I Continue From Here: Taman Negara| Malaysia
To Borneo
7,8,9 September 2026
In the morning, I got ready early. June, Auste and I went to a local restaurant for breakfast. They were making Roti Canai (pronounced “Chennai”). June was particularly fond of it and had made sure with the owners that they would prepare it for us that morning. It was the first time I had tried it in Malaysia, and I loved it. It is basically Kerala parota.
June was getting late for her two-day, one-night trek. She finished her breakfast and left. We bid farewell to each other while Auste and I stayed back.
Auste is a software developer, though she is not working at the moment. She had taken a break and was travelling around the world. Before arriving here, she had already travelled through Australia and several other countries. She was travelling without a particular plan.
I found her to be one of the most unpretentious people I have met. She is very honest and, at the same time, polite. She is also extremely practical. She enjoys trekking and even organises treks in her hometown. She loves Indian food, so I suggested that she visit Curry Leaf and Suriya in Cameron Highlands. June and Auste did visit them, and later shared pictures with me.
Auste and I finished our breakfast at leisure and walked back to the hostel. We met Jorge there. All three of us were leaving that morning—Auste and Jorge for Cameron Highlands, and me for Kuala Lumpur. We walked to the bus station together.
Auste and I were on the same bus for part of the journey, while Jorge had booked a different bus company. I parted ways with him.
Auste and I travelled together as far as Jernutt, where we had different buses to board. I bid her farewell and continued my journey to Kuala Lumpur.
Along the way I passed through more date Palm plantation.
Back in KL, I was dropped off in Chinatown. I had booked a hostel there this time, just to try something different. It was within walking distance from the drop-off point.
Chinatown Mingle is a nice hostel, though I still preferred the Bukit Bintang area.
I recognised the receptionist as being Afghan from his accent. He reminded me of the Afghan friends I had made in Bangalore. When I asked him and confirmed that he was from Afghanistan, he was delighted. he grinned and gave me a gentle pat on my back and walked me to my room.
I shared the dorm with two other people—a young boy whom I never really got to speak to because he stayed out until late at night, and a young European girl who had just arrived in KL after a month-long backpacking trip through Kazakhstan. I spoke to her briefly about her travels there.
I then headed towards Bukit Bintang to meet Michael. While waiting for him, I walked into a mall and made note of some clothes to buy before leaving the country.
Michael and I had dinner at Damascus - our favourite restaurant in Malaysia. I had their delicious mutabal and falafel wrap. It was absolutely delicious.
I bid Michael goodbye, and we planned to meet again somewhere else in the world. He was flying to New Zealand the next day, while I was heading to Borneo.
I walked back to Chinatown. At the hostel, I packed my bags, pressed my clothes and went to bed.
The next morning, I took the metro to KL Sentral, and then boarded the KL Ekspres to the airport. I had breakfast there and boarded my flight. The restaurants at the airport are expensive than outside but they are not very expensive like it is in India.
The flight was around three hours long. When I landed in Kota Kinabalu, I had to pass through immigration again. I told the immigration officer that I was there to climb Mount Kinabalu, as if that alone were enough of an achievement to get me into the island. He looked at me in surprise and repeated, “Mount Kinabalu?” I was all excited about the trek.
I took a Grab to the hostel. Homy Seafront Hostel is a beautiful hostel located on the fourth floor of a building by the sea.
That evening, I simply relaxed. I had dinner at a local Indian restaurant and returned to the hostel.
The next morning, I got ready and had breakfast at the hostel—bread, peanut butter and coffee. Then I set out to explore the city. I decided to walk to the Sabah Islamic Civilisation museum.
On my way, I came across a school. A few boys waved at me. One boy came running and, through the fence, extended his hand to shake mine. I asked him why he had no classes, and he told me that it was recess.
I have always found boys to be particularly joyful. Compared to girls, boys are often seen as more carefree and jovial, enjoying the moment as it comes and taking life lightly. Girls, perhaps, tend to be more conscious of their surroundings. I wonder whether this is partly a result of conditioning and societal expectations.
The museum was very informative. It spoke about Islamic history in the country and also displayed traditional clothing and wedding costumes of some of the local tribes. I found them particularly interesting.
I also learnt about the word Iqra, the first word of the Quran, meaning “read” or “recite”. Here, I also read about Agnes Keith, an author who wrote about her experiences during her stay in Borneo. I would later visit her house and buy her book.
I also saw some old gendang beduk on display. In earlier times, these drums were used to call people to prayer. The instruments were traditionally made from jackfruit wood.
I then walked to Sabah State mosque nearby. After taking a walk around it, I returned towards the town centre. I visited the Sabah Tourism Board, where I would have to board the taxi the next morning for my trek. Then, I found a nice Mexican restaurant nearby and enjoyed some good food there.
On my way back to the hostel, I passed through the local market, which was laden with fruits of all kinds. I also took a walk along the sea.
Back in the hostel, I packed my bag and kept everything ready for the trek next day. I had to leave my big backpack at the hostel since I would be returning to the same place after the trek.
I was all excited about the trek.
To Be Continued…
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