The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Hikes, Walks, and Nature in Southeast Asia

Apart from my sojourn in Western Australia, the balance of my 3 1/2 month winter trip to Asia was spent largely in Malaysia, book-ended by a cruise from Taiwan to Singapore and a final week in Bali, all of which gave me some opportunity for walking and hiking in an environment quite alien to my desert home. This blog post is presented in chronological order, which is roughly geographically north to south. To keep this blog post to a manageable size, I have intentionally restricted it (with one or two exceptions) to only those photos I took on my various walks and hikes.

The Cruise: Taipei to Singapore

Twenty years since my last cruise, I thought it finally time for another. A one way 14-day cruise in early December fit the bill, stopping in several countries I had not yet visited. In addition to the Taiwan and Singapore ports of embarkation and debarkation, these included: Hong Kong, the Philippines, Brunei, and Malaysian Borneo, the last of which I would return to 3 months later. Unfortunately, a major drawback on any large ship cruise is that, apart from snorkeling, the port itineraries are not designed for an active traveler. Hence, I headed out on my own more than once.

View of Taipei with Taipei 101 far left, taken on a traverse of Elephant Mountain
Another view of Taipei from the Elephant Mountain Traverse. I chose my hotel, the Grand Hyatt, as it was within easy walking distance of this popular mountain (hill, actually).
Bucolic trail on Elephant Mountain. There were MANY stairs to gain 200m of elevation on this short loop hike.
Muara & Tanjung Batu beaches loop, Brunei Darussalam. Not being particularly interested in the cultural tour options this day, I chose to walk a lovely 10km loop from the bus stop.

My other walking excursions, in Hong Kong and Pattaya, Thailand, while enjoyable, yielded no interesting photos. So here I fast forward to the port of debarkation, Singapore, where I subsequently stayed five nights.

Botanic Garden view, Singapore. I spent an enjoyable morning wandering here during my visit to this city-state. Like most of coastal SE Asia, the combination of high temps and humidity made afternoons outside limited to the hotel swimming pool.
A banana flower, Singapore Botanic Garden (SBG)
Bird of Paradise, SBG
A colorful bird I watched at SBG
The Evolution Path in SBG. The park was actually quite hilly: 200m elevation gain over only 7km.
Marina Bay view, Singapore. Despite appearances here, my 12km walk around the bay included significant elevation gain.
Another view of Marina Bay, including the Gardens by the Bay and the iconic Marina Sands hotel on the left here. I regret not returning another morning to visit the popular Gardens.

Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo

Skipping ahead almost 2 months, in February I flew from Western Australia to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to begin a 3-week visit to both peninsular Malaysia and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Apart from a couple of extra days in KL at the start, this trip comprised 2 group nature/cultural excursions with the Australian company, Intrepid.

Perdana Botanic Garden vista, Kuala Lumpur. For decades the botanic garden had been a park, and still contained numerous vestiges from that operation.
Orchid menagerie, Perdana Botanic Garden. By design, my hotel was a convenient 7 minute walk to the botanic garden. My 7km walk had over 260m elevation gain, quite impressive for a city!
Landscape, Perdana Botanic Garden

Leaving KL, our group made a several hour drive to Penang Island where we started our peninsular Malaysia adventure.

Beginning the ascent of Penang Hill before dawn, Penang Island
Dawn over George Town, Penang, from the Penang Hill Heritage Trail.
Funicular tracks, Penang Hill Heritage Trail. Most tourists took this mode up the hill. I, instead, climbed more than 700m (over only 3km) for the resulting views. . .
View from the top, Penang Hill. Needless to see, no other Intrepid clients joined me for this early morning workout. And yes, I chose the funicular to descend!
With giant cassava leaves in the Ulu Muda rainforest in Kedah. We spent two nights at a The Earth Lodge, a rustic ecolodge, certainly the highlight of this trip.
A Lanternfly in the Ulu Muda forest. I’m not sure if this is the same species devastating vineyards in the Eastern US.

