Miri to Brunei · 19–21 May
Brunei
We collected a car in Miri and crossed the land border into Brunei. In Bandar Seri Begawan, the scale and formality of the city’s mosques gave way to a very different view from the river: a fast, rain-soaked ride through Kampong Ayer and its stilted neighbourhoods.
Gunung Mulu National Park · 22 May
The Walk to Deer Cave
We flew from Miri to Mulu and went straight into the national park that afternoon. The raised trail carried us deeper into the rainforest, with our guide stopping to show the children small signs of wildlife along the way. The standard estimate is about 45 minutes for the three-kilometre walk in. With young children and stops along the trail, ours took about twice that.
Outside Deer Cave, Sophie and George stretched out beneath the cliffs to wait for the bat exodus. The cave is home to millions of bats, which can leave in long streams near dusk when the weather allows.
On the way out, the rain began to pour. The rainforest was pitch dark and we were soon drenched, with the full three-kilometre trail still to walk back by torchlight. That effort—not simply the cave or the bats—became the part of Mulu we remembered most clearly.
Mulu · 23 May
Clearwater by Longboat
The next morning began on the Melinau River. A longboat carried us between the forested banks towards Clearwater Cave, whose name comes from the crystal-clear river running through its limestone cave system. The cave visit and swim made for an easier, more playful day after the demanding walk the night before.
Mulu to Miri · 24–25 May
One Last Swim
After forest trails, caves and longboats, there was time for one last swim before we left Mulu.
Singapore · 25 May