Got a taxi from Kuching airport into the city to the lodge, where I met three English girls who were also staying there. Just so happened they were going to Bako National Park the next day, so I booked to go with them.

We got a bus and a boat the next morning to Bako National Park where we met another group of people all traveling alone. The park was quite remote and mainly just rainforest and mangroves with a few huts for the office, restaurant and accommodation. Once we'd checked in at the park some of them came with us to do one of the trails which went down to the beach. We were expecting quite tame trails but it was actually really hard work walking on roots of trees and small dirt paths through the forest, which was fun. Took us a couple of hours to get to the beach and we chilled out there for a bit and made our way back and were greeted by loads of macaque monkeys.

In the evening we did a night trail and saw lots of insects and the best bit was when we all switched our torches off and bits of the forest were glowing in the dark because of the fungus on the dead leaves. Next day we did a trail to the waterfall, which took us 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get there. When we got back, we saw a few proboscis monkeys which we'd really wanted to see and the one was pretty close, they look so weird! Then in the afternoon we got the boat and the bus back to Kuching.

Day after got a bus with James from my lodge to Semengogh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre to see the Orangutans. They are free to roam around but get fed at certain times and the visitors get to see them. It was so good to see them, and there were a couple of babies which were really cute. It's amazing to see how they interact with eachother and how clever they are. We weren't allowed to get too close because they can be really aggressive. That night me, James and a few of the people I met in Bako, got a boat across the river in Kuching and ate where the locals ate. Their local dish is Laksa, which is really good and the food is so cheap. We all went out for drinks that evening and stayed out quite late and in one of the places I managed to get the DJ to play a couple of Armin songs!! Was so happy!

Next day went to Sarawak Museum and the weekend market and saw the start of a Chinese parade celebration on the way back. This actually went on all night as they were celebrating an anniversary of a temple and they had loads of trucks with dragons and music.

Went to the Sarawak Cultural Village the next day, which was so good!!! In Borneo, they have several different tribes who live in long-houses along the rivers. The cultural village has examples of these longhouses, which you can walk around in, and they play music etc. They also have a show to demonstrate the different tribal dances and it was brilliant! I even bought a CD of the music (bit sad i know). Spent the last few hours of the day at Lamai beach just down from the cultural village before going back to Kuching.

The last day in Kuching I spent getting some of my pictures burnt on DVD and then posted them home along with some other things. Went for dinner with a girl in my dorm to a restaurant called Little Lebanon and the food was gorgeous! The day after got a plane to Miri in Sarawak, further to the north east.

The people in Malaysia are so lovely and friendly, the best so far. I have also met some really nice people traveling here and stayed in some of the best hostels. The Malay culture is so interesting and I've actually picked up a bit of inspiration for my design work. I felt really at home in Kuching and don't think I'd actually mind living there.