Sweet home, Ba'Kelalan

CAPTAIN Susilo carefully manoeuvres the plane, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, along the valley heading towards the short runway and makes a smooth landing, much to the delight of the eager passengers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed in Ba'Kelalan," he announces through the intercom, referring to the lazy paradise renowned for its apples and the friendly Lun Bawang people.

Ba'Kelalan, located just 4km from the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, is 3,000 feet above sea level. The verdant hills, padi fields, tranquil misty morning, cool and bright atmosphere and the friendly locals all provide a refreshing panorama unique to Ba'Kelalan.

The plane, known as belon (balloon) in the local language, flew in the members of the media for two important events in the last week of March the annual Apple Fiesta and the launching of MasWings flights to Ba'Kelalan.

At one end of the airstrip, the visitors are greeted by a group of women in their traditional black and white attire, heads adorned with strings of yellow beads. They dance gracefully to the traditional rhythm with flowers made of paper in their hands.

So finally, the people of Ba'Kelalan have joined the bandwagon in tapping the tourism potential of their ancestral land with the assistance of Tourism Malaysia.

But what has it to offer other than its small apple orchard? Ba'Kelalan, that lacks modern infrastructure, has some worthwhile offering and the apples are just the icing on the cake.

Ba'Kelalan that encompasses nine villages is still very much isolated from the outside world. The people generate their own electricity and there is limited communication with the outside world through satellite phones. Water is piped from the streams in the jungles.

It is a place where you don't have to worry of traffic jams. There are no cars or lorries except for a handful of four-wheel-drive vehicles and motorcycles. There is no tarred road and a cement pavement connects much of the village.

While such scenario may not appeal to those seeking luxury retreats, it certainly offers a new experience and a sense of adventure for those keen to sample life in one of the last outbacks in the country.

The only type of accommodation available here is homestays and the Apple Lodge run by Tagal Paren's family in the Buduk Nur village, at the edge of the airstrip, provides a decent shelter and unparalleled hospitality of the Tagal family.

Tagal is the man behind the apples in Ba'Kelalan and the father of the two illustrious sons of the Lun Bawang community, Mutang and the late Dr Judson.

According to Mutang, the pristine beauty of Ba'Kelalan provides an enriching experience for visitors.

"It is a perfect eco-tourism gateway and a natural health farm," says the former Bukit Mas Member of Parliament.

The idyllic Ba'Kekalan is exemplary in providing a taste of rural life. It calls on visitors to engage with the locals to experience their simple life.

Life here is a community effort. It is the villagers who welcome guests, guide the planes to the airstrip, plant and harvest rice and other crops, maintain their surroundings and conduct barter trade with their brethren from the other side of the border to complement their needs.

The people are courteous and friendly. Most of the locals that you come across are bound to greet you with smiles. The locals, though hoping to earn some income through tourism, are steadfast in safeguarding their environment and want to maintain Ba'Kelalan's identity in their endeavour.

Ba'Kekalan state assemblyman Nelson Balang Rining points out that most locals can communicate in English, a boon for tourism and something that the rest of Malaysia can take heed of.

Nelson notes the lati ba (padi fields) that produces the adan rice, popularly known as Bario rice, the main commodity here, is another attraction.

Nonetheless, the biggest asset as described by Mutang and Nelson is the Lun Bawang community itself. They boast a rich cultural legacy and are highly proud of their homeland and the testimony to this is their own patriotic song Ba'Kelalan My Home Sweet Home.

And Lun Bawang delicacies, though they may not use spices, is no less tantalising. Specialties like luba laya (rice wrapped in itip leave), biter (vegetable porridge), and sinamu and narar (smoked fish and meat) are worth trying.

For those seeking adventure, why not go trekking up to the "view point" on the hills that provides a spectacular view of Buduk Nur and its breathtaking surroundings.

Ba'Kelalan serves as an excellent transit point to the nearby Pulung Tau Forest Park. Visitors can also make their way to Gunung Murud and Batu Lawi peaks, the local "twin towers".

The logging tracks from Lawas is a fantastic setting for four-wheel drive expeditions and extreme sports. For those seeking more adrenalin rush, they can continue their adventure to the Kayang Mentarang National Park in Kalimantan.

MasWings flies to Ba' Kelalan from Miri on Wednesdays and Lawas on Mondays and Saturdays. The area can also be reached via logging roads from Lawas. For accommodation and travel itinerary choices, go to borneojunglesafari.com.

Bernama