Ever been to Batu Niah in Sarawak? Follow this link.
Rules for visitors to Niah National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia
Author: abuadam Page 52 of 64
November 2010:
Gua Niah adalah sebahagian dari kawasan Taman Negara Niah. Taman Negara ini pula hanya 3 km dari pekan Batu Niah, sebuah pekan kecil tidak jauh dari persimpangan jalanraya Miri – Bintulu. Batu Niah terletak hampir 110 km dari Bandaraya Miri menuju Bintulu.
Taman Negara Niah, walaupun saiznya kecil dari banyak taman-taman negara lain di Sarawak, menjadi tarikan pelancong tempatan dan luarnegara. Saya terjumpa seorang pelancong agak berumur dari Jerman semasa berkunjung ke sana baru-baru ini. Dari KL dia terbang ke Miri semata-mata untuk melawat Gua Niah ini. Lepas tu dia terbang balik ke KL dan seterusnya pulang ke Jerman. Kalau orang Malaysia tak mai ke sini, apatah lagi orang Sarawak, apatahlagi orang Miri, memang teruk betul kitak tok. Satu lagi, niat kena betul.
Apa yang istimewa dengan Gua Niah di Batu Niah ini?
Antara Taman Negara terawal di Sarawak yang digazet pada tahun 1958. Ianya menjadi tempat kelahiran tamadun manusia di Asia Tenggara sejak 40000 tahun dulu. Gua inilah menjadi rumah dan tempat berehat manusia purba dahulu kala. Kesan-kesan peninggalan seperti rangka manusia, lukisan dinding, kawasan perkuburan mereka masih boleh dilihat di sini. Aktiviti arkeologi masih lagi aktif sehingga hari ini. Pencinta sejarah mesti datang ke sini.
Hari ini Gua Niah hanyalah rumah kepada kelawar dan burung pipit (swiflets). Orang tempatan mencari rezeki di sini dengan mengambil keluar tahi kelawar untuk dijual sebagai baja asli, dan juga sarang burung untuk dijadikan minuman berkhasiat yang dijual kepada orang-orang moden di bandat metroplitan. Mereka memanjat batang buluh yang tinggi tanpa sebarang alat keselamatan semata-mata untuk mencapai sarang-sarang burung yang terletak di siling gua.
Terdapat sebuah muzium berdekatan jeti yang menceritakan sejarah Taman Negara Niah. Masuk adalah percuma.
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- Papantanda larangan di Hutan Negara Batu Niah
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- Pencari sarang burung memanjat tiang tinggi untuk sampai ke siling gua
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- Traders Cave
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- Papan tanda di Gua Lukisan (Painted or Painting Cave) di Batu Niah
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- Rangka manusia berumur 6000 tahun dijumpai di Gua Lukisan
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- Pandangan dari dalam gua melihat keluar
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- Laluan papan (plankwalk) disediakan dari jeti ke pintu gua.
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- Pintu masuk ke Gua Besar (Great Cave)
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- Penduduk rumah panjang berdekatan menjual minuman di laluan. Air 100Plus di sini harganya RM3.
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- Keranda berbentuk perahu dan kawasan perkuburan manusia purba di Gua Lukisan
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- Pokok ratusan tahun sebesar ini boleh dijumpai dengan banyaknya sepanjang laluan
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- Dari jeri ke Painted Cave ialah 4.1km sahaja. Tak jauh kan adik?
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- Anda akan jumpa tempat rehat Gan Kira selepas keluar dari Gua Besar
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- Papan tanda menunjukkan keseluruhan gua-gua di Taman Negara Batu Niah
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- Pintu masuk ke Taman Negara Batu Niah
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- Parking lot disediakan di Taman Negara Batu Niah. Dari Miri tak perlu 4WD.
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- Bot untuk menyeberangi Sungai Niah (5 minit sahaja)
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- Anda akan jumpa Traders Cave dahulu sebelum sampai ke Great Cave
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- Lukisan di dinding gua. Sebab itulah dinamakan Painted Cave.
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- Berapa jauh lagi ke pintu gua?
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- Keadaan gelap dalam Gua Besar. Jgn lupa bawa lampu suluh berkuasa tinggi.
