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Message: <blockquote data-quote="temmie" data-source="post: 3217789" data-attributes="member: 58016">Still the question: why go to the Philippines to head for the beach, while 2 hrs from Kinabatangan, you have excellent beaches + some of the best diving/snorkeling near Mabul and Sipadan?Even Pulau Manukan (15 minutes on a boat from Kota Kinabalu) has excellent snorkeling. Pulau Mantanani is another nice option with the Scops Owl and some island birds. About Sepilok + Orang Utan: you will see them at Kinabatangan from the comfort of your boat, in the wild (and not semi-wild like in Sepilok), ofcourse if you want to see Bristlehead this is your best chance in the current itinerary (but I would have a try at Danum, you have to go there anyway once in your life). Also, the river cruises are why you are on the Kinabatangan, so do morning + afternoon cruises and chill for the rest of the day. This is very enjoyable, also for the non-birding GF. You can go for an evening to Gomantong caves to check out the swiftlets and Bat Falcon if a bit lucky. On the Kinabatangan, you can see 6-8 species of Hornbill, Orang Utan, Elephants,... No pitta's on Kinabalu. It's a mountain and Bornean Pitta's don't like mountains. You can have some around Poring (Blue-banded, Banded and Giant if very lucky). You have, at least in theory, 4-5 pitta sp. in Taman Negara, but if you go to Kinabatangan, you can also see 2 or 3 or 4 (Blue-headed, Hooded, Black-headed and Giant if lucky) + Ground Cuckoo. I have not heard of too many Rail-babbler sightings at Kinabatangan. Not even Danum (it's in Danum but it's hard and never guaranteed). Best places would be Taman Negara, Panti Forest (both peninsular Malaysia) and Southern Thailand. Even there you have to be lucky with sightings / calls from Rail Babbler...One more thing: don't you ever go with a boat from Sepilok (Sandakan) to the Philippines! At least not now, maybe it will get safe once in the near future...</blockquote>

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