Lundu/Sematan #2

(1) Pandan Beach -Lundu. Once sea tide rising up, this stream cannot be crossed on foot, soon the water level will cover up the whole sandy beach and over the rocks, approximately 3-4m high. Pandan beach is spotted with rock outcrops along part of the bay and this makes the landscape very attractive not only to visitors, but to marine life.

The moment you park the car and step out into the beach, you can feel the sea breeze, and it is always fun to dip into the clear blue/green water for a swim or game play. There is facility to shower and shelter for food/snacks or picnic areas for BBQ, tent camping if you DIY. But there may be sand flies on certain days.

After the Kayan Bridge is open, cars flock to Lundu/Sematan not only just at weekends, but week days too. Half day trip is sufficient for people in a rush. Pandan Beach - a great place for relaxation or getaway.
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(2) Sematan Bazaar, half hour drive from Lundu. The row of shops along seafront is facing this view, looking across the South China Sea. At the western part of town, this bay corner scene is quiet. The other corner is a long concrete jetty where boats moored, and further out into the sea is a natural sandbar island overgrown with mangrove trees. During low tide, you may walk quite far out.

Sematan's mainly fishing and agriculture farming activities remain same for years. Some logging and timber business now dwindled off.

Few years ago, I had a chance to take a 2-hour boat ride with friends from Sematan to Kpg Telok Melanau and stayed a night there in village. Next day, took the boat to Tg Datu, the western most tip of Sarawak, where the beach sand is white in color and coral reefs plentiful with colorful fish swarming around. Snorkling and swimming around the corals is a joy, with fish around you.

I spent 2 nights there, DIY food and drinks. On 2nd day, walked many hours on foot along the beach or rocky coastline, back to Kpg Telok Melanau just for the fun and exericse, then walked back to Tg Datu.

On 3rd day, the boatman came, and that was another boat ride to Sematan in afternoon around 4pm. Along the ride, dolphins and flying fish (yes, flying fish that you see in movies, with fins and sharp long nose) came alongside the boat for about 1 hour to showcase flying display and jumping out of water. That was a beautiful ride. By the time the boat landed at Sematan, it was evening and darkness fell, and end of that adventure trip.