Tour d'Borneo

[Joko_Londo]

It wasn't all of Borneo. In fact, it was just a little slice of West Borneo, a loop around the regions bordering Pontianak. I wanted to go some place really different, but not that super hard to get to from Yangon, Myanmar, where I live today. It was just a short skip down to KL and then a short hop over to Pontianak.

This is from April of 2016, and it was the first time I'd ridden in Indonesia since 1990, when I was a much younger man. In fact, I lived there for two years (not consecutively) in the late 80's and early 90's as an exchange student. As the young mind is a lot more pliable and able to absorb languages, I am actually fluent in Indonesian.

I planned this trip poorly. I hadn't secured a motorcycle rental beforehand, and I just thought I'd figure it out when I got there. That was my first mistake.

I may not have found a motorcycle rental that first day, but at least I fulfilled my lifelong ambition of meeting Doraemon.

Uh oh. A foreigner. Scary.

Yeah, I guess he's okay,

 

[Joko_Londo]

The audio ain't too good here in Part 2. My bad for bad mixing. In any case, I got motorbike to rent and decided the visit the TripAdvisor's top rated restaurant for Pontianak.

 

[Joko_Londo]

After securing a modest Yamaha scooter on which to tour, I did some more exploring of the city of Vampire Women. Yes, "Pontianak" comes from the name of a mythical Malay monster, a blood-sucking undead female.

 

[Joko_Londo]

This next leg of the journey happens to be the most watched on YouTube from this trip. Pontianak to Bengkayang..

Rain. Friendly locals. Picturesque hills.

 

[bsacbob]

Nice work, found myself whistling that damn song :RE

 

[Joko_Londo]

To read the full story on this video, click here.

 

[Joko_Londo]

Having gotten the bike washed, it was off to Sambas!

 

[arjuna50]

Yep, you're right. If you have more time you can explore the beauty of Borneo again and you will look the natural beauty & that is very impressive. I've been four times to go there and it made me addicted to go there again.

 

[Joko_Londo]

Sampas to Pemangkat,

 

[Joko_Londo]

I finally get out of the Sultanate of Sambas, where alcohol is banned.

 

[Joko_Londo]

Just a few miles south of Singkawang in Kalimantan Barat lies a large beach resort area with 3 hotels. I chose the Palapa Beach Hotel to be my home for a few days at a tropical beach, my favorite way to spend a vacation. This vid is me checking in.

 

[Joko_Londo]

The vacation was entering its home stretch as I found myself at the Pasir Putih Indah beach resort and the Palapa Beach Hotel. Strolls along a deserted tropical beach, driving out to recharge the phone and getting stung by jellyfish.

 

[Joko_Londo]

The west coast of Kalimantan is rife with beaches, places to chill and resorts. When I visited in April of 2016, they were all pretty much empty.

 

[Joko_Londo]

The final three episodes of my tour through Western Kalimantan