When I was planning this trip to Bario with a friend, we didn't expect too much cos we just wanted to find a nice and quiet place to spend a couple of days away from the urban busy landscape of Kuala Lumpur, a friend of mine had recommended this place about a year ago after my Bakelalan trip, I kept the contact and address of Ngimat Ayu homestay, since is recommended by a friend, so it must be worth the stay and finally booked a ourselves a 4 days 3 nights stay via online.
We arrived in Bario before noon time, Apui greeted us at the airport and soon we loaded our backpacks and jumped into a pick up truck driven by Jolly and he took us to Ngimat Ayu. After about 15 minutes drive, we arrived at Ngimat Ayu, it was a nice looking house built on a little slope overseeing the padi fields, we were greeted by Debra who happened to be Apui's niece, she is friendly and she shown us to our rooms, the house has separate levels, the kitchen and dinning is separated from the guest rooms with common shared bathrooms, the bedrooms looked basic and has 2 single beds and a small table, most important of all it is clean. Outside the rooms were an elongated living area with sofa set for guests to chill out and relax. It was non peak period and coincide with school holiday period we were told when we arrived, that tells us why the surrounding was quiet and peaceful during our stay, only 2 bedrooms were occupied out of 5/6 rooms upstairs. We were told there were places allocated for some who may want to be more adventurous to camp/sleep in a tent downstairs.
Vanilla, a friendly ambassador of Ngimat Ayu came to greet us us too by sniffing through our backpacks as lunch was served. During our stay in Ngimat Ayu, Debra who took care of our request most of the time, she lined up some interesting itineraries i.e visit to the Penan temporary settlement after half hour walk through the village and school, a visit to the pineapple farm as we scale through the padi fields, collecting wild vegetables and mushrooms, a visit to the sheep farm and the long houses, visit to the local morning market etc. Although one of the attraction was to do a half day trek up the prayer mountain if you are here for spiritual purpose, but I have decided to do this and visit the salt factory the next time am back in Bario.
I must say even though if you are here just for a short stay, because of where Ngimat Ayu is located, you could just sit down at the verandah with a cup of nice warm cup of coffee or tea, bring along a nice book to read, admire the beautiful scenery of the land of the wind (Bario), looking across stretches of padi fields and just watch the day goes by, the highland weather was perfect, cooling and refreshing especially in the evening and morning, you can also rent a bicycle and cycle around the villages and padi fields and get an up close and personal tour. Meals are served 3 times a day, simple local delicacies, coffee and tea is complimentary.
I guess when you are visiting a place, best is to go along with the least expectation, I came to Bario with the least expectation, I got so much more out of Bario, from our hosts at Ngimat Ayu - Apui, Debra & George and not forgetting Jolly,(hope I got all their name right?). More importantly, come here with a sense of simplicity, you will not be disappointed, Apui and team will be there to assist you with your needs. Am currently planning my return stay at Ngimat Ayu, hope things are the still the same or better, see you soon, Bario!
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Date of stay: September 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â All rooms are clean and have windows. Choice of, queen bed, 2 single bed, camp/sleep in a tent.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bario is breathtaking. Full stop. Trek around the jungles or just stand still and take it ALL in!
Then coming to this modern wooden long house built simply yet comfortably facing the mountains, is just the cherry on top.
This isn't a 5star resort so don't expect plush pillows, air-conditioning and bug-free. The nights can be bug-filled, bed are slightly flat and hard and electricity is on from 6-10pm everyday. And... if you are a hot shower lover as I am, especially in a place that can get chilly, there are no hot showers! GASP!
But waking up with the sun to a crisp morning and sitting having cinnamon tea on the verandah, eyes irresistibly glued to the padi field and hills landscape, is ALL worth it. One lunch time, we were lucky enough get a visit from a hornbill who had flown in and sat curiously watching us watch it in awe!
My butt was glued to the verandah for 2 full days, I couldn't leave the mountains' sight! Luckily for me, breakfast, lunch and dinner was inclusive in the room charge.
I'd like to thank Apoi (I know you're reading! :)) for being a gentleman and great host. Fro showing us your neighborhood and for taking care of my dietary needs. For I am a vegan, primarily raw... and yes, I can be difficult to cater to. But you did wonderfully!
Bring your sweaters, socks and shawl, as it can get shockingly cold at night. OR great options is to get your drink of choice and warm yourself by the fireplace.
... What? A fireplace in the rainforest of Borneo?!?!....
