Durians Galore

On 14 August, our CG members went on an outing to a durian farm, with one very clear objective - to enjoy as many durians as our hearts desired!

The farm belongs to a friend who is passionate about durians and has devoted considerable time, effort and resources to promoting the fruit and developing durian-related eco-tourism. The farm is not simply a place to grow durians; it has been thoughtfully developed to allow visitors to experience the plantation and learn more about the different varieties of this much-loved tropical fruit.

One of the highlights of the farm is the trail leading from the base to the highest platform. Steps have been constructed along the route, with several resting stations where visitors can take a break and enjoy the surroundings. According to the owner, there are about 500 steps in total - a fairly challenging climb, especially for the seniors in our group!

We therefore split into two groups. Seven members decided to remain at the base, while the other 15 took up the challenge and climbed to the mid-level platform. The climb provided some welcome exercise, although the thought of the durians waiting for us at the top was undoubtedly an additional source of motivation!

The outing turned out to be both educational and enjoyable. We learned more about durian cultivation and the different varieties grown on the farm, while also having the opportunity to taste two types of durians - Musang King and the more traditional Kampong durians. Each had its own distinctive taste and character, giving us plenty to talk about and compare.

Of course, the real highlight was sitting together, enjoying the fresh durians and filling our tummies to our heart's delight. It was a wonderful combination of learning, exercise, good food and, most importantly, fellowship. For our CG group, it was a memorable outing that reminded us that sometimes the best way to spend a day is simply to enjoy good company over an abundance of good food!

Ascending from the base to the mid-platform.

The owner personally opened the durians for us!

An unusably huge Kampong durian.

************************************************

Besides durians, the farm is also home to a variety of other fruit trees. On our way down after the durian feast, the owner pointed out a yellowish fruit and introduced us to Gac fruit, which I saw for the first time. Native to Southeast Asia, Gac is related to bitter melon and is known for its distinctive spiky skin and bright red, jelly-like arils surrounding large black seeds. The arils are the edible part and are particularly rich in beta-carotene and lycopene, as well as vitamin E. Unlike many tropical fruits, Gac has a mild, slightly sweet and creamy taste.

The owner also gave us a bambangan picked from one of the trees. Seeing it immediately brought back memories of eating this fruit at my grandmother’s farm in Kampong Pulutan in the 1960s. Bambangan is a wild mango native to Borneo, with thick greenish-brown skin, yellow-orange flesh and a large seed. It has a strong, distinctive aroma and a unique sweet-sour, tangy flavour. A traditional favourite in Sabah, particularly among the Kadazan-Dusun community, bambangan remains one of Borneo’s distinctive seasonal fruits. For me, however, it was more than just a fruit - it was a delicious reminder of childhood memories.

Gac Fruit (Top) and Bambangan (Lower)

*********************************************

Culinary Journey Back Home

Whenever family members who now work overseas or have settled in foreign countries return to their hometown for a holiday, food hunting inevitably becomes one of their favourite activities. Whenever our children come home, they never miss the opportunity to seek out the foods they once enjoyed and the places that hold special memories for them. Food, after all, represents much more than nourishment; it is closely connected with memory, identity, family, culture and a sense of belonging.

This August, when Paul and Junshi came back for a short holiday, they went out on their own a couple of times to revisit places where they had once enjoyed some of their favourite foods. We, too, did our part by arranging meals at several of the restaurants and food outlets they used to enjoy. In our own small way, we were happy to contribute to their culinary journey of rediscovery and, hopefully, to the satisfaction of finding again some of the familiar tastes they had missed while living overseas.

At Yit Foh Kopitiam at BSA.

At Lok Tien Dim Sum

At Fook Yuen Cafe @Kolombong.

At Chennai Recipes Restaurant @ Borneo Suites Hotel

Bongawan River Cruise and Firefly Watching

A visit to Bongawan for firefly watching was one of the activities planned during Paul and Junshi's holiday back in KK in August. We were happy to be invited to join this excursion. Four years earlier, in July 2022, when Serene's family came back to KK for a holiday, we had travelled to Kota Belud to join a Kawa Kawa River Cruise, where we were treated to a spectacular display of fireflies. This time, we thought it would be interesting to experience another of Sabah's popular natural attractions and see what Bongawan had to offer - the proboscis monkeys along the riverbanks and the fireflies that gather among the mangrove vegetation after sunset.

