Have you ever heard of Lundu? Well, in this trip I would like to share my trip with you and take you there, so you can witness firsthand another beautiful part of Kuching, Sarawak. An area of wonderful nature blending with white sandy beaches. Lundu is a town located 100 kilometers west of Kuching City and 70 klometers from Bau. There are two ways to reach Lundu: you can either connect through the 10 km Kota Sentosa link through the Bau road, or chose the Sempadi coastal road from Matang. Whichever is your choice, do remember to get a road map or to plan a GPS navigator so you will not get lost. Of course, the above info is useless if you plan to get to Lundu on a bus, taxi or organized tour. Your journey to Lundu should take you around 2 hours, depending on the route and on the driver of course. And if you wish to reach lovely Sematan, be prepared to driver for at least 3 hours. You can consider taking with you drinks and snacks for the journey, though there are several shops and stalls along the way. Since I usually travel to Lundu on official duty, my crew and I usually take the Sempadi route, which is less known hence less congested. From Kuching City, take the Satok way leading to the Satok bridge. Drive on until you reach a roundabout and take the 12 o’clock junction direction Matang. Follow that road straight until you reach another roundabout, take the 3rd junction next to Emart Lee Ling Supermarket, and drive on. Once Court Mammoth come to sight, turn right; should you miss the junction, enter the SMK Matang Hilir junction. Both roads will take you to a left turn heading towards Telaga Air Road, which is well indicated. This is a country, quite unpopulated area, where you can spot horses and cows on both sides of the road during your drive. Continue straight until you arrive at  the Rambungan junction on your left: this is the start of the rural Sempadi route, which will homage you with sights of local farmers villages, bailey bridges, papaya and banana trees, watermelon fields and palm oil plantations. You could even consider topping in Kampung Rambungan and take the ferry to Sampadi island, if the time allows. Back to our journey, once you see the palm oil plantation, you need to be alert since you will be near a T-junction: the signboard will indicate left towards Bau/Kuching and right towards Lundu/Sematan. Take the right lane and drive straight, passing a bridge. On your right side is a small road going to Kampung Stunggang Melayu Lama; take this shortcut if you want to get to Lundu faster. Kampung Stunggang Melayu Lama is very famous for fish and shrimp crackers. If you like these crackers, I highly recommend a stop in the area to buys some, the most delicious being the Sri Gading Enterprise brand. If you decide to head towards Sematan instead, ignore the side road to Kampung Stunggang Melayu Lama and drive straight until another T-junction will give you the last choice: left to Sematan and right to Lundu. Lundu is practically a row of modern shophouses mixed with local shacks and houses, a market, government buildings, a seaside area and a few neighbouring kampung – villages in Malay language. The area is inhabited by amicable people from different backgrounds, mostly Malays, Bidayuh, Iban and Chinese. It may not look appealing at first glance, but the sunset was amazing there, with the sunlight filtering through mountains and clouds and reflecting on the lush vegetation. One of the best I have experienced in a long time. I like Lundu, after all… Lundu most famous attractions is of course the Gunung Gading National Park, but you can also visit Siar and Pandan beaches, Pueh beach at Sematan, the Telok Melano beach which can be reached by boat from Sematan, a silk farm at Sematan, the Sebako hot springs – a 15 kilometers drive from Sematan – and Jangkar waterfall, located in Kampung Jangkar, Biawak, on the way to Lundu. Enjoy the drive. Read about Gunung Gading National Park on Asian Itinerary: http://asianitinerary.com/kuching-gunung-gading-national-park/

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The Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, is a parasitic plant found only in Southeast Asia, and then only in sub-mountainous hilly forests at elevations between 400-1,300 metres. Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr Joseph Arnold were the first Europeans to discover the Rafflesia. In 1818, whilst on a field trip near the town of Bencoolen (Bengkulu) in Sumatra, they came across a huge specimen that measured 97 cm in diameter. This species was later named the Rafflesia Arnoldi. When news of the discovery reached the botanical community in 1820 it caused quite a sensation with murmurings of disbelief. There are thought to be 17 species of Rafflesia, some of which may already be extinct. Three species are found in Sarawak – the Rafflesia Pricei, Rafflesia Arnoldi and Rafflesia Tuan-Mudae, which is actually a type of Arnoldi. Only one species, Rafflesia Tuan-Mudae, is found at Gunung Gading. The Rafflesia is as unusual as it is spectacular. Much of the flower’s biology remains a mystery to this day. It has no specific flowering season and it has no roots, leaves or stem. The Rafflesia depends on a host vine – the tetrastigma, a member of the grape family. Scientists are still unsure why the Rafflesia associates itself with the tetrastigma vine or how the seeds of a Rafflesia germinate and grow. What is known is that threads of tissue spread out within the vine and absorb nutrients. After 18 months a small dark brown bud appears. Such a long period of growth means that there is a high risk of damage; even when a bud forms there is no guarantee that it will mature into a Rafflesia flower. A bud takes nine months to mature, when it may measure up to 16 cm in diameter, and studies have shown that a high percentage of buds do not survive, as they are susceptible to both drought and heavy rain. After nine months the brown ‘leaves’ of the cabbage-like bud open, revealing the underside of the petal-like lobes. It takes several hours for a flower to open fully. There are usually five thick and fleshy red-coloured petals, covered in lighter coloured spots, warts and blotches. The Rafflesia only blooms for 3-5 days, before it starts to blacken and rot. Although it is quite common for a number of buds to occur in a cluster at the same site, it is rare for two plants of the same cluster to bloom at the same time. Rafflesia flowers are either male or female, and therefore cannot self-pollinate. For pollination to take place, a male and a female flower must bloom at the same time and pollen must be transported over considerable distances. In the Rafflesia’s case pollination is carried out by carrion flies, so whilst in full bloom the Rafflesia gives off a foul smell of decaying flesh to attract them. Seeds are thought to be dispersed by rodents and other small mammals which eat the flowers. Scientists remain baffled, however, as to how the tiny seeds infest the roots and stems of the host vine. Loss of habitat is the greatest threat to the survival of the Rafflesia. Its reliance on the tetrastigma vine does not help matters. With other endangered species it is possible to implement a range of conservation measures such as trans-location and the establishment of nurseries. However, these measures are not possible with the Rafflesia due to its very high degree of specialization. The establishment of totally protected conservation zones is the only way to preserve this unique plant. Gunung Gading National Park in Southwest Sarawak is such a conservation zone. Gazetted in 1983, the park covers an area of 4,106 hectares and forms a safe and secure habitat for the protection of the Rafflesia. The Rafflesia is a rare flower with a short flowering period. Therefore a certain amount of luck is required if your visit to Sarawak is to coincide with a Rafflesia in full bloom. The park staff monitor the progress of the Rafflesia buds very closely, and usually know when a flower is about to bloom, so visitors can check with the park headquarters (Tel: 082-735714) or the National Parks Booking Office in Kuching (Tel: 082-248088). A plank walk is situated near the park headquarters in an area where Rafflesia are often found. Park wardens also take visitors on guided walks to flowers that are blooming deeper in the forest. Visitors should take notice of the warden’s instructions and tread carefully, to avoid damaging any buds on the forest floor. Rafflesia has no set flowering season, but blooms are more common at Gunung Gading during the wetter months (November to February). They are also more common on the lower slopes of the park’s mountain peaks. Sourced from: www.sarawakforestry.com

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