Beberapa maklumat berguna:
1. Bertolak awal pagi. Perjalanan dari Bandaraya Miri mengambil masa 2 jam (110 kms). Jalan bertar kecuali beberapa bahagian sedang dibaiki. Tidak perlu pacuan 4 roda. Kereta boleh sampai rapat ke pejabat Taman Negara. Malam dan gelap datang awal di dalam hutan, jadi pastikan anda keluar dari hutan awal sebaiknya sebelum pukul 3 atau 4 ptg. Kalau anda berjalan pantas dan tidak berminat dengan detail, lawatan ke Batu Niah dari Miri boleh siap dalam masa separuh hari sahaja.
2. Jarak perjalanan jalan kaki dari jeti (di seberang sungai) ke gua paling jauh (Painted Cave) lebih kurang 4.5 km. Ini bermaksud anda terpaksa berjalan kaki sejauh 9 km. Pakai kasut yang sesuai dan backpack yang ringan. Bawak air minuman dan makanan ringan dan snek. Terdapat satu gerai makanan/minuman di laluan menuju ke gua, tetapi harga tidak masuk akal — sebotol air minuman 500ml ialah RM3. Gerai-gerai kecil ini juga menjual cenderamata orang hulu.
3. Daftar dahulu di pejabat Taman Negara sebelum bergerak ke jeti untuk menaiki bot. Jarak pejabat ke jeti hanyalah 200m. Boat ride hanyalah 5 minit — menyeberangi Sungai Niah dari tebing sini ke tebing sana. Taman Negara ini juga mempunyai chalet, kafetaria dan bilik mesyuarat. Bayaran masuk yang dikenakan ialah RM10 utk seorang dewasa. Pas masuk berkumpulan (group entry pass) untuk maksimum lima orang satu kumpulan (campuran kanak-kanak dan dewasa) boleh dibeli dengan hanya RM30. Pas sekali masuk untuk pelajar, warga emas dan OKU hanyalah RM5 setiap orang. Tanya di kaunter pendaftaran untuk maklumat terkini. Patuhi undang-undang taman negara seperti yang tercetak di belakang pas masuk dan juga papan-papan tanda di kawasan taman.
4. Anda perlu membawa lampu suluh berkuasa tinggi, topi dan juga sarung tangan. Tanpa lampu suluh, mustahil untuk anda menyusuri laluan papan (plankwoods) di dalam Gua Besar (Great Cave) yang gelap gelita lagi sunyi sepi.
How to get there?
Batu Niah is about 100 kms to the west of Miri, about midway between Miri and Bintulu. Road condition are good, tarred all the way. Private bus operator like Suria Bus Company is also available from Miri Pujut Corner bus terminal.
November 2010:
Brunei, located in the northern Borneo, is one of the last remaining Sultanate government in South East Asia. It is also one of the three governments in the world ruled by monarchies under a dynasty claiming descent from Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Brunei, despite relatively small size comparing to its neighbouring Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, has more to offer to unhurried visitors, in term of natural landscapes — unspoiled forests, rivers and beaches.
One of major towns in Brunei is Seria, known as a town built by oil industry. Shell is a major player being here more than 100 years. I had opportunity to stop by this oil town in November 2010 while enroute Bandar Seri Begawan from Miri, Sarawak. Read on below for another story of the road, this time Brunei. Pictures quality may not be that good as I was using camera phone only, i.e. SE Xperia X10 with 8.1 megapixels camera, still running on Android 1.6 despite many failed attempts to upgrade to 2.1.
Shell (Brunei Shell) and Seria are inseparable. Shell’s influence in Seria town is very noticeble and everywhere from petrol station to crude oil terminals to huge refinery. The first oil discovery onshore was made in 1929 and in fact the whole Seria town sits on what is called Seria oil field. The old way of producing oil using mechanical “donkeys” to pump up the oil from underground is still in practise. You can still see these “donkeys” at work around Seria town nowadays. White men probably expatiates working with Brunei Shell can be seen on town streets wandering around in search of night entertainment, which is scarce in this deeply religious country. You could not be wrong if you say that the town exists because of Shell. There is a main road cutting across the town and leading to an oil refinery and oil terminals and other facilities at one end. The town streets are in grid formation and very easy to navigate, if you know where you are going to. The roads are well marked. The town center is dotted with rows of shoplots where you can find banks, restaurants including Jollibee fast food outlet (Brunei’s version of McDonalds or KFC) and many retail outlets selling Chinese junk stuff and hardwares. There is one 3-storey shopping center behind Jollibee. A small taxi and bus terminal is nearby, where buses going to BBS and Kuala Belait can be found. BTW Seria is a town in the district of Kuala Belait. If you are interested in knowing more about how Shell discovered and developed oil reserve in Brunei, a visit to OGDC is a must. Check visiting hours first.