A dragonfly in the Ulu Muda rainforest
The Vagabond Hiker posing with a giant ficus in Ulu Muda
Bukit Labu cave, Ulu Muda forest. Our guide (and ecolodge owner) had discovered this cave some years prior and has been monitoring the species calling it home.
Lunch stop along a stream in the Ulu Muda forest
Leaving the Earth Lodge, Ulu Muda forest. Boats are the only way to access this remote area.
Boardwalk path in the Cameron Highlands Montane Park. Several of us took the Parit Falls loop nature walk here. At an elevation of more than 1400m, this area, known for its tea plantations and formerly a British Hill Station, was much cooler (and wetter) than the rest of Peninsular Malaysia we visited.
A pitcher plant, Cameron Highlands
Another species of pitcher plant, Cameron Highlands
Malay Rose deail, Cameron Highlands

After returning to KL, a couple of us flew to Borneo the following day for another Intrepid group trip.

Pygmy Elephant, Kinabatangan River, Borneo. As one can see, “pygmy” is a relative term. Three river cruises from this jungle lodge gave us an opportunity to see lots of wildlife, including orangutans.
Sunset, Kinabatangan River, Borneo
Sunset Point, Manukan Island, Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. We stayed one night at a resort here. Thankfully, outside of day-tripper hours, the island was quiet. An hour walk in the early morning was a great way to appreciate it.

For what was by far the most interesting hike I did in Borneo, climbing Mount Kinabalu, see my recent post.

Bali, Indonesia

Wrapping up my 31/2 month winter trip to southeast Asia and Australia, I spent a week relaxing and sightseeing in Bali, where I had only ever changed planes before.

Jungle near Leke Leke Waterfall, on a short hike I took as part of a private day trip organized by the Ubud resort where I stayed.
Leke Leke waterfall. Mid-morning I had it all to myself.
Small bract Sanchezia near Leke Leke waterfall
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Bali. This wildly popular spot among the Instragram crowd was beautiful nonetheless. Nor was it crowded at the end of the rainy season when I was there. (Australians generally visit during the dry season that coincides with the Austral winter).
View of the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, another short walk I took during this day trip from Ubud, the cultural center of Bali.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces from the restaurant where I had lunch. Absolutely gorgeous!
Boats along Sanur Beach. After a few days I relocated from Ubud to a posh resort at the south end of Sanur Beach.
Temple along the Sanur Beach promenade. It was possible to walk more than 4km one way along the beach promenade.
Sanur Beach view. Particularly in the mornings it was not very crowded and the chill vibe provided a great way to end my winter trip.
A note on vertical photo widths: I noticed while perusing an old blog post of mine, that an update to the WordPress Block Editor changed its default settings so that all vertical photos appear full width. This has retroactively affected every blog post of mine, making them difficult to see on a PC or tablet as well as enlarging many to the point of pixilation due to the compressed resolution I intentionally use on my blog site. This WordPress update to my knowledge has had no adverse impact for viewing on phones (though on phones the landscape photos appear small - I do recommend using a tablet or PC). The only solution I could find is to manually force the width of the vertical photos to what I originally intended. With 127 blog posts this laborious task will take a while...

I have returned to Italy for the remainder of the spring and early summer before heading to Madagascar for two weeks. Although currently staying in Trentino near Lago di Garda, I do promise two blog posts from the regions of Tuscany and Abruzzo, a major change of scene from my usual northern Italian adventures! Stay tuned,

The Vagabond Hiker

Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

With a few extra days scheduled into my Borneo trip, Malaysia’s highest mountain beckoned. Mount Kinabalu (4095 m), located in Sabah State in Malaysian Borneo, is the highest mountain between Papua New Guinea and northern Myanmar. Additionally, it is the 20th most prominent peak in the world, just nudging Mt Rainier in Washington State out of the top 20. The Kinabalu massif consists of numerous summits, shown in the photo below, the highest of which is Low’s Peak, the destination for all commercial climbers.

Mount Kinabalu Peaks Map. Can you spot any on my park entrance photo at the top of this post? They do vary some from the different angle.

The popularity of Mount Kinabalu has necessitated a well-regulated system of climbing. Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times, mostly due to the risk of experiencing altitude sickness. A minimum of two days is required, with a mandatory overnight rest stop midway up the mountain at Panalaban “basecamp.” The number of permits is limited to about 180, the number of beds in several dorm-style accommodations at Panalaban, 6.5 km distance from Timpohon Gate, the usual start point. While that may seem a short way, it is a steep 1400 m ascent (from 1850 m altitude to 3250 m above sea level) that requires on average 5 hours to complete. An alpine start from Panalaban the second morning is timed to enable one to see sunrise from near the summit, another 800 m ascent of often very steep climbing over another 3 km distance. After enjoying the views, climbers generally stop for a rest back at Panalaban, and then continue their descent to the trailhead on day 2. A second night staying at Panalaban is another option. Refer to the highly schematic summit trail map below.

