MERARAP HOTSPRING, LAWAS, SARAWAK

RETREAT..... at MERARAP HOT SPRING..... LAWAS..  

....during d' CHINESE NEW YEAR.... rabbit year... week day holidYS....

A simple introduction... to know d' location of Merarap... is to go along d' main road from LAWAS  ...following to North East... for five-ten minutes drive before approaching  a broad road sign board... as shown here... Merarap Hot Spring.. a 69 kilometers drives... half way to Ba'kelalan.. another mountainous popular top location town... 

Merarap Hot Spring...  Known..locally ......few people have been here... most tourists.. . nn ...local...neighbouring countries.... Officially opened April 2006...
....my family.... with 4wd members...had been here....several times .... my trips here.... ever since remembered .....2007...2008 .... nn ...today....2011.........



MERARAP.... unknown location on map.. BUT since.. HOT SPRING.. found here.. a man self ..developer.. spent few hundred thousands(Malaysia) ...... to make own road ...  made own  resort building with 10 available rooms.. big enough....for 6 @ room.. could afford to accommodate ... low budget RM$90.00 ground floor.. $110.00 second floor.. top level... with large beds.. such as QUEEN's size bed with 2 single beds...

NOW... fully supported by Sarawak Tourism... Malaysia..

A MUST booked in first place to avoid frustration of long journey.....

 

MERARAP HOTSRING LODGE...   as called....for reservation

Contact NOs.... boss nn owner.. ALFRED .....019-8195200...  

        ...or Nancy..012-6611190...  Valerie     ..013-8391403...   nn.. 

        ...Tommy....012-6611160..

Website : www.meraraphotspring.com

E-mail   : meraraphotspring@yahoo.com

 .ok........... hear d' story........

Wednesday.....2 February 2011... 5.00 pm..

Zoom..... to border... soon after office hours........ eventhough we.... NOT alone as... many borders hoppers were also  crossing neighbouring check points ....for d' advantage ..... tomorrow nn FRiday (holidays) .....Chinese New Year .......

JUMPED Q....   considered wrong BUT... somehow it was a fast way..... (as fellows 4wd gave way.. to slot in d' place..)... get it...wow...

Scheduled Meeting Point...... here in LAWAS.. at d' KFC.... at around 8.30pm ......... FIve 4WD cars came with families.......
 

........ONLy .......WAy IN ....way OUT...
    ...........MERarap HOtspring........ LAWas..

Picture............ SELAMAT DATANG
                KE MERARAP HOTSPRING LODGE........
..Fore-front flat landing...... for  parking space for visitor's vehicles...... while a house on d' far.....left for workers' quarter...

.....of COz.....d'  opposite road.... d' ONly  entrance-exit road up-DOwn hill..... ..Uu may called it ....steep stones narrowed road ....indeed....

ROAD nowadays...  say NOt too BAD..... much better..................................
          ..........coz... nOT too muddy............ however.....(unavoidable)..........
          .......... bumpy.... stones most from d' beginning of journey................

Possible 60 - 80 km per hour......................................................

By 9.00 pm.... leaving Lawas.....    a possible good timing.. approaching 11.30pm at Merarap Hotspring Lodge...

........... as for today........Actually ... fully booked  .....but we managed to GET five rooms .............

Hj Saring ..B419....(our xpdc master mind) behind this trip possible(made early BOOking) .... was placed ground floor room..................................................
           My room at ...... No.4 .....on d' upper level.. room...............................
 

Altogether..ME..KK1313.. 3 passenger... B419..Hj Saring.. spouse nn 2 children... B435..Hj Ahim..nn spouse.... BV3030.. Hj Sabtu .. spouse Dyg. Asmah.. nn grandson..KH6069 Hj Mohammad Noor.. spouse.. 2 sons nn a daughter..

 

........... pictures ...as describe....
...early birds..... early arrivals......   so.. we're d' first...... to occupy   ...d' ponds...  for hot spring water................................................................
Make sure a Deep Pond near to d' lodge....d' frontage near building is meant... for ...FISH... only..........................ok ...................................................... 

............. so sure ...NOt Swimming............ ok..

So............ d' building for guests to stay.....ok too..

........... d' small ........d' big..........nn....d' large .....
.... could  also share.......small POOL ........eeeee.....
..... man-made........ for children too.......... ??????

NICE views... left... to right... all round corners........

.........including fish pond ... d' river down stream...
           ...... d' unique land scape.... of Coz...  aaaaa

 

River fast flows just on d' right... 
............. if Uu....re ... standing ... looking from.... d' building's lounge.............

....this lodge.......... designed to fullfill.....
Large Hall with zinc roof.... ...for DINNING... or ..for all to rest... play .... or to take cover from...  hot nn raining... 

...so as well ...kitchen on one corner provided for self service(probably Muslim) .... while there was one inner kitchen meant  for tenants ... booking complete package..  usually NON Muslim foods.....(..as requested inclusive with rooms nn foods..).

