Cultural and Historical Adventure in beautiful Sabah, Borneo

If you are a woman who enjoys adventure travel, this Women's Own Adventure might be for you.

Explore a mystical land on our journey into Sabah, a place teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. Malaysian Borneo is one of nature’s most exciting playgrounds. From rugged mountain tops to idyllic islands, this land is a blueprint for true adventure. Pockets of pristine wilderness cover much of these Malaysian provinces, but there are also some fascinating modern cities and contrasting traditional villages to be explored. We visit remote communities where our local friends introduce us to their traditions and customs. You’ll remember every minute of this unforgettable adventure!

This special trip combines the best elements of a wildlife adventure, cultural interaction with the local people as well as an important moment of our history. This trip is fully escorted by renowned Historian Lynette Silver, author of the internationally acclaimed book ‘Sandakan - A Conspiracy of Silence’.

In 1942-43, over 2,500 Allied prisoners of war were transferred from Singapore to Sandakan, Borneo, to provide slave labour for an airstrip. Three years later, at war's end, only six were left alive. The fate of the others remained shrouded in uncertainty and mystery until 1998, when Lynette Silver broke the conspiracy of silence which had lasted 53 years. Join her as she unravels the story behind Sandakan's tragedy - one of world War II's most deadly secrets.

Australian history and Australians at war in the Far East have been the passion of Sydney-based author Lynette Ramsay Silver for more than 20 years. Lynette, who has published a great deal of her research, has amassed comprehensive archival material on all her specialised subjects, particularly information on the fate of many hundreds of Allied soldiers and prisoners of war who died in Borneo (Sabah) in the Sandakan and Ranau POW Camps, and on one of the infamous death marches. Using data not readily available to the general public. Lynette is able to provide replicas of POW Death Records as well as other relevant information.

Lynette will provide expert historical commentary on the Death Marches of Australian and British POW’s during World War Two. She knows the Sabah region like the back of her hand, having travelled there extensively over many years. Experienced, local English and Malaysian speaking guides also accompany this trip.

The track cut for the death marches soon became completely overgrown and for sixty years defied all efforts to locate it. However, in August 2005, Australian investigative writer and historian, Lynette Silver, and Tham Yau Kong, Sabah’s premier trekking specialist, combined their considerable talents to identify the path taken by the prisoners of war. After sixty years, you too can now walk in the footsteps of the Death March heroes.

This trip offers a unique experience for those who are reasonably fit and with a spirit of adventure. The scenery is fantastic, and the historical and cultural experiences unforgettable.

You will also learn about ancient traditions, Homestay with the Dusun people, Get close and make friends with the amazing Orangutans, Witness sea turtles lay their eggs, Trek the Mt Kinabalu Heritage Walk, Be inspired by incredible views, Stay at the Sabah Tea Plantation, Enjoy scouring the local markets in Kota Kinabalu and spoil yourself with a massage and spa treatment.


Cultural and Historical Adventure in Sabah, Borneo
12days departing 31st July 2009
Price: $2,755 (land content only)
Package Price: $4,490 (including airfares and taxes)

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure

Contact: Marika Martinez
Ph: 1300 883 475 or 0449 570 102
E: info@womensownadventure.com.au
W: http://www.womensownadventure.com.au/

In the Jungles of Borneo

The journey in Sabah, Borneo for our group of women adventure travellers is coming to a close after 14 days of adventures, challenges, new friends and exciting times. We have travelled by boat to our rough jungle camp on the Kinabatangan River where a night jungle walk reveled the Civet Cat near our camp. Having spotted an abundance of birdlife, monkeys and crocodiles on the river, we enjoyed a hot meal and a good nights sleep to the sounds of the jungle in hammocks.

The following day we were treated to a cooking class by the local village women where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and were entertained with a traditional dance. A homestay experience with local families really allowed us to appreciate the way of life in a small village.

One of the highlights of our trip was to see a large turtle lay her eggs on Turtle Island in the cool of the evening. Some 44 turtles came to lay their eggs on the island that night, with each turtle laying up to 100 eggs each.