Ahh, no sir, it is the highland of Bario. And I found the best view in the area ;)
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Date of stay: June 2011
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We (a few of us from Adelaide, Perth-Australia & NZ) stayed in Bario at Ngimat Ayu Long House in March 2013 for the 68th anniversary memorial of the first parachute landing of the 'Semut 8 'Z' Special Unit' men into Bario in 1945 of which my Father was one.. Mr Charles Frederick Sanderson DCM of Newcastle Australia. He was part of the Semut Australian Forces operation to liberate Borneo from Japanese occupation at the end of WW2. Our accommodation was exceptional. Hosts Scott and Deborah are very special people. The food they prepared for us was tasty and delicious, the rooms were clean and the atmosphere simply beautiful - apart from the freezing cold showers due to no hot water for bathing in Bario. The beautiful Kelabit people of Bario are incredibly warm, intelligent, friendly and very much aware of what is happening in the outside world whilst remaining quite removed and unaffected by it. It was such a beautiful escape from outside world of chaos and greed. Some of us are planning to return again for the 70th anniversary on the 25th March 2015. Please come and join us in our celebrations. We hope to stay in Scott & Deborah's Long House again and hopefully arrange a special Sape music concert...beautiful instrument and sound. Linda Sanderson-Burr Adelaide Australia lindaleila@iprimus.com.au
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Date of stay: March 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Take a mosquito net and a good torch as generated power doesn't come on until 6pm then off...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Ngimat Ayu guest house is situated in beautiful Bario with a scenic view of rice paddies. The food is very good. But this is let down by the uncomfortable beds, noise at night, and apathetic service of the proprietor, Apui.
Bario is a place with little formal tourism infrastructure, so to see much the region you are essentially reliant on the people at your guest house. On this score, Apui let us down. Obtaining information about the sights and surrounding villages was like getting blood from a stone. He seemed totally disinterested in helping us plan our time in Bario, and - when we finally did manage to plan an overnight trip to the nearby village of Pa Lungan - our plans ultimately fell through because he was unable to find a guide for us. (Our guide was originally going to be Apui, but - on the morning of our departure - he seemed to decide it wasn't worth his time.)
Feeling disappointed, we left to find another guest house nearby. They provided us with a wealth of information, and we were able to depart for Pa Lungan that day. Bario is a wonderful place to visit if you have helpful people to point you in the right direction. Sadly, we were unable to find such people at Ngimat Ayu Homestay.
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Date of stay: November 2012
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved a lot about this place, including the hosts (so so friendly), the food (interesting, plentiful, delicious, and well-explained every night), the location (good walking distance to Prayer Mtn, quieter areas, etc), and most especially the verandah - which was so nice to sit and read on.
The little things that could really use a change: the hike options. When we arrived, they asked what we wanted to do, but didn't really give us clear options. I had read up on Bario before we got there but hadn't written anything down because I assumed our guesthouse would have the best and most clear info. There is one village that is a 4 hour trek away, which is what they recommended. But that is not the only option and I wish some more had been explained to us. We had no choice except to say yes to that one plan. (They also offered us jungle camping, but we decided no after it rained all night. But they also didn't give us a clear picture of this meant or would be like or where we could stay - again there are different options). Its hard to choose what you'd like to do when you have no idea what you CAN do. We visited another guesthouse that had very clear maps of the area.
A map would also have been helpful. Steve kindly drew us a map, but it was a tad hard to decipher and would seem to be much easier for everyone if they just had a photocopied one on the ready.
There was also no toilet paper for about 36 hours at one point. We had brought a bunch of tissues, but I had mentioned it to Debra and she put out a box of tissues, and when that ran out here was nothing for a whole day and night. This would have been super annoying if we hadn't brought back-up.
Lastly, we got a basement room upon arrival because all the upstairs rooms were full. This was a major bummer, as the room was very very dark, not cute, had no outlet, and smelled like sewage our 2nd night. I would really make sure you are not getting a basement room, mostly because it costs the same as the upstairs rooms (95 myr/person, which is very expensive for Malaysia). On our last night we got to move upstairs and it was SO MUCH BETTER. But that only made it seem more unfair that we had to pay full price for the sewage room.
I am feeling like this review is making me sound whiney. Honestly, we really liked it and would totally stay there again. Just wanted to recommend to staff to maybe make a list of trekking options and have a map ready and also TP, and to guests to check that they won't be in the basement room.
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Date of stay: March 2015
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â no basement! the top corner room has two windows, and is the nicest.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BarioNgimats, Owner at The Ngimat Ayu House Bario
Responded 3 Apr 2015
Dear guest, thanks for the encouraging review and feedbacks on our property. Our apology for all the short comings during your stay with us. We are training our staff and continue on improving our service. As for now we have listed out itineraries on activities one can chose from😉 it would be easier for us to arrange if one could pre book for any of these itinerary...
