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| Sunday, July 05, 2009, 05.33 PM | |||||
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Home » ShortbreakEcozone
The story, about a young, idealistic colonial officer posted to Britain’s deep-jungle Sarawak outpost in 1939 and his forbidden love with sexy, local tutor (Alba), was filmed around the area and managed to paint a lush picture of Borneo – the kind that has since lured many tourists to the island. Naturally one would think that even the locals would make a mad dash to the park, following in the footsteps of the Hollywood celeb. After all, look at what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand tourism. Sadly, that was not to happen with Kubah. Since the film’s release and the gazetting of the park in 1988, Kubah remains Sarawak’s least known national park although it is the most easily accessible from Kuching – just a 20-minute leisurely drive through the town’s many famously huge roundabouts that dot the urban landscape. Glamorous Camp But for guests like myself, few tourists only means good news. Like having the waterfall all to yourself – yes, the same one that gave the film that stunning backdrop in its publicity gig. Or getting the park rangers accompany you on the many trails, drinking in the scenery and sharing in the forest knowledge from those that know the area well. Still, it can be a bit unnerving camping on the park’s 2,230-hectare ground with just you and the photographer... and perhaps a handful of park rangers on night duty. Would anyone hear us scream for help in the middle of the night should we have terrible nightmares? Or for that matter, how far would our scream really go? Then again, “camping” really is not how one would describe the overnight experience, especially when you are put up in a two-bedroom, two-storey chalet with its own living room, spacious kitchen, barbecue area, complete with air-cond and hot water. This was more like “glamping”, you know, the new trend of glamorous camping made famous by many Hollywood’s best. One can just see it now – urbanites scrambling to Kubah for a quick weekend getaway. An all-girl get-together mixing mean mocktails and barbecues and family reunions whipping up heirloom family recipes in the kitchen. Music In The Park If you can tear away from the affluent abode, you will find that Kubah is one of those national parks where nighttime entertainment abounds. Forget about night walks. Instead the park serves its evening entertainment with an amusing musical chorus – literally. Its natural frog pond, once a bearded pig’s playground, is now a natural habitat where a wide variety of frog species spawn. The experience is almost magical, seeing various coloured frogs and listening to their musical cacophony that cuts through the night’s quietness. Some burrow in the pond, others beneath wood and tree branches. As they are nocturnal creatures, showtime only happens at night and creates a great pre-barbecue outing for overnight campers. While there are palm trails and treks that take you up to the 911m Mount Serapi summit, it must be said that for the locals at least, the waterfall will undoubtedly be the crowd-puller. Not only because Alba was once there, but with no crowd in sight just yet, who can truly resist a dip in the water in the warm, tropical weather? How To Get There Taxis and private vans can be chartered to take you from the airport in Kuching to the park, which is a 40-minute drive away. Alternatively, book your trip with any of the local travel agents. There is a nominal entry fee for all protected areas in Sarawak. Check with Sarawak Forestry for park entrance fee at www.sarawakforestry.com or call 082-348 001. Accommodation Five two-bedroom chalets (six beds), a rest house (10 beds) and a hostel (12 beds) are all equipped with air-conditioning units and hot water. Guests are advised to bring along their own towels and toiletries. Things To Do Entrance fee to Kubah National Park also lets visitors to the nearby Matang Wildlife Centre. Established for conservation, the centre houses a range of confiscated or surrendered wild animals that are rehabilitated and released whenever possible. These are surrendered wild animals protected under Sarawak’s Wildlife Protection Ordinance, including terrapin, crocodile, sambar deer, hornbills and other birds, cat species, sun bear or honey bear, gibbon and orang utan. Apart from the animal enclosures, the centre has an interpretation centre, a nature trail and a picnic area. Pictures by P.C. LIM
 
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