Our next adventures
28.2.16
Our flight to Borneo was at 11.45 am, so we left the den of iniquity at 8.30 am and got the 26 bus to Kallang MRT station, change at Tanah Mara and 2 stops to Changi Airport.
We gave our travel cards in as we left the station and got $10 returned for each one.
The initial cost was $30 dollars (£15) each card. they were invaluable and can be used on buses too.
Checked in, left feedback 😉

We changed some left over dollars to ringets and had a Burger King breakfast. Never thought I would crave a change from Asian food.
I think Changi is the first airport I’ve known where food and drinks cost the same or less than on the street and there’s free WiFi.
The 1.5 hour Air Asia flight was straightforward and on time once again.
Kuching. Borneo airport is old, tiny, grey, concrete, such a stark contrast to tastefully lavish Singapore!




Within 20 minutes we had our bag, our taxi voucher and a very old Proton car and driver, she was less Nancy (from Penang) and more bulldog.

When she stopped to drop us off about 20 minutes by a tiny ‘parade of shops’ on the main road opposite grafitti covered aluminium fencing my heart sank.
She did a U turn by Ting & Ting supermarket pulled in to a dead end and pointed to a doorway with Borneo Tribal Lodge over it.
We gave her a Turkish coin for her collection.
I said to John that if it’s awful we’re not staying.
Once inside Danny greeted us, showed us around the kitchen area, the little indoor jungle area beyond, the lounge area and then up the very steep 100 year old wooden stairs to our room with en suite.
It just shows how with a bit of artistic flair you can theme and transform a place on the inside.
We love it.




Danny gave us a map and suggestions of must sees and off we went, armed with laundry to drop off.
It’s just 5 minutes to Kuching town and the riverfront.
A lot of places were boarded up as it’s Sunday, its not stunning, the river is brown, everything’s old and run down, but it has a charm all of its own.
In the back ground are a few more modern things were going on and saw a tall glass bank building and just want to scream ‘don’t do it !!!’



We were surprised to find a couple of malls, with their 70’s inspired outside with sparkly high street stores inside, food floor, multiplex and bowling.
We had a lovely honey chili chicken lunch, thoroughly enjoyed wandering in the many gift shops, watching river life going on and randomly chatting with very helpful friendly locals.
I had a few attempts to withdraw money from various ATM’s but all said insufficient funds.
Next we knew it was 7pm, we went to get our laundry but it was closed.
Bought snacks in 7 Eleven and went back to our Lodge to find out what was going on with my bank.
We couldn’t get the internet to work in the room, have some sim mbs left but then didn’t get text through from Turkcell as no signal for internet banking, so now we’re locked out of account and need to reset security, all very annoying, and getting really really agitated!
Decided to try it downstairs as Danny did say the walls are very thick.
Bumped into Danny, he told us what buses we need to go to Bako National Park, and to Semmengoh to see Orang Utans, best times of day and I explained about the bank problem.
He was just leaving but unlocked his office, put the air con on, and said we could use his computer.
He really is just the nicest most helpful man. We’re the only people staying at the moment and he deserves to be very busy.
Anyway…I haven’t been to an ATM since Changi Airport but my card has been used twice on 26.2.16 once at 1.15 pm and again at 1.16 pm, around £200 has been withdrawn.
Luckily I only ever move small amounts across from my savings account or it could have been a lot worse.
Skyped Teb bank, they’ve stopped my card now and I will need to go to the branch when I get back.
The guy seemed to think it had been withdrawn in a place called Bebek in Turkey but that can’t be right as there were foreign withdrawal fees so must be outside of Turkey somewhere.
Just hope it wasn’t in Singapore or how do I prove it wasn’t me?
Thankfully we always bring a selection of UK and Turkish cards or it could have been disastrous!
Went to bed just as the heavens opened, wow does it rain, monsoon season should be finished any time now, lucky we didn’t come sooner as apparently they had flash floods 2 day ago and the waterfront really suffered.
Hoping for fine weather tomorrow so we can go in search of Orang Utans. So Excited.