Places to visit in Seria:
1. Oil & Gas Discovery Center (OGDC)
2. Oil & gas facilities (including oil refinery)
3. Town center
4. Masjid Pekan Seria
5. “Donkeys”
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- Sebuah gedung membeli belah di Seria
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- Oil & Gas Discovery Center in Seria, Brunei
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- Loji penapis minyak di Seria, Brunei
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- Earlier method of producing oil — ‘donkey’ in Seria, Brunei.There are many more ‘donkeys’ around Seria and they are still producing.
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- Pandangan di dalam Masjid di Pekan Seria, Brunei
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- Masjid Pekan Seria di Brunei
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- Seria ialah hub industri minyak di Brunei
How to get here?
Seria is about 100 km to the west of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. From Miri (Malaysia), it is about 40 kms.
There are many ways to get here. One way is to fly to Miri, Sarawak, cross Malaysia/Brunei at Sungai Tujuh checkpoint and drive up to Seria on the way to BBS. ANother way is to fly direct to BBS and take road trip to Seria.
18 September 2010:
If you happen to be in Miri, Sarawak, you should not miss visiting Brunei, because it is very nearby. By road under normal driving and traffic, you should you should reach the capital city of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan within 2 hours with total distance of about 150 kms. But there are some formalities at the border crossing which could be quite tricky for the first timers, nevertheless it is a breeze if you know how. I will share my experience crossing Malaysia/Brunei border by road in this post.
The roads are all the way paved and some stretch are 4-lane highway and with fast car you will enjoy the speed of your machine. If you have time, you could enjoy the green tropical sceneries at one side and the South China Sea breeze on the other side. You will see most towns in Brunei along this journey like Kuala Belait, Seria, Jerudong are all beach towns.
First stage is from Miri to Sungai Tujuh checkpoint. The checkpoint is about 30 kms from Miri city center. To reach this border checkpoint, you have two options. First you could drive north to Lutong along the coastal road and before reaching Kuala Baram, turn right following the direction to Sungai Tujuh. Alternatively from Miri you could reach the checkpoint via Tudan or Permyjaya. Either way, follow the roadsign leading to Sungai Tujuh checkpoint or Kuala Belait. No mention of Bandar Seri Begawan yet at this point in time.
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- Bus passengers must get down at the Brunei immigration checkpoint.
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- Shipyards at Baram port in Miri.
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- This is Brunei Immigration checkpoint. Stay in the car and produce passport.
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- ASEAN Bridge crosses over Sungai Baram
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- Stop and pay B$3 at Sungai Rasau Bridge toll. Wait to collect receipt.
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- Turn right to the checkpoint, from Kuala Baram road
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- Long queue at Brunei Custom checkpoint. Drive thru and stop at the counter.
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- Passport must be stamped by Brunei Immigration at the Sungai Tujuh checkpoint.
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- This is Malaysian custom checkpoint. Stay in car and produce passport.
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- Malaysia Immigration must stamp exit date on your passport.
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- Fillup this form if you bring in Malaysian car into Brunei.
Maneuvouring thru checkpoint is a bit tricky. First you must pass Malaysia Immigration checkpoint. No need for you and passengers to get off from the car. Just drive thru and at the counter hand over all the international passports to the clerk inside the booth. Malaysians do not need visa to enter Brunei, international passports will do. Other nationalities please check with your own consulates. After passports stamped and returned, you will drive thru a winding road passing thru Brunei police station. By now you are already in the Brunei side of the border already. Do not stop at the police station. Just drive up along the winding road and you will reach Brunei Immigration checkpoint. Again, just drive thru and hand over the passports to a clerk at the counter. Here she will stamp the entry visa in your passports which allows you to stay in Brunei for up to one month on social visit pass. Then you will come to Custom checkpoint. Since you are bringing Malaysian car into Brunei, they will ask you to fill up a car pass. Get the form from them and fill up vehicle particulars. All info requested about the vehicles can be found in the car grant or title issued by JPJ Malaysia. So it is strongly recommended that you carry along a copy of such car grant. Pull over to a waiting bay to fill up the form.
