Telok Melano Homestay
at Telok Melano Beach, a 30 minutes boat ride to Tanjung Datu National Park
 
Run by the Malay Community located on the southern most tip of Sarawak.
Has ten participating house. To know more about their facilities you can contact Mr. Azman Hashim Syer Mohamad at +6-082-711152.

Further information regarding the Kampung Telok Melano homestay programme can be obtained from the Kuching office of the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia..

Mr Abg. Ahmad Zulkipli B. Abg Mohd Nerawi
Coordinator "Projek Perintis Homestay."
Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM)
2nd Floor, Bangunan Bank Negara,
Jalan Satok, PO Box 2201,
93744 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Tel: 082-245481
Fax: 082-256871

MEDICAL SEVA AT TELOK MELANO, SEMATAN SARAWAK :
 http://bombasticborneo.com/2016/03/medical-seva-at-telok-melano-sematan-sarawak/

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Part 2: Rustic Telok Melano

 

The bridge across the Kayan River in Lundu has now been completed.

Where to stay at Telok Melano and Tanjung Datu?

Actually, the villagers (not all of them) are involved in the home-stay programme. Tourists can book their accommodation through the village head or directly with villagers who are involved in the programme. Tourists can also just go to Telok Melano and then approach any of the houses to ask about the home-stay programme.

At Telok Melano, drinking and bathing water is obtained from the mountain. Electricity is from the generators. Usually, a few families would share a generator and electricity comes on from about 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight. According to our host, the government actually spent a large sum of money to build a mini-hydro station to provide electricity. However, water to turn the turbine was strong enough for one or two hours only each day. It was eventually abandoned.

The beach and sea of Telok Melano is beautiful too. It is definitely much more beautiful than Tanjung Aru Beach of Sabah or Sematan Beach, especially to the west of the village. Arriving from Sematan during high tide, the boat that took us there berthed in the sea about a hundred foot from land. The water that greeted us was clean and clear and the beach sandy and beautiful. It was a big different from the beaches at Sematan.

From Telok Melano to Tanjung Datu.

At low tide, the beach stretches far out to the sea. It's gentle slope and clean sand is so much more beautiful in the evening sun. There is a small stream to the west of the beach where a Chinese family lived. The reflection of coconut trees in the calm stream brings out a beautiful scene. Looking at the village across the wide expanse of beautiful, sloping beach really takes your breath away.

Telok Melano is also an excellent place to collect sea shells. They are not exactly very big but they are certainly varied, colourful and beautiful.

There was not much sea shells left at Sematan beaches. The sea shells at Telok Melano were so much more colourful and beautiful.

Larger shells could be collected at very low tide. Unfortunately, very low tide was in the night when it was too dark to see. There seemed to be more shells on the eastern shore.

Sunday, January 17, 2010
Part 1: Tranquil and Pristine Tanjung Datu


 

Clean and beautiful beach at Tanjung Datu.

The beach of Tanjung Datu is long,  clean, soft to tread on, and there are beautiful granite boulders lying on the beach and in the water, making a picturesque scenery.

The beaches slope gently into the clean calm South China Sea. Anybody will be tempted to jump and frolic in the crystal clear turquoise green water.

Tanjung Datu is a place where you can truly be yourselves, to let your hair down without anybody watching you.

It is an extremely quiet and lonely place and you have almost the whole place to yourselves to play in.

The only other human beings are a handful of employees of Sarawak Forestry Corporation and they are based at the Park HQ on one end of the beach only.

Walk to the other end of the beach and you will be all alone. There will not be anybody watching you, no tourists, nobody at all.

Tanjung Datu is in fact Sarawak's latest and smallest National Park. Once you have enough of the beaches and sea, you can go trekking.

There are three existing trails:
1- Telok Melano - Telok Upas - Tanjung Datu HQ Trail. This 1½-3hr trail starts at the village of Telok Melano and ends at the Park HQ.
2- Tanjung Antu Laut Trail. This 1-2 hour loop trail is mostly quite flat, starting at the Park HQ, and ending at Tanjung Antu Laut.
3- Viewpoint Trail. This is a short but steep 15minute walk to a viewpoint built on the southern arm of the bay at the park HQ.

