Sematan

Sematan is close to the western end of Sarawak, the last settlement of any size before the Indonesian border, and it is a small fishing town with a long beach running away from it - pale sand, casuarina, very few people, and a wooden jetty out into the shallow water that is the standard photograph. Kuching people come out at weekends and it stays quiet the rest of the time. Its practical importance is as a departure point: boats to Talang-Satang's turtle islands and to Tanjung Datu National Park, the remotest park in the state, leave from here when the sea allows. There are chalets and homestays along the beach and a few seafood places in the town, and Pandan and Siar beaches are on the road back towards Lundu.

What you actually see

• A long quiet beach - pale sand and casuarina running west from the town.
• A wooden jetty - the pier out over shallow water at the town end.
• Boats to the far parks - departures for Tanjung Datu and the turtle islands.
• A working fishing town - small, unhurried and close to the border.

When to go

March to September; the monsoon closes the boats. Two days.

Honest expectations

Facilities are limited and there is little to do beyond the beach. Boats to the parks are weather-dependent and must be arranged in advance. It is a long drive from Kuching.

Nearby

Tanjung Datu National Park is by boat; Lundu and Gunung Gading are inland.