Tuesday, October 12, 2010

houses on the sea

A scene from the "floating village" of Pulau Gaya (Gaya Island).

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Sources on the internet also call the community here as the Bajau (indegenous group) gypsies. A mix of Bajau, Filipino and Indonesian communities is probably more accurate. For long an eyesore (and issue of public, environmental and political interests), this water village has been shrinking over the years. Many of these houses have been dismantled, while a few are being rebuilt. Mass relocation is certainly a daunting task. And just nearby, on the same island, are two excellent 5 star resorts.

Pulau Gaya is the largest of five islands that are collectively known as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (est 1974), and it is about 3 km from the mainland. The other islands are Manukan, Sapi, Suluk and Mamutik. Non of the other islands have these villages. Pulau Gaya is also known to have the most type of dipterocarp trees that can be found in Sabah's rainforest. Wikipedia info on Dipterocarpaceae.

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