Tanjung also has a small beautiful coral formation off the beach. This unexplored site is ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling.

Tanjung Datu is also one of the few places where turtles come to lay their eggs.

 

There is no accommodation for tourists at Tanjung Datu. Visitors have to return to Telok Melano beach where village homestay is available.

Tanjung Datu has no stall or tuck shop to eat and drink. Bring all you need when coming.

LUNDU, Sept 15, 2015:

After 30 years of waiting, the last stretch of the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway is finally on the way.

The 33km stretch, currently only reachable by sea, from Kampung Telok Melano to Sematan town, is part of the second component of the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway, which includes the construction of a 32.7km single carriageway road.

The construction of this road will take 39 months with an estimated cost of RM700 million. It is expected to be completed by December 2018 and carried out by Syarikat Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU).

The highway will also provide accessibility to two remote national parks:

1- Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary and
2- Tanjong Datu National Park.

This highway would be carried out by a Sarawak-based company and will purely be run by Sarawakians.

It will be conducted through Project Delivery Partner Model, where LBU will also act as a single point of accountability, responsible for carrying out, managing and completing the project within reasonable cost and within the agreed time frame.

Sarawak State Secretary Tan Sri Morshidi Abdul Ghani will head the executive committee to oversee the whole project and will also act as the tender board chairman of the project to ensure transparency.

“Telok Melano is one of the gems of Sarawak, having diverse biodiversity, but is isolated from the rest due to absence of connectivity.
“I have experienced walking from Telok Melano to Sematan during low tide and it took me eight hours, including wadding through the crocodile-infested Samunsam river. This is what the locals have had to go through all this while,”

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem
September, 2015

The Pan Borneo Sarawak Highway project also involves upgrading of the current 1,089km single carriageway to a dual carriageway road worth RM16 billion.
At the moment, the project involving the building of the 43km Nyabau-Bakun junction is currently under way.

For boats from Sematan, you can contact Wa Bin Bujong 010 814 35 07, and also Nazit Bin Wasli 014 88 09 696. At this moment, April 2014, the boat rental cost 700 to 900 ringgit, go and back.

Go there before the other tourists and backpackers flock to this paradise.

To go there, you need to go to Kuching. Then take a bus to Lundu. From Lundu, you take another bus to Sematan.

Go behind the Sematan Town gas station at the river front before noon and you shall see villagers waiting for their boats to return to Telok Melano. Inquire from among these villagers whether they can take you to Telok Melano and where to stay. There are homestays in Telok Melano. Inquire from your host whether he can arrange a boat to take you to Tg. Datu National Park.

 

Friday, September 17, 2010
Lovely Hidden Village, Telok Melano

Teluk Melano is an isolated Malay village next to the Tanjung Datu national park which can only reached by boat from Sematan.

.the are no roads available there although people are using motorcycle over there..

it is relatively small, consisting of a number of Malay style houses, some of them on stilts. When you reach there, you can see the coconut palm is everywhere. It create a lovely scenery at the beach...the beach of Teluk Melano is nice, but is of yellow sand, not white coral sand...near Teluk Melano there are a number of other small beaches..

From Teluk Melano it is possible to walk to the Tanjung Datu NP (3.7km, takes approx. 1 1/2 hours). It is the best destination for jungle tracking and mount climbing from Telok Melano to Sematan..

 

3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS TELOK MELANO, TANJUNG DATU NATIONAL PARK & GUNUNG GADING NATIONAL

Tanjung Datu National Park is hold an Interesting natural features with splendid rain forest and unique coral reefs make the park an exceptionally significant area for biodiversity. The park is also a home to a variety of wildlife such monkeys, civet cats, deer, diverse bird-life and sea turtle came to the beach and lay eggs. Snorkelling and scuba diving is the prime attraction to the unpolluted crystal clear water of /south China Sea.. (Very basic sleeping facility)

Telok Melano is a unique Malay Fishing Village, with beauty, charm and attraction of the tropical Borneo. It’s a perfect nature retreat, offers endless eco tourism activities and outdoor experiences in total relaxation. Stunning scenery, fascination flora and fauna and also the white (?) sandy beaches, with the unique features of coral shore and also the tropical fish are found here. Virtually unspoiled and untouchable. Experience and enjoy the nature of its best and memorable trip.

From Kuching and proceed by road (approx. 2 hours) to the small coastal town of Sematan. Stop for refreshment and a short tour around Sematan Town before proceeding to the jetty. Board the speed boat (about 1 hour 30 minutes boat ride) to Telok Melano. Upon arrival at Telok Melano Home stay. Refreshment will be served. Then proceed to tour the village. In the evening relax and swim at the white sandy beaches. Return to the house and dinner will be served with the local Malay food.

After breakfast, from Telok Melano trek to Tajung Datu National Park HQ, which takes approximately 2 hours (3.5 km). Upon arrival relax and swim at the beautiful white sandy beaches. Lunch at the HQ. After lunch proceed for jungle walk along the Pasir Antu Laut trail. Enjoy the forest scenery along the 2.7 km trail and keep a look out for wildlife. Gibbons, banded langurs and hornbills are sometimes spotted on this trail. Midway along the trail you will come to a small stream. Take a short break before continuing through the pristine forest to Antu Laut beach. Have a swim at the beach before returning along the forest trail. Half way along the trail turn left onto a small track that leads to the main turtle beach. Huge boulders are found along the coast here where the rainforest runs right down to the beach. Admire the views before walking back along the beach to the park HQ. Dinner at the park HQ. After dinner go for a short night walk and search for nocturnal creatures. Overnight at the camping shelters at the park HQ.

After breakfast, free & easy, relax on the beach or go swimming. Return by boat to Sematan Town. Then by road continue the journey to Lundu Town. Lunch at one of the local café at Lunch Town. After lunch proceed to Gunung Gading National Park. Then proceed for short jungle walk till 4.00pm then proceed back to Kuching City.

Gunung Gading National Park has a very special star attraction – the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower – and the park is one of the best places in Asia to view the Rafflesia’s spectacular blooms. But no one can guarantee you can see the Rafflesia Bloom without first locating one in bloom.

Gunung Gading sprawls across four jungle-clad mountain peaks, and its dense primary rainforest is criss-crossed by crystal clear streams and waterfalls.

Gunung Gading was gazetted as a park in 1st August 1983 primarily to provide a conservation zone for the protection of the Rafflesia. It was opened to the public in 1994.

Tourists are often mislead by tour agents and park publication who often say "visitors can now view one of the most spectacular plants found on the planet in XXXX park." This is only half true. Without firstly locating one already in bloom, no one can guarantee you can just walk into the jungle and  see a Rafflesia Bloom. 

The park is easily accessible from Kuching on a day trip. Those wishing to stay longer can enjoy Gunung Gading’s other attractions – particularly its rainforest scenery, waterfalls and jungle trails. Some of these trails lead to the peaks of the mountains that make up the park and offer challenging jungle treks.

Teluk Melano Home stay and Tanjung Dato National Park

Those who stay in Teluk Melano beach also visit the Tanjung Dato Park (30 minutes boat or 2 hour trial).

This is a must be for those who like to experience the 3 in 1 experience in Borneo :

1- experience the hospitality and the culture of the local Malay fisherman first hand
2- sork in the cleanest beautiest beach and sea water of Borneo
3- a jungle walk of Borneo rain forest

Situated in the coastal area facing the South China Sea on the western end of Sarawak. It is 116km by road from Kuching City  to Sematan Town where you have to take a boat for about 1 and a half hour to reach Teluk Melano. A typical Malay fishing village with a total population of about 200 people. Most of the people here are either fishermen or farmer who farmed pepper and cocoa.

Teluk Melano is served by a primary school , a mosque and a small police station. It is only 30 minutes away by boat from Tanjung Dato National Park. Trekking to Tanjung Dato National Park is possible from the village via a 2 hour walk trial. Swimming, fishing, trekking, snorkeling or learning to cook from your host is part of the interesting activities among the Malay Community.

The best time to come is March until October due to the monsoon season. A minimum stay of 2 Days 1 Night is required.