Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary

Hangin' out

This morning I changed hotels - this was for two reasons. One, they appear to have no single or queen rooms left and though it depends who you ask at that hotel, I'm tired of always asking. Two, because the guy from the laundry downstairs who was giving me a map to the cat museum turned up at my door at 7:45am yesterday asking if I wanted to go there with him. 7:45! The bloody hotel had told him my room number. I tried to explain to them that it's completely inappropriate to give out the room number of a single female but they just looked at me stupidly. Needless to say, I sent Edward packing at 7:46.

I gathered my bits and pieces and walked down the road to the Tune hotel which is a similar sort of place but even cheaper. It's owned by Air Asia (I think) and room rates, like airline prices, change with demand. The beds are fabulous, just like the Hilton. It's a no-frills concept where you get a bed and a bathroom in a tiny room and if you want extras, you pay for them, eg Wi-fi, air-conditioning and towels. It's 10 bucks a night and I bought 12 hours of aircon for $4.50 but it's actually quite pleasant just under the fan. This hotel has a window but since it opens on to a restaurant, I can't imagine wanting to open it! Tune hotels are in KL, London, and a bunch of places around Asia. It's a pretty good concept actually and would be good in Australia. Stay "tuned" I guess.

That's at least 15 bananas in her mouth.

After a hearty lunch of dried peas and iced Milo I caught a bus to Semenggoh. It's another orangutan sanctuary but entry is a tenth of the price of Sepilok. Still, it was a 1.2km walk in from the road and then another walk up to the feeding site, where there weren't any orangutans anyway. Not to worry, the less-rehabilitated ones had come to the entrance area for their milk and fruit and we got to see 4 or 5 of them which was nice. All along the path on the way in were beautiful pitcher plants (Nepenthes) growing wild - I think I was more interested in those than the monkeys!

Pitcher plant

Coming out of the sanctuary to catch the 4pm bus, the gate attendant said it wasn't coming anymore. As Semenggoh is a fair way out of town I thought it was another case of Mt Kinabalu tourist trapping, but after a short time waiting at the bus stop a (proper) mini van came along and took me to Kuching for RM5. The driver was very concerned for my safety and told me where to go and not to go in Kuching. He said there are a lot of drug users here, which I find interesting given that it's supposedly a death penalty for using drugs in Malaysia. The kids on motorbikes do a lot of bag snatching along the waterfront at night, so that was good to know. He also told me that Matang wildlife park (where the overflow animals from Semenggoh go) is a terrible place with enclosed animals that is impossible to get to by bus, so I've decided to head to the beach tomorrow instead. Local knowledge, yay!

Only a few more nights here, I have wasted a LOT of time in Kuching. I would have left already except that I am looking forward to Bako National Park on the weekend, and Saturday was the only night they had a room for me. I'll be out of here on Monday on the Express Boat to Sibu!