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I think this is the same place I stayed, strangely I can't remember the name of it, but I recognised the name (Apoi) in the other review. Apoi, aka Scott, is an amazing chap. We'd originally hoped to stay at Jungle Blues Dream homestay having been recommended it by a couple in Miri but they were full and the owner said we'd could stay at his nephew's (Scott). I thought we'd hold out and see what was around when we arrived so declined but nevertheless there he was at the airport with a big smile and open arms so off we set and it was brilliant. We stayed 5 days and he showed us everything: he took us to a Penan village on Bario's outskirts where we ate samba (?) deer with the locals; he taught me how to fish in the village ponds (I caught two tiddlers which his mum cooked for us), he showed us what we can eat in the jungle 'supermarket' (i.e. leaves); he constantly plied us with food (pineapple curry is delicious, monkey is chewy); he arranged a guide (Remy) to take us to Pa'Lungan who was really good, he took me hunting in the jungle (we didn't catch any but good nevertheless), he treated us to gin and cards in the evening and let us ride round town on his scooter. Everyone in Bario is really hospitable but Scott gave us such a memorable experience and such amazing hospitality I'd be amazed if it could be beaten. Highly recommended/bordering on aggressive insistence. If you go to Bario go here!
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Date of stay: March 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Explored the area around Bario for 6 days which Apoi/Scott, the owner of Ngimat Ayu, arranged for us. Out itinerary included a 3 day trek from Sarawak - Kalimantan - Sarawak.
Bario Village only started having 24hour electricity via solar panels from December 2015. One of the 2 bathrooms has a water heater. 4 bedrooms upstairs. The corner room with a Queen sized bed is brighter because it has 2 sets of windows.
Delicious food cooked by Apoi's 87 yr old mum, whom we called "tepu" which is Grandma in Kelabit.
Recommend to do the sunrise trek up Prayer Mountain in Bario - 2 hour return journey.
Mobile service available by Celcom.
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Date of stay: March 2016
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â If you don't mind sharing a queen sized bed, the corner room is the brightest.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely perfect. Welcoming, warm, clean and great food. Clearest 5 star rating I've given :) Scott helps you arrange tours or whatever you might need. Electricity is on from around 6-11. When you arrive, borrow a bicycle and do a loop around Bario. It is surely a place of peace and quiet.
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Date of stay: September 2015Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed for only one night but would have loved to have stayed longer. We were warmly welcomed and felt very comfortable. The Ngimat Ayu House is lovely with several areas to relax. The food was plentiful and delicious. Always great to try new food especially food specific to the region.
We did a village tour with Aunty Connie which was very interesting and informative.
From here, we trekked to Ba'Kelalan with guides Johnson and David, which was arranged for us by Scott.
Highly recommend staying here and also doing the 4 day trek to Ba' Kelalan.
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Date of stay: February 2015
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BarioNgimats, Owner at The Ngimat Ayu House Bario
Responded 17 Feb 2015
We are really great full to have you experience and enjoy our Bario-Ba'Kelalan wildlife trek. At least someone we know, now have the idea that we need an environmental scantiest to help conserve our beautiful jungle..;) Our guide and us at The Ngimat Ayu House had a great time having you with us. All the best from us here in the heart of Borneo and God bless.
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Together with my girlfriend I stayed in the Ngimat Ayu's Homestay for 5 nights, of which one in the jungle. His homestay is a fantastic place to stay to see the beautiful environment of Bario. Together with Deborah he runs the homestay in the most hospitable way we have ever experienced. The rooms are tidy and comfortable. The view on the veranda are fantastic and you sit and look for hours. The food is not only found/caught locally, but also tastes very good! It was a feast every time! The people of Bario are all very friendly and welcome you in town.
We did some amazing hikes into the jungle (with overnight near the river, fantastic!), as well a great kayaking tour on the river nearby, which we will both never forget! All accompanied by Apoi. He organises all tours and trips very well and he always brings the nicest local snacks with him (pineapple and Bario-rice snacks!)…
We hope to come back soon!!
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Date of stay: September 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â We had the double room, but all rooms are fine!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Alex, my apology for late reply as I just recieved your queries and just got out from jungle trekking. However we are not located in Mulu area but in Bario another 45 minutes flight from Miri.
Hope you enjoyed Mulu and visit Bario also soon.
Cheers,
Scott
There are more places to choose from in the Bario area.
LOCATION
MalaysiaSarawakMiri DistrictBario
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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