We have breakfast at the Tasty Delight kopitiam, where he is having Sarawak Laksa. I’m having Kolo Mee, since Kaya-Peanut Toast isn’t sold here. We record content for my new social media account and then continue driving. We pass by Batu Kawah Riverbank Park, which offers one of the best views of the Sarawak River. He sings Lady Gaga songs; I play Olivia Rodrigo songs. I am intrigued by his face—how it looks so different from different angles, the versatility of it.
I look out the window and think about my life—how much it has changed. Six months ago, I was in Singapore and had a stable job. And now, we are driving along the Pan-Borneo Highway, taking me to unknown places.
I enjoy the silent moments between us. As we pass by kampungs, I see a sign indicating Lundu straight ahead and Sematan to the left. In my mind, I’m going back in time to December 2025, when I was in Kuching for a couple of days to view potential apartments. “I’m from Lundu. You should pay a visit one day,” the hotel manager from the Sheraton hotel lounge in Kuching had said to me. He advised me to visit the beaches there. “They are some of the best,” he mentioned.
Lundu has been stuck in my head ever since.
The town lies in the northwest of Sarawak and borders West Kalimantan. The name of the town is taken from a catfish that lives in the Lundu River (Sungai Lundu). And indeed, many people I talk to head to Lundu to enjoy the beach, although a couple of people I met also travel there for work meetings. We first head to Pandan Beach.
Once the car is parked, we walk down a small path that brings us to the sandy beach, where the burning sun welcomes us with its full power. It’s a relatively untouched beach, although when walking further, I can see plastic bottles and other trash. I wonder how we human beings can be so selfish. The sea is a beautiful blue, and we walk toward the rocks nearby. We sit down on the rocks and take some photos. Then, out of nowhere, a man shows up behind the rocks. We head back. Besides that man and us, there is no one else around.
We make a quick stop at Gunung Gading National Park, where we bathe our feet in the small waterfall lake, where I learn that my feet aren’t made for walking on stones, before heading to the next place. Soon we reach Sematan, a small fishing village in the Lundu district. He tries to find a parking spot at Sematan Palm Beach Resort, although we are not quite sure where the entrance is. “Let’s just park here,” I say, and we get out of the car.
The sun is attacking us with its rays, and we ensure that we are covered in sunscreen. We pay an entrance fee to get access to the restaurant, swimming pool and beach area. I’m thinking about food. I don’t want to swim. Especially when I notice the number of kids in the swimming pool. We walk around and then take a seat in the restaurant with a view of the swimming pool and the South China Sea. A lady brings us the menu and we order fresh coconut and our food.
While we are waiting for the food, we can’t imagine in our wildest dreams what is about to happen next..