 ......  all seats ... settee  available  FREE here for all ..... too relax.............(first come first seated).....

.as in d' picture.......... d' workers....
Emptied the ponds... cleaned nn washed out... so refill d' HOT sulfuric water... some people believe ..   hot spring could cure skin diseases.. so forth...  ready used for guests this week ends...

( ..... at nite ..... too quite ...but d' sound of water's flows... confusing our ears as raining.... while Uu in beds ...of coz....  so NOT quite day... aaaa....tried to GEt used with this music......).

New..GUest........... welcomed
...............A team of two related.. families...
...from..KK  nn Labuan were also coming over... to stay for 2 nights ...

......while  a few  others.. coming over...just for d' sake ... to see d' resort nn d' scene where to find d' hot springs .....in Lawas...................................

Our new fellow members ...4wd.. from Labuan ... Tuan Haji Parno Wongso  ... a retired SHELL man.... doing some business according to his business card...  ???.. 
According to his INFO .....He also travelled to Ba kelalan... with his modified Toyota landcruiser...last year.................................................................

.............a family picture ........ with....
...... just nice background............ lodge ...hut ......
...... at forefront ..... with few hotspring pools .......
 

Children.... where ever..   playing water....  BEST.....
Background picture shown here.... a simple one roof lodge building...
                                                   ............nn 10 rooms  ........................

Bottom corner.... us..... Haji Sabtu.. nn Haji Ahim.....................................

 

 ......... Children with their games .......
            .......elders with their eatings..............eeee

..seemed..EATING  all times ...... all day round...

Lunch... with AMBUyat.....  with...  few kinds of...  fishes..

While..Dinner... with sea-food.... aaah this time.....
....Haji Ahim was d' man behind with d' large stock ...providing all sorts of these sea creatures.... fishes .......    crabs... big fishes ...... "ayam-ayam"..?? .. more ............(didn't know d' names) ..................................... 
 .... he was a keen SEA man (hobby) .... ..his knowledge was totaly different as he was a... retired technician Instructor ........technically background person  actually ....................

 

As at Night time..... here..Mr Alfred.... came to visit ..driving all d' way from Lawas.... 
 ...d' one man ... made possible d' Merarap Hotspring lodge existed....

Also self-man innovator.....................................................................  
He had made two ....hours..or more... long journey to meet nn greet ....his customers......at this lodge..... nn...of coZ.... tomorrow he had to drive back home early in d' morning....(d' reason)

Next day...as being informed.. a marriage ceremony of his child.... took place at his HOME in LAWAS....  
(........here a glimpse on our way back home passed his house on hill top..... camps... cars...)

TOOK ....Morning breakfast....after a brief..
 ....jumping to d' pool of ...HOT spring.. taste... at d' compound....... so..

Do NOT miss d' opportunity while Uu 're here...  to enjoy d' hotspring water....... NOt worth long journey... long hours to reach here.... Without .. experiencing.......... all these...

Ok....  FRIDAY....    morning....  about 10.00 am...
.......time to leave...  time to say.... SELAMAT JALAN.....
                         ........so Did ......as seen... arch....on top........... here

Going forward UP hill should..... NOT be too closeD..... climbing up hill with lower gear ..slow but powerful 4wd ........ d' only entrance-exit road..... to this Hotspring ......

..... Cars' Convoy ....passing....d' panoramic forest's scenery...  with most GReen coloured with..... hilly... mountainous.. surrounded.......

 

.......While ...passing  hot dry winds ... so d' roads .....
                              .....................seemed unreachable  far ... far away.....   
Deforest.....  many spots nn.. places already looked ..BOLD.... as more woods extracted ...as ...TIMBER is d' main production here..

.... in fact this ROAD is meant for TIMBER ROAD...owned privately... used....for wood business...(imagine d' agency made a lot of money out of this business)......

.....just ...Look at d' GATE sentry.... 
............at working days ......watchful guards put on d' count to every timber trucks passed by here ...... carefully nOt to miss .......????
                               ....or else ..LOSt .......   ...INcOMe.......

 

........By 12.00 noon.. ................
..d' convoy reached d' main junction..... to d' main road to town ..... real fast travelling............. without any wastage times nn ....problem .......

Communication through RADio.....to make know all cars in convoy ....was a great adventage ......so d' lead car had a few words to members travellers...... to .. say at least ........   THANKs.......................................
................to all for .....their active participation ......

 

Few waiting vehicles at ferry terminal crossing..................
             ...........  PENDURan.. .....Temburong.........

.......while another EXit to Brunei .....once entered Limbang ....would be .......
                            ....................at.. KUALA LURAH ...................
(.....wooo..... a place  where ...traffic could be .....described..........................
...... something ..make Ur blood..........easily boiled.......... hooott ????)..
 

ENdd.....