Compared with our experience in 2022 (Read here), however, this excursion on 13 August started at a jetty at River Paradise Bongawan was rather disappointing from a wildlife-watching perspective. We managed to spot just one lone proboscis monkey, a small crocodile hidden behind a cluster of tree roots and a few macaques along the riverbanks. The contrast was particularly noticeable when it came to the fireflies. If I were to give the two experiences a simple score for the abundance of fireflies, I would have rated this trip perhaps 1 out of 10, compared with 10 out of 10 in July 2022.

As we drifted quietly along the river in the gathering darkness, I could not help wondering why the difference was so striking. Was it simply a matter of location? Could weather conditions, the season, the tide or other natural factors have played a part? Or could the changes we are seeing in the environment, including climate change and increasing human activity, be gradually affecting the habitats on which these creatures depend? It is difficult to say based on a single visit. Nevertheless, the dramatic contrast with our 2022 experience was hard to ignore.

Fortunately, the tour operators had incorporated, whether deliberately or coincidentally, several other attractions into the programme, perhaps recognising that wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. After an early buffet dinner, we were taken to the river mouth to see the sunset.

Unfortunately, the sunset was not as spectacular as we had hoped. The sky was heavily overcast, with thick clouds and haze, reportedly caused in part by the forest fires in Kalimantan. Later, all the visitors were led to the seafront to watch a fire-spinning performance, during which a performer sent showers of sparks into the sky. These additional activities helped to some extent make up for the relatively disappointing wildlife sightings and ensured that the evening remained enjoyable.

In the end, the Bongawan excursion turned out to be a reminder that nature does not always perform according to our expectations. We may travel specifically to see proboscis monkeys or fireflies, but wildlife remains unpredictable and is influenced by many environmental factors. While the abundance of fireflies and proboscis monkeys we experienced in 2022 was truly memorable, this year’s more subdued encounter offered a different lesson - the importance of protecting the river, mangroves and surrounding habitats so that these remarkable natural attractions can continue to thrive for future generations of visitors.

Afternoon tea just before the boat trip to see proboscis monkeys.

*********************************************

Some of the macaques sighted.

A small crocodile sighted hidden behind cluster of roots.

The sunset that evening!

Foam deliberately created to keep visitors entertained.

Fire-spinning performance.

The tour guide took great pain to take mirror reflection photographs for tour members.

A Morning at J Borneo Native Village

Fresh from exploring the elevated treetop walkway at Signal Hill just a day earlier, we decided to visit another place the following morning - J Borneo Native Village in Lok Kawi.

Our trip there began with a simple mission. We had been looking to buy stingless bee honey and contacted The House of Stingless Bee, which we had visited in August 2024 (Read here). Unfortunately, their stock was sold out. A friend then told us that stingless bee honey could be found at J Borneo Native Village. With this information, we decided to make our way there to try our luck.

When we arrived at the site along the old Penampang–Papar highway, I was surprised to discover that it stood right next door to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, which we had visited just two months earlier with our granddaughter Maddie and her father from Singapore (Read here). We had not realised then how close this place was.

I later learned that J Borneo Native Village was originally set up largely to complement the presence of the wildlife park. It served as a convenient place for park visitors to rest and eat before or after their visit. Families, tourists, and local visitors found it an ideal stopover, and the cafeteria soon gained a reputation as a welcoming roadside eatery with a distinctive traditional ambience.

In its early days, the main structure was essentially a modest eating place built from timber and salvaged materials. The founder reportedly collected wood from old houses and natural sources, using them to construct buildings that reflected the texture and spirit of a traditional Bornean kampung. This was not intended to be a museum-style reconstruction of a historical village, but rather a living, functional space inspired by indigenous architectural aesthetics. At that stage, chalet units were still being developed, and the primary focus was simply to provide food, shelter and a place to relax.

During our visit that morning, we noticed that the food served at the eateries consisted mainly of familiar Malaysian fare such as fried noodles, fried rice, chicken dishes, and local kuih. We did not see indigenous-inspired dishes or kampung-style cooking such as hinava (fresh fish salad), grilled fish, bambangan-based condiments, traditional soups, or stir-fried jungle vegetables. These may perhaps be featured during festive periods, such as the Kaamatan Harvest Festival, when cultural elements are more prominently showcased.

Although the venue functions primarily as a restaurant and event space, we also noticed quite a number of small stalls selling handmade crafts that reflect Sabah’s indigenous heritage. These included beadwork accessories, woven fabrics, rattan handicrafts, small decorative ornaments and books written local writers. 

We were not disappointed, it was in one of these stalls, that we were finally able to find the stingless bee honey we had set out to buy.