INTERNATIONAL BORNEO KITE FESTIVAL 2007

welcome to International Borneo Kite Festival

International Borneo Kite Festival is in its 3rd year. This time round, I managed to catch it before I head back to my home town. The day I went there, they just started the festival and not much kite was on display and most of the participants were not there yet. Heard that there will be participation from 10 countries and they will be vying for the grand prize this year. Even though I went there when it just started, I managed to catch a glimpse of the things to watch out for. There’s even a trade show besides the colorful display of the kites.

giant octopus in the sky

even stingray join in the fun

drago taking a rest in flying

one happy family in the sky

ever seen a kite powered bike

colorful kites on sale

giant octopus hovering over the trade fair

even this horse thinks he can fly

MERSAWA

Bintulian can finally rejoice for their cravings for proper and good dim sum has finally ended. The savior here is the new food court at Parkcity Mall called Mersawa. When I first stumble upon this food court, I thought it was some Japanese food chain but after close inspection, it turns out to be a local food court with some nifty decorations and style. It resembles a lot more of a chic café than a food court. With bright orange and white colors splash around the place and a touch of elegance with timber grain counters.

Mersawa Food Republic at Parkcity Mall top floor

chic decoration

choose from any counter that you fancy

You can get varieties of delicacies here ranging from chicken rice to some double boiled soup to nourish the soul and mind. I’m there to try out their dim sum and was amazed to found out that they served hotel standard fare there. The little precious dim sum was molded into various shapes with different fillings in each one. From the look of the crowds, I bet it will be a hit with the Bintulu folks since prices are reasonable and most importantly, it taste good.

polo char siew bun - the butter milk crust on top of the bun makes the bun more fragrant and sweet with the char siew inside

pear shaped dim sum filled with mash potatoes and mildly spiced curry meat

fresh shrimp dumpling - crunchy and springy prawns with chinese water chestnuts

stuff dim sum with minced prawns, chives, squids and coated with noodles

fried spring rolls stuffed with roast pork

bitter guard sweet balls with red bean paste - its sweet and not a hint of bitter from the bitter guard

SIMILAJAU NATIONAL PARK

welcome to Similajau National Park

we managed to hike up to the view point and to Tg. Lubok Padok

For those who love jungle trekking, Taman Negara Similajau located near Bintulu town is the ideal place to go. Just a 30 minutes from the town centre towards the Kidurong area and you’ll be greeted by blue waters and swaying lush green trees.

clear water and sandy beaches

beware of crocodiles, didn't see any but we did stumble across a snake

You can either go for a day trip or opt to stay over nite at the park it self. For the more adventurous, you can camp at the many camp sites along the stretch of the park. Since we were there on an impromptu visit, we can only take in the beautiful sights of the park and go for a short hike into the forest.

our journey start here

more bridges to cross

dense jungle to explore

up we climb and down we go

The 4 hours journey brought us into the dense jungle and out to a secluded beach with crystal clear water. It’s a very rewarding hike but we were almost died of exhaustion after we reach back to civilization.

South China Sea from the view point

rocky beach at Tg. Lubok Padok

If we had planned the trip earlier, we might even ventured out further into the very end of the park which gonna take 8 hours just to reach there. The park is a nice place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city except for the RM 10 entrance fee.

MIN's CAFE

Min's Cafe located opposite Sinly Stationeries behind Park City Mall

It’s hard to find good Sarawak Laksa anywhere else except in Kuching. After much prayer, my effort finally came true in Bintulu. Min’s Café is located just opposite Sinly Stationeries behind Park City Mall. If you are expecting a full blown coffee shop, you’ll be disappointed since they only have a few stalls operating at the moment. It’s pretty quiet when we are there unlike other coffee shop on Sunday morning. I think this is due to its location and also it just opened recently. I went there upon recommendation from my friend and I really have to thank him for that.

Sarawak Laksa good till the last drop

The Sarawak Laksa served there are on par with those served back in Kuching. The soup is not too thick neither diluted and with the combination of the belacan paste provided, it’s just delicious till the last drop. After a bowl of the Sarawak Laksa, it really brings back the feeling of morning breakfast in Kuching. The lady owner is a bubbly lady; keep on asking me if it’s too spicy after seeing me sweating like a pig slurping the soup dry. I told her its just oomph!