Brunei is such a rich country that no fees whatsoever required. By the way the vehicle pass is valid for one month, which means you can use the same pass many times to enter Brunei. Thats why you see some drivers just drive thru and hand over their old car pass for stamping by the Custom official — because they already filled up once. Once you are done with the Brunei Custom, you are already on the way to Bandar Seri Begawan, some 127 kms from the checkpoints. On Brunei roads you will see majority big cars with Brunei plate numbers which starts with B or K refering to districts in Brunei. You can easily be mistaken with Kedah or Selangor plate number which also starts with K and B respectively, but the difference is bigger font size. You will pass by towns like Kuala Belait, Jerudong and Tutong before you reach BBS. After BBS is Muara, the town at the furthest end of the highway.
After a while you will come to a toll plaza at which every car passing thru must pay 3 Brunei Dollar. Take note that there is no proper rest area along the highway. As you are passing villages you may stop at the road-side restaurants or shops for a break. Observe speed limit as police patrol cars in latest Chevrolet Cruze are watching you.
31 OGOS, 2010:
Hari keramat ini tahun ini jatuh di bulan Ramadhan. Sambutan di peringkat Negeri Sarawak diadakan di stadium tertutup Miri tetapi aku tidak pergi. Malas campur tiada kawan. Kalau ada kawan yang ajak, mungkin aku pergi, kerana jiwa patriotik anti-penjajah yang sentiasa hadir dalam diri. Selepas solat Subuh di Masjid Piasau Jaya, Ustaz Nassru menyampaikan kuliah Subuh. AKu pernah jumpa dengannya beberapa hari lalu selepas diperkenalkan oleh seorang taulan semasa masjis Nuzul Quran di Masjid atTaqwa, Miri. Beliau seorang guru sekolah kerajaan yang mengajar di Miri, asalnya dari Terengganu. DI majlis yang sama bukan saja aku jumpa Ustaz Nassru ini, malahan bersalaman dengan Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Dato Taib Mahmud, Ketua Menteri paling lama dalam sejarah Malaysia moden — 29 tahun, sejak 1981 — orangnya kecil dan kurus tetapi nampak karismatik. Bila dia sampai depan masjid dengan pengawal dan pengiring, rakyat Sarawak berlumba-lumba menghulur tangan dan menyambut dan mencium tangannya. Rasa hormat masih kelihatan kepada pemimpin yang menghampiri usia senja ini.
Seperti mana-mana pemimpin yang terlalu lama berkuasa, peribadi beliau agak kontroversi, seperti di link ini http://sarawakreport.org/2010/02/howtaibhasrobbedsarrawak/. Selebih dari itu — no comment.
Agak tersasar saya ini. Kembali kepad Ustaz Nassru.
Antara mesej kuliah Ustaz Nassru, beliau menyingkap bagaimana Islam memerdekakan umat Melayu di Asia Tenggara ini dari fahaman animisme dan musyrik. Dari nama-nama seperti Cempaka, Melati, Melor, Bawal, Bugil, Jerai, Jebat, Kasturi, nama-nama umat Melayu bertukar ke Abdullah, Ibrahim, Hashim, Aisyah dan seumpamanya. HAri-hari berubah menjadi Ahad, Isnin, Selasa dan sebagainya. Perkataan harian kita menjadi kertas, adil, aman, salam, masjid, sihir, umur dan banyak lagi perkataan yang asalnya dari BAhasa Arab. Negeri-negeri kita menjadi Darul Aman, Darul Iman, Darul Ehsan, dan sebagainya. menjadi Dan yang pentingnya dari menyembah pohon pokok, busut anai-anai, bintang dan binatang, umat Melayu mengesakan Allah yang satu. Itulah nikmat terbesar — iman dan Islam.
Pengaruh Islam kepada umat Melayu sangat besar. Kalau tidak ada pendagang dan pendakwah Islam yang menyampaikan dakwah kepada nenek moyang kita dahulu kala, mungkin kita masih lagi bernama pokok, bunga dan haiwan. Jadi peranan kita mempertahan dan menyebarkan risalah ini kepada generasi akan datang sampai hari Qiamat.