08-Aug-2025
We've taken the bus to Bau several times in the past, most recently in -- what, seriously, we've not been since June 2023?? So it seems...
It was always a nice little outing, but you never felt totally confident about the timetable...
Now, it's different. We've got some spanking new pink buses running around town (everyone mentions they're pink), and the whole thing is a lot more organized.
OK, consulting the timetable is not totally straightforward, because for Sarawak, you access it via the Bus Asia site, as opposed to the Bas.My site, but where you need to be is here. Then you can click on the route you're interested in, and up will come a detailed list of times and stops, which you can download as a PDF if you wish.
So that's actually much better than the old system.
All aboard for the 0800 service
It's a little more expensive these days. On the way out the trip cost MYR 7.80 for two (about GBP 1.40). Our stay in Bau obviously aged us, because on the return journey we seemed to pay the old people's price (MYR 3.80 for the two of us).
There were a reasonable number of people taking advantage of the service. (Among them were two Voluble Ancients, who talked high-decibel and non-stop all the way. They spoke a variant of Chinese that we understand nothing of, but at one point they obviously got onto food -- as you always do in a conversation here -- and started reeling off a list of familiar dishes.)
The journey took an hour, which is somewhat less than our previous experiences. It's an urban bus, as opposed to a coach-type vehicle. But it's comfortable enough, and it has aircon.
Bau has changed a bit since we last looked around properly. The "Greater Bau" project has produced a new hypermarket, plus shophouses, and a food court. More is on the cards, including a hotel and a zoo. I'm a bit dubious about a lot of this, to be honest, but I acknowledge my ever-stronger anti-development bias, and in any case, it's the opinion of the locals that matters.
One of the new roads
Our first huge stroke of luck was finding really good cendol... It's surprising how difficult it is to track this down when you're out and about, even though it's the perfect thing for hot days, and is a quintessentially Malaysian refreshment. We failed in Lundu; we failed in Mukah. But here in Bau, in a simple little place on the edge of town, was a lovely cendol:
Beautifully simple. Green squiggles made from rice flour and pandan; sticky rice; coconut milk; palm sugar; and lots of shaved ice -- delicious...
Where the cendol came from
After that we just wandered:
"Civil Malaysia": This is the catchphrase adopted by the government of current Malaysian PM Anwar (there's an explanation in English here). The buses all sport this symbol, but you don't see it displayed over here that often
Bau owes its origins to gold-mining, which the city's authorities are keen to showcase
We came across this structure on an early visit, but we didn't know what it was at that point
Now there's a protective fence, and a handy signboard
We failed this time, as we've failed before, to locate the Ghost Cave, the tragic site of reprisals after the 1857 uprising against Rajah James Brooke. It's here somewhere...
Keep the murals coming...
It's fun to just wander Bau's traditional little shopping ways...
And check out some clothing options...
Love this...
Here's Bau's little Buddha roundabout again
A bit of a rainstorm...
And home on the bus
A very pleasant little expedition. We'll be riding the pink buses again...