Inspired Magazine vol 3

Night is closing in as we trek through the
jungle and the night creatures begin their
chorus. As darkness envelopes us, a wind
whips through the treetops and fat raindrops begin
to pound the forest canopy above. The noise of the
rain combines with the cries of unseen armies of
insects to build to a pounding, shrieking, moaning
and trilling crescendo.
It’s an exhilarating symphony that pays tribute
to the diversity of life in this pristine jungle. I can’t
help but laugh out loud and feel my heart expand,
almost drunk on the sheer feeling of aliveness. For
here, in the pulsing, teeming, breathing womb of
the jungle, I’ve fallen under the spell of the world’s
greatest enchantress - Mother Nature.
new
Inspired
feature
SMITTEN
Here in Mulu World Heritage Area, Mother
Nature is at her most spellbinding. She has created
a world that is so extraordinary that it is one of few
places on earth that meets four criteria for World
Heritage Listing. I’m here as part of a Borneo
Ethical Adventures tour into Sarawak, Malaysia,
which aims to not only introduce visitors to the
wonders of the Bornean jungle, but also to help the
very people who have long called the jungle home.
Borneo Ethical Adventures founder Alison
Pritchard found herself similarly smitten by the
area after working here for two years as a Mulu
National Park manager. When she left, she pledged
to return. Only this time she would work for the
people she’d once employed, bring new people to
see their jungle home and donate 10 percent of
profits and a contribution from each tour to the
Bornean charities that had captured her heart.
KUCHING
We start our tour by falling under the charms
of Sarawak’s capital city Kuching, perched on
the banks of the Sarawak River. Kuching’s river
promenade is more reminiscent of Europe than the
chaos of other Asian cities I’ve visited. Here, no-one
harasses you to buy, instead they greet you with a
simple hello and a smile as you stroll the riverside.
The streets beyond the promenade offer a wonder
world of fascinations – traditional medicine shops,
tiny cafes, street food hawkers, basket weavers
and Chinese funeral suppliers with an array of
cardboard goods to send with loved ones into
the afterlife (think cardboard glasses, bow ties
and, heck, even cardboard beer cans if you fancied
a drop).
Among Kuching’s back streets we admire the
wares of one of Alison’s sponsored groups –
Helping Hands Penan. A group of ex-pat wives in
neighbouring Brunei formed Helping Hands Penan
to support the Penan people of the Bornean jungle.
Helping Hands Penan buys and sells weaved bags,
baskets and mats made by the Penan womenfolk,
in the process empowering the women to use their
traditional skills to support themselves and their
families. Purchasing their wares is not just about
doing good – the products are so stunning that
we struggle to fit them into our luggage on our
return flights.
Main Walking through
Mulu National Park.
Insets (left to right)
One of the charming
orangutans of Semenggoh
Wildlife Centre; showing
off a tiny butterfly; green
crested lizard; giant
pill millipede.
TRAVEL
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