kelabit highlands

Are you visiting the villages around Christmas prepare yourself going from one Xmas lunch to the next Xmas dinner every day. Every meal in another local house, getting you to know the host family and even better the whole village.

 traveling by long boat to the village did not take the usual 1 hrs, but 3.5 hours because of many trees blocking the river. Luckily I could look at my male companions lifting the trees.

As a guest I was usually was offered a chair, while old villagers were eating like the others on the floor.  Other guests were teachers, pastor, police, beside the male head of the family.

 bario, highland cat

I  loved it! Probably will be going back here.
pa Lungan the last Malaysian village without  road access. I had to fly, drive, travel by boat to come there.

But the road is soon to come, making for the Malaysian government it possible to take  what they can take, the villagers only getting a bit of it. They are tricked to sign agreements giving up their rights. They feel obliged to sign because it is the government asking. I am so sorry for them.