Mount Kinabalu Trail Map. Provided by Borneo Calling, the agency that expertly handled my logistics.

Mt Kinabalu was my first proper mountain climb since the two day ascent of Mt Toubkal, Morocco in 2023 and the three day ascent of Punta Rossa della Grivola in the Italian Alps in 2022. Achieving the summit of Mt Kinabalu – and returning to the trailhead – in two days proved a real test of my endurance. My journey began in Kota Kinabalu (KK) with a 6.30 AM hotel pickup and 2 hour transfer to Mount Kinabalu National Park. We received our climbing permit tags and got a short van transfer to Timpohon Gate where the climb started.

For this post, with one exception the photos are arranged in increasing altitude, NOT chronological order.

Carson Falls through the foliage, at the lowest point on the trail. It’s all up from here!
The Summit Trail through the forest near the trailhead
View back from a canopy opening
My guide, Freendy, leading the way. He has 25 years’ experience guiding on Mt Kinabalu.
The rocky trail heading into the mist. Clouds and low-level fog generally increase as the day progresses. Note the water pipes supplying the shelters with toilets along the path and the park buildings near the entrance.
A Krummholz promontory. Photo taken on the descent.
Pendant Hut, where I stayed the night, a small portion of the Panalaban Basecamp complex. Accommodation included two meals and an early morning snack. Photo taken from Borneo Calling.
Ascent route up the face on day 2 is denoted by the white rope zig-zagging up the right side here. Taken on descent (as it was dark on ascent!)
The day 2 ascent route here features steps with rails and a viewing platform. Taken on descent.
Mountain orchid (possibly Coelogyne papillosa). I had little energy for botanizing, but I thought this orchid, common for a section of the Summit Trail, was worth the effort.
The Vagabond Hiker on Low’s Peak summit with moon. Freendy was a great guide, but photographer, not so much.
Low’s Peak summit photo with Freendy
Dawn on the descent from Low’s Peak. Note the white rope used as a guide. The red light on the right side is likely a ship offshore of KK.

While the 2200 m (7200 ft) ascent of Mount Kinabalu was certainly tough, due more to the steepness and uneven terrain than the altitude, the descent if anything was more challenging. Trekking poles were absolutely required and even two days later as I write this blog from my KK hotel room, my quads and calves are still sore. Nevertheless, not only was it a great experience connecting with other climbers, chatting with my guide, and communing with nature, the climb certainly gave a sense of accomplishment and is one I will never forget.

Like many of the photos above, this entire post has been published out of chronological order. Still to come are two posts from my winter trip, Hikes & Walks in Western Australia and Hikes, Walks & Nature of Southeast Asia. Tomorrow I continue on to Bali for 8 days of R&R before returning to the UK. And who knows, maybe a couple of hikes?

The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking Uzbekistan’s Mountains

Visitors to Uzbekistan usually confine their travels to the Silk Road Cities of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, with a day spent in Tashkent where most international flights arrive. While our Mountain Kingdoms group did all that, for 7 days we also trekked around the Nuratau and Chimgan Mountains, visiting remote villages and staying in guesthouses in the former, and enjoying a lake-side resort in the latter.

Nuratau Mountains

A 4 to 5 hour drive from Bukhara are located the Nuratau Mountains. According to Wiki, the Nuratau Mountains are a range of mountains located in Uzbekistan constituting one of the western buttresses of the Gissar Range. They border Aydar Lake to the north, the town of Nurata to the west, the Kyzylkum Desert to the south, and the Sanzar river to the east.

Our four day, 3 night itinerary included 1) a village walk around Asraf village; 2) a hike from Asraf to Uhum village; 3) a hike to view petroglyphs, continuing to Hayat village; 4) and a local hike around Hayat village. Apart from the first walk (where we were nearly benighted due to an inexperienced guide), the walks of 7 to 13 km were rather easy, with no extended ascents and generally good trails. The two British couples that comprised the rest of our group were all very pleasant and interesting, though perhaps not the strongest hikers. Enjoy some hiking highlights along with a couple “city” photos at the end!

