Fever Trees of Borneo

by Mark Eveleigh, Gordon Medcalf (Editor)

An intrepid adventurer, Mark has spent the last decade traveling areas left ominously blank on maps. This is the story of his malaria-wracked expedition across central Borneo. Once again he defies cartographers by going in search of the 'wild men of Borneo'—a tribe of jungle dwellers whose existence is validated only by myth. With fellow traveler Paul he paddles up an uncharted river into what was believed to be the valley of the spirit world—where even the island's fiercest head hunters fear to go. Crossing treacherous mountains that no Western eye has ever seen, they penetrate ever deeper into the inhospitable jungle. On the way they encounter shipwrecks, malaria, amoebic dysentery, near-starvation, leeches, exhaustion, enforced alcohol abuse, a barbecued mouse-deer foetus and a ferocious craving for chocolate.

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

'A borderline insane modern-day explorer' – Maxim magazine.

Mark Eveleigh has been a full-time magazine writer and author for almost 30 years. A British citizen, he grew up in Ghana and Nigeria and has spent more years based in Spain, South Africa and Indonesia than he ever did in UK.

AUTHOR:
'Vagabond' (the book about Mark's 1,225km solo hike up the length of Spain), published by Summersdale, was listed among the '6 top travel reads for 2024' by National Geographic.

His Indonesian travel book 'Kopi Dulu' (PenguinRH SEA, 2022) was listed among the best books of 2022 by Jakarta Post.

His debut novel (in 2023) was 'Driftwood Chandeliers', a hard-hitting magical-realism novel set in a remote village in Bali.

He also wrote 'Fever Trees of Borneo' and 'Maverick in Madagascar' (published in German by National Geographic.)

GUIDEBOOK WRITER:
He co-authored Secret Bali and Secret Bangkok guidebooks along with several Lonely Planet guidebooks including Borneo (2023); Tanzania (2023); Madagascar (2023); Ecuador (2024); Spain (2024).

TRAVEL JOURNALIST:
As a travel journalist Mark (a fellow of Royal Geographical Society) has published more than 850 full-length travel features for more than 120 international publications, including BBC Wildlife, BBC Earth, BBC Travel, CNN Travel, Conde Nast Traveller, Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, Boston Globe, Travel Africa, Sunday Times, Africa Geographic and National Geographic Traveler. He's written for the inflight magazines of countless national airlines, including KLM, Qantas, Etihad, Qatar, Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Brussels, Kenya, Uganda, Philippines, Gulf Airlines and Garuda Indonesia.

When he's not on assignments he can often be found in West Bali where he has some well-stocked bookshelves and a small shed that's crammed with surfboards.

Reviews

[Peselai · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anything, a story like this illustrates the realities of venturing into deep tropical jungles. Many foreigners underestimate the fortitude and strength required to stay in dense jungles, and for what it’s worth, I’m glad the author acknowledges his naivety as opposed to laying blame on local communities. It’s an entertaining tale of clueless visitors in a remote part of Borneo as they attempt a romanticised trek across what they probably then thought of as a simple forest hike. A glimpse of Dayak culture in the 90s, when the crossroads of progress and the old way pushed and pulled, is a profound observation of a small slice of rural Bornean communities.

I don’t necessarily agree with some points made, but it was entertaining in parts nonetheless. A good read and recommended for those seeking an old memory of a place now vastly changed.

[Vita Mikuličiūtė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Labai žavinga knyga! Primena Lonely Planet vadovus savo baisingai entuziastingu autoriaus pasakojimo būdu ir išryškintomis keistomis kultūrinėmis detalėmis. Kita vertus, ji daug daugiau nei kelionės vadovas. Tai pasakojimas apie du bepročius vakariečius, norinčius nukeliauti ten, kur nėra įžengusi civilizacija, ir kartu niūrus žvilgsnis į nykstantį džiunglių atšiaurumą. Tikrai įtraukia ir nepaleidžia, kol neužbaigi.

[Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book as much as I did when I first read it 9 years ago, before going to Borneo myself. Great travel adventure!

[charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read years ago. Need to reread