25th Dec 2008, completed 31st Dec 2008. Seven days of alternating poring rain and sunshine in the midst of the landas season. This is the start of our long walk ...