Bikes, Buses, Boats, Beaches and Beer, on a Budget - Noddy's (mis)Adventures in Asia

KAYAKING THE SEMADANG RIVER

One of the side trips I did out of Kuching was kayaking the Semadang River, an amazing day out in the jungle wilderness only an hour out of the city.

Although a little expensive compared to what I normally like to spend, this was totally worth it and should not be missed if you like outdoor adventure amongst some seriously beautiful scenery. Whether you have kayaked before or not, anyone can handle the casual pace and it really was an incredible day out.

Semadang Kayak will pick you up from your hotel and drop you on the banks of the river an hour or so later to start your paddle. We stopped at a mini waterfall for a quick swim before continuing on to a tiny village where a delicious local lunch awaits.

After lunch, we take a tour of the village, where they have an enormous array of plants and herbs that are still used for medicinal and obviously culinary purposes. Then it is back on the water to finish out the day's paddle.

We saw various wildlife and reptiles along the way and the whole journey takes you through some stunning natural scenery, with a feeling of being totally lost in the Borneo jungle.

A couple of helicopters fly overhead during the day, a reminder of how remote some of these villages and national parks are, the chopper sometimes the only form of transport in or out.

After arriving at another tiny village that signals the end of our trip, our guide burns a copy of all the day's pictures to CD for you to take home.

It was 188 myr for the whole package (around $65 au) but there was only me, one other customer and our guide for the whole day, the Borneo jungle all to ourselves. I can't recommend it highly enough.