Kubah National Park: An Educational Field Trip (Part 1)

Kubah National Park is situated in Matang, Sarawak. It is about 45 minutes by car to this wonderful nature from Kuching City. A road was build a long time ago to the top of Gunung Serapi before Kubah has been gazetted as National Park. For visitors, you can choose :-

1. To go up to Gunung Serapi
2. Kubah National Park
3. Matang family park

It will takes a few hours walking to go up to the top of Gunung Serapi which the RTM transmitter are situated. The scenery is lovely with the nice cool air.

Matang Family Park

Matang family park is managed by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and it is a picnic spot with clear cold mountain stream water. Mount Serapi is actually a watershed area which have provided clear water for the communities around Kuching. Borneo Mineral water a company situated at Matang get its the mineral water from here to be bottle. It a usual picnic spot for familly. Matang Family park also provide BBQ pit for their visitors.

Kubah National Park

We conducted educational field trip for the students taking Diploma In Environmental Tourism Management. The students needs to understand what the importance of National park, its functions and roles and what can it be an attraction to the local and foreign tourist.

A view of the tip of mount Serapi from 4^th Miles Kuching Serian road.

The Kubah N.P which have facilities for tourist to stay and enjoy the scenery and experience Tropical rainforest. I would like to proposed for those kids who are being brought up in the urban and with sceneries of concrete forest. It might be an interesting experience for the kids and also for the family as a get away weekend escapade. The facilities included hostel, chalets, BBQ pit. Activities can consisted of hiking, picnic at waterfall and enjoy the scenery. The park also have frog pond especially if you are interested to know the type of frogs in the tropical rainforest and it has also a small natural garden of pitcher plant (Nepenthes sp.)

Over looking the hostel from the road side

The N.P head quarters.

The road that lead up to the top of Mount Serapi.

landscape: A patch to relax at the garden

After a hard day work or traveling. Home is always a place to recuperate, thus constructing a landscape with the ideas of BBQ, relaxation, good company, and minimum maintainance of the plant generated what you see in the pictures below.

The focal point of the landscape, still under construction.


The river rock to beautify the landscape and functions as walk way and area for BBQ.

The pearl grass planted as a green patch for the garden. Next will be the huge river rock and edge plant. The pearl grass still growing.

Still along way to go for a beautiful green patch to relax. What missing in the garden? garden chair, water focal point, palm or bamboo plant, nice lighting. Any suggestion????

TOURISM SPOT: FAIRY CAVE, BAU

Bau Town, what is there to see? some people commented.

Through history we know that Bau was a gold quarry town before and are full of interesting place to visit, namely the fairy Cave and Wind cave, the traditional Bidayuh village, its lime stone forest which are diverse in orchid, and plants. Picnic should be in the itinerary or just walk around the busy and rustic Bau town itself (some part of the town). You will find the jungle produce market an interesting place to visit.

If you fancy shopping at the border town: Serikin is the place. What can you get? Rattan mat and everything except KFC, McDonald.

Hance, here I highlight the fairy cave and wind cave. I have no pictures of the cave itself as this trip i did not go into the cave. The recreational facilities provided are excellent for picnic at the side of the cave. Here are some of the pictures for you to judge if it is worth the time to visit this place.

The ample parking space just at the mouth of the fairy cave and it is line up with trees.


A model of Baruk (traditional Bidayuh warrior house) which is the office used by SFC. Yes, you need to registered to enter the cave. The beautiful limestone on the background. Limestone have a high density of orchids.


The BBQ pits and picnic spot for families. Don't worry about the sun as it is shaded by the trees.


Another resting place.



The stream running besides the cave. It a heaven to BBQ and at the same time you can dip in the nice cold stream.

BBQ and Steamboat in Kuching, Sarawak

BBQ and Steamboat

Travel and sightseeing have always been an exciting things to do. A quote by a friend is "Travel will exposed you to new experiences, reading a page in a book will only give you a page of knowledge".

If you travel, you need to eat too. Hance I highlight an eatery place near RH Plaza in BDC next to Four Point Hotel. It clean and cheap especially for those who love BBQ and steamboat and have big appetite. Why? Because, you pay RM 18.00 and eat all you can.

The informal atmosphere, open space dinning at the same time enjoying, laughing and eating. The best part is eat all you can, a variety of ingredient you can choose from for your BBQ and steamboat from lamb, beef, chicken, prawn, crab, fish ball, beef ball, vegetable, egg, friend rice, ice-cream etc.

Varieties of vegetables on the counter for you to choose from.

If you love seafood, fresh crab, prawn or fish. You can cook it using the hotplace or in the hot soup. You can choose either chicken soup or tom yam.

The picture above shows what is BBQ and steamboat. The size of lamb meat and prawn during my diner at this place.


Bon appetite!!! Do try it once if you never have BBQ steamboat.

Sarikei : Sebangkoi Country Resort

Sebangkoi, a place to unwind and relax.

If you do drive using the highway either from Kuching to Miri. You will surely pass through Sebangkoi Country Resort which is approximately 30 minutes from Sarikei Town on the way to Kuching. We were conducting a Localised Nature Guide course to 14 potential to be license tourist guide.

Sebangkoi still have it clear water stream, flora and recreational area for visitors and yet have all the facilities needed by the visitors such as BBQ pit, pathway and it clean and clear which for parent can still monitor their kids running around.

The along the journey by road, there are beautiful scenery to look at. You can stop to takes beautiful scenery pictures. The highway between Sibu and Sarikei with a view. If you drive, just roll down your car window for the cool air going through your hair. If you are bald even better, cool head…J.

You can stop by at Jakar, a small town from Sarikei to Sebangkoi to have big prawn noodle. If you know certain Iban longhouse then you can find some hidden treasure such as beautifully weave basket from fine strips of bamboo (this handicraft have been exported to Japan). Which longhouse? Celestine Kias Longhouse about 10 minutes from Jakar town.

The corner to Sebangkoi resort and recreational park. The road is lined up beautifully with trees and also palm trees.

Sebangkoi Resort with its two hornbill welcoming you. The resort also have a canteen, hostel with 10 double deck bed that cost RM 18 per pax per night, VVIP room that cost about RM 250 which is a bargain as the room consisted of 3 smaller room and a private bathroom. It also have a huge function room for various activities.

In the recreational park, visitors can dip in it cool stream, BBQ at it allocated BBQ pit. Please take care of cleanliness. Or just hike along the beautiful path that are surrounded by flora (species in the family of Dipterocarpacea, Moraceae, Aracaceae, Anacardiaceae, etc) and you can experience the cicadas singing a nice melody in the forest… for most of us it a beautiful music.

After a long hike the cool and clear water are tempting. Through out my stay at Sebangkoi Resort, a lot of the local people especially from Sarikei Town went there for a quick dip with friends.

Nice fern that grown on the tree. The local name for it, is ‘paku tanduk rusa’. Direct translation mean ‘deer horn fern’.