kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Birds, Beasts and Bugs- Trekking in Sabah, Borneo
Its funny how some destinations don't appeal one year and then rise to the top of your list in another. Sabah is one such destination. I initially felt that it didn't have much to offer me. It would be hot, sweaty; there would be lots of trekking, there would be a mountain (which I established in Madagascar that I don't do!) and despite their diversity, rainforests are notoriously difficult to actually see anything in, let alone photograph. But having got a few other priority destinations out of my system, I felt like trying something new. The birds were a big draw, as were the star primates, proboscis monkeys and orangutans, but it was the remote possibility of nailing a clouded leopard that really crystallised the need in my mind to at least give it a good go. Through mammalwatching.com, I made contact with another like-minded person, Paul, who took the lead in planning.
We came up with a nice itinerary, he would arrive earlier and cover Poring Hot Springs and some other sites around Kota Kinabalu and I would arrive a few days later. We then would together cover the following over three weeks:
Sun 16 – Tue 18 March- Kinabalu National Park HQ area, staying at Kinabalu Pine Resort
Wed 19 to Thu 20- Sepilok – Rainforest Discovery Centre, Orangutan centre and sun bear rehabilitation centre, staying at Sepilok Jungle Resort.
Fri 21- 23 Kinabatangan River staying with Robert Chong at his Kinabatangan Jungle Camp (where the hardcore birders stay).
Mon 24 Depart KJC camp to Sukau. Drive to Lahad Datu, overnight at the Silam Dynasty hotel.
Tue 25 -26 Danum Valley staying at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in a standard room.
Thu 27 -30 Danum Valley staying at Danum Valley Field Centre in a standard room.
Mon 31 Return to Lahad Datu, back at Silam Dynasty for the night.
Tue 1 -3 April- Tabin Wildlife Reserve staying at Tabin Wildlife Resort.
Fri 4 - Returned to Kota Kinabalu by Air, Overnight at Cassaurina Hotel, KK.
Sat 5 - Paul had a lunchtime flight, mine wasn't until the evening, so I spent the day at Palau Manukan looking for a chicken (according to Ian, my OH) and departed for home that evening.
We booked most of the lodges & hotels directly in advance. We were not able to book DVFC as we were unable to make contact with the office. So the BRL booking was insurance in case we couldn't get in at all, (expensive insurance at that!) and as it happened we had no trouble booking DVFC at their office in Lahad Datu, though that seemed a little pointless because when we actually arrived at reception at the field centre, the staff there didn't have a record of our booking. But in any case, it was all sorted out without much fuss!
Below, View of Mount Kinabalu.
Its funny how some destinations don't appeal one year and then rise to the top of your list in another. Sabah is one such destination. I initially felt that it didn't have much to offer me. It would be hot, sweaty; there would be lots of trekking, there would be a mountain (which I established in Madagascar that I don't do!) and despite their diversity, rainforests are notoriously difficult to actually see anything in, let alone photograph. But having got a few other priority destinations out of my system, I felt like trying something new. The birds were a big draw, as were the star primates, proboscis monkeys and orangutans, but it was the remote possibility of nailing a clouded leopard that really crystallised the need in my mind to at least give it a good go. Through mammalwatching.com, I made contact with another like-minded person, Paul, who took the lead in planning.
We came up with a nice itinerary, he would arrive earlier and cover Poring Hot Springs and some other sites around Kota Kinabalu and I would arrive a few days later. We then would together cover the following over three weeks:
Sun 16 – Tue 18 March- Kinabalu National Park HQ area, staying at Kinabalu Pine Resort
Wed 19 to Thu 20- Sepilok – Rainforest Discovery Centre, Orangutan centre and sun bear rehabilitation centre, staying at Sepilok Jungle Resort.
Fri 21- 23 Kinabatangan River staying with Robert Chong at his Kinabatangan Jungle Camp (where the hardcore birders stay).
Mon 24 Depart KJC camp to Sukau. Drive to Lahad Datu, overnight at the Silam Dynasty hotel.
Tue 25 -26 Danum Valley staying at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in a standard room.
Thu 27 -30 Danum Valley staying at Danum Valley Field Centre in a standard room.
Mon 31 Return to Lahad Datu, back at Silam Dynasty for the night.
Tue 1 -3 April- Tabin Wildlife Reserve staying at Tabin Wildlife Resort.
Fri 4 - Returned to Kota Kinabalu by Air, Overnight at Cassaurina Hotel, KK.
Sat 5 - Paul had a lunchtime flight, mine wasn't until the evening, so I spent the day at Palau Manukan looking for a chicken (according to Ian, my OH) and departed for home that evening.
We booked most of the lodges & hotels directly in advance. We were not able to book DVFC as we were unable to make contact with the office. So the BRL booking was insurance in case we couldn't get in at all, (expensive insurance at that!) and as it happened we had no trouble booking DVFC at their office in Lahad Datu, though that seemed a little pointless because when we actually arrived at reception at the field centre, the staff there didn't have a record of our booking. But in any case, it was all sorted out without much fuss!
Below, View of Mount Kinabalu.