There is something magical about being practically alone in nature on Borneo. Henry and I loved being on this enormous expanse of water beneath beneath clouds and sky, all mirrored in the smooth water against lush riverbanks of  exotic shapes in tropical green. Gliding along the rivers under power in a very narrow and very long longboat, was enchanting. We watched eagles soaring in search of fish, and saw a bright blue kingfisher with his unmistakeable bill fly by. This journey was peaceful as we could be lost in the serenity of our environment. We only passed one other boat in the full two and a one- half hours on the Betang Ai and Sungai* Talaus. We boarded at the jetty of the Hilton’s Batang Ai Resort, rode for an hour to the Iban longhouse, then retraced our wake to the confluence of the two rivers, where we motored down the Talaus Ai to the spot where we disembarked into the jungle for our trek. We met the longboat and its captain/chef at the Talaus Waterfall where we had lunch, then returned through the narrow channel to the river. It was another hour before we landed on the jetty of the hotel, back in “civilization” having spent a most enjoyable day exploring nature and the culture of the jungles of Sarawak, East Malaysia, Borneo.

1. *Sugai is the Bahasa word for River. Talus Ai or Batang Ai are abbreviated forms of the word, uesed interchangeably.
   

PHOTOS:  Left Column: 1. Behind Beti, our guide, riding on Batang Lake toward Batang Ai.   2. Morning mist and clouds above the mountain 3. Beautifully calm, mirrored waters. 4. Launching the tour on the waters of the Batang Ai.  Center, Top: Jourdan and Henry and our captain in the longboat. Center, Bottom: Palm trees reflected in the river.  Right Column: 1. Henry, relaxed, behind Jourdan. 2.3. & 4. Views along the rivers.