TANJUNG BATU

Tanjung Batu

I found out that the favorite pastime for Bintulian (Bintulu folks) is going to the beach. There are a few beaches dotting the coast line of Bintulu and Tanjung Batu is one of them. It’s popular during the weekends and holiday since it’s only a few minutes away from town.

my little friend

abstract on the beach

The beach is clean and the water is cooling. The whole stretch is dotted with trees and nicely landscaped gardens. There are even facilities like children playground, resting area and BBQ pit for a little picnic. Even if you don’t like the hassle to prepare your food, there’s food stalls around where you can sip fresh coconut under the swaying palm trees.

family fun on the beach

It’s a really nice place if you want to clear your mind or just enjoy the sunset as I did. A romantic stroll along the beach against the sun setting back drop is what I’m dreaming of now.

sunset

PARKCITY MALL

new spanking mall

1st Thing i do when i arrived back in Bintulu is a visit to Parkcity Mall near Parkcity here. A new spanking mall for the folks here since there aren't any proper mal here yet. Nothing much to see as not many outlets has open yet.

this is wher i had my dinner

I stop by at Marrybrown to have my dinner and went to New World Mart to get some groceries. There are a few new players here that can't even be found in Kuching yet like Samuel&Kevin and Baleno. A good mall with good prospect if they managed it properly. At last i won't be bored here anymore. A sign of relief!

the place i got my groceries

POPULAR CORNER

Popular Corner

A typical Sunday in Bintulu is basically doing nothing except for lazing around and watches the world goes by. People here wake up earlier than average normal people and go doing their Sunday routine like Church or marketing at the local ‘Pasar Tamu’. One particular thing that they have in common is having breakfast or brunch at Popular Corner. It’s a restaurant cum coffee shop at the commercial area near to the ‘Pasar Tamu’.

hungry people

Come Sunday morning, the place is filled with hungry people, fresh smell of coffee and delightful aroma of different delicacies. The range of food available here on Sunday is more differing than normal offerings.

dim sum station

They have the ‘dim sum’ station with offerings like ‘siew mai’, ‘ha kau’, ‘char siew pau’ and other steam or fried stuff.

nyonya station

chi pau kai

Then they have the ‘nyonya’ station offering local delicacies like ‘ang ku’, layer cakes, ‘bak chang’ and a very big bun with chicken inside called ‘chi pau kai’. That thing can literally feed a family of four.

fast food station

roast station

noodle station

Other station you can find there are the roast section offering typical roast duck, chicken or pig, fast food station with its many dishes, noodle section and dessert station with its ‘bubur cha cha’, ‘abc’ and ‘lek tau suan’. Although it’s a four shop lot coffee shop, be prepared to fight for seats.

SEA VIEW (BTU)

Sea View situated next to Riverfront Inn and facing the river

Bintulu is a small town with nothing much to offer except that it is rich in natural gas. That is why you can see a lot of Japanese, Korean or Westerners in and around Bintulu. They work in the many refineries and industries that dotted the Tanjung Kidurong area. Since my work brings me here, I have to make full use of my spare time available. One of it is of course FOOD! This coffee shop is situated just in front of the river next to Riverview Inn.

the place is crowded in the morning hour

The place is packed with morning crowds as I was there with my friends. Finding a place to sit is a major task here. You basically have to stand next to a table and hope that they will be annoyed by your presence and leave. That’s what you have to do for food these days. Hard work! They basically serve typical Foochow delicacies here. From the usual ‘kampua mee’ to the more exquisite ‘fried prawn noodle’. All the noodles used are handmade by them self so you can assure that its all fresh!

fried prawn noodle (RM12.00)

We had a plate of ‘fried prawn noodle’ that comes with big chucks of prawns. The yellow noodle blends well the aromatic prawn paste and also the prawn meat. The prawns are fresh and you be licking the shell for all its worth.

chu cha mee (RM3.00)

The next dish is a typical Foochow fare called ‘chu cha mee’. It’s basically yellow noodle cooked in thick dark sauce gravy served with meat, seafood and vegetables. Some people like it in soup form but we opt for the semi dry version. A dash of white wine makes the noodle yummy to the last drop. Just be more civilized and don’t go licking the whole plate clean.