Women's Own Adventure and the group of 11 women on this journey have jointly adopted a baby orphan Orangutan from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. These amazing creatures are fascinating to watch as they are rehabilitated back into the jungle. The wildlife experiences in Sabah, Borneo have been fantastic in a country that has very strong conservation policies.

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure

We climbed Mt Kinabalu

The summit of Mt Kinabalu at 4095 metres is the goal. Ten of us started the steep climb from the base at Kinabalu National Park from where the lofty peak can be seen through the fast moving clouds. The track winds over steep and rough terrain for 6km to Laban Rata at 3,250 metres, our overnight resting spot before the final 2.7km climb to the summit. The climb to Laban Rata took up to 8 hours of uphill slog. What a welcome sight was the lodge on the hill, with a hot meal and a warm bed waiting.

The final climb to the summit started at 2:30am the next morning (yes it was dark). We rugged up against the cold and climbed for up to 4 hours, I reached the summit at 6:45am to watch the beautiful sunrise. The view from the top was exhilarating and certainly worth the effort. To feel as though you are at the top of the world on a beautiful clear morning is absolutely fantastic.

However we were not done yet, as we still had another 7 hours of downhill to get back to the base of the mountain. The downhill was very hard on the legs, by the end of which we were limping along on sore knees and weary muscles. Relief was in sight in the hot springs of Poring, where we spent the next day recovering.

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure

Good times with the Dusun people

We travelled by mini bus and 4 wheel drive vehicle to the village of Kiau Nuluh which is set among the lush green forest on the mountain side. The Dusun people number around 1,000 with another 3 nearby villages. Our reception was delightful with a special performance by the mothers group and a dance by the local children. With a spectacular backdrop of the surrounding mountains it was a wonderful afternoon with many smiling faces. The evening we were treated to the most delicious dinner as special guests of the village. The array of food cooked by the women was amazing, and all from local produce of the village. Then came the very potent rice wine which soon melted away the shyness of everyones attempts at both the Malaysian and English languages. The locals all loved the opportunity of talking to us and practicing their English. There were laughs and singing all around into the night.

The next morning we enjoyed the wonderful hospitality again with breakfast and a beautiful view. A morning village walk was in store where we ascended to a high point that gave us our first view of Mt Kinabalu, the peak forming an awesome rocky outcrop that would regularly disappear into the clouds. This will be our challenge in 2 days time!

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure

ARRIVING IN SABAH

Our group of 11 adventurous women from as far afield as Esperance in Western Australia, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney landed at Kota Kinabalu on Friday 22nd August, 2008. We spent our first day and a half exploring the local markets (always a favourite) where beautiful batiks and sarongs were bargained for. The early morning was spent taking a speed boat to 3 of the nearby islands while the water was smooth as glass. The first island was our very own with no other people on it. The sand is white and the water is the most gorgeous turquoise in the shallows, here we happily swam and floated in the warm waters. What a joy after the wet and cold of Sydney. After exploring and swimming on the third island the boat ride back to port felt wonderful with the wind in our hair, the salt spray of the sea on our faces and the sun on our backs.

A little more time was spent exploring the local shops then for me and some of the others, a reflexology session was in order. An hour long foot massage...heaven. Tonight we are celebrating 2 birthdays, so there will be a special dinner with some local Lyche wine and a birthday cake. A celebration for us all!

The Malaysian people are friendly and beautiful. It is a joy to walk the streets and the markets without being harassed by street vendors.

Tomorrow we travel to the base of Mt Kinabalu and will stay in the homes of the Dusun people.

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure

Sabah Advenuture in Borneo

We are to begin our Women's Own Adventure trip to Borneo on 22nd August. This trip will see us climb Mt Kinabalu. There are 11 women adventurers, 6 from Western Australia, 1 from Queensland and 4 from New South Wales. I will keep this blog updated during our trip.

- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure