A Special Breakfast to Kick Off the Day
July 26th—starting the day in Lawas.
I headed down to a Chinese restaurant I'd visited the day before to grab breakfast. Some locals I had hit it off with yesterday actually invited me to join them. I'm so used to eating solo on this trip, so sharing a meal with good company felt incredibly special. We had an absolute blast.
Is This Still a "Walking Trip"?
My original plan for the day was to make my way to the Sabah state border on foot. But as luck would have it, one of my new friends had a completely free schedule and offered to drive me there!
Lately, I've been chatting with so many locals and getting offered rides left and right. I'm starting to jokingly question if I can even call this a "walking trip" anymore. But honestly, connecting with people and experiencing the local vibe is the true essence of traveling. I decided to just roll with it and gladly accepted the ride.
We drove about 30 to 40 kilometers. The route was full of intense ups and downs and huge U-turns. If I had walked that stretch, it would have been absolutely brutal. Talk about dodging a bullet!
Getting a Passport Stamp... at a State Border?!
One of the most fascinating parts of the day was crossing from Sarawak into Sabah. In most places, crossing a state or provincial line just means driving past a welcome sign. But here in Malaysia, you actually have to pull out your passport and get a stamp just to cross into the next state!
Experiencing something like this within a single country was completely new to me. It's one of those moments that really reminds you how vast and diverse the world is.
The Journey to Tenom & Next-Level Hospitality
The incredible generosity didn't stop at the border. The family offered to drive me all the way to Tenom! Tenom is a town nestled deep in the mountains, and apparently, finding a ride up those steep roads on a Sunday is nearly impossible. I definitely wouldn't have made it on my own.
After a two-hour, 100-kilometer drive, we arrived in Tenom. We visited the younger brother of the family, who works as a doctor there.
His house was absolutely massive. I was also blown away by his kids—there must have been around 50 medals and awards proudly displayed on the walls. Talk about an overachieving family!
For dinner, we had an epic Chinese feast. And if that wasn't enough, they even completely covered my hotel stay for the night.
I am just so overwhelmed by their kindness.
Hilltop Views and Calling it a Night
After dinner, they took me to a super stylish cafe located up on a hill.
Sipping great coffee while taking in the panoramic views of the mountains was just perfect. We wrapped up the night sharing a few beers together.
I couldn't have asked for a better day.
As for tomorrow, my plan is to head to Keningau. And plot twist—the younger brother just happens to have an errand in Keningau tomorrow morning, so he's giving me a ride! We're leaving bright and early at 6:30 AM, so I'm going to ride this wave of gratitude straight to sleep. Good night!