Asraf village view on the day 1 local walk. The impossibly late start to the day 1 walk, due to wasted time en-route, made photography difficult, so only this poor photo from my phone is included here.
Looking back at Asraf valley near the start of our day 2 trek. The geology is primarily sandstone and limestone.
View towards Lake Aydar, a large, brackish man-made reservoir from the Soviet era just visible in the distance
A shaded lane in Uhum village
A pleasant valley and stream outside of Uhum village on day 3. The riparian ecosystems were entirely different from the arid mountains.
The petroglyphs we saw on day 3. Although the walk up the valley was very pleasant, compared to those I’ve seen in southern Utah, this one panel of sheep was underwhelming,
Landscape on day 4 outside of Hayat village. Although we did spot a herd of endangered Severtsov’s wild sheep in the tiny nearby Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve, they were only clear through binoculars.
Spot our group in the hills outside Hayat village
Some hooved locusts near Hayat village. Incidentally, the Hayat Guesthouse was easily the best of the three at which we stayed.

Chimgan Mountains

No question that the Chimgan Mountains were more inspiring that the Nuratau Mountains. They lie about 90 minutes’ drive north of Tashkent, and are mostly known for skiing in the winter, but they are also a popular escape from the summer heat for Tashkentians (?), who comprise about 10% of Uzbekistan’s population. We did 3 day hikes in this area dubbed by Uzbeks somewhat aspirationally as “little Switzerland.” With distances around 13 km and more than 500 m of elevation change, they were definitely in the moderate category, a whole step up from the easy hikes in the Nuratau mountains. Here are the highlights. . .

View from near our high pass trailhead on day 1. Greater Chimgan is on the right, featuring several climbing and mountaineering routes, and is definitely worth a visit on its own. Our much easier objective the following day was Lesser Chimgan, on the left here.
Vista with Lake Charvak on our long descent on day 1. Our hotel was on the lower right portion of the lake from this perspective. Glorious light and clouds make this my favorite photo of this post.
Balcony view from the Avenue Park Hotel across the man-made Lake Charvak reservoir
A zoom view of the mountains to the east as we ascended on our day 2 traverse of Lesser Chimgan. Farther to the east and north are the much higher Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, obscured by clouds on this day.
Greater Chimgan (right) from our ascent ridge. Admittedly almost identical to the previous photo, but I wanted to show another perspective of Greater Chimgan, at 3309 m the highest Uzbek peak in the Western Tian Shan. Please forgive me.
The Vagabond Hiker on the summit of Lesser Chimgan (2099 m). Charvak Lake is below.
Our scrambling descent route on the Lesser Chimgan traverse, the most interesting part of any of our hikes.
Our group on descent. None were really scramblers, but they all eventually made it down safely.
Charvak Lake view on descent. Shortly after this, the hike went off-piste, as our inexperienced guide led us traversing around an animal track rather than descending any one of a number of good paths.
Shuldak Village, at our day 3 trailhead in the Chimgan Mountains. From here we did a loop up a ridge, descending another valley.
Geology along the Shuldak Valley in the Chimgan Mtns, near the start of our hike. Marble has long been quarried from these valleys.
The obligatory flower photo. European Michaelmas daisy (Aster amellus), one of the few interesting flowers I saw blooming this late in the season.
Variegated landscape above the Shuldak Valley
Another landscape pic. Again, pardon the redundancy, but the clouds on all three days hiking in the Chimgans made photography so much more fun!
Like a scene from the Old West: a rail car, a remnant from the mining and quarrying days.

Hiking in these two wildly different mountain ranges added immeasurably to the Silk Road Cities on our 2 week trip to Uzbekistan. To whet your appetite for the Silk Road, here are a couple of the many city photos I took. . .

Evening light on the Islam Khoja Minaret, Khiva
Registan Square, Samarkand, featuring a trio of madrasas: Ulugh Beg (l), Tilya-Kori (c), and Sherdor (r).

To save money, my return flight from Tashkent to London was by way of Tunis, where I enjoyed two action-packed days exploring ancient Roman and Phoenician sites, as well as admiring mosaics at the Bardo museum and wandering around both the beautiful town of Sidi Bou Said and the thankfully quiet (this was a Sunday) Medina of Tunis. If I get ambitious I will post on my cultural wanderings in Tunisia, including the Roman ruins of Bulla Regia and Dougga.

Last week was spent in Portugal’s Algarve, and featured 3 dramatic coastal hikes, the subject of another (shortish) blog post. Meanwhile, tomorrow I am returning to Cornwall to hike another week-long section of the Southwest Coast Path, from St Ives to Padstow.

No worries, though. I will eventually post some photos from these adventures!

The Vagabond Hiker