Even after my last trip to Maliau Basin, popularly called Sabah's Lost World, I still ask why I did it. I have done it three times, and it was not like I was seeing things for the first time.
It's tough going also. I even think it's tougher than climbing Mount Kinabalu. You ascend a ridge, walk some distance along it, and then hike down, simply put. Yes, it's scaling the rim of a basin, except that the rim is tall.
It rains many days in a year, so there's a 50% chance you walk in mud. You slip, and slip and slip ...
Did I mention Sabah is in the tropics? Things you touch and walk on in the tropics are damp and often falling apart because of decay or termite attack. (That sometimes can be a safety risk.) Some people find the humidity of the tropics debilitating. It saps your energy. I think it's the heat that saps your energy. In the forest, you sweat. Oh yes, you sweat a lot, but it can be cooling because of that. Just make sure you replenish your salts, though, or you risk being attacked by muscle cramps.
And there are the little creatures. I'm not bothered by leeches. I used to wear sandles (those with straps) so I could see the crawly creatures when they grope their way up my feet to the soft spots of my anatomy to drill their 'dracula fangs' (*) into. (These days, I wear boots? When you carry more than 15kg on your back, boots are supposed to support your ankles so you minimise sprain.) Along 'Jalan Babi' inside an amazing heath forest, you will get attacked by ticks. That can be a nuisance, or worse, pose a health risk.
Despite the hardships of visiting this unique forest, I see myself doing it as a pilgrimage. First, the rainforests need to be used. If you don't cut down trees to make furniture, you had better turn them into tourists spots. If Richard Branson flies to Camel Trophy only, and marvel at the the magic that is Maliau Basin, let it be. I encourage even that sort of tourism. However, the reality is that tourism revenue (in Malaysia at least) is pittance compared to the timber riches well politically-connected people seem to attract. (Want to be a timber tycoon, anyone?)
I keep coming back because I also love the company of my friends who walk with me. Doing things with people who share your interests can be very enjoyable. We tend to build a bond when we have to help one another, as we always do when we visit a forest like Maliau Basin.
Now you know why I want to return to Sabah's Lost World.
*Note: Make sure you read the journal entries in Camel Trophy Camp. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read this description made by a Camel Trophy volunteer.
(I wish to acknowledge with gratitude Jimmy. He introduced me to this wonderful place and his organization and company made trips here so successful and joyful.)
