J.A.M. La ViDa

Sabah is a place full of hidden gems. Nature lovers, those looking for adventures will find full joy in traveling Sabah. Even though I have lived in Sabah for more than 10 years, I must admit there are still many sides of Sabah I've never explored.

Last summer hols, I went white water rafting with 5 other friends in Padas River. We met up at Merdeka Supermarket in Lido and was picked up by the van which was to bring us to Tenom.


We reached Tenom around 11.30am. We heard that the Hakka yong tow fu and chun juan (egg rolls) at the 1st floor of the Tenom Central Market was very famous. So we decided there and then to find to try those specialties even though we did not have much time. If you're interested in eating there, just ask the locals where the Central Market is and they'll point the way.

This is us waiting for our food to come. No photos of the food as all of us were too busy digging in to take any photos.

At 12:30pm, we took the train from Tenom to Pangie vilage. The train we took must be the oldest train in the world. I was surprised that it was still functioning! Apparently these trains have been in use since the late 19th century in Borneo. Too bad we did not have our camera with us so I can't show you guys the pics.

At the starting point, we were given a short brief on the dos and don'ts and what to do if we went overboard....etc.

Before long, we were rafting on the Padas River. There were 9 of us on one raft, including our two guides who sat at the back of the raft. Actually, it was not that hard of a job, for us at least. Basically, all we had to do was row when our guide ordered us to row and to stop when he said so. Our two guides at the back had the heavy and important job of steering the raft.

It was really an exhilarating experience rafting thru the numerous rapids with amusing names such as Merry-Go-Round Rapid, Break Point Rapid, Scooby Doo Rapid, Cobra Rapid, Curve Rapid, Lambada Rapid and Head Hunter Rapid.

Halfway thru, we stopped at Rayoh Station for a quick lunch and rest. Lunch consisted of BBQ chicken, lamb and some stir-fried cabbage. Though the food was not exactly the most delicious in the world, it did its job of filling up our hungry stomachs.

This is Nicholas showing how much fun he's having!

After filling up our stomachs, we continued rafting down the Padas river while enjoying the majestic view of the Borneo rainforest. As the waters were more calm downstream, we started to have fun by splashing people on other boats with our oars. Our guide even threw the guys overboard!

Endpoint of our rafting trip was a place called Halogilat, where we took the speedboat to Beaufort town. At Beaufort,we dried and changed our wet clothes for dry ones in some makeshift changing rooms (when I say makeshift, I really mean it!)

A small reminder: Do remember to bring a towel to dry yourself and a change of clothes, including underwear or you'll end up like Adeline who looked as if she'd just urinated into her pants (look hard at the photo). She had forgotten to bring her underwear!!!

From Beaufort, we took the van back to KK. Though all of us were tired out at the end of the trip, it was an experience we would never forget.

This is the certificate i received for having challenged the Padas River! Hooray!!!

For those who're interested, the agent we used was Traverse Tours Sdn Bhd (Riverbug). You can just google it up and you'll find all the extra info you need or just leave your questions at the comments and i'll try my best to answer them. We paid RM 175 per person at that time (we had a small discount)! But expect to pay around RM 200 as you know all prices have increased with the economic recession.

Note: It's best to wear a shirt, shorts and slippers or sandals. Do bring sunblock to prevent yourself from getting sunburn! And don't forget your change of clothes and a towel.