Lawas

Day Trips

Touch down in Lawas and settle into your guesthouse overlooking the river. Take a relaxed stroll along Jalan Lintas and absorb the mix of Malay, Kelabit and Lun Bawang shopfronts. Grab a local kopi and kuih at a roadside stall to fuel up for the day.

Visit the regional museum to discover Lawas’s history as a trading post between Brunei and Borneo tribes. Wander through the nearby wet market and sample fresh tropical fruits like rambutan and duku. Chat with friendly vendors to learn about daily life along the borderlands.

Dine at a waterfront café and watch the golden sunset cast reflections on the Lawas River. Try a bowl of laksa Sarawak paired with sambal belacan for a spicy treat. End the night with a riverside walk under lantern-lit trees.

Board a longboat for a scenic cruise upriver through mangrove channels teeming with birdlife. Listen for hornbills and kingfishers as your guide points out medicinal jungle plants. Feel the cool breeze as you glide past stilt houses reflecting on glassy water.

Disembark at Kampung Punang for a home-cooked lunch prepared by local families. Learn traditional weaving techniques from Lun Bawang artisans in their wooden longhouses. Swap stories over kopiah and sweet cassava cakes while children play in the palm-shaded yard.

Return to Lawas just in time for a sunset photo session at the old jetty. Sample grilled ikan bakar drizzled with lime and chili for dinner. Cap off the evening with a casual walk through the town’s illuminated streets.

Set off early for a guided hike to Merarap Waterfall through dense rainforest. Hear cicadas and gibbons as you navigate wooden plank boardwalks and rickety rope bridges. Pause at natural pools to hydrate and admire giant ferns overhead.

Arrive at the cascading falls and take a refreshing dip in the clear mountain water. Enjoy a packed bamboo lunch featuring local rice, smoked fish, and jungle greens. Venture behind the curtain of water to experience the misty grotto in peace.

Return to Lawas town as daylight fades, reflecting on the natural oasis you explored. Treat yourself to bak kut teh at a roadside stall, savoring its rich peppery broth. Wind down with a quiet riverside drink under starlit skies.

Catch a speedboat at Lawas jetty bound for Pulau Limpaki in Brunei waters. Feel the sea spray on your face as you speed across turquoise bay to this secluded islet. Spot sea eagles circling overhead in the gentle morning light.

Beachcomb for shells and tuck into a picnic of nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves. Snorkel along the coral-studded reef teeming with clownfish and parrotfish. Relax in a hammock strung between coconut palms while the tide laps the shore.

Cruise back to Lawas as the horizon turns pastel pink and orange. Sample char kuey teow at a bustling night stall near the market. Unwind with freshly cut coconut juice before turning in.

Travel by 4x4 along rugged tracks into the Highlands to reach a Lun Bawang longhouse in Long Semado. Greet your hosts with a warm ‘salamat datang’ and share a hearty paddy rice breakfast. Discover the art of traditional cane weaving from village matriarchs.

Join a rice planting demonstration on emerald-green terraces carved into the hillside. Learn local foraging techniques for edible ferns, wild ginger and jungle mushrooms. Enjoy a communal meal under the communal hall’s carved wooden beams.

Participate in an authentic blowpipe demonstration with village hunters. Exchange folk tales around a crackling bonfire while lanterns illuminate hand-carved totem poles. Drift to sleep in a spacious longhouse dormitory to the sounds of nocturnal forest life.

Embark on a thrilling 4x4 safari over boulder-strewn tracks toward the Meligan Highlands. Gaze across rolling hills blanketed in montane forest as your guide explains local geology. Stop at a hilltop viewpoint for panoramic shots of misty valleys below.

Descend into a shaded gorge for a packed lunch beside trickling streams and moss-laden boulders. Wade through knee-deep pools to reach a hidden grotto where bats roost above. Learn about the area’s endemic orchids and pitcher plants from your nature guide.

Return to Lawas at dusk and head to a street-side stall for a plate of pisang goreng drizzled with palm sugar. Reflect on the adrenaline-pumping terrain you navigated. Stroll back to your lodging under a velvet sky filled with stars.

Depart before dawn for the basecamp trailhead leading to Gunung Pagon near the Brunei border. Trek through primary rainforest as dawn light filters through the canopy. Admire colossal dipterocarp trees draped in moss and lichen.

Settle at a makeshift camp by a mountain stream and enjoy a simple chargrilled fish lunch. Venture higher for incredible views of three countries converging at the summit ridge. Spot rare orchids and ferns clinging to rocky outcrops.

Descend to camp before dusk and warm up by a portable stove with hot noodle soup. Share stories with fellow hikers under the glow of lanterns. Fall asleep to the distant calls of gibbons echoing through the forest.

Cross the border into Brunei for a journey into Ulu Temburong National Park aboard a traditional longboat. Listen to rapids churn as you approach the park headquarters at Batang Duri. Strap on lifejackets and embark on the canopy walkway adventure.

Trek to the park’s hikes culminating in a refreshing waterfall plunge pool. Taste jungle remedies like ginger tea brewed from freshly foraged root. Return to the canopy bridge for bird’s-eye views of untouched rainforest stretching to the horizon.

Head back to Lawas under the glow of a golden sunset over the river delta. Feast on ayam penyet with extra chili sambal at a lively night market. Reflect on the pristine wilderness you experienced across the border.

Set out pre-dawn in a sturdy jeep to track wildlife in Batang Lawas Forest Reserve. Watch for bearded pigs and muntjac deer grazing at the forest edge. Capture photos of shy sambar deer disappearing into bamboo thickets.

Break for a riverside picnic lunch amid hornbill calls echoing overhead. Wade into shallow channels to search for silvered langurs and proboscis monkeys. Learn how rangers tag threatened species for conservation monitoring.

Return to Lawas and celebrate your safari finds with a hearty plate of briyani gam ayam. Sip on local palm toddy while listening to live acoustic music at a café. Wander home under twinkling streetlamps and the scent of night blooms.

Spend your final morning browsing Jalan Medamit Sunday market stalls for handicrafts and woven gifts. Sample freshly grilled satay and sweet pineapple fritters while you shop. Pick up hand-dyed textiles and beadwork as souvenirs of your journey.

Relax at a riverside café with iced tea and coconut jelly while watching sampans drift by. Reflect on the past ten days of adventure amid the gentle hum of town life. Pack your bags and prepare for your onward travels.

Gather for a farewell dinner at a popular local eatery serving nasi kerabu and ayam percik. Raise a toast with newfound friends from your homestay and guided excursions. End the night with traditional music and dance performances under lantern light.